Photo cred: Sam Scott
Are you looking for a new outdoor activity where you can be a lake rat and not have to own a boat? Where you can be on the water and go where boats can’t? Have you ever heard of stand-up paddle boarding? You may have seen pictures of people in exotic places, standing on what looks like a fat surfboard with a paddle, and probably thought to yourself, “That looks spectacular!†Well, I had the pleasure of spending Saturday morning exploring Lake Overholser with the wonderful people of Flat Tide SUP (stand-up paddle board) and let me tell you, it was amazing.
Every Saturday and Sunday, you can find these guys posted up around the waters of central Oklahoma; from Lake Hefner to Bricktown. The beauty of Flat Tide is that the shop is mobile, allowing them to explore any lake or river option Oklahoma has to offer, the number of which is well over 200. Lake Overholser is west of Bethany, OK. The introduction class starts on the shore, where you go over how to paddle, turn, and stop, all of which are simple and easy to learn. The instructor took us under Lake Overholser Bridge and into the winding cattail-lined waters of Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge. It was so peaceful to sneak in on nature like a fly on the wall.
Photo cred: Sam Scott
After the introduction course, they offer a SUP Yoga class and yes, you can do yoga on these boards. If you’ve read my previous article on Hidden Dragon Yoga, you know how much I love to get my yogi on. While SUP Yoga is more challenging, it is well worth it to be holding a pose with birds chirping, the wind gliding over you, and the water gently rocking against your board. The instructors welcome all levels of yoga experience, even if you aren’t on a level, and are very helpful in getting you comfortable with your board.
What’s so appealing to me about stand-up paddle boarding is the versatility in how lax or vigorous you want your SUP experience to be. You can keep it plain and smooth by just paddling out and exploring, take it up a notch by adding yoga to the mix, or, if you crave something more extreme, Flat Tide offers SUP FIT private classes, a combination of yoga and boot camp fitness working with water resistance to give a full blown workout.
Another great thing about Flat Tide is that you don’t have to attend a class to paddle board. They have SUP rentals at $20/hour with kid boards at $10/hour. If you decide you love it as much as I do, they have monthly passes for $110, and season passes for $290.00. SUP Yoga season passes will be available soon. Often times we forget what a beautiful place we live in until we’re introduced to a new way to view it. So, go see the awesome people at Flat Tide, grab a board, and explore your own exotic.
For a list of classes and to see what they have to offer, visit Flat Tide’s website and follow them on Facebook. Their season runs from April to October, although most will probably go May through September. And as it heats up this summer, mainly July through August, expect to see evening rentals offered.