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2008Paddleboarding Scotland Home
Welcome to paddleboardingscotland, this site is a resource site and also a recording my own personal journey in the sport of paddleboarding. It mainly focused on the area where I currently live, Scotland, UK.
My name is James Abell, I set up this site in January 2006 to provide a resource for people interested in paddling in Scotland. Here, there are no paddleboarding clubs and there are few prone paddleboarders in the UK as whole. I had to do a lot of research and trial and error, I hope this site might help others getting into the sport and also those who already do it. Since then, much has changed including the increasing popularity of Stand Up Paddleboarding or 'SUPS'. Although I paddle prone, I welcome anyone who uses SUPS. However, my interest is mainly with prone boards at the moment.
I enjoy the process of just propelling the movements with my hands alone for up to 20 miles plus, actual contact with the water and without a paddle aid.
There are few paddleboarders in Scotland, I welcome people of all levels
Paddleboarding in the UK for those interested in long journeys is quite underground which I feel is strange due to the popularity of surfing in the UK, so anyone out there feel free to drop me a line
I am not setting this site claiming to be some pro waterman wannabee, I started paddleboarding only 2.5 years ago, I was surfing on and off before that for about five years
I grew up near the sea and always had a close connection to it and with the outdoors as a whole as I was a keen rock climber at University.
I am a relatively slow paddler, I try to paddle 2 to 3 times a week at a steady 3mph (trying to go to 4mph) and do paddles of 4 miles and try over 12 miles once a week.
Of course when you catch waves and go with currents, one goes faster, this is part of the joy of paddling, trying to plot and then react to a route with conditions in your favour.
I aim oneday to be able paddle the same distance as the Catalina classic which is 32 miles.
If you want to really push the speeds and times to a pro level, I would really recommend looking at the race time on eaton surf etc, for different board size classes then see what your time is and work from there.
Paddleboarding is for all and is enjoyable and overcrowding is not a factor but watch the dangers, go to a lifesaving club if you feel you currently lack the skills and fitness.
James Abell June 2008
useful data
Online Condition Data
Generalised Uk swell report by Magicseaweed based on buoy data, for more condition report links, please go to the resource section.
