Spring fever has hit the exercise world as gym goers head to the beach to trial the alternative to wave riding.
If fears of huge swells, gnarly wipeouts and a nose full of water have prevented you from becoming the next Kelly Slater, stand up paddle surfing (SUPS) may give you the thrill of being in the deep blue sea - minus buckets of sand in your cossies.
Wollongong's Pines Surfing Academy is now offering lessons in the new surfing trend.
Paddleboard expert Norm Rodgers believes the creation of SUPS was simply the natural progression for the surfing world.
"I think surfers were looking for something they could do when the conditions were not as big that still meant they could be out in the water," he says.
"It's great for people who might be afraid of the bigger waves to get the experience of being in the surf, get a bit of fitness and see the beauty of the region in a different way."
Describing the sport as an addition to traditional fitness classes, Rodgers says SUPS offers participants a complete cardio, balance and strength workout.
"It's cross training with a focus on strengthening legs, back, feet, arms, neck and shoulders.
"A lot of strength comes through the core because you have to stable yourself on the board so you're using your core muscles to keep the board up right.
"Once you get experienced at it, you can paddle for an hour and it's a great workout; I've been doing 10 minutes in the harbour and I come back exhausted and out of breath."
Rodgers believes the sport also improves fine motor movement as the ocean offers tougher resistance to the static movement of gym weights.
"It's great if you've had a big week of gym sessions or football training and you're just looking for something to stretch the muscles out," he says.
He recommends people start SUPS training in flat surf conditions as choppy waters can make it more difficult to paddle.
Beginner lessons start with safety talks before moving onto instruction on equipment, carrying and standing on the board.
Instructors then teach SUPS stances on the beach, moving the boards into shallow water for stopping and turning motions.
Rodgers vetoes arguments about people needing co-ordination or surfing experience to master the sport and says most people are standing and paddling on the board in just 10 minutes.
Beginners progress to a two-stroke pattern in the ocean, alternating strokes on each side.
Different paddle motions and feet positions are used to stop and turn in the water, guaranteeing an upper body burn.
Although falling off the board is common (even for pros), Rodgers says the added body temperature from SUPS makes an ocean spill more attractive.
"You're not in the water constantly and all the paddling tends to generate a bit of heat in the wetsuit so it's quite nice to fall off sometimes," he jokes.
Rodgers believes the sport's biggest selling point is its broad appeal.
"We can offer different board sizes to cater for different abilities and ages," he says.
"We want to run classes for mums, kids and older people because it's not a difficult skill to learn and people have control over the speed and distance they travel."
SUPS participants are also attracted to the sport's social aspect, which moves away from surfing's more solitary nature.
"Couples, families and friends can do it together by keeping their boards close by and staying at the same speed," Rodgers says.
"Surfing is a little bit anti-social in the fact that you're not surfing together but with SUPS, there are now social clubs and races so it's quite diverse.
"There's even boards with glass viewing windows so you can take them onto a reef and see marine life underneath."
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