Stand Up Paddling is one of the fastest growing paddlesports in the world. Part of the allure of SUP’ing is that the sport offers the combination of the simplicity of surfing, and the versatility of being able to travel on any type of water (rivers, ponds, lakes, oceans, swimming pools, etc). There are 2 essential items that you need for Stand Up paddling; a board and a paddle. Werner makes a  paddle for SUP’ers of all shapes, sizes and ability levels. Here is a review on three popular models of SUP paddles, which are all 10% off at CKS!

The Werner Carve

Specs:

Surface Area: 101 sq in
Blade Length x Width: 19 x 7.3 in
Weight: 907g/32oz
Adjustable Length: 74-78.5″, 78-82.5″, 82-86.5″, 86-90.5″

Besides being a great all around SUP paddle, the Carve is also a favored fitness and race paddle because the blade shape allows you to paddle with the blade partially submerged for quick, small resistance strokes. These quick strokes are what make the Carve a pleasure to paddle with because you actually realize how much quicker your moving in virtually every situation. So weather its big guys or small women, waves or distance, racing or fitness the Carve will work for anything and everything.

The Werner Carve

The Werner Advantage

Specs:

Surface Area:111 sq in
Blade Length x Width:19 x 8.75 in
Weight:936g/33oz
Adjustable Length:74-78.5″, 78-82.5″, 82-86.5″, 86-90.5″

The Advantage at 111 sq inches is Werner Paddles largest SUP blade option. For the bigger paddlers who enjoy the deeper strokes and bigger bracing area, The Advantage offers maximum power and maximum durability. Your not going to find another adjustable length paddle on the market for $259 that even the largest of paddlers can rely on in heavy surf. The Advantage is also a great option for the down wind or down river enthusiast with a longer board and more efficient stroke-the larger blade will generate more speed while at the top end.

The Werner Advantage

The Werner Spanker

Specs:

Surface Area:106 sq in
Blade Length x Width: 19.5 x 9.25 cm
Weight:680g/24oz
Adjustable Length:74″-78.5″, 78″-82.5″, 82″-86.5″, 86″-90.5″

Light weight and full power. The Spanker gives you the best of both worlds. Foam Core blade with deep dihedral shape snatches the power right from the catch and the release has a sensation of jumping right out of the water. Picking up the pace with this stick is effortless and just like their
whitewater paddles these things are “BOMBER”!

Here’s a video on everything you’d ever want to know about the Spanker and Werner Paddles:

General Paddle Information

Adjustable Length Shaft:

CKS is currently stocking adjustable length paddles. If you would like to order a  1 or 2 piece paddle, give us a call. Werner can make just about any paddle in a 1 piece or breakdown version.

Sizing:

Native Watercraft Ultimate 12 Propel

What can you say about the kayak that has the most patents in the history of the sport? First, it’s probably one of the best kayaks available for families, fishing, and just plain fun on the water. It’s also a new design, so you don’t see very many out there….yet.

Specs:

Length: 12′1″

Width: 30″

Depth: 12“

Weight: 58 lbs (plus propel unit)

Material: Roto-molded Polyethylene (roto-molded equals strong and light)

Pros:

• The Ultimate has a split hull (tunnel hull)… kind of like a catamaran, but better. The Split hull reduces the wetted surface and displaces less water than traditional kayaks. Less water displaced from the hull makes the boat faster and more efficient. Boats that have more displacement, have more drag…Thus requiring more energy to move the boat. The Ultimate’s split hull results in a much lighter boat in the water,when compared to traditional displacement hulls. Its no surprise that the hull shape is just faster and more efficient than traditional kayak hulls. What does mean? You can go further and carry more gear, with less effort in an Ultimate.
  
• For the gear head…the Ultimate has a seat like no other. The aluminum frame supports a UV resistant mesh that cushions, drains water, and ventilates air. Its 100% adjustable to the paddler and is one of the few seats that can claim to be all day comfortable. This is a seat that allows you to do long trips. The seat also adapts to how you load the boat. It unlocks and slides forward, or reverses. No matter how the boat is loaded, slide the seat and trim the boat appropriately. For example….if you load the boat to heavy in the stern, your bow will rise and make it hard to track. In the Ultimate you just slide the seat forward a little more forward and bam!…perfect trim, no pushing water or getting blown around in the wind. If you have ever owned a canoe with fixed seats, and taken a child out on a lake, you know what I mean.  For camping, release the seat out of the boat and you got your camp chair. Just one less thing you don’t have to bring on over nighters!
  
• The Ultimate series also come with an Adapt-A-Trak gear attachment channel on the outside of the boat. The “AAT” is a J channel that gear can be clipped into. Its there to attach things like  spray covers, paddle holders, rod holders, tie downs, fishing accessories…even a cooler for cold or hot drinks!
  
• The Ultimate 12 Propel is a multi-use kayak. You can paddle it like a regular kayak, or add a Native Propel unit and pedal. The pedals turn a shaft driven prop under the boat at a 1 to 10 ratio. For every one turn of the cranks, the propeller spins 10 times. This is a single gear set up and once you get going and up to speed (15 to 20 revolutions of the cranks) you can spin easily all day with larger muscle groups and leave the paddlers in the dust!
  
  
• If you are  fisherman, the benefit is that you can move the boat forward and in reverse with your pedals, control the boat with the one finger rudder control, and have one hand free for rod/reel. A huge difference with other pedal kayaks is that the Ultimate 12 Propel can be pedaled in reverse. Again for the fisherman, the boat’s angle and position can be controlled regardless of current, wind, drift, and easily without an anchor.
  
• Comfort patents? Yep. The Ultimate’s split hull increases the boat depth for your feet. Increasing the foot room and keeping the heel well below the bottom of the seat.  This increases blood flow through knees and ankles and keeps your feet warmer and from falling asleep. The Foot rest are over sized and give a large footprint of support unlike simple pegs. The deck of the boat is open style like a canoe. Its easy to get in and out of like a canoe but comfortable because you and sit just like in a kayak.
  
• For those with any shoulder or upper body issues, this might be just the boat to get you on the water. Let your legs do all the work, and control the rudder with one finger!
  

Cons:

• Just because it’s a propeller that spins fast, doesn’t mean you are going to be able to overcome the small displacement a kayak makes in the water. The boats speed tops out at 3-4 knots, about as fast as you can paddle a comparable kayak 12 feet long and 30 inches wide. You cant pull a water skier.

The verdict:

• The first time I paddled the Ultimate I knew it would be stable, I had seen other fisherman standing up with ease but I had no Idea how light on the surface of the water the boat would feel. It turns with ease, and getting the boat up to speed was and an effortless exercise gentle fwd strokes. But it can carry as much gear as a Canoe. It’s the prefect balance of canoe/kayak hybrid. Blending Capacity, Comfort, speed and stability, it’s the ultimate watercraft.

The Uli stand up paddle board is the weapon of choice for the SUP enthusiast.  It’s high quality construction, performance oriented design, overall stiffness and inflatable technology make this board one of the best around. Uli makes two models of inflatable stand up’s.  The 11′0″ SUP is the most popular board in Uli’s lineup. It’s very stable which adds to it’s versatility. Beginners can learn to SUP on flat water, and veterans of the sport can still enjoy it on waves. The 10′0″ Steamroller is the other Uli SUP that we are currently stocking. This board is named after one of Uli’s pro riders.  Steamroller is 6′5″ and weighs 295 lbs. He paddles it on flat water and carves big waves on his board. It’s hard to believe that these things are inflatable!

What separates Uli’s from other SUP’s , is it’s stiffness. This is a direct result of high quality  construction and the stringer system that runs along the bottom of the board (see picture below). The Uli is very stable and fast on flat water. It turns smoothly with no flutter. On moving water, the Uli begins to show it’s true colors. It surfs and paddles down river with confidence.  People that are used to glass surfboards will find that the Uli is not quite as stiff, but still enjoyable.

The blue stripe is the stringer that provides stiffness.

The Specs:

The Uli 10′0″ Steam Roller:

Height: 10’0”
Width: 29”
Thickness: 3 7/8”
Weight: 30 lbs

The Uli 11′0″

Height: 11’0”
Width: 29”
Thickness: 3 7/8”
Weight: 33 lbs

Dropping in.....River style.

Toe stand splat?

Pealing out

Lean back....

Pros:

The primary advantages of  Uli SUP’s are quality of construction, ultra-portability (see photo below) and high performance design.  All Uli boards are built out of the same material as inflatable military boats. In short, they are built to take a beating. Uli’s are strong enough to be surfed on 20′+ waves, beaten on reef and rocks and surfed directly into the shore on beach breaks.

A great thing about SUP’s in general is that they allow ALL populations to enjoy the health benefits of flat water paddling. Balancing on the board is fairly easy, and works all of the body’s core muscles. It is similar to a pilates workout. After mastering flat water technique, moving water offers even more workout potential as well as unlimited fun! Since the sport is in it’s early stages of evolution pertaining to rivers, you can literally invent tricks and try to master surfing on a variety of river features.

The deflated Uli rolls up into a small package and fits inton a backpack. Hike it into your secret break in the tropics!

Cons:

Because the Uli is inflatable, it is not as stiff as a fiberglass surfboard.  It also costs a bit more than some other brands of SUP’s due to it’s superior quality.

The verdict:

The Uli inlfatable stand up surf board is tons of fun for everyone in the family, ranging from young children to seniors. These SUP’s are stiff enough to be aggressively surfed on river and ocean features, yet docile and forgiving on flat water.

The Arkansas River here in Colorado

Flat water workout in Colorado

Kona Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board Review!

Who’s ever heard of a long board that needs a pump? Until about a month ago, I thought that all surf boards were between 6′ and 11′ feet  long, and were made out of fiberglass or some type of foam. I also thought that I needed to live San Clemente, California or Hawaii to justify spending the money on one. Well, now my opinion has changed. I live in the most land locked state in the continental US, have a 600 square foot house with no storage and own a pickup truck with no racks. I’m gettin’ me an inflatable SUP! No river, lake, swimming pool or pond is safe anymore. SUP’ers can s carve up and down glassy river waves, paddle distances on flat water for a great core training workout (similar to pilates), and roll this sucker up into a small 23 lb. package (it comes with it’s own backpack!) and bring it with them to Baja with no extra baggage charge!

The Specs:

This isn't the greatest picture in the world, but at least you can see the board.

Removable and replaceable tri-fin setup.

· Size inflated: 10′ 10″ long x 29″ wide in middle x 4″ thick
· Size deflated: Roll to 18+” dia x 30.5″ tall
· Weight (SUP only): 23 lbs.
· Inflate to 10+ psi to support up to 150-lb paddler
· Inflate to 12-15 psi to support up to 200-lb paddler
Fins: Tri-fin configuration. Use 1, 2 or 3 fins. (Fins are removable without tools.)
· Sturdy “D” ring at tail for board leash attachment (For safety reasons, you should use leash to prevent    b  board from blowing away if you fall.)
· Four smaller “D” rings on bow for attaching storage container.

Pros:

What isn’t there to like about an ultra portable, inflatable surfboard that can be enjoyed by people on ANY type of water (lakes, ponds,rivers, oceans)?  The target market for the Kona SUP is the person who wants to learn how to SUP (or longboard) and get a great value for their hard earned money. The Kona is a few dollars less expensive than other SUP’s on the market like the Uli boards.  This board (the Kona) is meant for people that will spend a fair amount of time paddling on flat water, but want to try it out on surf waves and down river too. It’s very stable and durable. The heavy duty rubber construction is built to take a beating and keep on surfing. This is good news for river SUP’ers who want to take the board down streams with rocky rapids. Deep water runs are by far better to learn on because there are less obstacle to run / fall  into. Check out this video:

Here’s another:

Cons:

The Kona SUP is a beginner / recreational board.  If you’re going to take your SUP to the beach and try to paddle into larger waves (6 feet plus), or spend most of your time on the river (and not flatwater) you may want to look at higher performance boards like the Uli.

The Verdict:

This is one of the best all around / multi-use SUP’s made. It is great for flat water workouts, learning to paddle in white water, learning to surf, etc.  If you’re going to charge hard, you may want to look at the Uli because it’s built for higher performance on moving water.

The Kona comes complete with a back pack travel bag, pump, PSI gauge, fins and board. All that you need to complete the package is a paddle and a first class ticket to Bali.

Stand Up Paddling Product Reviews

Stand Up Paddling (aka.SUP) is the fastest growing on water sport our nation has seen. SUP is part paddling, part balancing, and part surfing. In small swells, you can easily paddle into and ride the waves without worrying about how to stand up and surf. You already are standing up. No waves, no problem. On any body of flat water, you can cruise and glide while touring the local sites efficiently and while enjoying a great vantage point for aquatic wildlife and other vistas. It is quite easy and involves a very small learning curve. SUP Boards have a myriad of uses available to anyone one who likes being on the water.

It’s ease of learning, incredible diversity, and great core workout attracts water enthusiasts of all types to give it a try. Many fans are not looking back and making SUP their first priority for recreation. All you need is
water and a little time. Kids love it, parents can’t get enough. It will become be part of your daily routine to stay active and fit. If you have not given it a try, now is the time. CKS offers easy to transport and simple to
use inflatable boats and 2 pc. paddles making you next or first SUP adventure a breeze.

CKS is currently selling 2 brands of stand up boards. The Kona Inflatable Stand Up Board, and ULI boards. The Kona is a recreational board, which performs well in a variety of conditions. It is priced very competitively.  The ULI boards are built with performance in mind.

Click on the links below to read detailed reviews on SUP’s:

The Kona inflatable SUP

Uli inflatable SUP’s (10′0″ Steamroller and 11′0″ SUP)

Stand Up Board's can be used in all types of water.....Not just the ocean.

For an even better workout, bring your children along. Spend the money that you didn't give to the baby sitter on a trip to your favorite lake, river or ocean.

Jenn has big muscles from Stand Up Paddling.

Dan Gavere's showing us how it's done....Pro style. This guy paddles 15+ miles at a time on flat water, and then charges whitewater and ocean surf too.

CKS staff member SUP'ing here is Buena Vista.

SUP'ing at the Buena Vista River Park. Come on by this spring and try one!

The great thing about an inflatable Stand Up Board is that you can bring it with you to almost any location without the hassle of paying for oversize luggage at the airport. They are small and compact when deflated. Pump it up and you're ready to roll.

“I want to start boating in the colder seasons. What should I wear to keep me safe?” It’s a complex question – with no magic formulas or easy answers.
The questions you need to answer are: “What water temperature will you be boating in, do you get cold easily, what’s your experience level, will you be on rivers or large open water, day trips or multi-day, your ability to self rescue…?” So many different combinations of conditions, so many choices.
The last few years have brought an explosion of choices in boating apparel. Innovations in materials, fabrics and manufacturing techniques have brought us the ability to stay warm in the most extreme conditions. The “trick” is coming up with the right combination of gear for your boating adventures.
“Combination” is a good word. As with any outdoor activity, the secret to staying comfortable on the water is to have a variety of layers in your gear bag. Add a layer, take off a layer, to adjust to changing conditions.
These layers fall into three basic categories – base layers, insulating layers and outer layers. The base layer, of polyester, nylon or polypropylene, doesn’t absorb water and wicks moisture from your skin. No cotton, please. NRS products like HydroSilk and WaveLite are good examples.
Your insulating layers provide air spaces to hold in your body’s heat. They can be heavier synthetic fabric pieces like WaveLite XT or neoprene garments like HydroSkin or thicker wetsuits.
Wind and waterproof outer garments round out your protective system. For most comfort, choose breathable fabrics that allow perspiration moisture to pass out, keeping your inner layers dry. Splashwear sheds spray and rain but lets water in if you swim. Drywear, like dry tops and dry suits, have latex or neoprene gaskets at the openings to block water.
Don’t forget to cover the extremities. You lose a lot of heat from your head and neck; wool and neoprene helmet liners and hoods belong in every cold weather boater’s gear bag. Neoprene gloves, socks and booties protect your digits.
In warm weather, all you may need is shelter from the sun; with sun protective fabrics like MicroLite and HydroSilk. Or perhaps add a paddling top and splash pants. As the weather gets cooler, HydroSkin and Mystery pieces, WaveLite and semi-dry tops get added to the mix.
In the colder months, your choices get even more extensive, falling into two main categories – wetsuits and dry wear. A wetsuit can be layered with a HydroSkinn top for more body core warmth. Any wetsuit combo is made warmer by wearing splashwear over it to minimize evaporative cooling.

For more information on NRS products, visit the CKS Website or click on the product review links below:
Thermal Layers:
NRS HydroSilk
NRS HydroSkin
NRS Mystery Layer
NRS WaveLite and WaveLite XT

Gloves:
NRS Boaters Gloves
NRS Reactor Gloves
NRS Navigator Gloves
NRS Black Mamba Pogies

The NRS Boaters Gloves are lightweight 3/4 length, lycra and synthetic leather gloves that offer lots of dexterity, great sun protection and dont’ break the bank. They are a multi sport glove that can be used anytime you want blister and sun protection without having to wear cumbersome gloves that cover your fingers.

Pros:
The main advantage to Boaters Gloves is that they are light, and only  3/4 length. They keep the harmful sun off of the backs of your hands, stop blistering on your palms and expose the tips of your fingers, which greatly aids dexterity.

Boaters Gloves double as mountain bike gloves as well. Grab a pair of these suckers the next time you plan on dropping down Greens Creek on the Monarch Crest Trail. Your palms will thank you at the bottom.

Cons:
These gloves  have almost no thermal properties at all. They are good for warmer conditions only.

The Verdict:
The NRS Boaters Gloves are great multi-sport gloves for rafters, kayakers, mountain bikers, hikers who do some scrambling, etc. They offer great UV protection from the sun, keep your hands from blistering and allow for superior finger dexterity.  Raft guides who row every day will love these gloves. Just don’t expect them to keep your hands warm on cold days.

The NRS Reactor Gloves are one of the warmest paddling gloves on the market.  They are made from 3.5mm of titanium lined Terraprene (petroleum free neoprene),  which does an excellent job of reflecting heat inside of the gloves. The fingers of the reactors are lined with GripCote, which help with wind chill, and decrease evaporative cooling. The Rawhide palms have tenacious grip for paddles and oars, the seams are glued and blind stitched for added warmth and there is a wristband with a hook and loop enclosure. As you can see, everything about these gloves are designed to keep your hands warm.

Pros:
Warm, Warm, Warm! The Reactors will keep your digits toasty in the coldest winter paddling conditions. They have a pre-contoured  shape which makes holding a paddle or an oar a bit easier. The sticky grip on the palms (Rawhide) is nice for keeping your hands on the paddle/oars in the water too.

Cons:
In general, warm paddling gloves are constructed from thick pieces of neoprene. The thicker the material the  tougher it is to move your fingers. There is a significant loss of dexterity for on water adjustments, feeling the paddle shaft or oar grips, and just about anything that requires using your fingers. Think about unbuckling your ski boots with your Gore-Tex Marmots on, versus bare handed.

The verdict:
If it’s warm boating gloves that you’re after, look no further. The NRS Reactors are made from 3.5mm of titanium lined neoprene, with a whole bunch of other features that are designed to aid heat retention. There is a loss of dexterity becuase of the thick neoprene.  The NRS Navigator gloves are lighter and more dexterious, but your fingers will not be as warm.  The Reactors are a perfect choice for people in the Northwest who plan on paddling in the winter, and for the early spring in Colorado. Unpredictable weather that could go sour at anytime will no longer freeze your hands.

NRS Navigator gloves are made from 2mm neoprene with titanium adhesive for reflecting interior warmth (similar to HydroSkin). The palm of the glove is made from Rawhide neoprene which is really sticky. The pre-curved fingers and Rawhide lining make this glove a great choice for paddlers of all sorts.

Pros:
The Navigator gloves are great for moderate to cool conditions. They are a step below the NRS Reactor Gloves in thickness, which means that they offer more dexterity for on water adjustments, have a better feel on a paddle or oar, and are easier to take on and off.

Cons:
The drawback to these gloves are that they are not as warm as others (NRS Reactors). If you’re paddling on an early spring day, and the weather goes from cool to very cold, your hands will get cold in these gloves. If you are looking for a pair of gloves to do some serious winter paddling in,  you should look elsewhere.

The Verdict:
The NRS Navigator gloves are a great mid weight option for kayakers and rafters. With 2mm of titanium lined neoprene, they are warm in moderate conditions, and have quite a bit of dexterity.  These gloves are a great item to have in your bag if you are a Colorado boater. The summers here are usually warm, but you never know what you may run (or paddle) into.  When the weather cools off, and the rain showers come, The Navigators are a great item to have. There good for everything but really cold winter conditions.

NRS Black Mamba Pogies are constructed from 5mm neoprene with a titanium laminate, for superior warmth. They are a one size fits all pogie that has snaps for either short entry or full length. There is also a nylon coating on the outside of the pogie to aid abrasion resistance, and decrease evaporative cooling.

Pros:
Pogies are great becuase they allow you to have direct paddle contact. It is also very easy to slide your hand outside of the pogie for on water adjustments. The Mambas have thick (5mm) neoprene so warmth is not a problem.  The snaps (short entry / full length) are a great option too. It is nice to leave the sleeves all the way up to keep the water out when it is really cold, and to also have the option to roll the sleeves down when you want to let a little bit of water in to cool your hands off.

Cons:
The  drawback to pogies is that they only keep frigid water away from your hands when they are out of the water. When you flip upside down, water fills the void thus making things really cold and wet.  If you plan on flipping over quite often, you may want to get some gloves.

The Verdict:
NRS Black Mambas are great cold weather pogies.  With 5mm of titanium lined neoprene, your hands will be warm as long as you are not  frequently visiting underwater. If you’re looking for a pair of bomber pogies that will last a long time and keep you warm, these are the the ones for you. Click here to buy NRS Black Mamba’s now.