For the sake of these experiences, SUP (Stand Up Paddleboarding) and paddle boarding is the same thing. Sure, some die hard paddlers will probably tell us why that's not technically correct, but for us (and the experiences we offer), there's no difference.

No. If you can swim it will help with confidence in the water, but it's not a requirement for our taster experiences. You will be wearing a buoyancy aid too, which helps with flotation.

Generally, no. If you are really unstable and get a proper wobble on, you could fall in, especially at the start when you are getting on the board for the first few times, or when trying to go from kneeling to standing up. It's not as wobbly on the board as you might think though. Of course, if it's really hot you might just fancy a splash in the water anyway!

You'll need your swim gear and towel. All the gear like wetsuits (where applicable) are included for you, along with the safety stuff and the actual board and paddle.

Most venues offer changing rooms with toilets, showers and lockers where you can lock up your valuables.

In the UK, it's usually swimwear underneath a wetsuit, but you can go paddle boarding in any casual sports gear really. As for shoes, you can either go barefoot, with wetsuit boots or wear trainers you don't mind getting wet.

Some locations may make a small charge (payable locally) for the hire of wetsuits. Please check each individual SUP school's page for more details on whether they charge or not.

In theory yes, if all goes well on your experience! Once you've got the basics, you'll be well-prepared for hiring Stand Up Paddleboards, or even investing in your own gear.

It's one of the most cost effective water sports out there, compared to wakeboarding, jet skiing and the like. This is also what makes paddle boarding so accessible. We have paddleboarding vouchers starting from just £15 per person.

You can, but not on the busy shipping lanes of the Thames in central London. Whilst we don't currently have any SUP schools in London, we do have an operator who offers  canoe tours on the Thames from Richmond .

Most hire places use standard size boards. They really are quite sturdy and are suitable for all sizes and weights. What does make a difference is the size of the paddle you're using. The length is determined according to your height, which is what our operators will work out when doing the kit hand out.

Yes! Think positively and you'll get the hang of it in no time. And it sounds obvious but listen to the instructors, they'll have some good tips on how to progress from kneeling to standing up and, more importantly, staying up!

They can be, but many of our operators prefer to show beginners the ropes on calmer in-land waters. Some centres even use training lakes, where the water is only waist deep, which is brilliant for building up your confidence.

Rain won't stop play unless it's really windy with it. The theory is you won't really mind the rain as you'll be getting wet anyway!

You will need to be able to get on and off the board by yourself, but apart from that, no, not really! Like any new sport it can be really tiring learning how to do it, so you'll probably sleep well after your stand up boarding lesson.

Yes we do. How about getting a group of you together to go on a  giant paddle board for eight  ? Or why not take the adrenaline factor up a notch by paddle boarding along white water rapids?

With lakes and rivers coursing through the whole of the UK and our island coastline all around us, there are loads of places to go paddle boarding. Just some of our locations are:

• Gloucestershire
• Bedfordshire
• North Wales
• Bristol
• Scotland
• East Sussex
• Warwickshire