SUP Adventure with Mauao Adventures | Mount Maunganui | Shaara Deals

Pilot Bay curls around the base of Mauao like a sheltered blue lagoon, and it's here that Mauao Adventures launches its SUP Adventure — a stand up paddleboarding trip described by the operator as "a great opportunity to connect with our local māori guides and explore past the shores of Pilot Bay." From $150 per person for a 2 hour (approx.) outing at Mt Maunganui, Bay of Plenty, this Mauao Adventures experience is now live on Shaara Deals.

Every participant chooses a board from the Mauao Adventures fleet before heading out. As the operator puts it plainly: "When choosing this adventure, you increase the risk of falling in the water!" — so a sense of humour, and a willingness to get wet, is part of the package.

How the SUP Adventure unfolds:

• A 15 minute land-based lesson to learn the paddling basics before you're anywhere near the water

• A 60 minute guided lesson on the open water, working past the shores of Pilot Bay

• A short 30 minute walk to Hopukiore, a smaller mountain near Mauao, once you're back on land

Along the way, guides "discuss the local and native plants nearby and how we utilise natural resources" — meaning this Mauao Adventures paddle is as much a cultural and ecological introduction to the Mount Maunganui coastline as it is a paddleboarding lesson.

The full itinerary, in the operator's own words, includes:

• Land-based lesson and a guided tour of Pilot Bay

• Safety briefing and preparations before departing

• Entering the water safely and applying the paddling technique

• Paddling past the shores of Pilot Bay and near the boundary line of Mauao, Mount Maunganui

• Developing paddling technique, including steering tips and how to recover after a fall into the water

• Learning more about Mauao and what's happening at present

• Building confidence and comfortability

• Racing back to the beach and preparing for a short 30 minute walk

• Returning from Hopukiore, where light refreshments and a beverage are provided

What's included with the SUP Adventure: a stand up paddle board, a life jacket, a paddle, a leg rope, and snacks and beverages. You can choose to be collected from the gates of the Port of Tauranga, or meet the team onsite at Mt Maunganui.

Before booking, Mauao Adventures asks participants to keep a few things in mind: a moderate level of fitness is required, you should come prepared to get wet ("we cannot guarantee you staying dry"), and while there's a safe space to leave belongings while you paddle, it's at your own risk.

Not sure you'll last the full distance? The operator suggests an alternative: "Consider an Intro to SUP Lesson instead. You get all the main benefits of the SUP Adventure in 60 minutes, minus the full journey to the mountain."

The SUP Adventure with Mauao Adventures is bookable now on Shaara Deals, New Zealand's home for genuine local activity deals, from $150 for the full 2 hour Pilot Bay and Hopukiore experience.

Full details, availability and booking: https://shaaradeals.co.nz/deal/6a82a505eefbd976e0ab5984