A. Stand Up Paddleboarding or SUP combines surfing and kayaking. Paddling on a SUP board gives an unobstructed view of the water and surroundings. Most stand up paddleboards are wide, making standing up and paddling quite easy to pick up in flat water. As the water becomes choppy or wavy, it becomes more difficult to balance.

A. Yes you will! Well one day, but not on our lessons. 95% of our students do not fall in the water. The flatter the water the less chances you will have of falling in. If you were to take out a stand up paddleboard in wavy conditions as a beginner, you will end up in the water. The wider the board the more stable, making it easier to stand and the less likely it will be to fall in.

A. Anyone can paddleboard, but it is recommended that younger children paddle with an adult. There is no age limit to stand up Paddleboarding.

A. Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) is very easy to pick up. The easiest way to learn to SUP is in flat water, the rougher the water the harder it is to find your balance. Typically people will be comfortable within an hour or so of paddling.

A. If you can walk, you can SUP. There are numerous sizes in stand up paddleboards, the wider the board the easier it is to balance. The water also determines how difficult it will be to stand up on a SUP. The calmer the water, the much easier it is to stand up.

A. A lifejacket does not have to be worn, but it does need to be accessible. Having it on your board where it can be easily worn in case of emergency. We always recommended to wear a lifejacket for safety.

A. Stand Up Paddleboarding is a full body workout. It works all the major muscle groups and builds a strong core. The best thing about stand up Paddleboarding is that you forget that you are working out, because of the pure joy of being in nature and feeling like you are walking on water.

A. Lake Ontario’s beaches in the GTA are rated among the best in the world by the international Blue Flag Programme. The blue flag is an eco-label awarded to beaches that meet strict environmental and safety standards. "It's not easy to get a blue flag," says Toronto Water spokesperson Cheryl San Juan. “These are world-class beaches."

"Any of our blue flag beaches would rival any beach on Georgian Bay," she says.

Toronto beaches have come a long way in the past ten years. To score a blue flag a beach must be safe for swimming at least 80 per cent of the time. Toronto’s blue flag beaches are safe more than 90 per cent of the time. Generally, if a beach is posted as unsafe it's usually because of a heavy rain where sewers can overflow and infect the swimming area. But sewer maintenance and treatment of overflow has reduced the weather’s impact in recent years.