With about 30-45 minutes of practice, young people can row their own boat to relax and see Ho Chi Minh City from a whole new perspective.
In recent years, stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) has gradually become popular in Vietnam and is loved by many young people. “SUP rowing is a sport that brings exciting and diverse experiences to many players,” said Nguyen Ho, founder of Saigon Cheo Station. Over the past 7 years, SUP (Stand Up Paddle-boarding), or stand-up paddleboarding, has gradually become popular in Vietnam and favored by many young people. In addition to curious guests who love to experience new things, this sport also builds a community of passionate players, long-term investment. Having been involved with SUP rowing from an early age, Mr. Nguyen Ho said that the number of young people interested in this experience has increased significantly in the past 4-5 years. “Every month, we can receive 600-700 regular students to practice, and the number of guests who come to rent SUP or experience the subject is difficult to count,” he said. Unlike kayaking or boating, SUP is a personalized sport. Therefore, the tools and playing equipment are all one. Players will stand on a large board and use paddles to move on the water. In fact, SUP is suitable for many types of terrain such as rivers, streams, canals, lakes, but it is still ideal when playing in open water such as the sea. Under the advice, the SUP site I chose was in District 7, HCMC. One of the reasons why SUP is increasingly popular with young people is that it can serve a variety of purposes: relaxing rowing, sports rowing and participating in SUP racing. Like many first-time players, I choose to relax in order to both experience the sport and see Saigon from a new perspective. With this need, Coach Ho advised me to use an all-round board, suitable for beginners thanks to its well-balanced design, easy to balance on the water. The cost for a stand-up paddle boarding session here ranges from 300,000-600,000 VND/SUP, depending on different types and types of boards. In addition, players can participate in a short 3-hour training course with a coach for VND 500,000 to receive instruction on the most basic skills of this subject. For any sport, preparation is a must to ensure safety and optimize the experience. In about 30-45 minutes, I was taught the basics of water safety, SUP skills and handling situations. For beginners, the trainer will teach the basic movements to steer the SUP board on the water, including how to hold the paddle, balance, row straight, steer the sides and turn. The above techniques are not too difficult to understand and complicated, but it takes time to get used to and practice when starting “real combat”. After the introductory lesson on how to paddle SUP, I switched to protective equipment during the game: life jacket and seat belt. Note, the seat belt connecting the paddle board and the ankle is a must, regardless of whether it is a beginner or a professional. Nguyen Ho said the station has the complete right not to let guests into the water if they refuse to wear a leg strap. “Wearing a leg strap is like wearing a seat belt when sitting in a car or plane. If you accidentally fall into the water, you can’t drift far from the board, so you can rely on SUP to float to the surface,” he explained. . Another note when playing water sports is that players need to pay attention to the direction of the wind and creek to choose the time and place to drop the paddle board and handle the situation. Because the place where I dropped the SUP was a canal, with sludge accumulating below, the coach advised to wait for the high tide to move smoothly. On the other hand, players should row against the current first, when returning, they can follow the positive current to reduce their strength. Even though I was fully equipped with knowledge, I was still a little nervous before going into the water. Contrary to initial worries, the SUP board is quite stable, with little wobble on the water when I sit on it. Initially, players are encouraged to row in a kneeling position to get used to the feeling of floating on the water, then stand rowing as the name of the sport. However, when I lost my balance or encountered high winds, the coach advised me to kneel down to stabilize, to avoid falling into the water. After a few minutes of getting used to the SUP in a kneeling position, I gradually became more confident, trying to stand up in the correct way as instructed: against the paddle on the board, using one leg as a pillar to borrow the force to stand up. Only then did I really shake off the initial anxiety and confusion to enjoy this “unique” experience. From the water, I can watch the bustling urban scene in the distance, immersed in the golden sunset. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of Saigon, seeing the city from a whole new perspective is an exciting experience. After about an hour of rowing SUP, I started to feel tired. Therefore, players need to have a good physical foundation, or choose a reasonable intensity and playing time. In addition, when encountering underwater situations such as high winds, falling off the paddle board, entangled in obstacles …, it is necessary to calmly handle it, do not panic. Because SUP is a water sport, players should wear lightweight clothing or sportswear with sun protection for ease of swimming, movement and avoiding sunburn. I also prepare an extra waterproof bag to store important things like phone, cash…
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