SUP’ing is for the dogs!

Check out what WK Reno ambassador and former US squirt team member Noah Fraser has been up to. His custom deck job on the supercharger is rad!

If you’ve got a best friend who loves the water as much as you do, then it is awesome to get out and explore the rivers, lakes, and oceans together. The Jackson SUPs, supercharger and supernatural, are a fun alternative paddle craft that has let us explore the Truckee River and Lake Tahoe in Reno, NV. Mattie, our 45lb shepherd mix was the first member of the family to get on the boards this spring and she has never looked back. With this being her favorite new sport next to chasing snowballs we set about making SUPing safe for her and us.

The doggy pfd is an essential piece of equipment that allows the paddler to quickly pick the dog out of the water, it floats them through rapids, and provides some protection if they roll off the board. Some dogs will lay down the whole time, but if they are like Mattie then they will be stretched out on the front of the board. SUPs rarely have foam pads on the ends of the board which means they can be very slick for paws. Putting something on the ends provides a much more stabile ride for the dog and paddler. Foam pads, traction pads in the shape of paws (like we did for Mattie), or anything that will stay in place can make a big difference. SUPing rivers with rapids or choppy lakes requires practice for both the dog and paddler, work with the dog so that they know to hunch down when things get exciting. Training them from the start to do this will make running rapids, surfing, or downwind SUPing with your pup much safer and fun.

[vimeo]https://vimeo.com/68931975[/vimeo]
Later ; Colin Kemp
Team JK