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It really depends on your strength, stamina, and inclination. SUP boarding is a fairly relaxing water sport where speed is not the focus. Most people who ride SUP boards tend to do it for the view and the fun of riding across the water.
The fact that SUP yoga exists should show you just how relaxing this water sport can be. That being said, there are people who compete in SUP racing. These athletes can achieve serious speeds with the right boards and training.
SUP racers can achieve speeds of 8.5mph and 9.34mph over 200 m. Of course, they wouldn’t be able to keep this up over a whole day.
Your average SUP rider will go at a nice leisurely 3mph pace. This speed applies to touring and exploring riders more than racers. In a day, say 7 hours, you could get as far as 21 miles though this depends greatly on your fitness and the water course.
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How Far Can You Paddle Board in an Hour?
The average paddle boarder covers about 3 miles every hour. Thus, in an hour you could get 3 miles away from where you started. This speed does depend greatly on how fit you are, how much stamina you have, and what water course you’re paddling on.
If, for instance, you’re headed downstream on a river, you’ll probably get a little bit further as the current will pull you along.
Paddling along the shore can be more difficult as the waves and currents want to move you inland. Therefore, if you are paddling in the sea, you might want to lower your expectations somewhat. The other things to take into consideration are the wind conditions and the design of your board.
With the wind at your back, you’ll probably cover more than 3 miles in an hour. This is because the wind will help you move along the water. In essence, you are acting like a sail and being blown along by the wind.
If the wind is against you, it will be more difficult to move through the water. As such you’ll cover less than 3 miles in an hour. In terms of your board design, slimmer boards tend to be faster in the water because they are more streamlined. Wider boards used for fishing and yoga are heavier and slower in the water.
How Long Does It Take to Paddle Board 1 Mile?
Working on the average speed of 3mph, it should take about 20 minutes to paddle a mile. If you’re a beginner, you might find that it takes you closer to an hour to paddle a single mile.
This is because you’ll spend a lot of time falling into the water rather than actually paddling! More advanced riders will be able to cover a mile of calm water in as little as 10 minutes with a good tailwind!
How Long Does It Take to Paddle Board 3 Miles?
3mph is often touted as the average speed of the average paddle boarder. But, the question is what is the average paddle boarder? We typically use this phrase to refer to a person who has spent a fair amount of time on a SUP board and has an understanding and grasp of basic skills.
Basic paddle boarding skills include staying upright on the board, balancing during and between paddle strokes, falling off the board, and getting back on the board. Once you’ve nailed these skills you have time to focus on your speed and your turning skills.
How Long Does It Take to Paddle Board 5 Miles?
5 miles should take an average paddle boarder about 1 hour and 40 minutes. Let’s look at how we get that number. If we know that it takes an hour to go 3 miles and 20 minutes to go 1 mile, then we just need to add 1 hour and 2 x 20 minutes to get 5 miles.
With a good wind or a river current in your favor you could probably reduce that time by 10 to 15 minutes. Meaning 5 miles could take as little as 1 hour 20 minutes.
How Long Does It Take to Paddle Board 10 Miles?
Purely going off the average speed of 3mph, 10 miles should take you 3 hours 20 minutes. However, you also need to think about whether you can realistically paddle for 3 hours 20 minutes straight! Realistically, it’s going to take you a little bit longer than that unless you’re super fit or have been training for endurance.
How much longer it will take you depends on whether or not you take breaks or just slow down. It will also depend on the weather and water conditions. If you’re headed downstream, you’ll be a little quicker than if you’re paddling on still water.
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