Summer! The best of all the seasons right?!?! It’s also the season that has me realizing that I am a weird dude with a really weird way of thinking. Let me try to explain.

 

My wife and I decided that this summer we were going to give up Netflix and CraveTV to spend every free minute on the beach or in the water! So we saved up for the last few years and decided to buy ourselves a couple of stand-up paddle boards! A fun sport that we could do together with the dogs! What an experience it has been so far!

 

It all starts with getting the boards to the water! All my life I have been a nervous driver. So strapping two 10 foot paddle boards to the roof of a VW Golf takes my level of anxiety well beyond normal. When we bought the paddle boards, we also had to buy a car rack and, let me tell you, they work super easy. However, my fear of the board flying off as I drive is my worst nightmare. Tell me if you think this is crazy. I was heading out to Hayward Lake and anytime another vehicle pulled up behind me I would pull over and let them pass! I also kept my hazard lights on for the entire drive! When we made it to the beach I would ask other people that were carrying paddle boards if they worried like I do and I learned that ….. nope, just me. I AM PARANOID!

 

If I could brag about one thing in my life it would be that I am a strong swimmer! I always have been! I am not a super fancy, sleek swimmer like my son, but I’m strong! Growing up around the Great Lakes in Windsor, Ontario you were taught to swim at a young age for safety reasons! That being said, I wear my life jacket at all times and I think it makes me the nerd of the paddle board community! Most people keep their jacket on the board or they don’t wear them at all (Like my wife). Be honest…I look like a nerd right?

 

I’m scared of sharks! I know the chance of a shark being in a freshwater lake is ridiculous but, for some reason, if I’m in the middle of the lake and I fall into water that I can’t see bottom I think SHARK! That’s when I haul ass to get back on my board! Tell me I’m not alone on this one? I also worried a sturgeon will want to eat me! Again, I know, ridiculous!

 

Another thing life on a paddle board has taught me is that I love to watch my wife bail! It’s awful, but nothing makes me laugh more than watching her fall in the water! I am the worst husband in the world. I think it has something to do with her ability to beat me at every single video game we have ever played! So when she ends up soaked a little piece of me think, “You might be better at Tetris, but I’m not soaking wet!”

 

So there are just a few examples of how paddle boarding in the summer has made me more in touch with my personal craziness! But in all seriousness, if you are in need of a super fun hobby that is easy, fun and even gives you a bit of a workout, check out stand up paddle boarding! We rented boards for a year before making the commitment to buy them! Having the boards has really helped keep us off the couch! And there are no shortages of spots to take up the sport!

 

Have you ever tried paddle boarding? Any great spots you would suggest heading to? Hit me up @KennyOnJACK and say it with me ….. I LOVE YOUR FACE!

Filed under: Kenny Jones, Paddle Boarding, summer