Backcountry Paddleboarding

A paddleboard in the backcountry sounds like a stunt until you hear the method behind it. We sit down with Marybeth from Paddle Adventurer, an adventure guide and outdoor content creator who’s been running backcountry stand-up paddleboard trips for years and showing Canadians what’s possible with an inflatable SUP and the right skills.

We get practical about what makes backcountry paddleboarding work: choosing a durable inflatable board, understanding volume and weight limits, packing so your camping gear stays secure on the deck, and using bungees, D-rings, and smart weight placement to help your board track straight. Marybeth also explains why you don’t always need to stand, how kneeling or adding a seat changes stability, and why practising falling off and self rescue is part of responsible paddling, not an afterthought.

Safety comes up again and again, from Transport Canada requirements like PFDs and whistles to leash choices, including quick release systems for moving water. Marybeth also shares what winter paddling looks like on Lake Ontario and the Great Lakes, why shoreline ice can be deceptively dangerous, and how to decide when turning back is the best call. Along the way, we talk about learning in public, embracing failure, and trying new things even when you feel like Bambi on day one.

If you like canoe camping, SUP touring, outdoor safety, Ontario paddling routes, or you just want a new way to get outside, you’ll get both inspiration and real-world tactics here. Subscribe, share this with a paddling friend, and leave a review with your biggest question about backcountry paddleboarding.

https://paddleadventurer.com/

https://www.instagram.com/paddleadventurer/

https://www.facebook.com/PaddleAdventurer

https://www.tiktok.com/ ⁨@PaddleAdventurer⁩  

https://www.youtube.com/c/paddleadventurer

https://www.linkedin.com/company/paddle-adventurer/

Transcript

Welcome And Meet Mary Beth

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hello and good day. Welcome to Super Good Camping Podcast. My name is Pamela.

SPEAKER_02 0:04

I'm Tim.

SPEAKER_01 0:04

And we are from Supergoodcamping.com. We're here because we're on a mission to inspire other people to get outside and enjoy camping adventures such as we have as a family. Today's guest is an adventure guide and outdoor content creator. She's big on paddling, particularly paddleboards. She guides small group backcountry paddleboarding trips and retreats. She also gets into hiking, scuba diving, and roller skating. She loves to create educational content on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, you name it. Please welcome Mary Beth from Paddle Adventurer.

SPEAKER_00 0:34

Yay, welcome. Thanks so much for having me. Nice t-shirt. Thanks for coming out.

SPEAKER_02 0:39

Nice. Nice. All right. So two questions immediately in my brain. First one is stand-up paddle board and backcountry. I keep thinking waves and stuff. How how the heck do you do that? Really loose hips? Like what's the how does that play out? And oh yeah, and it's a aren't they heavy? Oh no, I guess the blow-up ones wouldn't be as heavy.

SPEAKER_00 0:59

Uh totally depends. Um, just like canoes, right? Just depends on what what it's made out of. Um, yeah, I don't know. Do you want me to rewind to like how that kind of started? Sure. Sure. A lot of people think, oh, it's just uh it's just uh I don't know, inflatable toy, or it's just something you can go for fun out on and sit on with your kids, which you

How Backcountry SUP Trips Work

SPEAKER_00 1:22

can do. But yes, backcountry paddle boarding can be a thing. So rewind a bit. Um I went to school up in Lakehead at at in Thunder Bay uh for outdoor recreation, parks, and tourism. So I always had a love for backcountry camping, did a bunch that way, um, took a bit of a pivot, but I lived in Australia, did some sea kayaking down there, and then came back and did events. And then I found myself back into the outdoor world and mainly with paddle boarding. It just looked like such a fun and unique thing to do. And I had been doing it for a long time, but I hadn't owned my own board. And it's a classic pandemic story of the time. So I bought a paddleboard and decided to get out. And I hadn't really been in the backcountry for a while. I had done lots of camping from canoeing uh to backcountry um backcountry backpacking. And I live in Hamilton, I have a small house, I don't have a garage, I don't have room for a sea kayak or a canoe. And you know, there's always renting. I always rented the canoes, but I owned an inflatable paddle board, and I thought it's a trustworthy piece of equipment. Why not try and take it out into the backcountry? So I decided to head out, put some gear on it. Obviously, you want to check the weight limits, every board's different. And I found that I didn't need to pack any differently than if I was on a backcountry canoe trip. It obviously you're packing differently than you would if you're in a canoe or if you're in a sea kayak because everything is on the deck and going to get wet. So from there, you hatch it down and you essentially head out with that weight. I personally didn't find that the weight was much difference on the balancing point. Keeping in mind, I do love to get out on the water on a paddleboard and goof around. I find not only is it fun, but it's good practice for balancing and then falling off and getting back on. That's all part of it. So I like to goof around and do that. But from a safety standpoint, it's also important to get out and practice those skills before you're loading it up. And I guess, I mean, we can I can keep going and spiral into where it went from there. But yeah, it was it was a success. Starting small and not doing any portages to start, and then building from those trips from there. And I've been doing it for four and a half, five years now on paddle boards. And I think more and more people are are starting to do that because it's so accessible. And I really encourage anybody can try it. Start small, preparation, just like any backcountry type of adventure. You want to have safety in mind top priority first, and get out and see what you're comfortable with. You can even just start with a day trip or start like I did, and just do I think our first trip was five kilometers, Tim River, Algonquin Park. Didn't portage, went, camped tonight, and loved it. And then we built from there and started doing loops and some crazy portages.

SPEAKER_02 4:31

Cool. So it is it always the blow-up one when you're

Inflatable Boards And Safety Gear

SPEAKER_02 4:36

when you're in the backcountry.

SPEAKER_00 4:37

Yeah, so I only own from a sub standpoint. I have a prone, prone being uh you're paddling with your hands, surfboard on a hard side, but I only have inflatables because of the storage space. And inflatables are very durable. Um, with a bit of a caveat that you also want to keep in mind that just like any outdoor equipment, you usually are putting your money where the quality is. So your average Amazon board, I would say you need to be a lot more delicate with something like that and taking it out. But if you have a reputable company of a board and you have the preparation, um, if something does happen, patch, kit, pump, inflatables are extremely durable. That's what they use for white water for for paddle boarding on whitewater. If you're not familiar with that, people also white water on their subs.

SPEAKER_01 5:28

I didn't know that was a thing.

SPEAKER_02 5:30

That's that's I keep thinking you know, your your uh center of gravity is so much higher. It's like I I would want to be on just glass. I wouldn't even think about doing something that's wavy, let alone white water.

SPEAKER_00 5:41

So that's the best part about paddling, in my opinion. It not only opens the door to uh being outside and being on the water to people who are just trying to get into something, but it has it has levels to it. So just because it's stand-up paddle boarding, you don't technically need to stand. Yes, you get more power, and it's probably better for your joints and body if you're standing with proper technique for paddling. But you can absolutely sit. There's there's subs that come with uh benches or not benches, there's subs that come with seats. So it can be essentially a sit-on kayak and you can have a kayak paddle. Um, people go on their knees. So if you can kind of you can progress that way uh on a paddleboard. And I would I would argue that there's less risk with that than if you're doing a canoe or sea kayak, because if you dump, you're not gonna be ever recapsizing the paddleboard itself. Like it's just a essentially a floating piece of equipment that you can climb back on, so it's easier to self-rescue in that sense.

SPEAKER_01 6:47

Interesting. Yeah, so you're not the the whole thing's not going over. You might go off, but the whole thing's not going over.

SPEAKER_00 6:53

Yeah, yeah, you can definitely wear on your balance. There's just like any type of water equipment, there's different sizing in terms of width, the fin system. You could get a lot more technical on stability and what works best for you, your abilities, and what kind of adventures you're going on. A white water board, for example, would be wider, have like a bit more of a rocker, uh, shorter versus someone who's doing uh racing. It'd be a really skinny board that's really long. Um, so not as much stability, but it's gonna be a lot faster. So lots of pros and cons, and and depending on what you're looking to do and how far you would like to go.

SPEAKER_01 7:34

And do people tether themselves to the board just in case it gets away from them on a on a yeah?

SPEAKER_00 7:39

So uh a leash is definitely recommended. If it's any kind of moving water, you want to have a quick release leash. Um, so that if there is an entanglement, that you can quickly get away from the equipment and that you're not sucked and pulled under. But flat water backcountry, you're gonna want a leash system so the board never gets away from you. Yeah, that's definitely a safety, a piece of safety equipment I highly recommend. Technically, uh uh Transport Canada doesn't ask for that. Um, the Transport Canada rules for pileboarding in Canada, you have to have a PFD, uh, a whistle, and um, if you obviously the same rule applies to canoes, a lights at dawn and dusk. If you're not wearing your PFD, you have to have a 15-meter buoyant heaving line. So technically, legally, you don't have to wear your PFD, which is unfortunate. I think everyone should be wearing a PFD. If it's an inflatable PFD, so those waistbelts, you always have to be wearing them.

SPEAKER_02 8:38

Yeah, I'm I'm totally with you on uh PFD. Just wear it, man. Like it's not a big deal. Hmm.

Rigging Gear And Board Setup

SPEAKER_02 8:46

I want to ask a whole bunch of tech questions, like what what what do you use for your lashing system to lash things down? Like is it is it you know, springy, like like bungee cord type deal, or how do you how do you do that?

SPEAKER_00 8:59

Yeah, so for me personally, I use bungees. I know some people have more of a strap system, and that's what you'd probably do if you're not portaging um a lot, because then it's easier and it's more secure to the board. However, you know what it's like in backcountry lakes, you could do a portage and then it's like a small little pond, and then you're undoing it. So it definitely takes more time and effort to strap it in versus in a canoe, you're just throwing your gear in there depending on your your own uh system. But uh yeah, I use the bungees. Paddle boards come with their own bungee systems, usually on the front. Um, however, you do want to look for a board board, in my opinion, with the D rings on the back to add in your own bungees. I also typically add bungees to the front too, depending uh on what is in the front, what's in behind. And I think depending on your your paddling technique in terms of your physique and what you're most comfortable with, as well as your board, is where you're putting the equipment. I personally like putting more of the weight at the back and and then my day bag and maps and all that sort of stuff at the front. I have put weight on the front a little bit heavier. Um, but I find that because I have such a long board, I like to have the back sunken so it can track a lot straighter with the fins. However, if you're doing some pawns, you can want to switch up those fins and maybe move the weight forward. And that's where you really wanted to get really good at balancing if you're doing more technical or bushwhacking type of adventures, because the fins will drag you down with some of the seaweed or getting over beaver dams can be very tricky. Um, and it definitely takes some configuring and shuffling around on on the board.

SPEAKER_02 10:40

What kind of sizes does the board like like you say yours is very long? So what's what's the size range of them?

SPEAKER_00 10:46

So paddle boards. Oh, now you're putting me on the spot. I would say so. Smaller ones are gonna be for surfing and for white water, potentially maybe some yoga. That's also a thing. They're looking at right between six to eight or ten. I would say your average recreational would be between 10 and 12 feet long. Um, and then a beginner board is uh usually wider. So you're looking at 32 inches across to 34 inches across. Um the board that I like to use, it's again the other thing you need to consider, I'll backtrack a bit. The other thing you need to consider is the board volume. What's the volume of the board it can take? So the weight limit. Um, so different boards are different thicknesses, so that also kind of comes into play. The back of the back under board I like to use is 13 feet two inches, and then the width is 30 across. I've also taken a 12-foot out before that's 30, 28 across, which was a little bit trickier to juggle, especially when you're filming. That's one thing that can be very tricky on a paddle board, is unlike a canoe where you can rig things to the actual boat, you can ring it to a paddle board, but it's a lot lower, doesn't give you the same perspective uh or angles that you want to change up a little bit more easily because you're standing. So I like to be moving around on my board a lot, especially when it also comes to gear. So I like I like the 30 wide, it takes as much weight as I can, and then the 13-2 is a good length. Where it can get tricky is on technical portages when you're going down or you're going up or in and around a lot of trees. I find that the 13-2 can sometimes be long, but I'm also a short person. I'm five foot two, and I like to carry it on my head for that reason. So different. I mean, we could get into portaging. I love portaging.

SPEAKER_01 12:39

I'm just curious about the weight. So roughly, like what kind of weight do you carry on your on your paddle board?

SPEAKER_00 12:45

Yeah, so that's a great question. I would say it's usually just over a hundred pounds for one pack and then maybe like 50 for the other. So you're looking at like an extra 150 pounds.

SPEAKER_01 12:56

And if you're a heavier person, then you have to accommodate for that, I assume, and you'd be able to carry less extra on top of your weight.

SPEAKER_00 13:04

Exactly. I would say some of those bigger boards, though, you're looking at you could probably put 350 to 400 pounds on a board.

SPEAKER_02 13:11

Jeez. I would never come up with a number like that. That's crazy. I have so little experience. I mean, literally, well, okay, so at the at the Toronto show, we went for for wings and beers afterwards. We sat with Ben and Cheryl. And Ben, they're they're both-ups. Um, Ben Ben really loves to paddle board, uh, and he's probably the most experience I have with knowing anything about stand-up boards, man.

SPEAKER_00 13:41

Yeah, there's such a wide variety, and the the inflatables really blew up in the pandemic. I mean, most outdoor recreational sports did, but I think inflatables, particularly because you can get um a more budget-friendly piece of equipment and it's very accessible and it gets you on the water fairly quick, which is amazing. I love that more people are getting outside, but to get on the water, but it can also be dangerous too, right? If you don't know or you think it's just an inflatable toy, um, it is a, according to Transport Canada, it is a vessel of the water. Um, and there's lots of dangers with that. And you do see that there are people, I mean, you don't know what you don't know. You go out, you're having fun in the water, and the wind picks up, and you're out into especially the Great Lakes, you get swept around swept away. And people don't think about safety in mind of not only going out, but then also what you're wearing from a PFD specifically perspective. But yeah, I would say there's a wide variety of paddling in in for paddle boarding, not only from uh budget to like more of a um uh a bigger budget, but also from uh there's racing, there's backcountry, which I think is just one of those things. I'm like, well, why not? Why can't you do this? To uh what else did I say? Racing, uh yoga, or just like recreational, going out on the water and sitting on it like a nice floating dock, or kids playing out on it. There's lots of fun sports you can play on on paddleboards. Funny enough, I think in the UK there's something called sub water polo. I don't know if that's the right term, but the paddles have a mesh thing in it, and you're paddling around like water polo, but on your paddle boards. So cool. So it's unlimited, and that's what I love. I love I'm a very playful person. So I love to the the variety of things you can do with it. And that's where you know I was all about getting outside to try something different with a piece of equipment I already own. Why not be able to go and do this thing with this this other piece of equipment that I love and have fun just on the beach?

Guiding Small Group SUP Retreats

SPEAKER_01 15:51

So given that you're likely to be in the water, are you are you do you wear a wetsuit when you go or like especially backcountry? Are you doing that?

SPEAKER_00 15:59

Yeah, so the the I mean you always want to prepare for the water temperatures. I also paddle in the winter, so I have full winter gear from a dry suit with all the gear, neoprene booties, gloves, all that. Um, when I'm in the backcountry though, I I wouldn't say like I've never done cold, like winter cold, cold water paddling for backcountry. Um, especially like the fall, I like going, but I wouldn't say the water's flipped that quickly. And the only time I'm going in the water is usually if the fin hits or you know, I'm getting in and out of the water to to portage. Um, typically you're you're not falling unless you're not paying attention, that can happen. Especially if it's wavy, if you're paddling and you're just gonna kind of look around and not paying attention to your center of gravity and your balance, that's when you can take a spill. But yeah, I would never go out unless unless I'm properly ready for submersion.

SPEAKER_02 16:54

Uh, when you're doing backcountry trips, uh, when you're guiding backcountry trips, like how many people are we talking? Are are they all on uh stand-up boards? How does how does that whole thing work out?

SPEAKER_00 17:06

Yeah. So last year was the first year I did it, mostly out of people seeing YouTube videos and social media of me out having fun, and they really want to get outside and be with like-minded people. They love paddleboarding, they're doing day trips, and they also potentially love backcountry camping, although you don't need any backcountry camping experience. So I thought, why not bring people out? Because of this, I hire an outfitter as a port. Insurance is the main thing, and everyone who comes on the trip is on paddleboards. I run small group trips, so six to eight people maximum. Uh, last year, I think it was five on the backcountry trip. And yeah, everyone's on a paddle board for backcountry. They're not taking every gear. Um, I'll weight up my board, and uh, the outfitter comes in a support canoe for that reason. Um, and then that way it's up to them to start to feel comfortable with their own personal gear, their tent, a little bit more weight, testing that out. And then if they want to carry some of the food or a shared kitchen equipment, then they're welcome to add that on throughout the trip. But yeah, everyone comes on on paddleboards.

Portaging Techniques And Training

SPEAKER_00 18:20

Yeah, so tell us about the portage on with the stand-up paddleboard. Yeah, so my first trip portaging was Kalarney, the Bell Lake loop. The I would say anything that is a good loop to start with is for paddle boarding, is that something that's a beginner-friendly or a simple canoe route that you want to test that I wouldn't go too heavy to start. So I think that one the most was like a 700 and something meter. Um for me, I tested a few ways. Side carry, and that's usually how you would carry it with the center handle and then the board at your side. You have to have pretty good grip strength for that. That's how I carry it to and from the water, just you know, a couple hundred meters, usually or not even at the side carry. However, because I'm short, I find that I'm always having to lift up, especially if there's any kind of slope or technical terrain. And I've also tried the strap system. You can buy straps that either attach to the D rings on the side of the board or loop around the board itself. Same problem. I found that uh I was pulling more and it was very off balance for back, and I was a little short for that. My personal favorite is over the head, carrying it like you would a canoe. However, it's different neck muscles and different, you're not using the the weight, isn't really on your shoulders, although you do get some shoulder strain because you're holding the paddle board like this with the weight on your head. So you'll one tip for people if they're wanting to try this, make sure whatever hat you're wearing, you're either taking it off or it doesn't have the smarty on it. In most of my videos, you see I have one of those wide brims that doesn't have it, um, but that can get really sore. And if you're doing a longer trip, I find that I often get a bruise on the top of my head. The other thing that I would recommend is doing more overhead strength cranking, strength training, because having the board like this, it starts to really strain your shoulders. I'm sure the same with canoeing, but you're also like balancing it and holding it with that weight. Another thing that I've found from backcountry paddle boarding that's extremely useful is additional side handles. Not many boards have it, but there are boards that do have it. They have the center handle, most paddle boards have that, but having the front two handles, it gives you something to hold on to while you're carrying the board. When overhead gets a bit tricky, you would put it down at the side. And it the good thing about paddleboarding is if you're if you need to put it down the side because you're going through some crazy train, whether it's incline or decline or more technical footing or mud, putting the paddleboard down, moving your body, and then using it almost like a crutch can be really helpful and useful and a lot easier than having it on your head, because that can get a bit scary with, as you know, for canoeing, that can get a really scary with the weight all in the front. But it's easy to flip around with with the paddleboard. But I would say everyone's different. Um, definitely just say with your setup system if you're going out on a paddleboard backcountry, testing systems, experimenting. Usually I'll go up in our back laneway and just like take my paddleboard and back and forth and start getting used to that. Um, but yeah, the it's a lot easier to get onto your head than it would be a canoe, I find. You can use the same momentum as getting a portaging a canoe, uh, but the side handles help. And a paddleboard is mine is 27 pounds. So a little bit lighter probably than than most canoes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:54

Well, yeah, even our carbon is 40. 45 or 46 pounds. So it's you know, we're coming up on double the weight.

SPEAKER_00 22:05

I see. I started I started canoeing, so but it's been so long that was with outdoor rec, we did a lot of different types of programs or um outdoor rec, we did a lot of different types of trips, and part of that was I got my canoe instructor, but I would I definitely haven't been out and canoe very much. I went for the first time last year because my friend broke her leg and she really wanted to get out. So I did all the portaging and it was really fun to get back a in a canoe again. There was to compare it in terms of what I missed about canoe and then also what I miss about paddle warning. I found that really interesting. But then also just being able to get out with somebody who um wouldn't have been able to get out otherwise was great.

SPEAKER_02 22:51

Yeah, broken leg, that's that's poopy, and especially involving portaging in there as well. Yeah, no thanks. I I even

Content Creation And SUP Education

SPEAKER_02 23:01

without broken things, I generally don't like portaging. Um so I know that you do sort of educational content on social medias. What got you to to want to do that? And and what kind of stuff are you putting out?

SPEAKER_00 23:19

Yeah, great question. Content just sort of happened for me. Again, my degree was is outdoor rec, and then I did a postgraduate event management. I was doing events and capturing content on the water, happened organically. I just wanted to get out, have fun, film myself, be a bit of a goof, show people, you know, it's okay to be yourself, it's okay to fall in and practice all these things. And again, at the beginning of the pandemic, I did have time off because events got, they were one of the first districts to get in hand. And so I had lots of time, but I wanted to continue to build skills and learn myself. But then also trying to find information online was difficult, especially for paddle boarding in Ontario. And I want again, wanted to continue to build skills. So I learned to capture content, build on that, do some video editing, and then also build a website and provide resources just from paddle locations to tips and things that I had learned, either from my outdoor background or just from experimenting and having fun and trying different things on paddleboard. And that's essentially how paddle adventure started. It was never, I'm gonna start this business and create content and educate people and take them out into the backcountry. It just was one of those things that started to snowball. There was a need, I was learning skills, I wanted to help people, not only from an education standpoint, but an encouragement and motivation that they can also get out and use the equipment they have and not necessarily feel that it's overwhelm too overwhelming uh to do something that's different. So yeah, I think the educate the education piece was a little bit all over the place. And then obviously that spiral spirals a little bit into the safety. As if you've ever looked at the Transport Canada document on water safety, it's can be a bit trickery. And for a long time, I believe the paddle boarding rules were canoe rules. So you also had to have a bailer on your sub. So again, hilarious, but nothing was written, right? Because paddleboarding, what was that? And especially in Canada. I remember the first time I saw paddleboarding was when I lived in Australia, and people were using it to surf and commute around. And so it started to gain more traction in Canada from a race standpoint, surfing standpoint, and now hopefully uh a more of a backcountry uh option as well. But yeah, the safety thing, there wasn't a lot of information that I could find on what the requirements were for for from a safety um and legal standpoint. So I wanted to make sure I was providing that. And then tips and tricks of you know, if you're getting out, what does that look like? And encouraging people that, you know, don't just go out and hope that you're not gonna fall in because you're gonna fall in at some point. I fall in, even when I'm not expecting to. So know and practice that before it becomes an emergency or a dangerous situation.

SPEAKER_02 26:25

Do you when you so I I'm I keep picturing when you said falling in and you're in your full-on wetsuit because it's winter. What do you look for smaller lakes? Are you out, you know, if you're in Hamilton, you've got Ontario right there, you've got Lake Erie

Winter Paddling And Ice Risks

SPEAKER_02 26:41

right there. Like, do you get out and do the the big lakes? What yeah, um what does winter look like?

SPEAKER_00 26:46

Good and bad. Winter paddling, you have to have a lot of patience and you have to be very mindful of safety. It's can get dangerous very quickly. Because in the winter on the Great Lakes, winds are usually what's you know causing them not only depths, but winds and not to freeze over. And people, if you don't know, surf the Great Lakes. I have a full five, six mil neoprene wetsuit for surfing in the winter, although I'm more of a beginner for surfing. So you really are keeping an eye on the calm days on the Great Lakes when all the inland lakes are frozen over. On a calm, beautiful day. Again, you want to go out somewhere that you're familiar with and know what the shore's like. This year I went out when when it was really cold, when we had all the cold snap. I was so amped because for me, I love the neat ice. I'm all about neat little things. It's less about getting from A to B, unless, of course, it's like some big backcountry adventure. But even then, I love nature, I love seeing the small things along the way. I don't like rushing. And so getting out and seeing the neat ice is why I love to go out versus I'm gonna go out and paddle and go for a workout. That's that's not what I love to do. That's just a product of what's what's happening. So this winter I went out uh Hamilton Beach, which I'm very familiar with, spent a lot of time going out there in the summer. I know the shoreline, and the shoreline ice was wild. It went far out, like I've never seen. And knowing and spending uh a lot of time in Sogin First Nations on Lake Huron, Suble Beach area, that shoreline can be extremely dangerous ice. So if you if you're not for people who aren't familiar, the shoreline ice looks safe to walk out on, but usually it's the water underneath, and it can create caves where you're gonna fall through and not be able to climb back out. So I got suited up, went out, and the shoreline ice was too much. Um, and I it's never worth the risk to go out. So instead, I just took the fin off the board and I decided to use it as a toboggan snowboard and just slid down on the snow, which was fun too, right? You just never know. There's an adventure somewhere, but you never know what it's going to look like. But yeah, so for winter paddling, it could look like perfect conditions from a weather standpoint, but it's too difficult to get out. So this winter haven't perfectly timing for my own personal life and schedule, hasn't lined up with a perfect day to get out. What I do get out, falling in is no issue. I personally love getting in the water itself. So I'll go up to the neat shoreline ice and up to my hip and I'll get in the water and walk around and see the ice. So the vest the paddleboard is a vessel to the neat ice. You know, there's lots of Tiffany lamps from the waves crashing. Sometimes you get that pancake ice. So I like interacting, and I find that winter paddling is a very unique way to enjoy and get out to enjoy winter. But yes, it's very rare, expensive. Is uh the the equipment for winter paddling is not cheap. Um, I do use my dry suit though up Lake Superior for sea kayaking. Uh I I've used it paddle boarding in June up in Georgia Bay, Tobamore area. So lots of other uses to having that versus just uh just for winter paddling. But yeah, winter paddling when you get out, it's absolutely stunning and unique, but it just that's what makes it more special, is when you do get out.

SPEAKER_02 30:23

Cool. Do you run into other people out there doing the same insane stuff as you?

SPEAKER_00 30:28

Winter paddling, not so much. I know there are a lot of people uh on Lake Ontario that are in the race world, and they'll get out when it's you know, they're not looking to go potentially see the nice knee dice. They'll go out to get exercise and do their paddle training. Uh, I think there are a few people in the Toronto area that love to get out and have the full gear, but it I would say it's very, very rare that people want to go out in the winter. And that's another reason, too. I also love to, it's not just educational content. I love to also have content for people that they're really interested in. It's such like a cool thing to see and witness, but they'll never be able to do that because they don't want to. They don't want to get cold, they don't want that equipment, or maybe it's out of their price range or their physical abilities. And that's also why I love content and and YouTube because you have such a wide reach for people to enjoy things. And I've very much always been come along on the adventure with me. The camera is my friend with me, and that's just been maybe it's from being a kid and I always had a big imagination. I just had always gravitated when I'm out there. It's like part of the excitement to have the audience with me. And I feel like the the camera itself are is a friend and they're along on the journey with me, not only to learn to motivate them, but also potentially to experience it from a different standpoint. Sorry, that was a long tangent.

SPEAKER_02 31:57

No, no, no.

SPEAKER_00 31:58

And I know the question was right. Oh, winter paddling, I guess, right?

SPEAKER_02 32:04

That's where it started. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 32:06

Um I think the question too was doing other crazy stuff like this. Backcountry, uh, I have not seen anybody do it on a paddleboard. However, there are people who do it, I think more and more. And I have met people out in the backcountry who said, Oh, I saw this video of yours, like that encouraged us to get out and try it. We are seeing more paddleboarders even online this morning. I saw some people asking about it and were really motivated. And the resources that I have has helped encourage them to go out and try it. So I think you'll see that more and more. But usually it's a shock value from especially the purists of backcountry canoeing. Oh, you're gonna portage that thing. You know, it's it's a bit of a pride thing, too, because it's like, yeah, absolutely. Like, why not? This is a vessel of the water, and we can take it out and get it and portage and do all the things. You're maybe not as fast as a canoe from a getting from A to B, but you you're one person on that paddle board. But I also think that's a benefit because it's yourself only who needs to get you through that journey. You aren't relying on someone else from a paddling standpoint, from a portazing standpoint. You are the one powering yourself through the back the backcountry on a paddleboard. And of course, there's other pros to to being on a paddleboard in the backcountry. It's a floating swimming dock. If you've got leeches at your camp, it's quick and easy to get out and go for a swim or get out in the main uh on the lake to get more water to filter. Um, but again, there's also cons to it, right? Not as fast. It's you can't just throw your equipment in and get going. Um, so it just depends. It's this is like sea kayaking. I also sea kayak up on Lake Superior, and there's there's pros to that as well. But then there's also cons.

SPEAKER_02 33:51

Yeah, well, sea kayaking, uh, we were on Georgian Bay past summer, part September, I think. Uh, and it watching them because they're so low profiles, they don't take the wind nearly as much. It's really, you know, it looks a lot more manageable to be out in big waves and stuff like that. That looks like a cool thing. I it in conversation with you and and in researching some of your some of your content for for this podcast, uh, it it had never occurred to me that paddle put take a paddle board and go in the backcountry. Like just I've never seen it. It it hadn't, and and it's like, well, but why not? Like it it's a good thing. Yeah, it's it's really nice.

SPEAKER_00 34:32

I would say the community in general is always really opening, even seeing uh, I remember what our first trip that we did portaging in Klarney. We met a couple maybe late 60s, 70s, who go out every year for their anniversary, and in 40 years they've never seen it, and they were just really excited uh to see more people enjoying the backcountry in a different way. Um, and so I think that's really cool because it shows that, yeah, like a canoe is very classic Canadian. Um, but yeah, work with what you have, right? It's just you don't need all the perfect camping equipment to go out, just like you don't need all the perfect hiking gear to go out. Um, obviously, different equipment is gonna make your life a little easier. It's just like owning a um banger of a car, right? So maybe it doesn't have automatic steering, it's gonna be a little harder to drive. Versus if you're driving a high-end car, you know, it's probably a little nicer, nicer to drive and you're you're good with that. So yeah, it's really nice when you see a lot of people that are encouraging and more

Why SUP Belongs In The Backcountry

SPEAKER_00 35:36

shock and and curious about it than than they are, you know, judgmental.

SPEAKER_02 35:42

Cool. Roller skating. Do you guys have a roller skating arena or something? Because that's that's what I remember from a bazillion years ago. I didn't even know they existed anymore.

SPEAKER_00 35:54

Yeah, quad quad roller skating. It I would say it's gained a little bit more popularity again, but there's also the like classic people who've been doing it forever. Um, luckily, yeah, in Hamilton, we have an outdoor roller pad. Unfortunately, we don't have an indoor one. In the winter, it's they zamboni it, but in the summer, if there's a big culture, Fridays, Saturdays, and the summer, they have DJs. There's people that go out every week that do, I would say there's again, I'm not like fully in this world, but there's people who do more artistic dancing with it. And there's people who do more of like a figure skating where you're jumping, or you're also there's pear skating. Um, yeah, I started doing that, I guess, again, pandemic-y of all of us picking up these new sports. I'd always been a strong ice skater. I grew up ice skating my whole life, and getting on quads was a whole new experience. Obviously, my skating skills really helped me, but having four wheels instead of like a thin blade was in it was definitely interesting in a learning curve. And it was really, really cool as someone older, like at an adult age, I'm in my 40s, to try something new that you were almost like Bambi, right? So you're trying out your new legs for the first time, and you're like, okay, this is this is new. Like, I'm a total beginner, and it was really cool and super fun, and I absolutely loved it. I haven't been able to get out recently because it's been winter, although there's lots of pop-ups. I think Union Station often has like a pop-up, and then there's another company that does pop-ups. I think there's there's one in Burlington right now that they're working on. So there's lots of like roller skating rinks, and then there's the classic Mississauga one scooters, which I think's been around since the 60s or 70s. I grew up in Guelph. I remember them being there being one in Kitchener, but I don't think that exists anymore. But yeah, I think it was more out of why not? And let's go have fun and try something new. Because when when when you get older, are you trying something that scares you and isn't something that you think you're gonna be somewhat good at?

SPEAKER_02 37:59

Well, I just did white water this past year for the first time, and that scared the crap out of me.

SPEAKER_00 38:04

So nice in canoe? Yeah, pear solo, uh, pear. Nice.

SPEAKER_01 38:11

I with our with her, not me with our with our elders, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:17

Yeah, yeah. That's super fun. I I we were lucky enough to do a bunch of different types of paddling in underground, one of which was whitewater canoeing. I love the communication because you really need to be on point with communicating with your partner, and I find that that's fascinating. I love team sports, I love working with people.

SPEAKER_02 38:39

Yeah, well, I mean, what we for us we lucked out because he he has been my paddling companion since he was very short in the grand scheme of things. So we're we already have that communication, although I there was at least one point where I was like, no, you're other left. Which you don't really have time for when you're in Whitewater. So it was a bit of a thing.

SPEAKER_00 39:02

That's so cool. What a cool experience.

SPEAKER_02 39:05

Yeah, yeah, it was great. I've been not doing it forever because I've been largely terrified of it. It was like, uh, okay, and we're gonna do it. So we did. It was great.

SPEAKER_00 39:16

Yeah, it's so fun to do, not maybe fun, but it's so good to grow like that and try something that you're maybe scared of, but then there's a safety net, right? And I think that's where it's really beneficial for people to take courses um to learn the skills, whether it's paddleboarding, canoe, or or kayaking, because someone's looking at you. It's like if you're you know into the gym or into something else and you film yourself and you see what you look like, and maybe your posture is different. So having someone there to coach you, and then also from a safety standpoint, that the the safety net is pretty tight.

SPEAKER_02 39:48

Yeah, absolutely. And and you're used to doing things the way you do things, and sometimes you, you know, like I'm uh after two courses plus a trip last summer, I'm a considerably better paddler than I was before I started doing that. Absolutely much more aware of how my body affects the canoe and stuff.

SPEAKER_00 40:07

So yeah, highly where was the course that you took?

SPEAKER_02 40:11

Uh at Paddler Co-op in uh Palmer Rapids.

SPEAKER_00 40:14

Nice, they're amazing.

SPEAKER_02 40:15

Yeah, it was a fantastic experience.

SPEAKER_00 40:18

Cool.

SPEAKER_02 40:19

Um tell us where everybody can find you, all your socials and stuff.

SPEAKER_00 40:24

Yeah, everything is paddle adventurer. So I've got a website that will link everything. So www.paddleadventurer.com, YouTube's paddle adventurer, Instagram, paddle adventure, Facebook, TikTok. Everything's paddle adventure. Keep it nice and easy. Yeah, and then if people want to email have any questions, it's Mary Beth at paddle adventure. I try to keep it as simple as possible.

SPEAKER_02 40:49

Yeah, us too.

SPEAKER_00 40:50

Yeah, I encourage anybody to get outside, be themselves. I think a lot of people are hesitant with paddle boarding because just like Tim said at the beginning, oh, my balance, and that's something that people are always nervous about. I would encourage you to get out and try something new, just like we were talking about trying something new that maybe scares you and that's out of your comfort zone, and go somewhere that is safe enough that you can fall in, experiment, and always keep in mind that if you feel like you're being judged by people on land, they're not the ones out there spreading their wings and trying something new and probably not having as much fun as you. So just like backcountry camping on a paddleboard, same thing. Start small, try something new. Maybe you'll love it and it'll grow from there. Maybe you'll hate it, but you'll never know unless you try it.

SPEAKER_02 41:41

Yep, bang on. Absolutely bang

Roller Skating And Trying New Things

SPEAKER_02 41:43

on. And and and totally embrace failing. Like I it's every time we do something new and and I find myself out of the canoe, uh, it it's like it's like that's fine. That's that's I will I now will learn to lean the other direction or whatever, right?

SPEAKER_01 42:00

Two points along that line is apparently we learn more from our mistakes than we do from doing things correctly. And the second is I think there's an army term that says embrace the suck, because you're gonna suck at something until you have enough experience, put enough hours in until you get good at it. So embrace the suck till you get there.

SPEAKER_00 42:18

Yeah, absolutely. I I personally think I have videos on balancing it, and it's mostly just me out there groofing around having fun. I've skipped rope on my paddleboard, I've done grouping, I've cartwheeled, and then you see this, and it's like so much fun, and falling in is part of it. Like, who cares what you look like? Have fun, and it also is like Hamley said, great practice because the more you fail, the more you're gonna learn, the more you're gonna grow. So this is why I'm I'm great at balancing because I go around out on the water and goof around.

SPEAKER_01 42:50

Yeah, you didn't start great at balancing, I'm assuming.

SPEAKER_00 42:54

No, yeah, exactly. Yeah, but showing that it is okay, it is okay to fail. It is okay to go out and you know, fail and and try again, or learn that it's not for you.

SPEAKER_01 43:04

All right, that's it for us for today. Thank you so much to Mary Bath from Paddler Advent Paddle Adventurer. And please do check her out. She's on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, everywhere. And reach out to us anytime if you want to talk to us. We are at hi at supergoodcamping.com. That's H I at Supergoodcamping.com, and we will talk to you again soon.

unknown 43:24

Bye.