stand up paddle boarding, also called sup, is variant of surfing where the surfer uses a paddle to move through the water, while standing on a large board. stand up paddle boarding is unique, because it is an activity accessible on rivers, lakes, lagoons and any body of water - stand up paddlers can ride waves in the ocean or enjoy a leisurely cruise across calm, flat water.

originating in the early 1960s, local waikiki surfers would stand on their long boards and paddle out with outrigger paddles to take pictures of the tourists learning to surf - it quickly became very popular in hawaii and soon spread to the rest of the world.