A few Saturdays ago we crossed off a very fun item on our Summer Bucket List when we rented paddleboards for the first time from Soposup and spent the afternoon paddling around Casco Bay. For the last few summers, we’ve had every intention of popping into our neighborhood paddleboard shop to rent a couple of boards, but time has always gotten away from us and before we know it, we’re preparing for fall and trading in our sandals for our Bean Boots. This summer, however, we moved paddleboarding to the top of our list, and strategically chose a warm day to do so, in case we took an unexpected dip in the ocean.

Having grown accustomed to the steady security of our kayaks, we were a little unsure of ourselves when we first got on our boards at Willard Beach, but after paddling down to a beach in Cape Elizabeth and crossing the wake of various boats along the way, we quickly got the hang of it. We found paddleboarding to be a welcome alternative to the sitting that is required when we kayak, but we’re still not quite sure we’d run out and sign up for a paddleboard-yoga class without mentally preparing ourselves for a fall in the water!

Photos by Meredith Perdue for Map & Menu.