La casa de paddle on the seine in paris during the nautic paddle

The Nautic Crossing, a stand up paddle board race on the Seine in Pairs, with a family dressed up as the “Casa de Paddle”

The "casa de paddle" family participated in the stand up paddle board race "nautic paddle" on the seine

"I was a participant in the third edition of the Nautic Crossing. I loved the race first for the opportunity to stand up paddle board in Paris, but most especially for the beauty of the setting. I got to see another side of Paris. At the time, I wanted to share the experience with my family.

But I had to wait for Wendy, my daughter, to turn 13, as that’s the minimum age to take part in the race. When I presented the idea to the family, my brother-in-law Jean Michel and his kids wanted to do it. The team was formed.

For a bit of fun, we all dressed up as La Casa de Paddle" in reference to the Spanish series "La casa de papel".

We did it as a family (3 generations) to share and unforgettable experience and take part in the biggest stand up paddle board race in the world (800 participants).”

Gérald, Sandrine, Wendy, Jean Michel, Françoise, Nicolas and Chloé

Preparation and logistics

We all do water sports regularly: I’m a stand-up paddler, surfer, windsurfer, kitesurfer, diver...I've circled Porquerolles, gone from Bregançon to Port-Cros, and to Porquerolles beach from Pampelonne (65km in 11 hours). My daughter Wendy surfs, paddles, and sails catamarans. Jean Michel has loved windsurfing since he was a kid and recently got into foil boarding. Nicolas and Chloé, born into all this, both windsurf and sail and got their certifications at the Glénant School. We were all excited to do this together. Our motivation was just to be together, to share a unique experience, see Paris from another angle, enjoy paddling... When we presented our project to the Toulon La Garde Decathlon, Stéphane and Louis immediately offered their support. They provided all the logistical and equipment help we needed by having the Paris-region Decathlons in and around Montreuil supply us with Explo 12’6 inflatable boards and Itiwit collapsible, adjustable carbon paddles. This also gave us the chance to try it all out and give product reviews, allowing the Hendaye-based Itiwit teams to make improvements.

The race

The headwind didn't help matters (100 out of 800 participants were stopped before the finish line as they'd fallen outside the time limit imposed so that river traffic could resume). Our whole team had the pleasure of crossing the finish line. And shout out to Wendy, who without help overcame all difficulties to finish first in the under-15 category (honoured by the organisation).

Our review of the itiwit paddles

We used the collapsible, adjustable carbon 900 paddles. I thought they’d be great when it came to transporting them. But I had reservations, having already tried collapsible paddles. All of them had a bit of game and were more flexible than 1-piece paddles, with a broken line. They were generally used as back-up paddles. At first try, we were all surprised by the light weight of this paddle. After paddling with it, I'm actually amazed by how well it works: no game, great reactivity, easy to paddle. Its cover is well designed, with a compartment for each piece. It’s an excellent paddle at an unbeatable price, a real surprise. In the end, it’s perfectly suited to be used as your only paddle for anyone with a decent level.

Our review of the 12'6 itiwit inflatable boards

As far as the boards go, we had the 12'6 Explo orange (29") and yellow (32") inflatable models. Having two widths on offer is great as it lets the user choose based on how they’ll use it. A simple but super-efficient element is the small PVC rail under the nose. It allows you to stay the course, limiting the need to change sides when paddling. The deck is complete: net at the front, optional mounts at the nose and tail. The US box fin casing is a good choice, and the nose valve is practical for deflation. The thickness provides good longitudinal stability. The storage bag has generous proportions, and the tightening strap keeps things in place. As to the pump, everyone agreed its triple action was very practical. We lent it to a few other participants to inflate their boards. All of them were pleasantly surprised and won over.

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