Urban paddling - Beginner

Introduction

There are many different ways to enjoy a city. I like to go out on the water when I have the chance. Sometimes, this is the best way to view the area and all of the different buildings in the city. Usually, I travel by foot or by bike but today I tried something new. This time, I travelled through the city with my stand-up paddle board, also known as a SUP board. There are a few canals and lakes around Berlin so it is a great place for watersports. On a sunny day, many people like to sit on the edge of a canal with friends and watch people float by.

Setting off on Landwehrkanal

I paddled down the canal and saw many people listening to music and having drinks. Some people were in small pump-up boats and others were in kayaks. I wanted to go to the river Spree because it is connected to the canal. Unfortunately, the workers at the canal lock didn't let me go through because I was on a SUP board. I had to walk to the other side of a street to get into the river. I was able to get to the water by lowering my board down to the water with a rope and climbing down a ladder that went directly into the water below. I had to secure everything to the board before I was able to paddle away from the large steel wall that I climbed down.

Launching on the Spree

After that, I paddled towards Treptower Park and passed many docked, tour boats as well as people paddling next to me. I then continued on, toward the shore and stopped for a few minutes to rest in the shade. There, I was able to eat some food and drink some water in order to get some energy for the rest of the trip. It was also nice to get out of the sun for a little while. After already paddling for an hour and a half, I was ready for a nice rest! It was fun to watch the many people floating or boating by. There were many types of groups; some were exercising, some were partying, and some were just sunbathing out in the sun. After my rest, I decided to paddle around a nearby island.

There were a lot of people on and around the island and they were all enjoying the nice summer day. The island is named "Insel der Jugend," which translates to island of youth. I found the name quite fitting since there were so many young people gathering there, to enjoy some company, drinks and sun! I heard a lot of music and laughter which was a nice change from the mood given by the effects of the pandemic.

Heading back down the Spree

I hoped to find a nice and easy route under another bridge but was stopped by a rusty gate. There were also many people watching me as I looked for a way through, which made me think twice about trying to climb over the fence. To make sure I didn't pop my board or catch my boardshorts on the fence, I chose to paddle back to the ladder that I entered the Spree with. After walking back to the canal and putting my board back into the water, I was beginning to feel more exhausted and decided to relax and float back.

I found a nice, entertaining part of the canal to lay down and drift toward home. I used my backpack as a backrest and enjoyed a drink, while listening to the music around me and watching the people float by. After some relaxation in the shade, I had to get back to my bike and load up my board. Since my original launch spot was being used by someone else, I had to climb up a rubber wall and lift my board up the rest of the way. Once I let the air out of my board, I rode back home to have a nice shower and a good night's sleep.

Terminology

1. View - to see or watch something

2. Float - to rest or remain on a surface or in a liquid

3. Paddled - using either a paddle or hands to move forward in the water

4. Pump-up -to describe something as being filled up with air

5. Unfortunately - when something is unlucky or not what you wanted

6. Canal lock - A lock is a section of water that can raise or lower the water to transport boats or other floating objects to another body of water

7. Lowering - move something toward the earth; downward

8. Secure - Make sure something is locked, tied or connected in a safe way

9. Docked - When a boat or other watercraft is securely attached to a dock(structure sticking out into the water)

10. Shore - The land directly connected to the edge of a body of water.

11. Shade - An area that has no direct sunlight because it is being blocked by a tree or other large object.

12. To Enjoy - to have a good time

13. Route - The direction one plans to go on a trip or journey

14. Rusty - To describe something as having rust (reddish brown material that develops on iron from an oxidization process)

15. Think twice about - To reconsider or think more carefully about something before doing it

16. Drift - to slowly move in a direction because of current or other external force

17. Load up - phrasal verb that explains everything that someone has to do to transport an object.