Paddleboarding calories burned

Quick answer

Stand-up paddleboarding burns about 140 kcal in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. One hour burns about 280 kcal.

30 minutes, 70 kg
140 kcal
1 hour, 70 kg
280 kcal
MET used
5
Effort or pace
Moderate

The effort level stands for your paddling speed: Easy is a slow stroke rate, Moderate a medium one and Hard a fast one.

Calories burned by body weight

Estimated kcal for each effort level the Nibbs app offers for paddleboarding. Pick the level that matches the whole session, including normal short rests.

30 minutes
Effort level50 kg60 kg70 kg80 kg90 kg100 kg
Easy2.8 MET45 kcal54 kcal63 kcal72 kcal81 kcal90 kcal
Moderate5 MET100 kcal120 kcal140 kcal160 kcal180 kcal200 kcal
Hard9.8 MET220 kcal264 kcal308 kcal352 kcal396 kcal440 kcal
1 hour
Effort level50 kg60 kg70 kg80 kg90 kg100 kg
Easy2.8 MET90 kcal108 kcal126 kcal144 kcal162 kcal180 kcal
Moderate5 MET200 kcal240 kcal280 kcal320 kcal360 kcal400 kcal
Hard9.8 MET440 kcal528 kcal616 kcal704 kcal792 kcal880 kcal
Easy:
Relaxed, light effort.
Moderate:
Steady, noticeable effort. New logs in the app start here.
Hard:
Demanding and hard to keep up.

How this is calculated

Calories burned = (MET − 1) × body weight in kg × time in hours

MET compares the energy an activity uses with sitting at rest. Nibbs takes away 1 MET, the energy your body uses at rest (about 1 kcal per kg per hour), so it counts only the extra calories from the activity. The app rounds the result to the nearest whole kcal.

Worked example (Moderate, 70 kg, 30 minutes): (5 − 1) × 70 × 0.5 = 140 kcal.

Effort levelMETCompendium code
Easy2.8Effort model
Moderate5Effort model
Hard9.8Effort model

Compendium row for paddleboarding: code 18224, 6.5 MET.Compendium wording: “Stand up paddle boarding, general”

Easy, Moderate and Hard come from the Nibbs effort model. They are approximate rates, based on Compendium codes 18225, 18227, 18228. They are not separate measurements of paddleboarding. A code shows next to a level only where its rate equals the row above.

Source: 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities

Where our numbers come from

Common questions

How many calories does stand-up paddleboarding burn in an hour?

About 280 kcal for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. At the same effort, a 50 kg person burns about 200 kcal and a 100 kg person about 400 kcal.

Does stand-up paddleboarding burn more calories at a harder effort?

Yes. For a 70 kg person, 30 minutes burns about 63 kcal at easy effort, 140 kcal at moderate effort and 308 kcal at hard effort. Choose the level that matches the whole session, including normal short rests.

Why are these numbers lower than some other calculators?

Nibbs counts only the calories you burn above your resting rate. It takes away 1 MET, about 1 kcal per kg of body weight per hour, because your body burns that much even when you sit still. Calculators that count total calories include this resting energy, so their numbers are higher.

How do I log paddleboarding in Nibbs?

Add Stand-Up Paddleboarding from the exercise library, enter how long you did it and pick Easy, Moderate or Hard. Nibbs uses the weight in your profile to estimate the calories. You can replace the estimate with your own number.

Log paddleboarding in Nibbs and get a calorie estimate automatically

Nibbs has a library of more than 1,200 exercises. Add a workout and Nibbs uses your weight to estimate the calories, next to the meals you log.

Calories burned in related activities

Values are kcal in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person, at the app's default effort level or the pace shown on each page.

See all activities

These are estimates for adults, based on average values for each activity. Your real calories burned depend on your fitness, technique, the conditions and how hard you work. This page is general information, not medical advice.

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