Find out more about Paddle UK’s SUP plans…

Lee Pooley, Director of Recreation & Development at Paddle UK, explains more about the organisation’s SUP plan

Lee Pooley, Director of Recreation & Development at Paddle UK, explains more about the organisation’s SUP plan, in its role as a national governing body. It follows the inaugural SUPERCHAMPS, a new stand up paddleboard (SUP) event in Torquay, in September.

What is Paddle UK’s SUP plan?
The SUP plan has been devised with community engagement. We listened to stakeholders, and Paddle UK developed an 18-month plan. The plan includes everything we are aiming to deliver in that period of time. It’s to cover a whole diverse audience, from people new to SUP through to international athletes. It’s an ambitious plan but very much achievable. 

What’s in the plan?
One set of information is around safety, ensuring we have appropriate evidence-based research to inform us with our safety messaging to stand up paddleboarders. How we work with manufacturers and retailers in terms of the point-of-sale messaging we want when people buy a SUP – the safety information they should be receiving. It’s all around that collaborative work with stakeholders and partners to have a more extensive reach and engagement to that wider community to ensure how great SUP is, but also the safety implications, simple things to follow, and simple safety rules. 

What opportunities are coming up?
There are lots of things in the pipeline. We’re working with the membership department to look at appropriate benefits and services specifically for stand up paddleboarders. I think that’s an exciting time over the next 12 months. Also, it highlights the physical and mental wellbeing benefits of getting out to SUP and how accessible it is to engage with nature and the environment – all of those aspects. So I think there’s some great opportunities there. 

What about SUP athletes and events?
We want to support SUP athletes in having clear competition pathways. Being able to support them and understand which competition events are available to them. We’re doing that through our SUP race page on the Paddle UK website. A whole host of events are listed there. We’re also incorporating a newsletter that they’ll be able to engage with.

We’re exploring the possibility of hosting an ICF SUP, which I think is really exciting. Several locations are interested in the possibility of running an ICF (event), and what we’re looking at now is a feasibility study – the costs and the appropriate venue that’ll be able to host and stage a great World Cup event. They can be anywhere. There are great locations within the UK, inland and coastal. Recently, we hosted the SUP superchamps (in Torquay). We had SUP polo and sprints in the inner harbour because it enabled them to do that. We also had the open ocean where we did technical sprints and the 14km distance. 

It’s a really exciting time, and we want to work with the community to fulfil this plan.

Paddle UK – SUP Plan

Paddle UK, a national governing body for stand up paddleboard aims to:

• Raise the profile and awareness of associated benefits when SUP including relaxation, wellbeing, and nature
• Continue to work with the established SUP forums to ensure strong links with the wider audience
• Work with identified influencers to reach and engage with the wider audience
• Support and have presence at identified SUP events
• Provide SUP paddlers with specific membership benefits and service
• Explore the opportunities to host an ICF SUP World Cup
• Develop and promote SUP safety advice, informed by research and insight
• Establish criteria for SUP Events and Competitions offering high quality provision and clear competition pathways
• Establish a SUP Race webpage to inform participants and competitors of up-and-coming SUP events, selection information and training opportunities
• Work in collaboration with manufacturers and retailers to produce point-of-sale safety messaging
• Work collaboratively to share SUP safety messaging advice through a network of stakeholders
• Develop our existing incident reporting system to help in developing shared understanding of incident trends.
• Continue to develop high quality SUP Qualifications and Awards

For further information please contact SUP@con.paddleuk.co.uk