When it comes to survival food for the stand up paddler, there are two things that always hold true: 1) You surf better when you have food and drink to fuel your body, and 2) When the conditions are good and you hear the waves you don’t remember #1 until you’ve been in the water for a good 30 minutes or so and by then there’s no way you’re paddling back in to hunt down a snack. If simple reminders to eat before you go out are consistently overshadowed by visions of catching a glassy bomb, thus leaving you in a malnourished euphoric wave-dazed state, this article is for you. What’s the solution? We’ve got some ideas and here they are…
Don’t get us wrong, it is possible to have a great stand up paddle session running on empty. In fact many studies show that after fasting your senses are heightened and you are more alert and in tune with your surroundings. However, when you stand up paddle with a full tank of gas, you’re ready to fire down the line and surf for hours. So how in the world do you remember to eat when the waves are calling? Assuming the chances are slim to none that you’ll actually wake up and think, “Oh, before I head over to the beach, I’m going to whip up some Belgian waffles and a nice berry smoothie,” we’ve come up with three options that take almost no pre-surf session brain power and just might get you the energy you need for an extended session. They are Pack it, Stock it, or Pound it.
Pack It: Just like Mom used to do you when you were a little kid. Think ahead and pack a breakfast the night before. Put it in a bag and hang it on the doorknob. It’s not a guarantee that you’ll actually remember to take it off the doorknob in the morning, but at least it’s there and you’ll probably see it on your way out. Put something in along the lines of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, an apple, some carrots, and a drink. As tempting as it may be, steer away from last night’s Chinese take-out. It has an uncanny way of melting its way through that paper box in the middle of the night and is sure to leave a drippy pool of oyster sauce on your doormat by morning. Keep it simple and as non-perishable as possible. Hey, and if you forget to take it with you on your race out the door, you can tell your husband or wife that you made him or her a lunch and hung it on the doorknob for him or her and “Ka-ching!” that’s 10 points for you.
Stock It: For some of us, there’s no way we’re going to remember to pack a lunch the night before. We’re on the internet checking buoys, watching surf videos, and dreaming of big walls and deep barrels. If this is your stand up paddle surf session eve routine, there’s probably little chance that you’ll even think about cutting up apple slices for the next day. If this is you, you’ve got to “stock it.” Next time you’re at the store, buy a 24 pack of your favorite juice drinks, a few boxes or granola bars, and a big bag of oranges. Stock them in the back of your van or in the trunk of your car right next to your surf wax, jersey, leash, paddle, sunscreen, and whatever else you know you’ll be reaching for before your next paddle out. This way, you’ve got two chances to feed yourself. First, when you’re loading up your ride, you can grab a drink and some granola bars to swallow on your way to the beach, and secondly, you’ll have time to peel an orange when you get to the beach and are watching the waves for a minute or two before paddling out.
Pound It: If you’re hopelessly absent minded when it comes to pre-surf session sustenance, the only solution is to pound it the night before. At dinner, have an extra scoop of rice, another piece of chicken, and an extra glass of juice. Max out that belly and make sure you’re well hydrated so that you’ll be ready to go in the morning.
How can you dummy proof all this? Well, do all three. Pound it the night before, pack a breakfast, and stock the car. Then, if you hear your tummy grumble at any point from the first time you hear of a swell to minutes before you hit the water, you’ll have something on hand to satisfy it and to fuel your stand up paddle session. We know it’s hard to think of things like food when there’s a running swell, but if we all make an effort, when we get to the beach, chances are that at least one of us is bound to have a vehicle stocked with food and we’ll all be paddling out fueled up for the day.
(Our editor Nate says you’re all welcome to his van because it’s always fully loaded.)
 |
