Trip Report: Stand-Up Paddleboarding at Sellwood Park
When? 6/29/2016
Location: Sellwood Park, Wilamette River
Conditions: Windy, sunny, warm
Duration: 2 hours
Difficulty: A little difficult in the main channel with the wind and waves and boat traffic
Kid Friendly? Yes
Pet Friendly? Yes
The Full Report
This was the first time my son (15 years old) and I paddled on stand up Paddle boards from Sellwood. We have launched our canoe here several time so we were familiar with how the wind and current and boat traffic can make the main channel a lite challenging. My son was much more steady than I was at first. The wind made it pretty challenging to make any headway, but slowly, and with a lot of correction strokes, we rounded the corner behind Ross Island into calmer seas. I much preferred the flat water. We relaxed a little, sunbathed, had a snack, and did some headstands. We did also see a bald eagle and lots of fish jumping! While neither of us fell in we did witness a couple fellow SUPers take a swim, and this showed us the importance of a leash and PFD. Both swimmers fell off the back of their board, shooting the board in the opposite direction of their fall. We could also hear one swimmer gasp as he was shocked by the cold water. Everyone was wearing safety gear and okay!
The Full Report
This was the first time my son (15 years old) and I paddled on stand up Paddle boards from Sellwood. We have launched our canoe here several time so we were familiar with how the wind and current and boat traffic can make the main channel a lite challenging. My son was much more steady than I was at first. The wind made it pretty challenging to make any headway, but slowly, and with a lot of correction strokes, we rounded the corner behind Ross Island into calmer seas. I much preferred the flat water. We relaxed a little, sunbathed, had a snack, and did some headstands. We did also see a bald eagle and lots of fish jumping! While neither of us fell in we did witness a couple fellow SUPers take a swim, and this showed us the importance of a leash and PFD. Both swimmers fell off the back of their board, shooting the board in the opposite direction of their fall. We could also hear one swimmer gasp as he was shocked by the cold water. Everyone was wearing safety gear and okay!