Exploring Antarctica via SUP

For the last three years I have been guiding Stand Up Paddleboarding in Antarctica. It is a dream job, the type of job people fantasize about but know that the odds of ever getting a job like that is so slim you just shove it into the back of your mind...
Photo by Keith Thompson

but one day it just happened for me. I have been working in the outdoor industry for at least 13 years, working on the water for the last 10 and guiding paddle boarding for the last 6; I was well qualified and worked hard, so it was a little more than "just happened." When most people hear what I do for a living people are usually shocked and wonder "why in the world would someone want to SUP in Anarctica?!" Continue reading and I might be able to answer that question.

First off I think there is a big misconception about paddleboarding in Antarctica. Most people see it as a crazy adventure sport that they need lots of experience for and that is just not the case. We only go out paddling when conditions are perfect - meaning flat calm seas and almost zero wind, this makes paddling a lot easier for beginners. The boards we use are also nice and stable so good for beginners. Also I'm an instructor, it is my job to teach you how to paddle! Most people I take out in Antarctica are getting on a SUP for their first time. As for it being a crazy adventure sport, although you can make SUP a crazy adventure sport, that is not why we SUP in Antarctica... We SUP here to experience the tranquil serenity of Antarctica; To blend in with the environment; To forget about the modern world; to sit silently and experience Antarctica in the most intimate way imaginable.

A paddle boarder listening to the sound of brash ice "snap crackle POP!"

A beginner paddleboarder excited to be standing on a board for her first time

I enjoy paddling in Antarctica a great deal, but what I enjoy more is watching the people I am lucky enough to guide see Antarctica from a SUP. Their lit up faces, the look of awe, and sometimes tears from overwhelming beauty. This place is powerful and vast. Often I look around wondering if it's all real. It's not a place or feeling you can easily explain... you sit on your little floating board and look out around you at the mountains, the glaciers, the ice, the sea, the wildlife and this flood of emotions fills your soul but you can't quite pin-point it. I expect it, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to go out again and again, but the guests who I take out are caught off guard. I get to watch their expressions as these emotions take hold. Some stand silently and soak it in, some beam with energy and huge smiles, some sit as tears fill their eyes. For most, this isn't just a paddle excursion or an "Adventure Option," it's a life changing experience. Looking at the beautiful photos can start to help you see it, but no photo will ever give you the feeling these people are experiencing.

Photo by Jimmy MacDonald Myself and a guest giggle with joy as a Minkie Whale pops up to say"Hi!"

A paddle boarder enjoys an experience with a Humpback Whale

A paddle boarder stands on some Sea Ice looking out over the landscape