Setting Up for a Trip
Over the holidays, I traveled to Conroe, Texas to spend sometime with the inlaws. And just like any other sea-bound creature, I would dreadfully miss my water-time, so an alternative was in order. Conroe, which is 40-miles north of Houston, has a beautiful lake, perfect for stand up paddling.

But hauling an awefully large board through the airport wasn't going to cut it, especially in light of the ridiculously high over-size fees. That's when I decided to get a hold of an inflatable and put it to the test. There it is, above, completely folded up in a duffel bag, packaged together with its pump, my wetsuit, and a few other things -- everything TSA approved, for those wondering.
Above is the stand up paddle board, out of the bag in my father-in-law's garage and about to be inflated. And in all honesty, I thought I would end up spending hours getting it all setup. But it took me only about 10 minutes. Oooph!
Paddling on Lake Conroe
Having arrived there shortly before sunset, the quick setup gave me a few minutes before all the lighting went out. Freezing cold weather (at least that's what it felt like for a spoiled San Diegan), full 4/3 suit, and there I went.

When stepping on the iSUP -- that's C4 Waterman's name for its inflatable -- straight out of the deck, I almost went down, for the flex was something radically different. But after I few strokes I had it down, no problema!

Between the before-sunset photo and the one above there is one sad (and probably for some, entertaining) story. The day after the sunset paddle, I went on a 9-mile crusing trip, with very strong head-on winds. Having absolutely no clue how to suit up for that weather, the next day I was down with a cold and completely beaten down. The photo above was taken about one week later, once I had garnered enough energy to get back in the water for a photo shoot for this piece.

As the pictures make it quite plain, Conroe, Texas is simply gorgeous for stand up paddling. The lake has several different sections and there are parts that cut righ into a reserve. Alligator land anyone?

But despite of the quiet activity in the lake, with only a couple of boats cruising by, I was told that during Spring/Summer the place gets chaotic with speedboats, jetskiis, and the like. Now if you're willing to take on the cold weather, winter time in this man-made water expanse is nearly altogether vacant.
A Worthwhile Inflation
So, was it worth it to take the iSUP to Lake Conroe, TX? Yes, by all means. Even though I didn't get as much water-time as I wanted, taking the board there cost me only $20 each way and I was able to spend several ours on the lake, coasting beautiful homes, golf courses, and alligator-filled swamps -- just kidding about the alligator part, or maybe not.

Improvements can be made on a travel bag for the gear. The bag has to be more durable and able to carry not only the board and the pump, but also the paddle. That will help you save an extra $20, for you won't need to check in the paddle. I want to thank Boardworks Paddle Division/C4 Waterman for the gear and congratulations on the equipment. (If you want a likewise feature/review on your equipment, contact info@mylocallineup.com)