Share Up Paddle (SUP) is an Swiss Zurich-based company operating an online marketplace that connects people who want to rent their Stand Up Paddle boards. The company acts as a broker and charges a commission from each booking. The company was founded in 2023 by EtienneKyburz, Anh Nam Le Giang, and Nicolas Messer.
You’ve been dreaming of gliding across the lake but don't want to buy your own SUP? The time has come to make your dream come true! Find your dream board and rent it with SUP for a test drive or multiple adventures on the water.
You’ll find long, short, round and tapered boards; inflatable boards and boards made of wood, carbon or fibreglass. Here are some things to consider:
- Length, width and thickness of the board (i.e. the volume)
- Material
- Shape
- Weight
Hard or inflatable, long or short? The rule of thumb is the stiffer the board, the better the ride. Hard boards made of wood, fibreglass or carbon glide better, can go faster and are easier to steer. Another general rule that applies to both hard and inflatable SUPs is «the longer the board, the faster you’ll go». Longer lengths glide better, allowing you to reach higher speeds. In SUP racing, 14' boards (circa 4.27 metres) are used almost exclusively. For sporty recreational use, 12'6'' SUPs (3.66 metres) are recommended, because they’re a bit more manoeuvrable.
Larger, heavier paddlers weighing upwards of 85 kilogrammes and standing over 1.80 metres tall with sporty ambitions will be well served with a 14' board.
There are about 1,500 lakes in Switzerland and many of them are practically begging you to go stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) on them. Before you rent your board to paddle and dive into the fun, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Landings and nature reserves: there are many lakes in Switzerland, but paddleboarding isn’t allowed on all of them.
- Wind, weather and waves: many weather apps will show you quite reliably what to expect on the lake.
- Life jackets for extra safety: if you’re paddling more than 300 metres from the shore, you must have a life jacket with you, according to the laws on inland navigation.
- Lycra and sun protection: dressing for the water temperature instead of the air temperature makes more sense - wear a wetsuit or a special SUP dry suit.
- Right of way on the water: passenger ships and sailboats always have the right of way.
- Keep it clean: invasive species, including the quagga mussel, are spreading in Swiss lakes - clean your SUP with biodegradable SUP cleaner and water to avoid stowaways.