A BOARD MADE OF PLASTIC BOTTLES: A FUNCTIONAL, ECOLOGIC AND ECONOMIC ALTERNATIVE FOR LEARNING STAND UP PADDLE BOARDING

The main aim of actual research is to determine whether using the alternative board made of plastic bottles in comparison to conventional board affects the learning and practice of Stand up paddle (SUP) boarding. A sample of 16 healthy participants were recruited for convenience (aged M=23.5 years, CI95%: 21.62–25.54; body height M=170.13 cm, CI95%: 165.00–175.51; body mass M=69.63 kg; CI95%: 62.37–77.72) and randomly assigned to two groups: a) Conventional Material (CM; n=8) and; b) Alternative Material (AM; n=8). As criteria of learning, we considered variables as the number of falls, balance, body control, movement pattern of the paddling and the amount of time required to get stability on the board. No differences between groups in any criteria were found. We also observed that producing a board made of plastic bottles is 20 times cheaper than purchasing a conventional board made of resin. It can be concluded that the recycled board is as functional as a conventional board, but cheaper and less damaging to the environment.