7 places to go stand-up paddleboarding in Wales
With its secluded mountain lakes and world-famous coastline, Wales is full of incredible spots to try stand-up paddleboarding.
Otherwise known as SUP, this relaxing, accessible sport is growing in popularity year-on-year. And it’s not hard to see why! Within a few minutes, you can be upright on your board and paddling away, the stresses of daily life melting away with each stroke.
Here are 7 of the best places to give stand-up paddleboarding a go in Wales!
Snowdonia
With over 800 square miles of unspoilt wilderness to explore, Snowdonia National Park offers tranquility and isolation unlike anywhere else in Wales. Home to Wales’ largest lakes, the park’s rolling landscape is stand-up paddleboarding paradise.
Situated on the northern edge of the park, Ride North offers premium 3-metre stand-up paddleboards for hire. They’re within easy reach of some of Snowdonia’s best SUP spots, including Bala Lake, the largest natural lake in Wales. For an extra special adventure, rent a board for a few hours and enjoy a stunning sunset paddle.
Aberystwyth
Sitting on the central Welsh coast, Aberystwyth is a delightful university town with a thriving arts and music scene. Its position overlooking Cardigan Bay gives visitors miles of sheltered coastline to explore on a stand-up paddleboard.
Local watersports school AberAdventures offer SUP lessons and wetsuit hire for kids and big kids alike. Their tailored approach means each session is adapted to suit your needs. So whether you’re looking for an epic coastal adventure or just a relaxing hour’s paddling, they’ve got you covered.
Llandegfedd Reservoir
Constructed in the 1960s to provide water for a growing Cardiff, Llandegfedd lake is set in the beautiful rolling landscape of Monmouthshire, South Wales. Now a haven for birds, walkers, and watersports enthusiasts, it’s a blissful spot for paddling, thanks to its calm waters and abundance of wildlife.
Llandegfedd Visitor Centre is open year-round, and offers paddleboards for hire to explore the lake at your own pace. The centre also runs guided weekend SUP yoga sessions, as well as unique jumbo paddleboards, allowing 4-8 people to paddle together. All aboard!
Cardiff
Enjoying a city break doesn’t have to mean missing out on adventure! As well as being one of the UK’s most vibrant cities, Cardiff’s position on the coast makes it an ideal city for some urban paddleboarding.
Perched right on the waterfront, Cardiff International White Water houses a world-class white water rafting course that was used by athletes in training for the 2012 Olympics. The centre also runs regular stand-up paddleboarding sessions in Cardiff Bay. Their dedicated women's SUP lessons which will get you afloat and paddling in no time, whilst a spot of SUP yoga is sure to help you unwind on the open water!
Pembrokeshire
Jutting out from the tip of South West Wales, Pembrokeshire is home to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, which runs along its remarkable coastline. The county is brimming with fantastic spots to enjoy stand-up paddleboarding.
Nestled inland in the foothills of the Preseli Mountains, Llys-Y-Fran Reservoir is a peaceful nature reserve which supplies water to most of Pembrokeshire. You can hire SUP boards year round from the recently refurbished Llys-Y-Fran Visitor Centre, open year-round.
If it’s a coastal adventure you’re after, head to the iconic seaside town of Tenby for a lesson with local enthusiast Monty from SUP Sessions. Monty offers family-friendly lessons direct from Tenby’s South Beach; he also sells SUP and surfing equipment for those looking to take on the sport more permanently.
Swansea
The historic waterfront city of Swansea is the second-largest in Wales, and offers miles of gorgeous coastline to explore. The local Swansea SUP Club is a friendly and enthusiastic club which caters to all ages and abilities.
With nearly a decade’s experience of SUP racing at the elite level, the club’s head coach Emily King has been consistently one of the top SUP athletes. She is currently the GB SUP Technical Series Race Champion in the 12’6” category.
Whether you are looking to learn the basics, fine tune your technique, or push on to the elite level, Emily’s proven coaching methods and SUP experience will help you to transform your paddling and achieve your goals.
Colwyn Bay
The iconic resort of Colwyn Bay sits on Wales’ wild north coast, where the foothills of Snowdonia meet the sea. The town has become one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, thanks to its classic seaside vibes and rugged coastline.
Môr SUPs offers SUP lessons and boards for hire from Colwyn Bay’s iconic beach. Run by local enthusiast John, Môr also sells all the latest watersports gear from their store, which looks out over the sea from the promenade.
From the lakes of Snowdonia to the Pembrokeshire coast, Wales is full of incredible landscapes to explore by SUP. We hope this article has inspired you to explore all that this fantastic country has to offer, one stroke at a time!
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