When he’s out on the ocean, reaching into the blueness to pull his paddleboard through miles of rolling swells, Jeff Peterson often finds an existential pleasure.

Peterson can paddle for miles, arms aching from the effort, but his surroundings will send his spirits soaring, be it off wild and windy Kahuku Point, along Oahu’s scenic North Shore or in the middle of the Kaiwi Channel, stroking from Molokai to Oahu.

"There is something there that puts you in your place," he said. "You are small and vulnerable. But at the same time it is exhilarating."

This is an old-school sport — practiced on boards 10 to 18 feet long while prone or on your knees — and it’s not to be confused with stand-up paddling. Its roots are in the habits of hardcore watermen dating as far back as the 1930s.

For the 60-year-old Peterson, paddleboarding is an extension of his favorite pastime — surfing.

A member of the family that owns Peterson’s Upland Farm in Wahiawa, he grew up in the surfing world’s most famous arena, the North Shore, and learned to surf when he was 8. He paddled into his first wave at Waimea Bay when he was 16.

But in paddleboarding Peterson discovered a level of fitness that catching waves can’t match.

"I think paddling is really more for fitness for me, especially at my age," he said. "As we get older it is very important to stay active. And by being in shape I have mental clarity. There are a lot of benefits. The ability to be mobile and to continue to keep your body flexible."

PETERSON, a father of two who lives with his wife in Wahiawa, manages sales and operations in the Pacific for Purina Animal Nutrition. He tries to get out on the ocean several times a week.

"It helps me deal with all the things life throws at you," he said. "It’s a place where I get release."

Peterson paddled briefly when he was younger but didn’t take the sport seriously until about six years ago when a few surfing buddies convinced him to try it. It quickly became a way to stay in shape for the challenging winter surf season on the North Shore.

It was like surfing and then some.

"I kind of fell in love with it, being in the ocean, with the scenery from the ocean that you will never see unless you are in a boat," he said. "Then I started putting goals on myself. I’m a competitive person to begin with."

That led to competing in the 32-mile Molokai-to-Oahu paddleboard world championships each July. He’s done it five times.

By training and racing from late winter through the summer, Peterson stays in shape for waves taller than a two-story building.

"When you are paddling and then you get into the big waves, you can paddle circles around all the other surfers," he said.

Peterson’s routine is dominated by intense interval training — multiple repetitions of hard effort over relatively short distances. He also includes a 12- to 18-mile weekend session on the water.

He paddles with a group but everyone in it is a surfer and if the waves are good, paddleboarding gets put on hold.

BUT ALL THAT paddling can lead to shoulder pain and Peterson has experienced his share of it. For years, sharp pains occasionally kept him out of the water.

About four years ago, Peterson added exercises twice a week that promote shoulder health. He’s been pain free ever since.

"I am a total believer in stretching and working the muscles around the muscles you are using for paddling," he said.

"The theory is you are building total strength around the shoulder. I have miles and miles and miles of surfing on my shoulders and it wasn’t until I started working out with light weights that my shoulders got stronger."

The reward for all the effort goes beyond fitness.

"The whole idea is to jump on these open swells and ride them for a hundred yards," he said.

"You’re speeding along in the ocean. It’s like catching a wave. You’re going fast. Your body is in tune with the board. Your mind is so focused that you really can’t talk.

"You are in tune with your body and the ocean."

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