Taking yourself on an iSUP Adventure

We recently had the pleasure of tagging along on an iSUP adventure across 7 US and 2 Canadian National Parks. It is all thanks to Mr. Randy Brandt of California through an exclusive interview. Randy brought the NIXY Newport G2 through his trip towards Canada. He paddled in the gorgeous blue waters of Eunice Lake, Lake Colchuck, Phelps Lake, Jenny Lake, Delta Lake, Moraine Lake, Bow Lake and more! Maybe we can learn a few things about traveling with an iSUP from Randy through this interview.

Why the desire to travel with an iSUP?

When we asked Randy why he had chosen to take along an inflatable paddle board, his answer was simple. A little while ago, Randy traveled to Sequoia National Park, he asked himself a great question. "How can I get to the other side of the lake without hiking around the park?" It can take quite a bit of time to get to the other side without crossing the waters. However, it took very little time for Randy to realize he can do it with an iSUP! As soon as he arrived home he started his research for an inflatable paddle board for his next big adventure. After the search Randy went for a lightweight durable paddle board he can put into a backpack to hike around with and bought the Newport G2.

How much experience with the inflatable paddle board?

It may be surprising the experience Randy has had with the paddle board considering his grand trip to Canada. His experience with the inflatable paddle board was a good 7 months! What makes this even more interesting is that Randy has done mostly recreational hiking prior to this backpacking journey. We are certainly impressed by this and fortunately Randy's fitness background has helped him through this iSUP adventure. He has learned to pack only the essentials to fit into the NIXY backpack while he hiked throughout but it didn't come easy. I proceeded to ask Randy how much preparation he had ahead of this trip and his exact words were "not a whole lot". Randy has shown us true spontaneity and optimism we can surely attribute in our lives and it definitely shows in the pictures below.

The favorite part of the trip?

Besides paddling with an iSUP in the many lakes we may or may not get a chance to see in our lifetime, Randy's most favorable moment was meeting new people. He was moved by international travelers who paid a visit to North America in order to see what mother nature had to offer on our side of the continent. Although interacting with travelers was his favorite, he was also able to enjoy the fitness and exploration parts of it. Other times he had the chance to catch up with family and friends throughout the states.

Any words or suggestions for others?

What would Randy say to someone who wanted to go on an iSUP adventure of their own? "It is not so much of where you are going but how you get there. Appreciate where you live. Don't be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. Don't make excuses as to why you can't do something, tell yourself the opposite and it will all work out. Make time for yourself". All in all, it is refreshing to step out of your comfort zone and work through your adversities. You will learn and grow much more through an experience of a lifetime such as one like this.

Where to next?

Where can we find Randy next to inspire us to get out there on our paddle board ourselves? Well, he's looking to get out to the lakes in the Yosemite National Park, 3 national parks in Utah and 1 in Nevada all in a duration of a week! We can't wait to follow him on that iSUP adventure and write another blog living vicariously through him in the near future!  

Share with us

Share your iSUP adventure with us! We love hearing/seeing/experiencing stories, pictures and videos from all of you. You can send or share via e-mail, Facebook or Instagram simply with the hashtag iSUP adventure.