We both love to paddle board, so when summer rocks around you can usually find us with friends paddling at one of the many beaches we have close by, here are some of our favourites:
1) La Perouse
One of the best things about La Perouse is that it offers the beginner some great locations to find their feet and get up and start paddling. The beaches at Frenchmans and Yarra Bay are two of the best beaches to try SUP for the first time, Frenchman’s is a great spot for beginners as it tends to be fairly sheltered from the NE winds that dominate over summer.
2) Rose Bay
Rose Bay is a shallow and well protected bay making it a stand up paddle boarder’s dream. There are four stand up paddle board (SUP) hire places around if you need a board & paddle, try Belly he is a SUP master. Bring your friends and enjoy an awesome day out stand up paddle boarding with views of the harbour bridge and opera house. Our favorite paddle is from Rose Bay around to Shark beach where Nielson park kiosk offers a great bacon and egg roll along with your coffee of choice.
3) Balmoral
Balmoral faces off with Manly across Middle Harbour, and has some good restaurants and a beautiful swimming beach. Split in two by an unfeasibly picturesque rocky outcrop, Balmoral attracts picnicking families from all over Sydney. The calm waters off Balmoral are great for paddle boarding, for a great paddle set out from Balmoral beach heading either left towards Chainman’s beach or head right past Cobblers beach towards Middle Head, a word of warning the parking is crazy expensive, so try and find a non-metered spot!
4) Manly
Paddle boarding has always been popular on the Northern Beaches. Hiring boards or taking lessons is very common along the beaches. Arriving in Manly by ferry you are likely to see people paddle boarding around the wharf. Manly wharf offers calm waters for the beginner as does Shelly beach which also provides easy access for the more adventures paddleboarder to the surf.
5) Palm Beach
Palm Beach, or "Palmy", lies at the end of a long peninsula, fringed by surf on one side and tranquil Pittwater on the other. Its golden sands and sparkling clear waters are ideal for relaxing, strolling, swimming and paddle boarding. For the beginner, best to stay in the calm waters on the Pittwater side and you can go for a bite to eat at the Boat House afterwards, for the more experienced there is plenty of fun to be had in the waves on the surf side.
