The first annual SUP paddle crossing from Koh Lanta to Koh Phi Phi was just completed on 02/03/2012 and was a great event.  Lanta Paddlesports organized the event and with the help of Starboard and Amara Watersports made it a great start to what will become an annual event hopefully turning into a sponsored race.  The total distance was 32 kilometers and paddling time was 4 hours 32 minutes on Starboard Blend boards.  There were 5 paddlers who completed the crossing including one Starboard Team Rider, Lina Augaitis.  The other paddlers were Pete Compere (Owner, Lanta Paddlesports), Richard Billter (Swedish SUP Ambassador), Andrew Dye (Starboard Team Rider Crew), Stefan Druve Regen (Swedish SUP AmbassadThe next event from Lanta to Phi Phi is now being planned for next year in March so put it on your calendars and let us know if you want to join.  Hope to see you next year.
Cheers!!!!!

Lanta Paddlesports is proud to announce the first long distance stand up paddleboard event in the southern islands of Thailand.  We will be paddling in the beautiful Andaman Sea between Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta, a distance of  31 kilometers on Starboard Blend paddleboards.  This is the first event of this type and anyone who would like to join the paddle can contact me here before February 1.  The only requirement is that you must have the physical stamina to complete the 31 kilometer paddle which should take between 5 and 6 hours.  There are cold beers and a Thai Massage waiting at the finish line.   Cheers!!!

We have been using our Starboard Blend boards for our island tour and they are the perfect board for gliding along and also catching the occasional wave.  The Blend is big enough to handle an adult with one small child with ease and is great for long distance paddling or easy sunset cruises. The board is highly versatile and a great all around board.  

We have been using the Starboard Hero for the past two years here at our watersports center located on Klong Dao Beach on the island of Koh Lanta in Thailand.  The Hero is the perfect board to teach kids and small adults how to SUP as it is easy to turn around, very stable, and just the right size for them.  The board is also amazing in waves and performs like a traditional surfboard but with the benefit of being able to catch the wave much sooner because of the speed you can achieve with the paddle.  You can do floaters, cutbacks, and all the tricks of your regular surfboard but catch twice as many waves, what is not to like?  Another great advantage of the board is the ability to teach surfing to beginners and get them surfing waves on their own in a matter of an hour or two instead of weeks and weeks with a traditional surfboard.  The Hero is so wide, at 33 inches, it gives a great platform for stability an helps the beginning surfer get the feel of the wave without falling in almost every time.  Check out the picture of some of the kids having fun on the board.  Great board and Great fun!!!

After two weeks of rain and wind, we finally have a break in the monsoon storms coming off the Andaman Sea.  The skies are clear, there is no wind, and there are some WAVES!!!
This past week we introduced many new people to stand up paddleboarding and taught them all how to ride waves on the SUP.  We should have the potential for good surf for the next two months, so come down to Koh Lanta and surf in Thailand with us.  Check out a few photos...

The summer monsoon season officially started in May and we have had many great days of surfing since then.  We are located on Klong Dao Beach at the north end of Koh Lanta Island and it is a great beach for surfing.  It has a gradual slope to the beach so the waves break pretty far out on a big swell and you get long rides.  Another plus is that there are no rocks, just sandy bottom.  Another great thing about Koh Lanta is that there are not many tourists this time of year, so you will probably have the surf all to yourself and your surfing buddies.  Lanta Paddlesports has a large selection of surfboards and paddleboards to choose from and we can teach you how to surf  if you want to learn.  Come visit us and have a great time in the water.

Lanta Paddlesports has just opened their fully stocked Surf Shop on Koh Lanta.  The shop is located on the main road in Klong Dao, just next to the new golf driving range called T-Off.  We have surfboards, paddleboards, boogieboards, boardshorts, cool T-shirts, lycra rashguards, hats, sunglasses and everything else you might need for the beach.  We also offer free wi-fi and will have our Tiki Bar opened in August so you can have a cool refreshing beverage of your choice after a day at the beach.  Stop by our shop on your next trip to Koh Lanta and we can give you the inside tips on where to surf depending on your skill level.  Hope to see you all soon.

We had our first island to island overnight paddleboard adventure this season this past week.  A group with Lanta Paddlesports stand up paddleboards met at the Lanta Town pier early in the morning and made the trip from Koh Lanta to Bu Bu island.  The crossing took nearly three hours with a bit of a headwind near the end of the paddle.  The group then rested and had some food before paddling all the way around Bu Bu island to cap off the day.  Some beers and well deserved rest followed.  The next morning the group started off at sunrise and paddled back to Koh Lanta with a slight tailwind and made the crossing in slightly under 2 hours. Next crossing.....Lanta to Phi Phi!!!

Lanta Paddlesports and the Little Swedish School (Lilla Svenska Skolan) had their first paddleboard lessons together on Klong Dao Beach.  There were over 30 students learning how to SUP for their first time and everyone had a LOT of fun.  After learning how to use basic paddle strokes, the kids started to get adventuresome and tried handstands on the boards and paddling with four people on one board.  There were lots of smiles and laughter during the lessons and now we have a new group SUP paddleboarders to share the water with on Koh Lanta.
Pictures to follow........

We have had over a month now introducing the sport of SUP to our guests, mostly all from Sweden.  As it turns out, they really like the sport very much but just need to get into the water and give it a try.  We have taught more people how to surf on the waves in the first month, than most places could teach in a year.  The conditions have been nearly perfect for beginners, with wave conditions generally the right size for learning to surf.  There have been a few days with wave heights too big for the newbies, but that was great for the more advanced surfers who have never surfed a 2 meter wave in Thailand in December.  Now the conditions have settled down a bit and the flat water paddles are becoming more common than waves, but the clear water conditions are great for taking the kids on a fish hunting expedition.  
It seems the Swedish and Norwegian people already have a fondness for the sport of SUP as you can see from the SUP surfing article webpage here: