Stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), often dismissed as one of the most boring water sports, is easily overlooked. SUP is mellow, accessible, and rarely associated with the thrill of surfing a fast-breaking, overhead wave. At surf breaks like Rincon, stickers slashing through paddleboards and a vocal “no paddleboarders allowed” culture make it clear: SUP isn’t always welcome in the lineup. But that stereotype misses the point — and the potential — of the sport entirely.
Some of the most respected surf legends, including Kai Lenny and Laird Hamilton, have helped elevate SUP surfing into a serious discipline, blending grace, balance, and rigor. Whether recovering from a wrist injury, back surgery, or just aging knees, paddleboard surfing has opened the door for more people to stay connected to the waves and ocean. Put any well-rounded shortboarder on a paddleboard and suddenly the act of balancing, paddling, and surfing at the same time becomes a whole new challenge. SUP doesn’t require less skill—it just demands different skills.
Perhaps the greatest gift SUP offers is the vantage point — an elevated, peaceful, and even therapeutic way to witness the magic beneath the board. On a calm, clear day along California’s Central Coast, a paddle through the kelp beds off Santa Barbara reveals far more than just seaweed.
The five-mile round-trip route between UCSB’s iconic point break, Campus Point, and Coal Oil Point at the north end of Devereux Beach winds directly through a Marine Protected Area (MPA). While fishermen and lobstermen might argue that the best catches happen along the edges of these zones, MPAs are designed to protect marine life and preserve the delicate ecosystems we rely upon. Thus, they are full of sea life.
Paddling through the Campus Point State Marine Conservation Area (an MPA) on a “high-vis” (visibility) day is like steering your own glass-bottom boat. Bright-orange Garibaldi dart between kelp fronds, schools of surf perch glimmer along the rocky seafloor, and — if you’re lucky — a white seabass glides past like a ghost. Eye to eye, snowy egrets perch on the floating blades of kelp, their eyes fixed on the same darting movements below that have caught your attention. The experience becomes more than sport in these moments — it’s a reminder of why we fell in love with being on the water in the first place, and how the ocean connects all of us to something deeper, wilder, and worth protecting.
Coastal ecosystems — kelp forests, seagrass beds, estuaries — aren’t just scenic backdrops. They provide essential services. They buffer our fragile coasts from storm surges, store carbon dioxide in roots, support local fisheries, and foster incredible biodiversity. Yet, they are under constant threat. Sea-level rise, warming oceans, coastal development, pollution, and even careless recreation are rapidly eroding the very foundations of these vital habitats. For paddleboarders and all water recreators alike, these are not distant issues — they’re happening just beneath our feet.
SUP can be more than just a unique vantage point for marine observation—it can be a vehicle for stewardship. Organizations like Paddle Against Plastic or Plastic Tides are using paddleboards to host waterway cleanups and plastic pollution awareness campaigns, blending environmental action with hands-on adventure. We have the power to shift the culture of our sports. Every time I set out for a distance paddle; the front of my fiberglass board becomes a temporary landing spot for loose plastic. I’d much rather it be me collecting it than the fish our communities depend on.
Every paddle stroke connects us — with the ocean, the life beneath it, and a larger community of ocean stewards. So, the next time you’re out on a board, consider the legacy you want to leave behind. Those paddleboarders snaking you in the lineup might be doing more for your playground than you ever have. The sea remembers everything — and maybe, just maybe, it’s asking us to do more than keep your eyes above its surface.
