5 Activities Beginners Can Do on Standup Paddleboards This Spring

If you haven’t used it throughout the winter, you are likely itching to get out on your standup paddleboard as the weather warms up. While winter paddleboarding can be rewarding, spring brings excitement as you anticipate warmer weather, the snow and ice fade away, and you come out of hibernation ready to use your paddleboard.

If you’re a beginner, you may feel anxious about doing anything except practice paddling, but paddleboard beginners can do many of the same things that experienced paddlers are doing. You may not have as much confidence or be able to go as far or as long, but you have a lot of different options for using your board this spring.

This post reassures you that you don’t have to be an expert at paddleboarding to enjoy a variety of activities this spring. So start blocking off time on your calendar and make plans to try out some of the best beginner standup paddleboard activities for spring.

1. Go Fishing

Spring just happens to be the best time to fish for freshwater species. So if you love to fish or just want to pair something with paddleboarding to avoid aimless paddling on the water, opt for fishing. Many shallow-water fish species spawn in the spring, so you don’t have to paddle far from shore to get in some good fishing.

As a beginner, you may not be able to go far or paddle for long. So the short bit of paddling you have to do to find a good fishing spot gives you a chance to practice paddling and then take a break. Then, once you’ve had your fill of fishing, you can move spots and utilize another short bit of paddling followed by a break. So your fishing expedition also becomes a paddling practice session without it feeling like practice.

2. Get Some Exercise

Many people bought a paddleboard knowing it would be great exercise. Even if you bought it just for fun, you can take your board out for exercise to mix things up a bit. The more balance and stability you can achieve, the better you’ll be on your paddleboard. So you don’t have to just paddle to get better at balancing and using your paddleboard.

While a lot of people post their paddleboard yoga pics and other advanced workouts online, you can create your own simple circuit that mixes up some paddling practice with things like squats, ab work, and leg lifts. Paddling and just balancing on your board offers a great core workout, but mixing in other exercises allows you to not only get a great arm, shoulder, and back workout from paddling but a well-rounded total body workout.

Simply paddle out for a specific timeframe, then pause the paddling for a quick circuit on your board. The more you incorporate core work into your exercise, the better results you’ll see on your paddleboard. Just aim for simpler exercises at first. The same moves you do on land get exponentially more difficult on a board because you’re balancing on an unstable surface.

So doing a few rounds of circuit training on your board, alternating paddling with exercises on the board, allows you to get a break from paddling while building the very muscles you need for increased balance and stability on your board.

3. Bring a Group Along

As a beginner, having a little company along means you can encourage each other while having a good time together on your board. If you’re all fairly new to paddleboarding, you can tour together or picnic together, or you can even arrange challenges to increase your paddleboard strength, stamina, and stability.

Whether your kids use standup paddleboards with you or you’re out with a group of friends, you can translate just about any game on land to a fun water-based paddleboard game. Often, when you’re focusing on the fun and not so anxious about your form, you relax a bit and can more easily get into the groove of paddling.

From simple races and obstacle courses to more intricate games like capture the flag, you can create a fun environment that revolves around using your paddleboard. Be as creative or low-key as you like, but especially if you don’t enjoy just quietly paddling around and seeing the sites, you can inject a lot of action and fun, even at a beginner level when you make paddleboarding a group activity.

4. Enjoy the Solitude

If you prefer getting away from it all and keeping things a little quiet, even as a beginner, you can enjoy touring quietly and paddling along at your own pace anywhere you roam this spring. Spring has the advantage of offering beautiful vistas all along the way. From budding trees and flowers to wildlife exploding around you, you paddle as far and as fast or as short and sweet as you want to.

A quiet day on the water can be quite relaxing, helps you to relieve some stress, and allows you to be alone with your thoughts. After a hectic week of work, a calm day on the water, paddling along, and taking in the sights and sounds of spring can be a great mental break with your board.

5. Picnic and Hang Out

Everyone gets spring fever, and you find yourself going stir-crazy inside the house but don’t really want a structured activity, pack a cooler, grab your paddleboard, and head out the door. You don’t have to go far, but allow yourself to wander a bit, taking a break as needed from paddling. Then when you’re in the mood, stop for quick rest and a picnic.

No matter your experience level, you can find plenty to do on your standup paddleboard this spring. Whether you want to hang out with a group or just spend some time on your own, use the springtime to get reacquainted with the water and paddleboarding. Any chance you have to get out on the water helps to build your skills on your board and always promises to be a blast.