East Hampton - Stand up paddle boarding is becoming one of the fastest growing summer sports on the East End. Introduced here about six years ago, it's popularity has grown steadily among women, who find it very easy to learn and enjoy the benefits of the workout it provides. Our area is already known for amazing waterways and bays for canoeing and kayaking, now we can add into that mix Stand up paddling! Every time I gracefully land my board on a beach, I am approached by men and women who are so curious about stand up paddle boarding and want to try it and see what is putting such a smile on my face and muscle tone on my body!

Women are taking to the seas on their boards more and more these days.

Commonly called, "SUP" a stand-up paddle board is a larger, wider, surfboard made with more volume so it floats better, while a person stands up on it. Then, using a long paddle one propels the board through the water, it is a very graceful sport. Like surfing, it has a Hawaiian heritage arriving in the USA in 2000. It is a large and booming industry in California and the East Coast. Costs for a board and a paddle can range from $800-$2,000. These boards can be rented and purchased through any surf shop.

Women's interest in SUP'ing has been captured by the local non-profit Paddler's For Humanity, www.p4h.org, when they introduced last summer the first of many women's only paddle events, a five-mile "Wahine" paddle starting at Louse Point and finishing at Maidstone Pavillion. It was one of many events the group has held over the years to raise money and last summer all the Wahine Paddle proceeds went to help the Retreat, a women's abuse shelter. They plan on having another Wahine Paddle this summer as well as encouraging women to participate in all their paddling events!

Five Things To Know About The Sport To Help Understand Its Popularity Among Women

1. SUP is very easy to learn, with about an hour of instruction one can stand can be up on a board and paddling and cruising along! Proper paddling techniques and more advanced board maneuvering can be an on-going instruction process, but it is totally optional, so unlike the more technical sports you can excel right out of the gate!

2. Women who SUP regularly (three times a week) build amazing core strength, arm muscles and overall body alignment. It is the only sport out there that gives you literally a "head to toe" work out. You can turn a SUP session into a real work-out!

3. SUP is a great way to spend time with a girlfriend, do a sport and chat the time away. If you get hot, jump in! The boards are very easy to maneuver so you can all go along as a group and enjoy the scenery, the conversation and the amazing work-out!

Women who SUP regularly (three times a week) build amazing core strength.

4. It is a sport that brings out the goddess in all of us! Women who SUP feel very empowered, unlike trying to learn how to surf, it is not a humbling sport, one feels very powerful as they master the board as they stroke to cross a bay, glide along the coast, explore a waterway or salt marsh and even get out into the deep.

5. SUP is a great sport for the whole family, kids included! One board just may not be enough for your whole family!

Now that I have sold you on getting off your chair and jumping on a SUP here are a few things to consider:

1. Having the appropriate gear is imperative: using a paddle that is too long or a board that is too small could easily make your attempts at learning fraught with frustration and or injury (long paddles are very hard on the shoulders and smaller boards are not steady making certain you will fall in plenty).

2. It's the Coast Guard law now, You will need a life preserver either worn on your body or attached to the board, so make sure you get one you like or one that is compact enough to allow you to work out without the bulk.

3. Make sure you wear sunscreen, are well hydrated (start drinking water when you wake up on the days you plan on going out), and have had a well balanced meal before setting out on your board.

4. It is imperative that you always check the weather, and wind forecast, so you don't get stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time!

5. Smile and enjoy your time out on the board, it is your time to do something for yourself - oh - and you are getting in great shape!

A group of women who participated in the 2009 Paddler's for Humanity Wahine, Women's Only Race, all the proceeds went to The Retreat, a women's shelter.