Attention ocean lovers. Surfing is swell and kayaking’s cool, but there’s a fun new way to get offshore: Stand-up Paddleboarding. And now, Fantasea Bermuda, one of the Island’s largest diving and water sports companies is offering Paddleboarding lessons, tours and rentals to locals and tourists alike.Stand-up paddleboarding — or SUP (pronounced as in “Wassup?”) for those in the know — is like a cross between surfing and kayaking. It is, quite literally, just standing on an oversized surfboard and powering through open water — a bit like standup canoeing but with only one paddle. It’s also the fastest growing water sport in the world with gear sale up by about 200 percent in the last year.The sport got its roots in Hawaii in the 1960s when the beach boys of Waikiki started standing on their longboards and using outrigger paddles to paddle out for a better view of the surf. The sport didn’t take off until the 2000s when pro surfers like Laird Hamilton started using SUP as a way to keep training when the ocean was too calm to surf.Today, SUP has gone mainstream with everyone from surfer dudes to stay-at-home moms getting in on the action. Shape Magazine called it ‘one of the top workouts to get you in shape this summer’. Beloved by celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Cindy Crawford, Matthew McConaughey, and Pierce Brosnan, paddleboarding is exploding in popularity in waterways around the world.Now Fantasea is adding the activity to its long list of water tours to choose from on the Island — making it one of a few companies in Bermuda offering stand-up paddleboarding lessons, tours and rentals.“It is definitely one of those things that’s catching on everywhere. So it was ideal for us to get into it and offer it at this time,” said Kate Retallack, a supervisor for Fantasea Diving & Watersports. “We try to get into the stuff that’s booming — especially because when people are on vacation, I think they’re more willing to try something new — something that they’ve heard of that everyone is into and we offer that.”The growing popularity of paddleboarding may have something to do with the fact that it’s a unique combination between meditating and working out.“A lot of athletes like it because of the workout you get. The balance you need to stay up really fires up your core and works your legs. You get an upper body workout as well — you feel it in your chest, your back, your triceps,” she said. “It’s a great workout and it’s just really peaceful. You don’t dread it and you’re not huffing and puffing — it’s like a quiet workout. It’s really quite nice. And it’s something different to get out and be active and see the Island at the same time.”Like cycling, paddleboarding can be done at a recreational pace or, for an aerobic workout, at heart-thumping speed. And, like yoga, it’s proving particularly popular with women.Fans claim that just 30 minutes will work your body much harder than several hours of surfing. The upright views of the blue, balmy Bermuda waters, coves and inlets you paddle through are just an added bonus.“I think that the mix of a workout with sightseeing is great,” she said. “You’re getting a workout but you’re getting a tour as well. You’re seeing Bermuda, you’re out on the water, you get to go for a swim after — all that good stuff. It’s no wonder it’s growing in popularity.”Fantasea says that while others on the Island may be offering paddleboarding of some kind, their service is different because they do more than just rent you the board.“A lot of people are intimidated by it the first time, so they want to know that somebody’s taking them out who’s EFR (emergency first response) trained. They know what they’re doing on a paddleboard and they’re able to teach somebody else on a paddleboard. Not just teach them, but also make them feel comfortable with the technique and equipment.”The company’s friendly and experienced guides, like Bermudian Olivia Gracie (who was patient enough to take a certain not-so-graceful business reporter out on her maiden voyage) give beginners step-by-step instructions on technique before heading out for a narrated tour of scenic Ely’s Harbour and surrounding coastline.“We have a great location,” Ms Retallack said. “We have the beach there and it’s really quite calm because those islands protect the harbour from the weather and the waves.“It’s also really scenic and there are enough points of interest there that you’re not just paddle boarding, you’re also learning about the island and the animals and plant life — the mangroves, the cedar trees, the insects, the lizards, the turtles — even the history of some of the houses.”The boards look like normal surfboards, but at about 11 feet long, they’re nearly twice the size. It’s about 31 inches wide and made of polyurethane and fibreglass. In the middle is a rubber foot mat to stand on. The paddle is about seven feet long and weighs just over a pound.The thick, wide, oversized boards act more like a raft, allowing boarders to quickly cruise through the crystal clear waters surrounding this archipelago.“We specifically brought in big, stable boards because the tour is ‘Discover Standup Paddleboarding’. We could potentially get into the more advanced ones but for people to try it, we wanted something that would be relatively easy.”For those wondering how hard it is Ms Retallack says it’s a lot easier than it looks.“I would say it’s fairly simple — you have to have minimum fitness and balance but that’s why we got those particular boards — because they’re designed for people who haven’t done it before but you still get the full experience of it,” she said.At worst, a tumble off means getting wet and a close encounter with some reef. Some people do it fully clothed and never even get wet, but beginners might want to wear their swimsuits as a precaution.“I was definitely intimidated the first time I tried it, but I was like — if everyone else can do it, I can do it too!”Fantasea’s tours start from their Willowbank location and cost $105 per person — that includes equipment, lessons and a full-guided tour. Or, if you’ve done it before and just want to rent the equipment and head off on your own, you can rent a board, paddle and life jacket at Willowbank for $90 a person for a half-day or $140 for a full day.Throw in an extra $150 and they’ll deliver all of the equipment to you anywhere that can be reached by boat on the island and they’ll pick it back up when you’re done. That $150 is a flat fee, so it goes for one or multiple boards.For the rest of this month, the company is also offering locals and their guests a special discount of 15 percent off for groups of two or more and 25 percent off for groups of six or more (up to a maximum of 13 people).