traveler in London who knows to never leave
his hotel without an umbrella, a seasoned Mon-
tauk paddleboarder apparently knows to never
head out to paddle without fi rst checking the
wind speed and direction. For a beginner like
me, choosing a sheltered spot or a day with very
little wind forecast, seemed key to my paddling
success. And if all else failed, I promised myself
to remember the words of my friend Janice:
"Pay attention to the wind direction and paddle
fi rst into the wind. It's super diffi cult to paddle
against a strong wind, especially when you're
tired." Got it.
calm water. Climb on the paddleboard, fi rst
on your knees, then stand up and take a wide
stance. Fix your gaze straight ahead. Don't look
at your feet. Paddle. It's not that complicated.
Whether you are "old school" like experienced
bodysurfer Andrea who didn't mind getting
hammered in the ocean when fi rst learning to
paddleboard, or fearless like my yoga instruc-
tor Cathy who taught herself to paddleboard
three days before a seven mile fundraiser,
paddleboarding doesn't seem to require hours
of instruction to get started and have fun. One
surf shop employee confi ded to me that all I
had to do was Google "how to paddleboard" to
really fi nd out everything I needed to know. So
Google I did. Up popped REI.com's "Stand Up
Paddleboarding (SUP): How to Get Started,"
which covered everything from carrying your
board to the water to perfecting your paddling
stroke. Feeling somewhat more empowered, I
still wanted to have a back-up plan in place in
case my confi dence wavered come Memorial
Day weekend. Fortunately, there's no shortage
of people and opportunities in Montauk to help
me get comfortable on a paddleboard. I know
I'll be in good hands with Espo's private les-
sons or demos or I might even check out a SUP
Yoga class (details at Air and Speed Surf Shop),
where I'm assured that paddlers and yogis of all
levels are welcome, even those who've never
stood on a paddleboard or uttered a single "om."
ner I plan to rent at fi rst or maybe I'll be lucky
enough to borrow one from friends (hint, hint
Janice and Vicki!). Air and Speed, Espo's and
Puff `n Putt are good rental options close to
town. I've been told that it's important to men-
tion where I am going to paddle and the fact
that I am a beginner paddler, since SUP boards
are not one-size-fi ts-all. There are paddleboards
touring, for beginners, for women, for kids. The
SUP boards advertised as thick, wide, stable and
easy to paddle seem to be the ones for me.
Navy Road, South Lake, Napeague Bay or even
Fort Pond, where the water is calm. Remind
myself to check the wind. Take a deep breath
and get off my butt and get up on the board.
What will I fi nd out once I take the plunge
and put myself out there? Maybe it will be that
perfect core workout without sweating in the
gym. Maybe it will be a sense of peace and calm
while cruising. Maybe it will be the challenge
of balancing and paddling with or against the
wind. Maybe it will be fi nding my inner yogi
while paddling on South Lake. Maybe it will be
the thrill of seeing the fi nish line at the end of
a fundraising paddle. Or maybe it will just be
fi nding out how good it feels to move off the
sidelines and get back in the water again. So, if
you see a 50-something newbie paddler at Navy
Road this summer, cheer her on! Or better yet,
consider grabbing a paddle yourself. There's
enough room in the water for all of us. To learn
more about my paddleboarding adventures,
check out my blog at www.montaukwriter.com
later this summer.
zette Harrel is a freelance writer and a writing
coach. Inspired by her late father's twenty-one
year struggle with Parkinson's disease, she is
currently writing a memoir entitled It Doesn't
Get Any Better Than This: Listening to A Grate-
ful and Generous Life. For more information
about her writing and editing services, includ-
ing college application essay guidance, go to
www.montaukwriter.com.