The Only Floating Fitness Studio in the Hamptons!
June 18, 2013 | 
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Over the last year, stand up paddleboarding has clearly moved beyond its “novelty sport” status to become one of the Hamptons’ most beloved outdoor activities. We don’t need to extoll the virtues of SUP here – anybody who has tried it can tell you how easy it is to learn, how calming and enjoyable the experience of walking on water, and about the great full-body workout stand up paddling gives you while you’re having all that fun. It’s evident by all the stand-up paddleboard tours and lessons being offered locally this year. While Paddle Diva was among the very first to introduce SUP to Eastern Long Island, we are no longer the only people to see about a paddleboard class or tour.
Well, there are plenty of reasons why *we* think you should choose Paddle Diva, and the latest and greatest is our new SUP Yoga floating fitness studio – the only one of its kind in the Hamptons. As we throw ourselves headlong into a full season of SUPDog Yoga with Jessica Bellofatto, we’ve developed a way to help even non-paddlers enjoy the experience of yoga on a paddleboard.
Five Reasons to Love the Paddle Dude
It is father’s day coming up this weekend and it is one of my favorite holidays for two reasons: my Dad and my Husband — the Dad of my two children. My father, Lou, is a mainstay at Paddle Diva and many of my regular clients know and love him. He’s been seen putting up hooks, adjusting shelving right, helping me load boards and helping check in a paddle group when I was caught off guard by the popularity of SUP early one summer! He has been one of the most supportive people in my life, and has always joined me for the ride on whatever adventure I found myself doing: from teaching SCUBA in Mexico to cruising the Caribbean on a 37-foot boat, to hanging up my corporate life and moving to the East End, right down to starting Paddle Diva on a wing and a prayer!
But this is blog post is not entirely about my father. It’s also about my Paddle Dude, Scott Bradley. There are a hundred things I love about Scott but here are just my top five!
- Scott is so multidimensional! He’s a businessman in the insurance industry, a water-man who can surf (he can SUP surf in waves that we mere mortals only dare look at) and he is devoted to his community. He’s helped start non-profits like Paddler’s For Humanity and is a busy and dedicated Ocean Rescue Volunteer for the Town of East Hampton.
- As the current SUP World Paddle Board Racing Champion in his age group, Scott is tough to beat! He’s so accomplished in his SUP career and has only been picking away at it since 2006. He’s even done amazing feats like the Molokai to Oahu race in 2009 — that is 36 miles of open ocean paddling in shark infested waters! And he was one of the first of a small group of men to paddle around Manhattan in 2009 for the first annual Sea Paddle in NYC to raise money for autism research. Read the rest of this entry »
Stand Up Paddle for Charity this Weekend!
Don’t just float through life – stand up paddle and make a difference!
This Saturday, you can join the “Get Up, Stand Up Paddle” Charity Race sponsored by Main Beach Surf and Sport with all proceeds going to Paddlers For Humanity. This organization raises money and awareness for local and global organizations dedicated to bettering children’s lives, and also supports local families in crisis and awards scholarships to local students.
The event gets going at Beach Lane in Wainscott at 9 am. Paddlers will enter the surf from a beach start and then follow a downwind course East toward Indian Wells Beach to the finish line in Amagansett.
For those of you who haven’t tried this Hampton fitness craze, why not take this opportunity to join the fun and support a great cause while getting a workout and a perfect tan!
Registration for the event starts at 7:30 on the day of the race, at the Main Beach Surf Shop.
Five Ways to Celebrate World Oceans Day!
In 2008, the United Nations General Assembly designated 8 June as “World Oceans Day.” The oceans are essential to food security and the health and survival of all life, power our climate and are a critical part of the biosphere. The official designation of World Oceans Day is an opportunity to raise global awareness of the current challenges faced by all our communities, both local and global, in connection with our oceans.
How can you participate?
- How about making a promise to the ocean? Decide to make a change in your life to help the ocean – or share what you’re already doing. Take a photo of yourself with a sign promoting your cause, at your favorite nature spot, or whatever you want! Upload it to your favorite social media channel using the hashtag #WorldOceansDay and join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.
- Purchase these whimsical postage stamps issued by the U.N. Postal Administration featuring Dr. Suess’s “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.” These timeless characters bring their own unique view on healthy oceans.
- Make your garden more ocean-friendly. Learning how and what to plant and finding non-toxic ways to deal with insects and other lawn pests can have a huge impact on our oceans. After all, your local river most likely leads, eventually, to the ocean!
- Book a trip to go whale watching with the Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island. Their first trip isn’t until June 30, but you can take advantage every Sunday after that through September 8, so there’s plenty of time to see and learn about the ocean’s most fascinating and magnificent animals.
- Catch the premiere of the “Overfishing Song” on Papa Cloudy. What is Papa Cloudy? We’re not sure, but it’s intriguing enough to make us want to tune in to watch the octopus sing!
Posted in Giving Back, Ocean Conservation | 
Tags: green living, plastic pollution, world oceans day 2013 | 
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Honoring Susan Rockefeller at SoFo Natural History Museum
Paddle Diva is pleased and proud to share the news that our friend, Susan Cohn Rockefeller, will be honored by the South Fork Natural History Museum (SoFo) next Saturday, June 15th, at their Summer Fundraising Party. This is a hot event for a great cause! SoFo’s mission is to provide nature education for children and adults and to foster in them an interest, knowledge and appreciation for the natural world.
This year, the party has been dubbed “SoFo ROCKS,” and Susan, as the honoree, given the title “MERMAID EXTRAORDINAIRE.” Even if you don’t know Susan personally, you may be familiar with her work as a documentary film maker, jewelry designer, book author and perhaps most importantly, a champion for ocean conservation and environmental causes. As a board member of OCEANA, Susan is continually seeking to bring awareness to the many ways we can keep our planet greener, healthier and safer.
Her latest documentary, Mission of Mermaids, premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival last fall and featured our very own mermaid, Gina Bradley. Gina will be in attendance at the fundraiser, for sure, dancing to DJ PHRESH. If you’d like to join the festivities, too, visit their ticket website. Tickets are $250, $125 for the under-30 crowd.
