Welcome to the Portland Oregon SUP blog

Well here it is! Finally got my SUP Paddle Boarding Portland blog up and running.
To start I'll list my gear and a few spots I've been to.
I sold both of my surfboards and got an NSP 11" x 31" and a locally made Sawyer SUP paddle. Both were bought at Gorge Performance. (You can get them to hook you up with a Dakine board bag if you ask nice). Here's a review of the NSP 11" by Stand Up Paddle Surfing Magazine.

The NSP is a great starter board that will have a lot of longevity as you increase in skill level and at just under $1000, it won't break your wallet as bad as some other names. I tested numerous boards including Oxbow, C4, Gerry Lopez, and Starboard and I can tell you the NSPs are very durable, stable, and track very well for long flatwater paddling trips. In short- they are a blast. Where you may notice some performance differences is in surfing, (although I have taken my NSP out to Oswald West; also known as Short Sands, and had a great time dropping in on 3-4 foot peaks and found the board is pretty darned maneuverable for it's size.) If you have a lot of money to burn and high performance surfing is a must, you may notice better performance from the C4, Gerry Lopez and Starboard models; just be ready to spend $400-$500 more on them.

Flatwater spots that make great after-work paddles in the Portland Metro area and will also not have you coming out of the water glowing green:

1. West Linn off of exit 6 at HWY 205: The 10th Street boat ramp. One of the relatively clean places to paddle the Willamette and get some great exploring in. It's a very pretty place.

2. George Rogers park in Lake Oswego: Another great spot to put in and explore some of the more scenic parts of the Willamette in the metro area; Also still pretty decent water quality. Very pretty park with a nice long paddle up to Willamette Falls.

That's it for now. More to come!