Paddleboarding locations
Where to Paddle — Surrey & Beyond
A short, honest list of paddleboarding locations Skip actually knows and paddles — what each one asks of you, and where coaching or hire genuinely make sense.
Guidance, not a directory
Not sure where to paddle? Ask Matt.
Ask Matt helps you find places to paddle and understand what you need to know before you go — access and launching, equipment, licences and local rules, what to check on the day, and lessons or hire where they apply. It works from approved sources and never tells you a place is safe.
Ask Matt — Swim & PaddleGuided sessions and experiences
We run a small number of dated guided paddles. If one is open, you can see the date and book a place online.
See current sessionsThree rivers, described by someone who has paddled them
This is not a scraped route listing. There are three locations here because these are the three I can write about from experience — the River Wey, which I have paddled from Godalming all the way to the Thames; the River Arun, where I trained alongside the Wey for the Yukon; and the River Mole, which I have paddled a fair amount close to home.
Each page covers who the water suits, why it is worth paddling, and what you need to sort out before you go. Every location here is first-hand; anything taken from a licence provider, landowner or organiser is presented as their published information rather than our own view. Locations are added when there is something useful to say, not to fill a directory.
River Wey
Surrey — Godalming, Guildford, Weybridge
The best of the three for beginners and improving paddlers. Sheltered navigation water through Surrey, from Godalming to the Thames.
Best for: First proper paddles, Building confidence, Technique work, Longer day journeys
Read the guide →
River Arun
West Sussex — Pulborough to Arundel
Tidal water that rewards planning and punishes assumption. Progression and adventure-training paddling, not a casual beginner day out.
Best for: Progression paddlers, Tide and planning skills, Distance training, Expedition preparation
Read the guide →
River Mole
Surrey — Surrey Hills and the Mole valley
The most technical of the three. Narrow, level-dependent water that asks for real paddle skills and local knowledge.
Best for: Confident paddlers, Board-control skills, River reading, Short technical days
Read the guide →Wider research
Paddle UK and PaddlePoints
Paddle UK maintains PaddlePoints, a national record of paddling routes, launch locations and waterway information. It is a good place to widen your research beyond the water we cover, and it is their service, not ours.
You can browse it directly at PaddlePoints (opens in a new tab).
A published paddling route tells you where paddling takes place. It does not tell you whether the water is right for you, your board or that day's conditions.
For a self-guided hire trip, favour straightforward inland water. For tidal, coastal, estuary, exposed or more technical water, use current local knowledge from an experienced paddlesports provider or the relevant navigation authority.
Right kit. Right clothing. Right location. Right weather.
Get those four right and most paddle days get a lot simpler. Get one badly wrong and the whole day can change.
Before you get on the water, do a WATER check.
Weather
Wind, rain, temperature and what is forecast to change.
Ability
Does this water match your actual competence, not your ambition?
Type of water
Canal, river, lake, tidal water, estuary or coast — each changes the risk.
Equipment
Suitable board, buoyancy aid, appropriate leash, phone or comms, dry bag.
Right clothing
Dress for immersion and conditions, not just the air temperature.
Good water can still have a bad day.
A route can be easy on Saturday and wrong on Sunday. Wind, rain, river level, closures and access all change the picture. Check the weather, check the waterway authority's current notices, look at the water in front of you, and be prepared to change the plan — or abandon it.
If it looks different from the day you planned, paddle a different day.
Use local knowledge where the water is complex.
We recommend straightforward inland paddles for self-guided trips. For tidal, coastal or more technical water, use local knowledge.
Tidal water, estuaries, exposed lakes, fast-flowing rivers and coastal routes can change quickly. Before going, get current advice from an experienced local SUP provider, paddlesports centre or the relevant navigation authority.
These recommendations describe normal, typical conditions only and are not a live safety assessment. If you are taking a hired board away, you remain responsible for checking current weather, access and conditions, and for choosing water within your own competence.
Three ways to use these locations
Paddle independently
Use the practical information, sort your own licence, access and conditions, and go. Where our hire boards genuinely suit the water, we say so — and where suitability depends on you, the conditions and the route, we say that instead.
Paddleboard hire in Surrey →Learn there with SHACADEMY
Private 1:1 SUP coaching with Skip — focused, individual instruction for nervous beginners, people wanting to learn quickly, technique improvement, journey skills and confidence. Coaching can be arranged at these locations where access and conditions allow.
Coaching here is person-centred: a few clear technical changes, better decisions, and preparation for the objective you actually have.
Private SUP coaching in Surrey →Train for something bigger
Race, adventure, journey and expedition preparation with Skip, built around your objective rather than a syllabus. Two of these rivers were part of his own Yukon training.
SUP races & challenges →Coaching & pricing →Right kit. Right clothing. Right location. Right weather. Before you get on the water, do a WATER check.
This page is planning guidance written from experience — it is not a live conditions assessment. Water levels, flow, tides, weather, access points and permissions all change, and published distances, durations and rules can be revised at any time. Check current official guidance and the state of the water on the day, and make your own decision about whether to go.
We recommend straightforward inland paddles for self-guided trips. For tidal, coastal or more technical water, use local knowledge.