A very first SUP video by me: during the paddling on The River Halikko (a post in Finnish) a video camera was installed on the SUP board heading forwards . The total material shot was 70 minutes and after editing the clip lasts 6 minutes. You might think that this is the most boring video you have ever seen, or you can enjoy the mindfulness or slow living experience in Finnish landscape with autumn calors, and also see some ice breaking moments.
I am visiting Copenhagen with Assari (Assari’s side of a story (in Finnish)). This is just a short visit but there was a possibility to visit a SUP place called Kajakhotellet (kajakhotellet.dk) in Amager Strand. By the way Amager Strand is a very nice place by the sea having a large sandy beach, perfect place in a sunny summer day to enjoy life and outdoor activities like paddling and swimming. It is also located near to Kastrup Airport, so you can drop by when coming/going from/to the airport, just get off the metro at Femören station and have a short walk towards to the sea.
The day was not that warm (it is springtime still) so there was just few people on the beach area but I can easily image that the place is just awesome in a beautiful day. At the arrival it was almost a closing time but I got opportunity to SUP for a half an hour. I got my brand new wet suit on (the first wet suit experience (in Finnish) ) and was ready to go.
There were several different kinds of boards available, I said no to a plastic ‘bathtub’, they are awful. I got a small sporty one, the smallest I have ever tried. So I was a little bit worried in the beginning if I will stay on the board, it was my first time on board after October anyway. After getting familiar with the board, it was very ok, actually making turns with it was easy indeed.
I was all alone supping in strange place for the first time for a long time, so I stayed in inner lagoon. But as you can see the picture, you can go around ‘the island’ as the kayak men did. It was so nice to be on board again, the feeling afterwards was super! For a moment the sun was even shining and it felt like a summer. Pure happiness.
I visited in Riga (Latvia) with my daughter in the beginning of April. Unfortunately the weather was quite bad for any outdoor activity (+2 celcius and rainy), and propably the SUP season is not started in Latvia either, so we were not able to do any SUP there. What was noticed was that in the city center there is a very nice canal which seemed to be very suitable for SUP. According the internet you can hire a SUP board for a canal and a river Daugava paddling in Riga in the summertime.
Canal in Riga. In the beginning of the April the weather was not suitable for SUP. Maybe next time?
One location perfect for sea activities according travel books, maps and a view from the airplane is Jurmala (20 mins from Riga by train). Jurmala is by the sea, in Gulf of Riga, and having a long beautiful sandy beach. Maybe next time in Latvia I am able to paddle these SUP places.
