Stand-up paddleboards offer fitness fun

ST. PETE BEACH - They look like surfboards but they're bigger and heavier.

Stand-up paddleboards are also much more stable which is why they are appealing to all ages.

"Especially if you live on the bayside," said Jon La Budde, who sells and rents them from Reno Beach Surf Shop in St. Petersburg.

"You just push off, step on and take off. They are very low maintenance," La Budde said.

What you get in return is a valuable workout. That's why St. Pete Beach has become Jessica Welte's backyard. Behind the Sirata Beach Resort, she's often found showing up the guys.

"Actually, women are better than men," she said with a laugh. "Because women have a lower center of gravity and it's all about balance."

Jessica and her husband Brody lived in Hawaii where people have been standing up on paddleboards for thousands of years. When the moved to the Bay Area a few years ago they realized no one was doing it here so they saw an opportunity.

Now she holds weekly classes with them and users say they can be used casually or for intense workouts. Because they require such good balance, the paddleboards provide excellent workouts for the core, or midsection of anyone who climbs onboard.

But if the workout is too intimidating, Welte still encourages anyone who is curious to give one a shot.

"I'm not a big fan of jellyfish," she said. "I'm not a fan of sharks, but these are really stable and the view alone on top of the water is worth the try."

Stand-up paddleboard classes are available at www.standupfitnessinc.com , or you can rent or buy one at www.renobeach.com,