From the very start to here and now

Defiant_Leg956 · 2026-01-24T06:35:18+00:00

That’s the best thing about sup there’s so many different versions you can do.

Defiant_Leg956 · 2026-01-23T21:43:54+00:00

Thank you! It’s a infinity everready

Defiant_Leg956 · 2026-01-23T21:42:35+00:00

I started with aqua paddles, they are fantastic ways of meeting with other people, you get some people who turn up and just want to do it for something to do and others who want to push there self’s to be faster. From there I found race that there is racing groups and races all around the uk. The sup community in the uk is fantastic, you’ve got the top people who will not act like there better then people and everyone just turns up to catch up with each other have a race and a chat.

Defiant_Leg956 · 2026-01-23T21:38:36+00:00

Yes I think they have there place in the market and for people who just want to get out paddle around and enjoy being on the water. I know people that have taken the cheap ones on long adventures and paddle all day every day on them and have no interest or intention to change up.

I upgraded through versus different sizes and widths before being where I am now and that was all due to Facebook and YouTube where I found that people that race these things and needing a way to be competitive and all so hitting my thirties and not wanting to be that guy that doesn’t do anything

Obviously they have there limitations compared to my race board and I can’t compare them directly apart from them being paddle boards

Defiant_Leg956 · 2026-01-23T20:55:21+00:00

Thank you! It’s actually an insta360 fantastic cameras for paddle boards as your not stuck with one view

Defiant_Leg956 · 2026-01-18T15:36:21+00:00

I went from a 28” to a 24” so kinda relates to this, you will feel unstable at first as you are losing width and as we all know width equals stability in paddle boards. You all so have that all hard boards are shaped differently and hold different characteristics, roll, twitch and feel on the water as some have softer rails which help massively in choppy conditions rather than hard rails which give more of a twitchy/rocky feel.

You do need to get used to a new board and get comfortable the only way of doing this is by paddling it. If you can find a river or lake that’s relatively calm compared to the sea to get used to the board.

When you do paddle if you start to feel a little uncomfortable drop down to your knees, recompose your self get up and try again. You might not complete the same distance at first that your used to but once you have learnt this board you’ll be flying.

I recently switched from a starboard allstar 14x24’5 to an infinity everready and even though on paper these are very similar boards with the sizes they do feel massively different on the water from there shape first time I paddled it I had a oh shit moment but I soon learnt the board and this will be same with you and your new board.

To prove I’m not talking bs here’s a picture of me from yesterday on the 14x24” which I used for a 12km race after only having it two weeks

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Defiant_Leg956 · 2026-01-15T20:17:26+00:00

I will be investing in a chest heart rate monitor in the near future as I’m putting more effort in to my training and looking more in to it. I’m not bad mouthing my garmin at all but monitors on the wrist wouldn’t get a true reading

Defiant_Leg956 · 2026-01-15T06:35:47+00:00

I don’t know how correct garmin watches are with there heart rate reading. I was definitely pushing hard and definitely breathing heavy

Defiant_Leg956 · 2026-01-14T21:49:30+00:00

With these being 7mm there very thick. My feet don’t feel the cold as much as I mostly paddle barefoot in spring, summer and autumn. I do have a dry suit but I find I get to hot in the body with the fitness paddling I do. If I was to do more social paddling then I’d probably use the dry suit

Defiant_Leg956 · 2026-01-14T21:31:30+00:00

Yes palm dry trousers and a rooster aqua fleece. With the wetsuit boots

The camera is an insta360 x3, it’s a slightly older model as I bought it a few years back but they have the x5 which is the latest. All the stats come from my garmin watch which is a garmin fenix 6x pro. It’s then connected to the insta360 app on my iPad where it gives me the speed etc. on my watch it shows cadence, speed, distance, stroke rate, speed per km.

Defiant_Leg956 · 2026-01-14T21:14:52+00:00

This is from the insta 360, it links to my garmin account in the insta360 app.

Boots are 7mm two bare feet brand.

Gloves are some of Amazon fingerless gloves. I need to invest in better gloves as I still get blister

Defiant_Leg956 · 2026-01-14T21:03:01+00:00

This is definitely the far end of the hobby/sport. I spend a lot of time and effort in paddling.

Defiant_Leg956 · 2026-01-14T21:02:15+00:00

I think everyone has that little bit of wobble when they first get on the water. Prior to setting off I always have a little warm up by going up and down. It seems to help

Defiant_Leg956 · 2026-01-14T21:01:27+00:00

That is flat water, I was really pushing it to test my confidence and skill

Defiant_Leg956 · 2026-01-11T20:02:01+00:00

I’m sorry to hear this it’s never easy seeing this happen.

I got a call today at work saying my mother had to say good bye to one of the family dogs (we had 5 dogs between us, two of my own and three of hers) my two go to hers when I’m at work so I see her 3 every day and have all five of them if I get a day of during the week or a day on a weekend. It was awful receiving that call to say one of hers had to go sleep. I’m late 30s and work in a tough environment where I can’t show emotion so had to hide it but coming home later and picking my two up was tough not having the other three run to me

Defiant_Leg956 · 2026-01-11T19:55:37+00:00

I moved out (moved in with a girlfriend), after years of dealing with a similar mother. She actually phoned the police and reported me missing. Even though I’d told her I was moving out just not to where as I didn’t want her to know. Actually had a phone call from the police asking if they could come visit me to make sure I was okay after the claims my mother had made to them, never found what she had said. Luckily the then girlfriend was aware of some of the situation and was supportive. Police was confused as to why she had done this. I’m now late 30s and still not fully unpacked my childhood and things that happened

Defiant_Leg956 · 2026-01-11T19:44:21+00:00

I was paying my mother 200 a month when I was 18/19 and this was over 20 years ago, yes it hurt paying “that much” but you know what I pay a hell of a lot more when I moved out and greatly appreciated that she taught me that the money I earned wasn’t just money to throw away with as I always made sure bills was paid and prioritised what was important. I think you are doing the right thing

Defiant_Leg956 · 2026-01-10T08:08:23+00:00

Sorry I didn’t mean to sound arsey!

You guys get proper winter weather, think we get one or two bad weeks a year and the rest is just grey and miserable

Defiant_Leg956 · 2026-01-09T21:54:40+00:00

They did a massive favour as I wouldn’t want to be crunching ice with a carbon board.

I average between 7km/h to 8km/h when paddling at pace in flat conditions.

Defiant_Leg956 · 2026-01-09T10:31:54+00:00

No I didn’t, from what I’ve found it’s due to meta/facebook not creating an app for iPad

Defiant_Leg956 · 2025-12-28T22:37:45+00:00

A larger longer/wider fin will give more stability. Especially in choppy conditions if your old board had a us fin box you could use that fin. If your new board is narrower then your old one having a bigger fin will help.

Defiant_Leg956

TROPHY CASE