9 Reasons Why You Should Try Kayaking or Stand Up Paddleboarding

RideAway Kayak and SUP

Picture 3 of 5

Kayaking and Stand Up Paddle boarding are more popular than ever. It’s surprisingly easy and accessible. I have to admit I’ve never been kayaking before. I gave it a try last week and couldn’t believe how easy, relaxing, and fun it is. I was so busy enjoying the scenery and navigating the water, I didn’t even notice I was also getting some great exercise.

Mike Morrison is the owner of Rideaway Kayak and SUP. He’s a local Cape Codder who grew up in Sandwich and started the business 9 years ago with just 6 kayaks and a passion for getting people involved.

The mission at Rideaway Kayak and SUP has always been simple providing easy access to fun water activities on Cape Cod. Who better to explain why you should give kayaking and paddle boarding a try, than Mike Morrison owner of Rideaway Kayak and SUP. Here are his top reasons.

Health benefits
Kayaking and stand up paddle boarding provide a huge list of mental, physical, and emotional health benefits. Any time people are able to be outside surrounded by nature and be physically engaged it provides so many positive health benefits. With both kayaking and stand up paddle boarding, you are engaging your core muscles if you are using the correct body mechanics.

Our ACA certified instructors and guides teach these techniques in our lessons and tours. It gives the rider the ability to make the workout tough on their core muscles or a light engagement. Paddle boarding specifically focuses on your stomach, legs, and butt which is why it’s such a huge hit, since everyone wants to improve on those three area.

From an emotional and mental stand point it is always beneficial to remove yourself from the stresses of your everyday and surround yourself with nature and just relax. Kayaking and stand up paddle boarding supply that opportunity.

It’s relaxing
People enjoy kayaking and SUP because it is a new experience and an adventure. We always say “the best paddlers are the quiet paddlers”. You can be silent moving through some of the most beautiful places in the world using these two methods and everything around you remains as it would in comparison to a motorboat, a vehicle, or even walking. It gives you the ability to silently explore. It also provides a fun new challenge for those that want to learn a new skill with family and friends.

It’s accessible
It is extremely accessible to get into kayaking and SUP. Rideaway Kayak and SUP provide lessons, classes, and kid’s adventure camps and always recommend a lesson so that you ensure you are doing it in a healthy and safe way as far as rules, body mechanics, equipment, and weather conditions. We even give brief tutorials for renters.

You always want to do your due diligence as far as safety and planning with both activities so that you feel comfortable and confident on the water before heading out. We also deliver all over Cape Cod and Plymouth (free in Sandwich and Mashpee) so that we literally make it accessible to anyone staying on the water and both of our locations are located at the water as well.

Anyone can do it. No skill required
Kayaking is a great sport/past time because you can gauge your effort completely by choosing the right locations and amount of energy so people can enjoy it their whole lives. We offer numerous types of kayaks for beginners and experts alike so that there is always something available to introduce new kayakers to the water.
Stand up paddle boarding does take a bit more effort and skill. Balance is a key factor for paddle boarding along with leg power and upper body power. Rideaway Kayak and SUP provides great options of boards for novice to expert but some coordination and strength is necessary to introduce the sport and have people enjoy it. With that said, we have people as young as six and as old as mid-seventies doing it regularly so if you want to give it a shot we are here to make it happen.

Learning is easy with Rideaway Kayaks (and they make it fun!)
Our instructors and guides are all extremely experienced and we are one of the only guide staffs on Cape Cod with a completely ACA certified staff. This means we have a technical and physical grasp on everything that we teach and instruct so that our students are utilizing the most up to date body mechanics and techniques available.

Stand up paddle board lessons are very in depth and we introduce concepts regarding body position, board position, and paddle position to our riders. We work on these skills and then introduce fun games and challenges to practice and always gauge a lesson depending on the comfort level of our participants. We just want people to have the ability to practice the RIGHT things once they’ve taken a lesson rather than getting the wrong information from someone and thinking that they don’t like paddle boarding or kayaking when it was actually the instruction that was the problem.

The kayak lessons are much more relaxed and we actually integrate them into our tours so that even people that have never kayaked before can join a tour and get the instruction they need while enjoying the beautiful surrounding the Cape has to offer. We introduce paddle strokes, body mechanics, safety techniques and edging with our participants.

It’s a great family event that every member will enjoy.
Rideaway Kayak and SUP has hosted family reunions for all ages. We have a family reunion that has come with us for the past nine years since our opening. It is usually between twelve to twenty members of this family from ages three to eighty. They will set up the tour with a reservation and let us know who is coming and the amount of kayaks and types (Tandems, singles, sit on tops, sit inside, etc).

 Everyone always has such a fun time out on the water along with myself and my guides who always love being on the water. So some kayaks might have an adult and a small child, others might be teens, and then some might be two person kayaks, tandems, with couples or children being introduced to the sport.

One year we were out on the water a little longer than usual and I offered the matriarch who is in her eighties the option of me towing her if she was getting tired. She said ‘no’ and then was somewhat curious and said ‘Can we just try it and I’ll just paddle along with you?’

It has been five years since that first time bringing out the tow rope and now she just has us hitch that tow rope up right at the beginning. She sits back and enjoys every second of the tour with a little extra help, not that she needs it. It just gives her some extra time to see what a beautiful family she’s been responsible for creating.

It’s a great for groups or special events
We pride ourselves on being the most flexible and fun loving adventure company on Cape Cod and our goal is to make sure every group has an absolute blast on the water. We have bachelor/bachelorette parties, book clubs, birthday parties, team building, family reunions, couples (2 marriage proposals), private and public kid’s camps, scout trips; we’ve even catered to the New England Patriots party before. The list goes on but we can make any event or group feel comfortable and enjoy a beautiful day on the water.

There are many amazing locations on Cape Cod to Kayak or SUP
Our two locations are located at Scorton Creek in Sandwich and Popponesset Bay in Mashpee so we recommend those as two of the best places on Cape Cod. There are hundreds of amazing places that you can go out of if you have your own personal equipment or want something delivered by us. Outside of June, July, and August the Cape is completely accessible and some of my personal favorite places besides Popp Bay and Scorton are Barnstable Harbor, Salt Pond in Eastham, and Buttermilk Bay. There are also so many beautiful lakes and ponds on the Cape to explore. The list is endless but you can always call and we’ll give you our best advice.

Its guaranteed enjoyment
We always say to people that haven’t done it before that it is something that everyone is capable of doing and with the right instruction they will love every second of it.

Kayaking and stand up paddle boarding have never been easier to try thanks to Rideaway Kayak and SUP. They will deliver equipment direct to you on the Cape or you can join a tour at one of their locations. From classes and tours to kid’s adventure camps, Rideaway Kayak and SUP has something for everyone.

Sponsored Content

About Rebecca Romo

Rebecca Romo hosts Feel Good Mornings weekday mornings from 6-10 am on 99.9 The Q. Originally from New Orleans, she moved to Cape to be with her husband a second generation Cape Codder.



CapeCod.com
737 West Main Street
Hyannis, MA 02601
Contact Us | Advertise Terms of Use 
Employment and EEO | Privacy