"It's been great. We had a lot of people down here first thing in the rain and the wind," she said.
The programme starts in Rotorua in January and runs in four-week blocks.
Participants learn specific components of paddle boarding and get to meet other people who have been on a similar journey, she said.
The programme is funded by Paddle for Hope which holds an annual race in Auckland.
Paddle for Hope and PaddleOn co-founder and ambassador Karin Horen, 42, said she was a cancer survivor and wanted to share the benefits of stand-up paddle boarding with other cancer survivors.
"I carry the BRCA gene, like Angelina Jolie. I've had a double mastectomy and I am still undergoing reconstruction surgeries. When I came to New Zealand six years ago I was introduced to this sport, fell in love with it, and realised how good it is for my core strength, stability, and range of movement. After having breast cancer, you're left with a lot of injuries ... and paddle boarding really helps to improve that. And it helps you with confidence," she said.
Certified Pinc cancer rehabilitation physiotherapist Melanie Loveless, who is running the programme in Rotorua with the help of a local paddle board instructor, said cancer rehabilitation was an area with lots of potential.
"People are surviving cancer and need to get back to being fit and healthy and active. It's also really important in terms of their prognosis long term to be involved in cardio vascular activity," she said.
- For more information go to www.pincandsteel.com/programs/our-programs/paddleon/.
