Carrying a paddleboard under one arm, I made my way down a rocky beach and waded into the ocean. Once knee deep, I laid the board flat on the calm surface of the water, then crawled aboard.
A woman stood on shore, watching me depart. She’d been walking her tiny dog when I’d arrived at Marlboro Beach in Lamoine, and she’d approached me to ask about my stand-up paddleboard.
“It’s easier than it looks,” I told her. “They’re quite sturdy.”
“Have you ever fallen off?” she asked.
“Sure! But I was goofing off. It’s pretty hard to fall off the one I have,” I replied.
That day, the air temperature was climbing toward 80 degrees Fahrenheit. I wouldn’t have minded going for a swim. I was wearing a bathing suit, and a life jacket.
Preparation is key for any outdoor adventure, and each activity comes with its own risks. Paddling on the ocean requires paying attention to Maine’s dramatic tides and currents. You also have to keep in mind how cold the water is, year round. On that particular day in July, Maine’s beach water temperature was 67 degrees, which is quite high, according to surf-forecast.com. However, the water can be much colder beyond the shallows and sheltered coves.
Exploring the Maine coast on a paddleboard is a wonderful experience, but if you’re new to it, I suggest going on a guided tour or taking a class to start out. Once you have the skills, knowledge and necessary gear, you could gain more experience by paddling around sheltered coves and sticking close to shore before tackling more open water.
My husband, Derek, joined me on the adventure. From Marlboro Beach, we began our paddle by gliding over the glass-like water of Raccoon Cove, which is shallow and filled with mussel beds. I know because I could see the dark beds through the hazy water.
One neat thing about stand-up paddleboarding is your vantage point. Since you’re standing, you’re able to look straight down into the water without the distraction of reflections. On lakes and ponds, I’ve seen fish and turtles dart beneath my board. And in Raccoon Cove, we were continually spotting interesting things on the ocean floor.
The crabs were especially entertaining. They scuttled around on the bottom, and when they saw my board floating overhead, they dashed under rocks or hastily dug into the sand. We also spotted sea urchins, scallop shells and sea stars.
Heading west, we paddled past Shooting Ledge, a round rock islet that was covered with gulls and cormorants. In the distance, the mountains of Mount Desert Island rose above the water, and the Porcupine Islands dotted the horizon.
Sticking close to shore, we rounded Meadow Point, weaving through barnacle-encrusted boulders and mounds of rockweed. There we fought against some waves and a steady breeze, but it wasn’t anything we couldn’t handle.
When on an paddleboard, you have to pay close attention to the wind. It can whip up waves that can knock you off balance. In addition, the wind pushes against your body. Standing up, you’re essentially functioning as a not-so-great sail.
I avoid paddleboarding when it’s particularly windy out, but a breeze and choppy water are just fine. Plus, I’ve discovered a neat trick: If it gets too rough, I just sit down. Waves and wind are a lot easier to deal with if I’m sitting or kneeling on my board. And there’s no rule that you have to actually stand on a standup paddleboard. Some people are only ever comfortable with sitting or kneeling.
Sitting on my board is also great when I just need a break. I like to dangle my feet over the side and let them cool off in the water.
As we rounded Meadow Point, we narrowly glided over a low point in a sandbar, then navigated through some more rockweed on our way to Lamoine Beach. Also known as knotted wrack, rockweed is a super common seaweed that grows in the intertidal zone along the Maine coast. It provides shelter for a wide variety of marine creatures, including crustaceans and snails.
Rockweed strands can grow up to 10 feet long, and they feature air bladders that help it float at high tide. When I was a little girl, I used to burst those air bladders open, scrape out the goo that I found inside, and rub it on my skin. I’d heard from someone that it could heal scrapes and bug bites, which I always seemed to have plenty of (and still do). I have no idea if that’s true.
At Lamoine Beach, we carried our paddleboards to shore and carefully laid them down on the coarse sand. There we sat on a towel and rested while drinking water and munching on granola bars.
To carry supplies on my paddleboard, I use a drybag so things don’t get wet. Water is constantly splashing up over the board, especially in wavy conditions. The drybag is fastened to my board with bungee cords that cross over the deck.
Just like other watercraft, standup paddleboards must have a few necessities on board for safety. Per Maine law, you must carry a sound-producing device like a whistle, navigation lights such as a headlamp or flashlight, and a personal floatation device — a life jacket — for each person aboard.
After a short break, we waded back into the water and climbed on our boards. Paddling back was much easier, with the breeze pushing at our backs and the waves nudging us along. It was the perfect way to end a peaceful paddle along the coast.
