If you’ve been near just about any body of water in the United States in the past year or two, you’ve probably seen people standing on boards, paddling around. I’m not sure when it became a thing, but I saw tons of people doing it in Hawaii last year and it’s hugely popular in the San Diego area, particularly in the lagoon near our house.

So, in the spirit of trying fun new things, we decided to take SUP lessons. Well, Toby actually wanted to just rent a board, but I insisted we take lessons. We called Matt and Ryan, the 2 Stand Up Guys, and walked over to the lagoon.

I think we were both expecting it to be pretty easy, but it’s not quite as simple as it looks. Don’t get me wrong: Matt and Ryan are excellent instructors, and you will be standing on your board in the water just minutes after you learn how to paddle on the beach. But balancing while paddling is a bit more challenging than we expected, especially the first time.

Toby fell in the water a few times, but I managed to stay on my board throughout the session — likely because I have very good balance from more than a decade of dance classes. Men also have a higher center of gravity than women, which makes it a little harder for them at first. I did jump in the water after we paddled in to shore, which is why my hair is wet in the photo below.

Matt and Ryan also rent out boards, so we tried it again a week or two later, while our friends Dan and Kimberly took lessons. Toby and Dan fell in several times each, but we all had a good time — and it’s a pretty good workout, though you may not realize it right away. The right way to paddle is a little awkward at first, but we all got the hang of it pretty quickly and felt it in our arms, backs and abs later!

When Melissa came to visit, I thought she should take a lesson, too. So I rented a board and paddled around while she took her lesson. She fell in a few times — I think she was psyching herself out — and I actually fell in for the first time, for no apparent reason. I was just standing there talking, and all of a sudden I was in the water. Oops!

We still had an awesome time though, and it is actually nice to get in the lagoon, especially when it’s warm out.

If any of you are considering stand-up paddleboarding, I would definitely recommend taking a lesson so you can start off doing everything correctly, and if you’re in the Carlsbad area, I highly recommend 2 Stand Up Guys. Just make sure you wear something that can get wet!