Do I need a licence to paddleboard on the River Mole?

Go Paddling's licensing information for the Mole indicates that no waterway licence is required. That is not a guarantee of access at every launch or egress point — much of the bank is private land, so establish access for your intended route and check the current licensing position yourself.

Is the River Mole good for beginners?

We would not recommend it as a beginner river. It is technical and skills-dependent, with trees, weirs, strainers and shallows, and water levels materially change the difficulty. The River Wey is the better starting point.

What skills does the River Mole require?

Reliable board control, line choice, hazard reading, clean portaging and a dependable self-rescue matter more here than fitness does.

When is the River Mole paddleable?

It depends entirely on water level, which changes quickly with rainfall. Too low and much of it is a wade; too high and flow through trees becomes a serious hazard. Check the level and the current hazard information before every trip.

Paddleboarding the River Mole

Advanced / technicalSurrey — Surrey Hills and the Mole valley

Best for: Confident paddlers · Board-control skills · River reading · Short technical days

Coaching: Available here where access and conditions allow. Hire: Suitability depends on paddler, conditions and route.

Paddleboards on the bank of the narrow, tree-lined River Mole in Surrey

I have paddled the Mole a fair amount, and it is the river on this page I would be most careful about recommending.

It is close to home for us in the Surrey Hills, and on the right day it is genuinely good paddling. It is also narrow, wooded and level-dependent, and it changes character far more than the Wey does.

At a glance

Skill level: Advanced / technical
Water type: Narrow, wooded natural river — weirs, strainers and shallows
Typical use: Short technical sessions, board control and river-reading development
Licence / access: Go Paddling's licensing information indicates no licence is required — but that is not access at every point
Coaching: Suited to skills coaching for capable paddlers — where access and conditions allow
Hire: Conditional — not an automatic fit for our hire boards

Paddle UK's PaddlePoints page for the Mole maps launches, public routes and a long list of known hazards, alongside current licensing information. Read the hazard list before you plan anything.

Go Paddling (Paddle UK) — River Mole &nearr;

Who this suits

This is technical, skills-dependent paddling. Confident board control, an honest self-rescue, and the ability to read what is in front of you all matter more here than fitness does.

If you are still working on staying settled and turning the board reliably, the Wey is the better place to build that first.

Confident paddlers with reliable board control.
People developing river-reading and manoeuvring.
Short, technical sessions rather than long mileage.
Paddlers happy to portage, and happy to abandon a plan.

Why paddle here

The Mole makes you paddle actively. Tight lines, trees, shallow sections and obstructions mean constant small decisions, and it develops board control and awareness far quicker than open water does.

It is also unmistakably a Surrey Hills river — small, close, and quietly good company on the right day.

Constant, active paddling rather than cruising.
Excellent for board control and river-reading development.
Local Surrey paddling, without a long drive.

Good sections to explore

We are deliberately not prescribing launch and egress points on the Mole. Access here is patchy and often informal, and a route that works at one water level is a walk or a hazard at another. Use Paddle UK's own mapping as the starting point and make your own judgement.

Work from the Paddle UK map, not from a blog
A handful of mapped public routes and a long hazard list — approximate
Paddle UK's PaddlePoints page for the Mole maps launches, a small number of public routes and a substantial number of recorded hazards. That ratio tells you most of what you need to know about this river: there is more to avoid here than there is to follow.
Go Paddling — River Mole &nearr;
Short sections, inspected on the day
A few miles at a time — approximate
The way I paddle the Mole is in short sections, with the water level checked first and a willingness to get out and look. Trees come down, weirs change, and a section that ran cleanly last spring may not this year. Anything longer is a committing day with limited escape options.
Paddle UK — safety and planning guidance &nearr;

Rules, access and licence

Go Paddling's licensing information for the Mole indicates that no waterway licence is required. That is not the same as a right to be on the water at every point, or a right to cross land to get to it — much of the bank is private, and access to and from the river is the part you have to establish yourself.

So: no licence to buy, but real homework to do. Check the current licensing section rather than relying on this page, and treat launch and egress as permissions to confirm rather than assume.

Go Paddling indicates no waterway licence is required — verify the current position yourself.
No licence does not mean access everywhere; much of the bank is private land.
Establish launch and egress permissions for your specific plan.
Paddle UK membership is still the sensible route to insurance and guidance.

Conditions that change the paddle

Water level is the dominant factor here, and it moves quickly. Too low and much of the river is a scrape and a wade; too high and the flow through trees turns strainers into a serious hazard rather than an inconvenience. The window in between is narrower than people expect.

The hazards themselves also change between visits. Fallen trees, weirs and blockages are a feature of this river, not an exception, which is why the hazard list is the part of the route information that matters most.

Water level: too low is a wade, too high is a different and more serious river.
Recent rainfall — the Mole responds quickly to it.
Fallen trees and strainers, which change between visits.
Weirs and blockages needing portages, sometimes awkward ones.
Limited escape options on some sections.

Skip’s take

First-hand experience and personal opinion — not a conditions assessment

The Mole is the one I enjoy and would still hesitate to recommend. It asks for skills and judgement more than fitness, and it does not forgive a casual approach.

Having paddled it a fair amount, my honest advice is to get properly capable somewhere easier first — then come here and enjoy it for what it is.

The level is everything. I have turned up, looked at it, and gone home, and that was the right call both times.

What to know before you go

Read the hazard information, check the level, and go with the expectation that you may portage more than you paddle. Be prepared to change the plan or abandon it.

We do not publish exact launch and egress recommendations for this river, because access is patchy and we are not going to send people onto land or water we cannot vouch for.

Level and recent rainfall checked before you commit.
Current hazard information read, not skimmed.
Quick-release belt leash — never an ankle leash on moving water.
Helmet worth considering where trees and weirs are involved.
Ideally not alone, and someone told where you are going.

Coaching here with SHACADEMY

Private 1:1 coaching with Skip can be arranged on the Mole where access and conditions allow, and it works best for paddlers who already have the basics and want to become genuinely capable in moving, awkward water.

Sessions here concentrate on board control, line choice, reading hazards, portaging cleanly and recovering calmly — the skills that make bigger journeys realistic.

Board control and manoeuvring in tight water.
Reading hazards and choosing lines.
Portages, recovery and staying composed.

Private SUP coaching →Enquire about coaching here →

Hire for this route

I would not describe our hire boards as an automatic fit for the Mole. On technical, level-dependent water, suitability depends on the paddler, the conditions and the route you intend to paddle.

If you know the river and your own limits, hire can work. If you do not yet, coaching is the sensible first step — and the Wey is the better place to build the skills.

See paddleboard hire →

Common questions

Do I need a licence to paddleboard on the River Mole?: Go Paddling's licensing information for the Mole indicates that no waterway licence is required. That is not a guarantee of access at every launch or egress point — much of the bank is private land, so establish access for your intended route and check the current licensing position yourself.
Is the River Mole good for beginners?: We would not recommend it as a beginner river. It is technical and skills-dependent, with trees, weirs, strainers and shallows, and water levels materially change the difficulty. The River Wey is the better starting point.
What skills does the River Mole require?: Reliable board control, line choice, hazard reading, clean portaging and a dependable self-rescue matter more here than fitness does.
When is the River Mole paddleable?: It depends entirely on water level, which changes quickly with rainfall. Too low and much of it is a wade; too high and flow through trees becomes a serious hazard. Check the level and the current hazard information before every trip.

Before you set out

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.

Useful sources

Other locations

River Wey
The best of the three for beginners and improving paddlers. Sheltered navigation water through Surrey, from Godalming to the Thames.
River Arun
Tidal water that rewards planning and punishes assumption. Progression and adventure-training paddling, not a casual beginner day out.

All paddling locations →