Thirty-seven glorious feet of snow.

A skiing and boarding paradise.

Conditions are ideal in Tahoe.

And they’re even better on the lake...

Behold: Winter Stand-Up Paddleboarding, a hidden gem of year-round board sports on Lake Tahoe that conjures the best of Waikiki.

Since Tahoe is the deepest alpine lake on the continent, you won’t encounter any glaciers, because it doesn’t ice over—even in the heart of winter. But you can still expect water temps to be at about 38 degrees right now (admittedly, Waikiki has a little bit of an advantage there).

Most people will be renting skis and snowboards when you go in to pick up your rental, but take that as a good sign that you’ll have the entire lake all to yourself. Without boats and swimmers, the lake will be like glass (some call it the flat-water mecca), which makes the probability of you falling in low—though you’ll want to wear a wet suit and booties just in case.

A good launching point is Kings Beach, which positions you for paddling out towards Nevada and the boulders around Crystal Bay. There’s also the option of paddling the 22 miles from one end of the lake to the other—or if you’ve got more time, cruise the entire 72 miles around the lake, paddling from California to Nevada and back.

And then there’s the après-paddleboarding.