Bouldering and SUP

Last August my boyfriend, Philipp, and I traveled to Croatia for 10 days by car. Our goal? To explore the stunning Croatian coast with our new 12″ Bluefin Carbon SUPs, in a quest to find the perfect spot for bouldering.

I’m July Prendler (@juls.iii), and for those of you who aren’t as acquainted with bouldering as I am: it’s a form of rock climbing on small rock formations outside or on inside bouldering walls, where you climb without any ropes or harnesses.

Before we set off on our trip, Philipp and I decided to try our new 12″ Bluefin Carbon boards on a nearby river. We quickly found how thrilled we were with the stability and maneuverability of the Bluefin Carbon across the water. So, there was absolutely no question about it. The Bluefin Carbon boards HAD to come on holiday with us!

Our trip was planned to be 3 weeks in total. We started off by heading to Switzerland for some mountain climbing, and then onto Croatia for our bouldering expedition. Since we had all sorts of outdoor activities planned, we had a LOT of equipment, clothes, and food packed up in the car. So when we discovered how compact and portable the Bluefin Carbon boards were, we had no problem whatsoever with finding space for them. Mainly we loved how the boards were inflatable! Also, how they came with all of the must-have paddling essentials: a paddle, leash, pump, etc… We had everything we needed!

We really enjoyed being able to carry the full Bluefin Carbon kit all within one handy backpack. It allowed us to walk and find some of the most incredible secluded locations, which we would never have reached by car. 

We were also fortunate with the weather during our time in Croatia, the sun shined every day, and the sea stayed a beautiful turquoise. After a hike along a rocky coast, we found what we had been searching for: our quiet and remote bay. So we quickly unpacked and set up the SUP board. The pump enabled us to inflate the board in no time, allowing us to save all of our energy for paddling and climbing.

Upon arriving at the bay, we started to check out the nearby rock structures to get an idea of whether we could boulder safely. We couldn’t find anywhere right away, so after paddling up the coast for several kilometres, we found the ideal formation. We soon ‘parked’ our SUPs right in front of the rocks, attaching it to a small rock with a rep string. Then commenced the climb up the rocky walls, with a few of our best boulder moves thrown in. 

Unfortunately, the rocks were a little too steep for me, and I couldn’t hold on for too long. I slipped down a rock and cut myself. But thankfully, I always carry a first aid box with me and soon taped up the small cut on my wrist.

All in all, Philipp and I adored our trip and truly fell in love with how calming SUPing can be. For me, it was the perfect combination of tranquility of the mind and physical activity. I’d recommend it to anyone!

We were thrilled to have the Bluefin SUP board with us on our trip and are already planning on travelling around with it next Summer 😊! 

Thanks so much to July (@juls.iii) for this awesome post. If you would like to contribute to our Paddler Blog, then please email us at hello@bluefintrading.co.uk

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