Paddleboarding: Why you should try this water sport

From left to right: Anthony Derecho, Cyril Igot and CDN Sportstalk host, Immae Lachica, on a paddleboard on the waters off the coast of Mactan island in Cebu.

CEBU CITY, Philippines— How’s your balancing skill?

Are you ready to test it on a paddleboard?

If you’re having second thoughts, maybe you’d want to check out this episode of CDN Sportstalk, which tackles this watersport.

What makes paddleboarding exciting? Well for one, it can be enjoyed on the beach, which Cebu is known for.

Cyril Igot and Anthony Derecho of Coastline Supsurf are among those who are slowly giving paddleboarding a name in Cebu.

READ MORE: 13 paddlers go on 200-km canoeing expedition around south Cebu

SUP stands for stand-up paddle, where you will need to stand up on a paddleboard and paddle to get from one point to another.

Igot and Derecho are athletes and paddlers who recently participated in an international paddling race in Singapore.

Paddleboard racing? Yes, paddle boarders also have races!

What is paddleboarding?

But before we head to that part, let’s learn what paddleboarding is and why one should try it.

Paddle boarding is defined as a sport in which you travel across water or ride on waves using a board, which you can sit or stand on, and sometimes paddle.

Igot said paddle boarding is something worth trying, especially since there are a lot of beaches in Cebu.

“Gi buhat ni namo para sa kabatan-unan, sa mga taw nga wa pa ka experience og SUP. Aron [maka] relate gyud sila sa tubig. Kay atong dagat diri sa Mactan kay actually, ang Mactan nindot kaayo siya nga paddling area,” said Igot.

(We do this for the youth, for those who haven’t experienced SUP. So that they can relate to the seawater. Because our waters here in Mactan is a nice paddling area.)

“Ang naka nindot man gud ni paddle boarding, wa siya’g gi pili. Ma bata, ma tiguwang, pwede siya maka paddle kay safe man siya,” he added.

(The nice thing about paddle boarding is that it’s for everyone. It is fit for the young and old because it is safe.)

Both Igot and Derecho are skateboarders and surfers who got into paddle boarding in 2016. They decided to guide paddlers in 2023 by opening their paddling business.

Morning paddleboarding around the waters off the coast of Mactan island.

They said their goal was to let more people know what paddle boarding is and the benefits it has.

Paddleboarding: A stress reliever

Aside from the discipline in training and in balancing and strength when paddling, the serenity you get just paddling in the vast waters, crossing the island or just fun paddles, can take your worries and stresses away even for a couple of hours.

“Nindot kaayo kay for us nga mag paddle mi, mag cross mi’g island, paddle around the island.  Ara mi mag kuha og lingaw and magka kuyug ‘ming tanan,” added Igot.

(It’s very nice for us when we paddle, we cross islands, or paddle around islands. That’s where we experience fun when we paddle together.)

There are several types of paddle board racing.

There’s the endurance race, where they go for long-distance racing, and sprint, where they race just for a couple of meters.

Are you ready to try paddle boarding, Siloys?