Our Top 3 Places To Paddle in the UK

Here are three types of paddleboarding you’ll want to try this summer and the best place in the UK to do them.

 

River paddleboarding    

If you’re into river paddle boarding, you’re going to want to try Mawddach Estuary, Mid-Wales. With wide waters and forested hillsides overlooked by the peaks of Snowdonia National Park, the Mawddach Estuary is made for SUP tours.

For this type of adventure, we recommend a touring SUP that’s designed for speed and perfect for covering longer distances. Touring boards have a longer but narrower body than all-round boards, meaning they have better glide but less stability and manoeuvrability.

               

               

Beach paddleboarding  

If you’re looking for somewhere breath-taking to paddle board this summer, Burgh Island in Devon is the perfect spot. This tidal island means that when it’s high tide, you can circumnavigate your way round the island in about an hour, exploring its nooks, crannies and caves en route.

 

For beach paddleboarding, we recommend a surf or all-round style of SUP board.  Key features to look out for is the round nose, shorter length and wider shape which allows for great manoeuvrability and a good glide.

               

               

               

Lake paddleboarding 

Paddleboarding on a lake is fun because it’s not tidal like the sea and some rivers. Most lakes are limited by their size, but Ullswater in the Lake District is a whopping 13km long, giving you plenty of water to explore.

 

For lakes, we recommend either a tourer or an all-round board. This will depend on your experience level. The all-rounder will have more stability and manoeuvrability, but the tourer will be faster on flatter days.

 

Written by Lucy Harris.