SUN SURF SUP – Time to plan your 2021 Summer Holiday

Wow 2021 is finally here and with any luck it’s going to be a great year. Around the world people are discovering what an awesome pastime and passion Stand Up Paddleboarding is. One of the great things about SUP is just how versatile it can be. You’ve probably mastered the art of finding paddle locations close to home. But have you considered taking your paddling to a whole new level. Plan a Stand Up Paddleboard 2021 Summer Holiday!

While we are still not out of the woods yet with travel restrictions uncertain, planning is key. Just like last year it always pays to have a Plan B, and possibly a Plan C… After completing your SUP-it list from last weeks blog you most probably have a few places you’d love to take your stand up paddleboard.  A good idea is to have a variety of places you can go to.

Here in Europe there are what I would can three main categories;

1. International
2. National
3. Regional

These are possibly more to do with distance though depending on where you live.

International Summer SUP Holiday

For the time being I would call International in Europe the equivalent of interstate in Australia, America and Canada. These are the sort of trips you can book through a service provider and have confidence with the right cancellation plan. Previously I have talked about trips that we have done through Jet2 to Majorca and Croatia. These have been great because the luggage allowance of 22kg meant we could take our iSUP’s as our checked in luggage.  For more information on Jet2 Holidays and their covid19 cancellation and coverage see here.  Please note we are not affiliates for Jet2 we just enjoyed the trips we’ve done through them.

National Summer SUP Holiday

Due to the unprecedented travel restrictions of 2020 a lot of people are looking closer to home for their next Summer get away. With less chance of having to quarantine on return and more chance that the whole country will be in the same tier for travel, staying in your own country or state can be a great option. Worried that your country might not have such a great summer? As Billy Connolly once said ‘there is no such thing as bad weather just the wrong clothing.’ Check out our guide on what to wear stand up paddleboarding for your climate and you don’t need to miss out on all the SUP fun!

Local Summer SUP Holiday

One of my favourite holidays in Scotland is our week away to the Isle of Mull last year. We were blessed with both the national travel restrictions being lifted and the best ever week of sunshine. The whole trip covered only a couple of hundred kilometres. Better still we travelled in our self contained retro camper and we had the best time!! Moral of the story; never overlook your own back yard.

With the upheaval and uncertainty we’ve all experienced in 2020 a lot of the tourist industry has made big changes. As part of those changes comes the need to be more flexible with travel arrangements. If your dream trip requires months of forward planning and payment of deposits, ensure that you are fully aware of the cancellation policy. Making sure it can accomodate you should restrictions on travel come into play again will give you piece of mind.

Don’t be afraid to make plans but make sure that you have a couple of options. If one trip becomes impossible you can opt for Plan B or C. One of the lesser acknowledged problems that 2020 has had on humanity is a huge increase in stress. Stress negatively impacts both our immune system and our psychological well being. This alone is a great reason to plan a trip.

Part of reducing our stress levels is having a sense of control over our lives. Planning a holiday, even if it doesn’t happen this year, can help alleviate stress and give us something to look forward to. Flexibility is key; plan, insure and be flexible. Plan to have a trip. Insure that you are covered in the case of cancellation. Exercise flexibility if things don’t work out as planned.

Have fun, dream big and be prepared to change your plans. Wishing you all the best for a wonderful SUP-full 2021.