New Paddle Board Allows Person to See What is Below

LightSUP Boards launched a groundbreaking new Stand Up Paddle (SUP) Board on Monday, April 1, 2019, with a large viewing window that allows the paddler to see what is below the board, as well as light ports that allow for paddling experiences after the sun has set or before it rises.

Owner Kelly Nedved paddles over the reef. PC: LightSUP

“We realize that a Window SUP is nothing new. We realize Glow SUP is nothing new. We realize the brilliance of combing the two,” said Kelly Nedved, owner of LightSUP Boards. “This is not new either. What is new, is our version of the board, literally the most technologically advanced SUP ever made. So innovative, we believe it will revitalize this industry that we love. It’s the unicorn of the SUP world.”

SUP surfing and SUP boarding is an offshoot of surfing that originated in Hawai‘i. Unlike traditional surfing where the rider sits until a wave comes, SUP boarders stand on their boards and use a paddle to propel themselves through the water. The sport was documented in a 2013 report that identified it as the outdoor sporting activity with the most first-time participants in the United States that year. Variations include flat water paddling for outdoor recreation, fitness, or sightseeing, racing on lakes, large rivers and canals, surfing on ocean waves, paddling in river rapids (whitewater SUP), paddle board yoga and even fishing.

LightSUP Boards employs an entirely unique SUP construction process that creates the lightweight, stiff board one would expect from a traditional epoxy construction, but with unparalleled impact resistance and durability. Bounce Composites, the San Diego manufacturer of LightSUP Boards employs a Thermal Composite Technology, a clean construction process that makes it one of the most eco conscious SUP Boards made.

The LightSUP board rendering is the Nightlight Model. PC: LightSUP

LightSUP Boards began as a labor of love in a beach shack on the Big Island of Hawai‘i, as Nedved’s family have been involved in the SUP industry since its infancy. Isabella at age 11, went to work with her Dad in the Beach Shack. One summer day in 2017, while he was replacing a VU window in a boogie board, she envisioned the window being in a SUP Board so she could see the fish while paddling the SUP instead of hanging over the side with a mask. Nine months later they tested their first prototype, and four months after that they manufactured their first fleet of ten Nightlight models. Nedved began the Proof of Concept by starting a LightSUP Guided Tour on The Big Island @lightsuphawaii.

“We have been overwhelmed by the response we’ve gotten by our family, guests, passers-by, and our Social Media Ohana!” Nedved said.

With the Proof of Concept complete and the manufacturing production adjustments made, Nedved and her family are proud to share their SUP Boards with the world.

“LightSUP Boards is far more than a fancy SUP Board. I truly could not be more proud for getting this far. We could not help but focus on this being an opportunity to enhance the experience of the avid Stand Up Paddler, but also attract those who’ve never been inspired to try stand up paddling,” Nedved said.

LightSUP Boards professes to be the “Most Technologically Advanced SUP Board ever made.”

• Their expansive dual pane viewing window allows you to discover the aquatic world that lies beneath the surface.
• The three internal light ports powered by Lume Cube® casts up to 4500 lumens, illuminating the aquatic nightlife below.
• The hydrodynamic design provides ultimate maneuverability.
• The Thermal Composite Technology used in the construction of the boards provides durability and environmentally conscious manufacturing that is unparalleled in the industry.
• The retractable handle allows ergonomic transportation.
• The removable fin makes storage a breeze.
• The LightSUP Nightlight model retails for $2,500 and the LightSUP Daylight model retails for $2,000.
• They are only available on the LightSUP Boards website. A limited number of LightSUP models are also available on the LightSUP Boards Kickstarter Campaign.