There’s a new watersport that may just give kayaking a run for its money as the best eco-friendly way to cruise Keys waterways. </p><p>It’s called stand up paddle surfing, and it works just like it sounds. People stand up on boards that are longer and wider than your traditional surfboard, and they use long paddles with a canoe-type stroke to propel themselves along the top of the water. </p><p>The boards range from 10 to 12 feet in length and generally feature padded decks, concave hulls and up to three fins in the stern for stability. Paddles are built like a racing canoe paddle with a longer shaft.</p><p>The sport goes back to the ancient Polynesians, who brought it with them to Hawaii. </p><p>In the ’40s and ’50s, Waikiki surfers started using the stand up board to access more waves by traveling farther out from shore. The board was also used to surf smaller waves that the traditional surfboard couldn’t catch. </p><p>Demand for the sport faded until well-known surfer Laird Hamilton brought it to California, where it was quickly adopted by other surfers. Celebrities were spotted cruising around on the boards, and the sport migrated. </p><p>Stand up paddling has finally made its way to the Keys, where, like many other things, the sport has been adopted with a mellower attitude.</p><p>Paul Menta, owner of the Kitehouse (www.thekite</p><p>house.com) in Key West, said interest in SUP surfing with his company has quadrupled in the last year.</p><p>“I could tell a few years back that it was going to blow up and become really popular,” he said. “We were introducing people to the sport, but now they are asking for it. There is a lot of press, and they are seeing people riding the boards in places besides the big waves.”</p><p>Menta said that he was happy that he added the stand up board to his business, which used to be strictly kiteboarding. </p><p>“It’s good for us to have something to do on days when there is no wind,” he said. “We can even go out on light wind days on the paddle boards with kites. There’s a lot of mixes we can use it for.”</p><p>One of the benefits of using the SUP board is that it makes many different types of marine environments accessible.</p><p>“We go through the mangroves and the backcountry, to the flats or down along the beaches,” Menta said. “We head to the reefs and try to catch some of the smaller waves. It’s unlimited where you can go down here.” </p><p>Brad Lange, owner of Seven Sports (www.sevensports.com) in Islamorada, said people using the SUP board can take advantage of all of the resources that are available to kayakers.</p><p>“Anywhere that is good to kayak is good to paddle down here,” he said. “There are a lot of kayaking maps and books, and they’ve developed all of these trails. There are people who come down and kayak parts of the Keys, and I’m starting to see people do that with paddle boards as well.”</p><p>He added that there were definite advantages to being on a SUP board as opposed to a kayak. First, the elevated line of vision when standing provides a better view of nature both in and out of the water. Second, you can paddle farther standing up than you can sitting down.</p><p>Menta said that another benefit of using the SUP board is that it is a very good workout for the upper and lower body.</p><p>“You will never have more fun getting yourself into really good shape,” he said. “It’s an unbelievable core workout. It’s like yoga or going to the gym.”</p><p>Lange said that paddle surfing was very easy to learn, and it only takes them about 15 minutes to get people acquainted with the board. He added that it was best to learn on a calm day with no wind so that the water will be flat.</p><p>“You can start out on your knees until you get comfortable with the board, and then you stand up on it and start getting used to the balance,” he said. “You start with a real big board, and right away you can feel what the limits are for when you’re about to fall. Then you’re off.”</p><p>Just like surfboards, SUP boards are being made of all types of materials such as epoxies and plastics. Lange said there is a new board that will be coming on the market that is made like a kayak with injection molding plastic, which will be very durable.</p><p>Most boards are custom made and can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $1,500. There are some cheaper models that are not custom that sell for around $750. Lange said there might be growing demand for the less expensive boards as the market expanded.</p><p>Also available are inflatable boards, which can be rolled up like a sleeping bag when deflated that sell for $1,100 to $1,200. Lange said that this type of board may appeal to people who don’t like the idea of having to transport and store the bulky hard boards.</p><p>“These boards are a little safer too,” he said. “If you fall on the board, they are softer. We’ve had some parents who liked the idea of them being soft and able to withstand a beating.”</p><p>Paddles can cost up to $325 for one that’s all carbon fiber. The goal is to have the lightest weight with the most strength and flexibility.</p><p>Lange said that he expected to soon see some paddles out of either aluminum or wood hit the market for the price point of a regular kayak paddle.</p><p>SUP boards can also be rented from many places that specialize in kiteboarding and other boardsports for $35 and up. Kitehouse, which charges $75 for a three-hour tour, takes groups out on excursions.</p><p>Lange predicted that the stand up paddle board is going to become a common household addition in the Keys.</p><p>“Now, when you go up and down the shoreline, you see kayaks at almost every other home on the water. It might take a couple of years, but I think soon we’ll be seeing stand up paddle boards in as many places.”