E-SUP – a public nuisance

Siri Schubert

10/6/2024

Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson

It was bound to happen. After e-scooters, e-skateboards and e-bikes, here come e-SUPs. An electrically powered stand-up paddleboard was presented at the trade fair Outdoor by ISPO, where almost everything else revolved around sustainability. What on earth is that about?

Unlike an e-bike, an e-SUP doesn’t promote mobility. An electric bike can, at best, replace a car for short distances (I know it’s also used for leisure and sports, but that’s another discussion). An e-SUP, however, is designed to be used instead of a non-motorised version requiring your body’s own muscle power.

So this piece of water sports equipment, with its batteries and a motor that looks like a hand blender, doesn’t really fit in with the concept of sustainability preached all across the trade fair.

Stand-up paddling is for almost everyone – no need for an electric whisk

Stand-up paddleboarding is easy to learn and anyone who enjoys and respects the water and nature will soon be safely on the move. There’s no motorised mini-propeller involved, so you rely solely on your own skills and knowledge.

As an SUP instructor, I’ve been teaching people of all ages for around ten years. I’ve even had people over 70 in my courses. In my experience, almost anyone can learn how to stand-up paddle.

If you roughly know about nature reserves, right of way rules on water and weather conditions, you’ll enjoy paddling more and be safer and more relaxed on water. I sometimes cover almost 3,000 kilometres a year on an SUP in all kinds of conditions, so I know what I’m talking about. Stand-up paddling is a relatively safe sport. If you use your common sense instead of the electric whisk and wear a life jacket, it’s even low-risk.

I doubt an e-SUP is safer

But the safety aspect of electric SUPs is precisely what the manufacturer highlights to me. It’s also their main argument against the e-SUP ban in Switzerland. The manufacturer goes on to claim that, thanks to electric assistance, paddlers will always manage to return to their starting point.

I call BS. If the wind’s up, a small electric motor won’t stand a chance against wind resistance and surface current. In theory, the speed you’re paddling at plus the power of the motor add up. In practice, however, this only works to a limited extent, as the thrust of the motor reduces the pressure on the paddle and therefore its efficiency.

Depending on the model, a board equipped with a motor weighs between 12.5 and 14.9 kilogrammes. This was confirmed to me by the manufacturer at Outdoor by ISPO. Compared to a conventional seven- to nine-kilo board, the weight of an e-SUP makes it much harder to accelerate.

Not to mention the choppy water. In these kinds of situations, it’s not a question of lacking strength or fitness, but of balance. So, again, a small electric motor won’t help. On the contrary. A motor often poses problems paddlers wouldn’t have had in the first place, if they’d relied on their own ability and strength and kept an eye on the weather and their surroundings.

A motor defeats the purpose of paddling

Siri Schubert

Senior Editor

Siri.Schubert@digitecgalaxus.ch

Research diver, outdoor guide and SUP instructor – I love being in, on and around water. Lakes, rivers and the ocean are my playgrounds. For a change of perspective, I look at the world from above while trail running or flying drones.

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