At a Glance:

Website: http://www.venicepaddleboards.com
Address: 4601 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey, CA 90292
Length: 60 minutes
Price: one hour rental/$30, two hour rental/$40, SUP Yoga class/$20, Paddle Fit class/$20
Sweat scale: low
Energy level: low

I have been dying to try paddle boarding ever since my husband and I were in Mexico and I watched him from the shore with a drink in my hand. Not wanting to get in the ocean, I decided to sit that activity out, but I knew I needed to give it a shot in the calm marina water.

Pre Sweat

I made my way from Hollywood in 30-minutes on Saturday morning and was pleasantly surprised by all of the parking right outside of Marina Paddle Fit. I left my belongings in my car and headed into the business with my keys (they have a key rack so you don’t have to bring them on the board). I signed in and was fitted for a paddle before heading to the dock. Surprisingly, I was only given a very brief overview, but I’ve heard from many that there is typically a 10-minute intro session.

Sweat

Thankfully, I ran into a friend (fellow fit-blogger Deanna from The Live Fit Girls) who SUPs regularly and was able to guide me around the marina. Since I’m not very brave and had just washed and straightened my hair 12 hours before, I ended up staying on my knees 95% of the time—not very comfy. We paddled around for a while chatting and exploring, not realizing that 75 minutes had gone by. Having a waterproof cell phone bag or watch would be ideal here! After we headed in and returned our boards, it was time for lunch.

Post Sweat

There’s an amazing shopping center about two blocks away that has a Mendocino Farms, Sugarfish, and Starbucks, along with shops like LOFT and BCBG Max Azria. There’s also a Drybar if you happen to get wet and need a quick blowout. It’s a great place to people watch and soak in some more sun.

Tricks of the Trade

• Make sure you wear sunscreen. Even if it’s cloudy out, the sun is very strong especially on the water.
• I wore shorts and a tank because it was chilly, but many people were in bathing suits.
• The owner said the earlier in the day the better when it comes to calm water. Paddle boarding is more challenging when the wind and tide are strong.
• Bring a change of clothes and a towel in case you do fall in the water.