You're never too old for SUP surfing... 65 is the new 40!

It’s true, you’re never too old to get into SUP surfing. Scottish surfer Peter Tomkins tells us why he loves SUP, why he swapped is surf board for his SUP surf board, and why for him 65 is the new 40!…

How & when did you get into SUP?
I had been surfing 9’ Mals regularly since the early 1980’s, and got myself a 12’ Big Easy just for flat days and river exploring. I instantly loved the SUP experience, so when a small swell pulsed through a week later I took the SUP out instead of my Mal, and that was it. I have never used a surf board since! That was 9 years ago.

What is it you love about SUP?
I’m on the Scottish Borders area. It’s the coldest water of the whole British Isles, with 4 degrees in the Winter, and max. 16 Degrees in Aug-Sept. Like every other local surfer, I used to use 6mm wetties a lot. Now, 4mm is plenty even on the coldest days. Also, I love the view from 6’ above the ocean. You see so much more. Couple that with the fact that you pretty much get every wave you go for, plus you can surf waves that are considered too fat for conventional surfing, I can’t think of any reasons to NOT love SUP.

OK, SUPs don’t rip like a short board, but I’ve never been interested in performance surfing anyway. I just like to cruise down the line.

Give 3 reasons why old guys should SUP surf?
I’ll give you 4 reasons…I have 4 prolapsed discs! Prone paddling was really painful. But SUP has actually increased my flexibility, and noticeably strengthened my core.

Can you ever be too old to SUP?!!
Barring the unexpected, I hope to be surfing SUP well into my 80’s. Why not?!