Explore, discover and be inspired by these 5 spectacular places to stand up paddle board in Sydney.
Stand up paddle boarding veteran Vikki Weston paddled 30 Sydney waterways in 30 days as part of an expedition to encourage women to get into the sport. Now she shares her top 5 places to stand up paddle board in Sydney.
Prices start from $25.00 for the first hour or $40.00 for 2 hours at Sydney’s Rose Bay.
Manly, Northern Beaches
Vikki lives in Manly and she thinks it’s one of the greatest places to learn stand up paddle boarding.
“You’ve got sheltered water in the corner, there’s a rental hire place here. There are lots of little routes to help you explore further on the harbour side. Manly unlocks lots of different routes that you can build up to- there is nice room for progression.”
She says, “You can start by going back and forth along the beach and in your next session you can go further to the point, then around the corner.”
In Manly there are some beaches that are only accessible by water with lots of hidden gems to explore and discover.
Rose Bay and Watsons Bay, Eastern Suburbs
With hire facilities at each bay, Vikki asserts, “you have to experience paddle boarding and being able to see the harbour bridge at the same time. It’s the coolest experience.”
She thinks Rose Bay and Watsons Bay are the best (and safest) places to take harbour bridge selfies. Both locations have crystal clear waters and great cafes around to get that essential post paddle coffee.
Clareville, Pittwater
Pittwater is a large body of water with many entry points with one of the easiest being Clareville beach. Located on the Pittwater side of Avalon, Clareville is one of Vikki’s favourite spots.
Vikki says, “Clareville is great when you want to venture further and go out on day trips. Not only is it sheltered, it has everything you need including hire, parking and toilets.”
“From Clareville you are unlocking the whole of Pittwater which has some amazing natural sites to take in. There is the national park on the far side, sea eagles flying overhead, I have seen dolphins and fantastic peach coloured jellyfish.”
Bundeena, Royal National Park
Set on the edge of the Port Hacking River and bordering the Royal National Park, Bundeena is around 90 minutes south of Sydney.
With hire facilities and a hidden creek to paddle down for around 45 minutes each way, Bundeena is one of the most idyllic places to paddle board.
“It’s so hidden that not many people know where it is. It is one of the more natural places to paddle. You are surrounded by trees and there are fish swimming under your board.”
Paddle boarding is all about unlocking places that you wouldn’t be able to get to normally and the back of cabbage tree basin is one of those places- only accessible by water.
Clontarf, Northern Beaches
Clontarf is a great place for beginners as it has a long stretch of sand which provides an easy entry and exit point.
For those who want to paddle further there are lots of options including Balmoral and Middle Harbour. For those that just want to learn the basics and practice, Clontarf is a great place to practice in calm water.
There are no hire facilities at Clontarf, so you need to bring your own board.
Vikki says, “we are so spoilt in Sydney. Whilst I paddled 30 waterways in 30 days my list was actually 50 places. I was able to pick and choose where I paddled based on the wind direction and what the weather was doing. There are unlimited opportunities.”
