Jo Pye | SUP North Devon

Hi, I'm Jo!

I learned to windsurf a long time ago but that took a back seat when the children came along. I grew up by the sea so I always loved being on the water, and windsurfing was exhilarating. Steve and I travelled extensively to windsurf and spent several winters in some amazing wave sailing spots like Maui, the Caribbean, New Zealand and Western Australia. One of my favourite memories was windsurfing at Sprecklesville and Kanaha with humpback whales breaching right next to me.

With two young children, I found it hard to get on the water as much and so got more into land sports like running and cycling instead, to keep fit. Family holidays were still always beach holidays so I still got my salt water fix from time to time. Steve always volunteered himself to windsurf whilst I had to look after the kids!

In 2015, Ben started competing in SUP surfing and racing he needed a driver! I got involved too as I preferred to compete rather than just watch. My first race was the N1SCO Nationals at Weymouth and I really enjoyed it. I most enjoyed the SUP community, everyone was so friendly and welcoming to newcomers. I started to take it more seriously and I swapped to a hardboard and took part in the GBSUP National Series. We used to go to these events as a family and travelled to places we might not have otherwise visited and made a lot of new friends in the process.

Wing foiling came along and I was desparate to have a go because I had always previously enjoyed wind sports, I got hooked and SUP took a back seat. I still enjoy paddling leisurely and socially; my go to is the Starboard iGo 11'2 inflatable, it's stable and robust so I don't have to worry about knocking it if I go out with friends. Learning to wing foil wasn't as difficult as I first thought, it was fun to learn something totally new again and although the idea of the foil was scary at times, the whole process was really exciting. I currently use the 5.3" Take Off with the Glider 900 foil and I nearly always pick up my 4 metre Freewing over the other sizes.

I really like SUP surfing my 10'0 longboard in mellow waves. Saunton Sands is my favourite place to do this as there's lots of space and people are never fighting over waves. SUP surfing is a great escape and a fun way to get in the water when there's not enough wind to go wing foiling!!

Favourite spot: El Medano in Tenerife for wing foiling. The climate and coffee make it worth the trip!

Favourite board: My 5'2 Wingboard and my 10' Longboard - I can't choose!