Coronavirus lockdown paddleboarders called to join University of Portsmouth study

ACADEMICS are on the hunt for people who took up paddleboarding during lockdown to help them with a new study.

By Tom Cotterill

Published 9th Feb 2021, 17:09 BST

Paddleboarders pictured on the water. Photo by Derek Martin Photography.

Researchers from the University of Portsmouth are calling on those who took up the watersport to take part in a survey.

Popularity for stand-up paddleboarding 'soared' during lockdown, according to the university, with 15 times more board sold than usual.

Dr Heather Massey, lead researched at the university’s school of sport, health and exercise science, was keen to see if there the increased take-up in the sport had helped people cope physically and mentally with lockdown.

‘This pandemic has been a learning experience for everyone and we’re interested to find out if people have used certain activities to cope. Researching this will help us be better informed if we face something like Covid-19 again,’ she added.

To take part in the survey, visit: https://eeluop2020.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/supscience

University of Portsmouth Covid-19