Inflatable SUP bike trip

Mission accomplished.  I was paddling in Oakland Saturday with some friends and figured it was the perfect time to see if I could bike there with a SUP and all my paddling kit.  I loaded the cargo bike with an inflatable Starboard 14'x30" Touring SUP with paddle, pump, clothing and the rest of my normal junk.  Pedaled the 7 miles to the put-in, pumped her up with ease and paddled out.  After a few hours of paddling, I just as quickly deflated, rolled and loaded the equipment back onto the bike, stopped by the bar for a drink and pedaled back through Oakland to Berkeley.

Quite the successful test!  Got a couple stares but well worth it and it's definitely a good setup for a longer bike trip, bringing on the BART or even an overnight cycling & paddling adventure.  Fun stuff and I'm absolutely loving the inflatable SUP.  It's now my go-to board for just about everything.

Extracycle, iSUP, paddle, pump - everything I need for a day on the water

loaded

made it to the launch without problem

inflating takes 5-10 mins

post paddle.  deflated, ready to load back up

making the return trip

 

Black Canyon SUP Trip

In a whirlwind tour with a disparate crew of Bay Area paddlers I finished off 2013 and started up 2014 on a standup vacation!  For four days we called the Black Canyon home and relaxed in it's beautiful surroundings.  Warmed and cooled by the sun and the shade, we camped, we paddled, we laughed, we ate, we soaked, we relaxed.  On top of all that, we paddled upriver - one of my favorite things.  I just love reading the river and riding eddies upstream.  It's a fun challenge and a great way to develop skill.  To top it all off we rallied in Vegas for NYE and got two surf sessions in San Diego before making our way home.

Hoover Dam

The crew

Our campsite on the river

Loaded up for the paddle out - day 4