I was paddling past Canoes the other day on my way to Populars which, by the way, is a much better surf break for stand up paddle surfing. There are less people on a bigger break and it generally gives you a longer ride. Because Populars is a little further out, it takes some work for surfers to paddle out, but it’s not tough if you SUP.

I love checking out the scene around Canoes and Queens. There is lots of good action with surfers, SUP’ers, and of course the big canoes out there too. My favorite scene of the day was watching this mom, who was about 5’2″ and probably 105lbs. catch waves on her SUP board with not one, but two children riding on the nose. She was a warrior! She hustled to get on the wave, paddling hard to get the board and kids in the sweet spot, but she did it time and time again. I was just paddling around on the outside of the break watching in awe. I wish I had my gopro cam with me that day.

I love seeing families enjoy SUP in Waikiki. It’s a great activity that everyone can enjoy. Most kids can handle paddling a board on their own if it’s the right size board. If you like surfing your SUP board, you can do what this mom does and put your kids on the front deck of the board. Obviously, you should be an experienced SUP surfer if you are going on a break like Canoes that has tons of people on it. Chances of a beginner surfer unknowingly getting in your path is quite high.

If you need SUP rentals in Waikiki, be sure to give us a call. We will deliver the boards to your hotel or the beach and get you set up properly with nice boards and paddles.

If you are brand new to the sport, we offer group SUP lessons in Waikiki. We often create custom SUP lesson packages for your kids if you are looking for a bigger Hawaii adventure too.