Having returned from an overseas holiday in beautiful Fiji a few months ago, I was introduced to…read morethe sport of stand up paddle boarding over there and on my arrival home immediately began looking for a place where I could continue my love affair. First off I needed a board, so I headed off to Stand up Takapuna to see if I could source one. I was in luck. The staff were super friendly and knowledgable and able to help out with all my theories and questions. They found me one which was best suited to both my ability level and that looked pretty (cause lets face it, you want to look pretty gliding out over the water, no bellyflops here!) The people at Stand Up Takapuna also do board hire down at Takapuna beach on the weekends etc, and Takapuna beach is the perfect place to give this a go as its so calm down there. If paddle boarding is good enough for Jennifer Anniston its good enough for you! And its a great workout too. Have fun on the water!

I decided to finally try Paddle Boarding after watching numerous people make it look so easy and…read morerave about what it did for their core. Also, I say a picture of Jennifer Aniston doing it so, you know. From the beginning I was impressed. They were very organised on arrival, giving you all the right gear for your height and weight. they were friendly and fun but also super professional which eased any nerves I had going into it. After we got the forms and stuff all signed we headed down to a meeting spot on the beach where they went through 35 minutes explaining how to do it on the sand. They covered all possible things you would come across so we felt very prepared. there was a good mixture of about 10 people, of ages ranging from 20s-50s. There were a variety of boards - racing, recreational, easy floating, all for different levels of expertise. They letou try out as mnay as you like which is really cool. It was a bit windy when the guy led us out so we started on our knees. We stood when we could and he re-showed us the turning and stopping procedures. He then took us somehw a bit quieter and we were away. He was a thorough, clear instructor and was always happy to help. I went at 6pm on a Thursday and it runs until 8pm. They also give you a voucher for pizza from the Takapuna Markets which run at the same time. I Didn't so much feel it was a good work out but it was good to get out and try something new and trying the different boards was good. The only negative is that because it was a little rough, I can see people being a bit put off. But get a calm day, and you're away laughing.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I had such a great time! This place is so much fun! Whether you're an…read moreAuckland native or a tourist. This place is a must! I can't believe I haven't done this earlier. Do I sound too enthusiastic? But seriously. Do it. Instructors here are AWESOME! Great demonstration, very interactive people. We took the 90min lesson so they were constantly around and giving us tips on how to become better paddle boarders. You get to paddle around Mission Bay, and I suppose if you aren't doing the lesson and have more time, you could paddle to St Heliers bay if confident: two beaches down and back. The equipment they use are a mixture: My life jacket looked pretty old, but the board I was on was quite new. Nonetheless, all good quality. I fell in the water 5 times, and was still afloat so I have nothing to complain about! I am definitely gonna hit this up again before summer ends! Things I would note: -Don't forget to slip, slop, slap and wrap! I ended up buying $10 sunnies from the convenience store because I didn't wanna get seawater on my Raybans! So that's an option. -Kids must be over 8. Under 16's must have adult supervision. -You can chuck your belongings in their trailer which is well-looked after while you are out on the water.

I really love do anything water sports related, and I was keen for my partner and I to get active…read moreso I booked us both in for an hour session of paddle boarding down at beautiful Mission Bay. Showed up on a weekend day about 1 pm, and met with the Water sports team Ollie and Charlie, on quite a windy day, they were not too sure if as beginner paddle boarders we would have a lot of fun, with a swell running and the water choppy. I was given the choice to either re book another day or take the risk and try it out; I decided to give it a go. The staffs were super supportive and welcomed the motion, and about 1/2 an hour later we were set up with life jackets, paddles and boards. With some precautions to take and some advice about how to paddle, we were sent on our way with a kind wave. Surely was a workout, and had heaps of fun paddling out, falling of a few times and gliding back in smoothly. Great views, awesome fun and a must try for all those water babies.

Thanks very much to Simon of Fergs Kayaks for helping me purchase 2 kayak paddles and get them…read moreshipped to the USA. They were paddles from a company that has gone out of business, and that I have been searching for for over a year. Simon gave me a good deal and even dropped off the packaged-up paddles at the international shipping company's receiving-location. Very Much Appreciated....

Fergs has a plethora of water sport and exercise gear for hire. You want to feel the burn? Fergs…read morehas got you covered. And's it all the fun stuff too - kayaks, paddleboards, rollerbades... Not so comfortable on SUP's or new to the Auckland Harbour? Not to worry, Fergs offers courses in most of the above (except maybe blades) and even do kayak tours to Rangitoto and Devonport. Check out their website and give them a bell to book. I've only ever hired a SUP to splash around in the neighbouring bay but nevertheless, I found the staff to be courteous and knowledgable. They have a ramp at the back of the shop so it's super easy to launch too. I live right on the water and my brother and I were lucky enough to be given a kayak for christmas a while back, which is probably why I don't frequent Fergs more often but if you're looking for a fun summer activity, this is the ticket!

The team at Watersports South Pacific are very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable type of folk…read more They specialise in kitesurfing and I bet most of them do it too, as they have a bit of sports-specific knowledge to offer. They also sell Stand up Paddleboarding, Kitesurfing and Wakeboarding gear, so if you're into watersports this is a good place to visit. Unfortunately they don't offer rental equipment, so if you're a beginner look elsewhere. But if you're a pro looking for the best of the best, Cabrhina and North are tocked here. They also do lessons for those wanting to learn the sport, with equipment included.

I have only just got into windsurfing and was looking for a windsurfing school in my area. A friend…read morerecommended i visit Pete down at Pt Chev- Auckland Windsurfing. Pete is the owner of this small yet very busy business. He has been windsurfing for over 15 years and clearly knows his stuff. He's an excellent (and patient) teacher! I had my first lesson last week in 20 knot winds; slightly brave for a first time! For those of you who aren't familiar with the area Pt Chev is a sheltered bay facing west. Its a great spot to learn. A beginners lesson for 90 minutes is $60 which i personally think is great value. This includes board, sail, wetsuit and booties. The first half of the lesson is on the land, going through the basics of the gear, plus learning about the wind direction and best windsurfing conditions. The second half you get into the water and onto the board. The strong winds and choppy waters were not ideal conditions for a first timer so i would suggest going on a calmer day, i still had a great time! In fact i went back the next day when it was calmer and had another go. After one lesson i felt confident enough to go out on my own . Can't wait to get out again! You can also rent a great range of windsurfing gear down there and also SUP boards. Highly recommend checking it out!

Stopped in here to get some leashes for our stand up paddleboards, and being new to the sport,…read moredidnt really know what to look for. The bloke who helped us was great, asked what we needed them for, what we were likely to be doing, and we ended up walking out with a mean set of leashes within 15 minutes of walking in! Had a look at the board range there, and they have a sick collection to choose from, with the added bonus of their sister business The Roof Rack shop next door, you can get yourself a new board, and get fitted for a rack for it all in one go!

As I wrote in my first review I was not really satisfied with the repair of my kite made by The…read moreBoard Shop. It was terrible made, and even though I asked them to fix all the rips, they did not manage to find them all. I took my kite to another shop to get the rest of the rips fixed, and they actually changed all the repairs made by The Board Shop, because the needlework was so poor. After the first repair I wrote an email to The Board Shop complaining about the bad repair, but I did not get an answer until a month later, where the manager of the shop wrote be back, after he had read my first review on Yelp. He wanted to offer me a $200 voucher for the shop if I deleted my review from this site. I did not write him back, because I thought it was really bad customer service that I had to write a review before The Board Shop would even consider my complain. On the other hand it was kinda nice of him to offer the voucher to make it up for the bad repair, but it does not really change the fact that they do not know how to repair a kite. I do though change the review from 1 star to 2 stars, because of the voucher, although I did not go back there.

Nick stayed late to help us find the perfect boards, matched to our individual skill level, and…read morewithin our budget. Brought an engineering mindset to tailored board and fin choice. Great new, used, and demo selection. 10/10 recommend.

Genuine surf shops are hard to find in Auckland. Most "surf shops" are really just stockists of…read moreanything Rip Curl or Billabong and the sales assistants don't know the difference between a short board and a SUP! That's why I consider Ultimate Surf Shop so... well, ultimate. If it's anything surfing orientated you're after, Andre or one of the other knowledgeable staff will certainly be able to suss you out. Whether you want to go all out and buy yourself a brand new board or just stop in for a chat about what the surf is doing and grab a new block of wax this is the place to go. They cater to nooby as learners, eager grommets and old grumpy long boarders. The custom J Dub quad fin board I got from the boys at Ultimate has showed me some seriously good times in the surf. A new addition to Ultimate surf is the Ultimate Skate shop upstairs. Absolutely anything skate will be stored up here and Jesse knows his stuff! He recently put together a board for my boyfriend. I was so thankful he could make the process so simple for me because if I was asked to choose a deck and bearings and wheels and all the other crap going on I wouldn't have known where to start! Ultimate also puts on some awesome events to get involved in from skate jams to movie nights! Lots of good times to be had so I'd recommend getting involved!

I have become really fascinated with the sport of Paddle Boarding; it's not hard when you look at…read morethe waters that surround our home city. We are blessed with beautiful oceans to set sail on, paddle, surf, swim, the list is endless. My partner told me that there was a free trial paddle board coming up on the weekend after seeing a sign pop up near Birkenhead Point. Saturday morning after breakfast, I threw my swimmers and boardies on, and jumped in the car headed for a paddle board in the waters off Little Shoal Bay. Point Paddlers team were waiting beach side with the Pioneer Brand stand up paddle boards that they also sell online priced between 1,699 and 1,999 dollars. I was able to be fitted with a life jacket and the perfect board appropriate to my height, and then off I went. A fantastic opportunity to try out the quality products of Point Paddlers, I was more than happy with my experience, and I think I might start saving towards that paddle board.