Otter Creek delta

Yes, Otter Creek is one of Vermont's most popular microbreweries. It wasn't until a recent trip to Ferrisburgh that we realized it's also a fantastic paddle spot. We found ourselves at the confluence - if that's the right terminology - of Otter Creek and Lake Champlain, basically, where the creek meets the lake.

We headed upstream for a nice, mellow and glassy cruise, then turned around and spilled into the lake at one of its most narrow spots. New York seemed just a stone's throw away, and the Adirondack views were inspiring. A marshy area had us listening to the array of bird calls, and a beautiful sunset capped the evening.

We have a skier!

Meredith furthering the art of Yogaboarding

Little Mafali takes hold of a paddle

And joins for a cruise

Mr. Faty-pus

As owner of Colorado's Faty-pus Skis, Jared Mazlish makes some of the fattest powder skis available in the snow industry. Mazlish is an East Coaster by birth and while back in Vermont last week, he got a chance to step onto a pair that out-fat even the Faty-pus. Surf Skis!

Mazlish picked things up pretty quick — he's used to a lot of volume under foot — and was paddling around on a glassy night at Leddy Park with ease.

His real goal is to ski some waves, and he hopes to get back east before long to take these things to the coast.

Soft opening

Soft opening today for Paddlesurf Champlain down at Oakledge Park and Beach. Come join. Weather looks permissive :)

… aannnnnnnnnnd, we’re back

Hope everyone enjoyed a stellar offseason of your fave winter activities. It was a mild one and Lake Champlain is ahead of its annual warm-up schedule. Burlington’s guess-when-the-ice-will-melt contest set a record for earlyness.

Leah and I stepped foot on board over the weekend for the first of what we plan to be many paddleboard launches out of Oakledge Park. We’re pleased to announce we’ll be locating the business there again this season, launching lessons, rentals and tours out of an improved setup on the beach.

We’re psyched. Visit us online at www.paddlesurfchamplain.com and get ready for a first Stand Up Paddle tour or come back and build on your experiences from last season.

Here’s a few teaser shots from Sunday to get you stoked … We're expecting summerlike temps this weekend!

See you on the water …

— Jason

Leah sets out

Risked it and took the camera on board ...

Working on the back-loaded (poppa wheelie) spin turn

Vietnamese food up Flynn Avenue with the lake and 'Dacks in the backdrop. Mmmmgood.

Weekend in West Glover

With the season waning a bit, we headed up to the Northeast Kingdom to quaint little Lake Palmer, where we were able to participate in an informal, anything-goes regatta and introduce some Kingdom dwellers to Paddleboarding.

It was a huge hit with the folks. In the bubble of the Northeast Kingdom, many hadn't heard of or seen the sport before. Everyone jumped on a board, young and old, and got a great taste for stand up paddling on a beautiful pre-autumn weekend. Lake Palmer was the perfect size for easy paddling and enjoying stellar scenery.

Stand Up 12

The Stand Up 12 has made its anticipated debut in Vermont and will be added to our fleet. Imagine Surfboards of Montreal pulled in a dose of kayak design and mixed it with a standard SUP surfboard style for a hybrid that is a dream flatwater paddle machine.

The Stand Up 12's kayak-style plastic shell holds up to any and all rock and sand encounters. It's as stable a board as you will find, and it's even got a little dry hatch to stash stuff. Because it is a little heavier than the traditional SUP, a wheel is attached to one end for easy transporting.

Roll it up to the water's edge and hop on. It's that easy.

Via Austin

It's nice to get a shot from out on the water, and David Bain from the capital of Texas, who was visiting Vermont last weekend, came through. David took this one of his friend, Jon, paddling right next to him.

You may not know it from the photo, but Jon was a first-timer. David's part of the emerging SUP scene in Austin: www.meetup.com/SUPAustin