SUP Adventure
Sattahip Sameasan SUP trip
25 minutes Drive from Pattaya is Sattahip Navy Base on the Headland to the South of Pattaya - to the right if you are facing the Ocean.
Did this Thailand Island Surf SUP exploration with the guy from Siam Surf Dogs who wrote a great little blog about it here.
Paddling About Samaesan
Surfer Dude took me to Chong Samae San, a small fishing village located on the very tip of Sattahip, approximately 30km south of Pattaya Town,( 25 minute drive from Blue lagoon). Racks of drying fish that line the streets around the harbour lend a unique aroma to the village atmosphere. Samaesan isn’t the easiest place to find as it’s close to the naval base and the areas surrounding are mostly restricted access. Just off the harbour is uninhabited Raet Island and a much larger island of the same name as the village, which used to house the fishing community that now lives on the mainland. The waters surrounding these islands are much clearer than the more murky waters around Pattaya and fish, corals, and the bottom features can be seen quite clearly. The fact that these islands are relatively close to the mainland makes them ideal for exploring with an SUP. For the 5km trip we used a Starboard Point 14’8 SUP and an interestingly shaped Jim Drake 12'8.5" prototype windsurfing board.
Using a Starboard Serenity Windsurfing Board as an SUP
Jim Drake told me once that the shape of this board is basically a 200 year old design - a tea Clipper in fact and very hard to improve upon the efficiency of this pure displacement hull shape.
Displacement meaning that it moves through the water, displacing it or parting it as it goes. Rather than skimming over the surface like a Surf board or planing or semi-planing hull.
The benefit is that the board truly glides effortlessly, and continues to glide after the stroke is complete.
The downside is that the rounded bottom shape is extremely unstable, in the video you can see me dragging the paddle after each stroke at times, this is provide some balance as well as to demonstrate the "glide-on"
Leaving the blade in the water is a good way to prevent falling, but it is not a fast way to travel.
The Serenity as an SUP, would work better for mere mortals with a small centre fin to aid stability. Otherwise you gain great speed with one or two strokes, then loose the momentum as you try to regain your balance.
In flat water it is do-able, as a training tool to advance your balance it is really great.
In general however, I prefer the surfboard shapes such as the Drive, Element or my current favourite - The Gun.
If you would like to try your paddle skills on this board, come and visit us at Blue Lagoon Pattaya.