While on vacation my husband and I were provided complimentary bikes and SUP boards from YOLO Board to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed here are my own!
YOLO Board Fun in South Walton
Last week when my husband and I were vacationing in South Walton, I had no idea I would be paddleboarding! I’ve seen SUP boards on the beach and thought to myself, that looks cool but I’m too afraid to try it. Well I finally got my chance!
We checked out the YOLO Board Hut located at the Village of Baytowne Wharf Marina inside the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort. Since this was our first time, we definitely needed a paddle board lesson before getting out on the water alone. Initially I was afraid of being on a SUP board, I’m not a strong swimmer. Everyone at YOLO Board assured me there was nothing to be afraid of! There were life jackets available, but the water in the Marina was only waist deep. I’m almost 6 feet tall, so that put my fears at ease.
The boards were lined up, and we were able to get familiar with the parts and structure of it right away. You position yourself in the middle on your knees, then slowly stand with your paddle maintaining your balance. It took a little bit of practice, and I fell in a couple of times. It was all in fun plus the Marina was a beautiful sight on a gorgeous summer day!
Each paddle is pretty easy to handle and not too heavy. I had to get used to the feel of it, but I caught on really fast.
The SUP Board I used was the Octo Scuba. Not only was it beautiful, but it was light weight and easy to handle. When I snapped this shot I was relaxing on the water and taking in the sights.
My hubby got the hang of it really fast as well. We went all the way around the Marina and back in about an hour. It was nice to paddle inside the marina instead of out on the beach because the atmosphere was so relaxing.
YOLO Board totally lived up to their name. It was an amazing experience, and I can’t wait to try paddleboarding again!
YOLO Board also offers bike rentals to enjoy riding alongside the 16 beautiful beaches in South Walton. They delivered these two super cute bikes to our condo. It was so much fun riding down the Scenic Gulf Drive of US HWY 98. I haven’t rode a bike in years. These were a reminder to the muscles I haven’t been putting in use, but the pain was worth the fun!
Paddleboarding was one of the highlights of our vacation. I loved every minute of it! During the summer, YOLO Board in Baytowne Wharf Marina also offers SUP Yoga, Camp YOLO for Kids, and Paddle Core Fitness. For more info on YOLO Board visit yoloboard.com!
Have you ever tried paddleboarding? How was your experience?
Ashley
4 comments
Mimi
August 5, 2014 at 8:06 amI am enjoying your recap. My husband and I desperately need to get away and we have an anniversary coming up. We may have to go visit since it isn’t so far.
I’ve never been on a yolo board but I’m up for the challenge!
Ashley
August 8, 2014 at 10:51 pmThanks Mimi! Your anniversary is the perfect time to get away! South Walton was a little over 300 miles from Atlanta, so yes very close. Paddleboarding was a lot of fun, and really relaxing. I hope you get to try it!
Candis
August 5, 2014 at 12:16 pmI soooo want to do this. Glad you guys had a great kid-free time! It’s good to know that you don’t necessarily have to be an athlete/pro surfer to do this. The entry barrier seems to be low-which is awesome!
Ashley
August 8, 2014 at 10:52 pmAll it requires is a little practice, and you’re off! It was really easy, Candis 🙂