Introduction
The great thing about paddle boarding is how versatile it is. You can paddle board just about anywhere there is water. And you can bet that people have taken this to the extreme.
People have paddle boarded over entire channels of water – like the Catalina Classic 32 Mile Marathon which travels over Catalina channel. Or you go even further, like Chris Bertish and travel across the Atlantic Ocean in 93 days of paddling for 15 hours a day. On the other end, people have paddle boarded to watch fireworks on the water, paddle boarded to try and fetch home run baseballs hit out of the park and into the water, or just set up a nice work from home set up on their paddle board.
However, for the sake of organization here, we are going to separate the main areas to paddle board and break down the pros/cons of each with example locations.
Lakes
Pros:
Calm water.
No current so it is easy to paddle in whichever direction you prefer.
Cons:
Harder to find an area to launch.
May need to launch off of a dock.
How far you paddle is limited by the size of the lake.
Sometimes can be crowded with other people on the water.
Locations:
The Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are so large that they can truly feel like you’re at sea when on it. The Great Lakes are one of the largest surface freshwater ecosystems in the world, responsible for nearly 21% of the world’s supply of surface fresh water.They have waves, tidal shifts, and currents just as you would in an ocean. It is a great place to paddle board, but be aware of the water temperatures. Some places get quite cold with the water temperatures in January/February in the mid 30’s (degree Fahrenheit). For instance, Buffalo, NY, Cleveland, OH, and Marblehead OH all have average water temperature in the 30’s during January/February.
Some solid beginner spots within the great lakes are: North Bar Lake in Michigan, The Kensington Metro park in Michigan outside of Detroit, and Isle Royale National Park within Michigan’s Lake Superior.
Lake Tahoe
The lake is scenic and popular amongst paddle boarders. However, the water is relatively cold, so it’s recommended to go in the summer, but even then the water can be a bit chilly.
It can be a bit windy and there are times where the lake is crowded so sometimes it may not be the best area for a beginner to start. That being said, it is a great location to go paddle boarding.
There are places to rent paddle boards and even guided lake Tahoe Paddle Board tours.
Rivers
Pros:
You can paddle in the direction the river flows at an increased speed.
Ability to ride rapids in the rivers.
Easy to launch off the shore for most rivers.
Can do camping trips while paddling down a river.
Cons:
With strong current, rapids, and rocky terrain, some rivers are not conducive to beginners.
Some rivers are shallow and may be hard to navigate through.
Locations:
| Class Scale | Difficulty |
| Class I | Easy |
| Class II | Novice |
| Class III | Intermediate |
| Class IV | Advanced |
| Class V | Expert |
| Class VI | Extreme and Exploratory Rapids |
Paddlers should be aware of the international scale of river difficulty. It aims to classify rivers on a scale of 1 to 6 with 1 being the least difficult, and 6 the hardest. Each number is referred to as a class and the classes are meant to reflect the technical difficulty needed to ride in the river.
James River, Virginia
The James River, shown in the picture above, is a solid river in Virginia for some getting started.
Shenandoah River, Virginia
A good beginner river to start out in that is a class I river is the Shenandoah River in Virginia. It is a tame river that provides scenic views of the Blue Ridge mountains when floating down it. For paddle boarders, it’s recommended to go during the spring when water levels will tend to be higher as parts of the river can get shallow in the summer. Front Royal Outdoors provides a helpful gauge for the river conditions as well as offers a variety of paddling tours.
Labyrinth Canyon, Utah
Another river for beginners is the lower green river within Labyrinth Canyon in Utah.
McKenzie River, Oregon
For a more advanced paddler, the McKenzie River in Oregon has a mix of Class I and II rapids alongside rocky terrain for paddle boarders to get through.
Oceans
Pros:
You can decide how far you want to paddle.
You can ride waves and SUP Surf.
Often easy to launch off the shore.
You can take advantage of the current when paddling.
Cons:
Strong currents can make it difficult for the beginner.
Strong waves at shore break can make it difficult for the beginner to get out.
For the beginner, waves tend to be larger on the ocean than versus the bay.
Locations:
The locations here are fairly obvious. There are four oceans in the world: Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and the Arctic ocean. Each will vary in terms of the surf, tides, and temperatures. It is important to know that paddle boarding in the ocean has its own unique circumstances to it. While launching may be easier because you can walk into the water gradually, the entire process of the launch may be harder due to the waves breaking on the shore. Once you’re able to get past the break, it’ll get a bit easier. Although you need to keep an eye out for rolling waves and pay attention to whether you’re drifting back to shore where waves will break on you. As with any location, making sure you have your personal flotation device (PFD) and your leash is vital.
Bays
Pros:
You can decide how far you want to paddle.
Waves at shore break tend to be smaller than in the ocean. This is friendlier to a beginner looking to get out into the surf.
Cons:
While the current and waves will be less than oceans, this will still make it a tougher spot to start for beginners versus starting in a lake.
Locations:
Half Moon Bay, California
This is a great spot for beginning paddle boarders. The water here is calm despite it being a couple of miles away from Mavericks Beach, one of the more famous surfing spots that is well known for the large waves that crash there.
Chesapeake Bay in Virginia and Maryland
The waves here are small and friendly to beginners launching off the shore.
There are multiple paddling guides set up for paddlers. One such example is Chesapeake National Historic Trail’s Middle Branch Paddling Guide where they detail publicly available launching spots for you.
Additionally Bay Paddle hosts an annual multi-day trip focused on protecting the Chesapeake bay. This years in 2022, was a 45-mile 2 day trip from Rock Hall, Maryland to Cambridge, Maryland.
Hanalei Bay, Hawaii
It has two miles of sandy beach around it and calm waters for paddle boarders. Additionally it has a beautiful backdrop of mountains for sightseeing during the trip.
