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By Dana Klosner
(click on photos to enlarge)
Paddle boarding is the fastest growing water sport in the country now, according to Joe Funaro, owner of Long Island Stand Up Paddle Board Company based out of Smithtown’s Long Beach. And Smithtown is on top of that trend. You can find classes on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings through the Town of Smithtown Recreation and Parks department that sail out of Smithtown’s Long Beach. Classes are $40 and are taught by Funaro, who also sails out of Sunset Harbor Yacht Club in East Patchogue. He’s got boards in Lake George and Clearwater Florida. He sails out of six locations on Long Island that are Smithtown’s Long Beach, South Hampton, East Islip, Oyster Bay, Setauket and the Connetquot River.
Paddle Boarding started in the Hawaiian Island a couple of hundred years ago, Funaro said. Big wave surfer Laird Hamilton brought it to the mainstream.
Funaro, a former Jones Beach lifeguard and current gym owner, saw Paddle Boarding in Florida eight years ago.
“We used to stand on surf boards 15 or 20 years ago (on Jones Beach),” he said. He bought some boards and integrated the sport into his routines at Body FX the gym he owns in East Islip. Now the gym has classes in Yogalates, Boot Camp and Yoga all on the board.
“Paddle Boarding works for people at any age,” Funaro said. “It’s easier than surfing. For surfing you need much more instruction. For Paddle Boarding you can take one lesson and you’re doing it.”
With Paddle Boarding the wind has a factor in it but it’s not driven by it. For surfing, it seems like the stars have to be aligned for it to be perfect, Funaro said.
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“In Paddle Boarding you don’t need a wave,” he said. “The boards are thicker, wider and longer, that gives them their balance. You can stand on a Paddle Board for hours. You can do it anywhere. You can do it in calm water.”
That’s why Long Beach is good for the sport. It’s calm, it’s not that windy, it’s flat and there is not a lot of boat traffic, he said.
There is no age restriction or background in water sports necessary to start paddle boarding.
“I took a guy out who was 75,” Funaro said. “He had some challenges but inevitably was able to do it. You’re not going to start surfing at 75.”
And, if you get a shorter paddle even an 8 year old can do it.
“I took a girl out who didn’t know how to swim,” he said. “People take kids 3 or 4 years old out on boards with them, they’re that stable.”
And it’s a relatively inexpensive sport, he said.
“You can take an intro lesson for $40,” Funaro said. “Then you can buy your first board and paddle for $550. Boards go up to $4,000 and paddles go up to $500 but then you’re paying for lighter boards that are good for races. The lighter the board, the harder it is.”
For Myles Feeney, 19, of Smithtown, this was something he wanted to try after he saw people doing it in Montauk.
“It’s fun,” said Feeney who has gone kayaking. “I thought it would be more challenging. It looks hard, but it’s easy and nice and relaxing. You can even sit down if you get tired. A lot of people go kayaking because they think it’s easy because you’re sitting down. Paddle boarding is easier and more fun than kayaking.”
Kathy Albrecht, 50 of Smithtown thinks of paddle boarding as a great workout.
“It’s great to be on the water and get exercise,” said Albrecht who goes to the gym five times a week. “There’s nothing more beautiful than being out in Long Beach and going into Stony Brook Harbor. It’s just magnificent. Paddle boarding is the hottest new fad for people over 50 because it’s easy on the joints. It’s a wonderful addition for the Smithtown Parks and Recreation program.”
To book a class call Smithtown Parks and Recreation at 360-7644 or call Joe Funaro directly at 326-7926.