Although notably less holy (and probably less graceful) than Jesus, I felt privileged to experience my first time standing on water in this beautiful place. Derwentwater is cradled by mountains on all sides, punctuated by explorable islands and delightfully less touristy than other lakes.

A quick bit of Googling that morning narrowed my search for a lake to SUP on to Derwentwater or Windermere. We’d settled on kayaking Coniston Water and hire didn’t appear as readily available at other places – I would have loved to try Wasdale below Scafell Pike but could only finded guided SUP tours. (We were set on hire due to cost, time and a stubborn, “I can do it myself” attitude).

Well aware of Windermere’s popularity, I called Derwentwater Marina with a few preliminary (probably silly) questions (see Beginner’s Advice: Stand Up Paddleboarding) and booked two SUPs for three hours from midday for £22 each. We left Ambleside and arrived 45 minutes later. The marina people were friendly and gave us a quick safety brief and a basic map, but didn’t bog us down with  rules or admin. Getting sized up for paddles and buoyancy aids was quick and easy, and I was pleased to be on (not in!) the water within a few minutes.

I kneeled until we’d left the harbour area as instructed, surprised by how stable the board felt. I was pleased to find it easy to stand up and balance after an initial, slightly wobbly stage. Then I had to figure out how I was supposed to paddle.

Being used to a kayak, I expected to have to change sides every other stroke or so or end up going in circles. I’m not sure how you’re meant to do it but I found that I had a surprising amount of control over my direction of travel paddling on just one side. It might have something to do with the paddle entering at a steeper angle and pushing through the water almost vertically. You can alter your course by tweaking the “shape” of your pull – this means you can turn right even if the paddle is on your right.

Derwentwater is a glorious location. We passed about six other SUPers in total during our three-hour stint and a few more kayakers, but given the size of the lake this was nothing; most were paddling around near the marina, and we went over half an hour without seeing a soul. We travelled south along the west side of the lake, feeling like we’d found heaven under the clear blue sky, between the hazy mountains and above the calm, dark water. The sun was hot so I relished a dip when we stopped for lunch at a secluded, smooth-stoned beach. The shallows were warm and brownish algae made the stones super-slippery but it got deep and cool very quickly. I didn’t drown, get bitten by a pike or poisoned by algae, so I can also recommend swimming in Derwentwater.

From there  we headed off south east, past a tiny, one-tree island and towards a large, forested island with a child-ridden beach. We paddled around its east side and headed back towards the marina. As the last slog usually does, and given that we were pressed for time having enjoyed the water so much, this was quite hard-going. The headwind disturbed the previously flat water and the sun beared down on our sweaty backs. This bit showed me that SUPing is actually quite a  good workout if you maintain a decent pace for a while – it really works your core, back, arms and legs. Google reckons that a 75kg person burns about 500 calories per hour.

We got back on time and reluctantly returned our kit. Reflecting on my experience, it’s not at all what I expected. I had this idea that SUPing was like a slower, boring version of kayaking – why stand when you can sit? Actually I think it’s incomparable. Seeing the water from a few feet higher up gives you a wider vertical field of vision, a totally different perspective. I’d almost say it feels more liberating as you can move your legs, so have greater control over your body position. It’s easier to twist, bend and lean. You’re more likely to fall in, but neither Bertie or I did and if we had it would have provided respite from the relentless sun! I’m sure it would have been different if we hadn’t been so blessed with the weather (with temperatures in the early thirties for most of the day).

So my final verdict is that SUPing is great, I’ll be going again and I’d recommend it to anyone – particularly at Derwentwater. If you’re thinking of trying it for the first time, see my post Beginner’s Advice: Stand Up Paddleboarding…  Enjoy!

Endnote: Derwentwater marina is at the northern tip of the lake, five minutes from Keswick – a bustling town offering plenty of post-SUP beer. Or you could be like us and climb/scramble Helvellyn via Striding Edge immediately after returning the SUPs and have to rush back to Spoons (last place to serve food) to avoid starvation… But that’s another blog post.