Flat Water Favourites

For those of you who know me, you will know where my SUP passion likes first and foremost. Surfing. Whether in the ocean or on the river, the ultimate feeling I chase is charging down the line on a wave. It is the guiding force that leads me around the world, chasing my next surf fix.

Some of my most memorable times on a Stand Up Paddleboard have been sans wave and sans whitewater. The calmer waters on these trips enable me to experience some absolutely magical moments and see sights that only become attainable from the water. Each of the trips below truly re lit the fire which is my passion for SUP, in its many and varied forms.

Duncansby Stacks, Caithness

On a surf trip with Rich, who many people will have had their first introductions to SUP with us, on lessons in Moray and Nairn, we hit out first flat day, up on Scotland's North Shore. A plan was made to visit these enormous sea stacks which sit just south of John O'Groats. They are a truly impressive sight from the clifftops, jagged and huge. It is even more awe inspiring from the water itself. With thousands of sea birds nesting on the stacks and surrounding cliffs it is certainly not a quiet paddling destination. Diving, aggressive skuas add to the adrenalin. Even getting down to Stacks to paddle involved a super steep down climbs on a near vertical path. This was probably the scariest and most nerve wracking part of the operation, but, wow, the views and how tiny you felt paddling underneath these behemoths made it worth it.

Khor Hablyn, Oman

Spending my Winters working in the deserts, mountains and coastlines in the Middle East with Absolute Adventure and Paddle Surf Emirates, incredible landscapes abound. No where, for me, comes close however to the stunning landscape that is the Musandam peninsula in Oman. Know as the Fjords of Arabia, the peninsula (cut off from the rest of Oman, with a land border with the United Arab Emirates), picture Azure blue waters, now add sheer, vertical cliffs hundreds of feet high. It's a landscape that is truly mind blowing. The fact that the water temperature is in the mid twenties and just asking to be swum and snorkeled, only adds to it. On this particular trip, into one of the biggest Khors (an Arabic fjord), and one of its remotest, I stayed on a Dhow boat. The Dhow is a flat bottomed, traditional sail boat where you sleep on deck, underneath the stars. After each days paddling under huge cliffs and jumping in, just to cool down, the Dhow would be anchored up, the chef preparing a feast to eat, usually from freshly caught seafood, straight from the boat. Magical.

Visit www.adventure.ae and www.paddlesurfemirates.com 

Arbroath Sea Cliffs and Caves, Angus

On its day, on the right tide and the right conditions, one of my favourite paddle destinations is just a short drive away. Arbroath, on Scotland's East coast has its impressive sandstone sea cliffs just north of the town. The cliffs and it's bright red hues are impressive enough, but hidden inside the cliffs are some fantastic caves to explore. Some are huge caverns, some are tiny and tight, some become pitch black and eerie as you paddle in. Every time I go there, I discover more and learn more about this fascinating place.

For experienced Paddleboarder, we are happy to offer this as a bespoke trip, Contact us for more information.

Isla de Tarifa, Spain

I used to have the pleasure of working for Sam, the owner of our sister company, Paddle Surf Yorkshire, at his old kitesurf school in Tarifa, Andalusia. Tarifa has miles of golden sands, great surf and incredible views over to Tangier in Morocco. Africa sits just across the water, the Rif mountains look close enough to touch at times.Tarifa sits at the point where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea, giving up the opportunity for a unique paddle. Starting on the tiny Playa Chica beach, you paddle around the large teardrop shaped Isla de Tarifa. The cliffs sit atop some fantastic snorkeling opportunities as you paddle along. No matter the weather, the water becomes increasingly confused and choppy as you leave the Mediterranean and enter the Atlantic Ocean for the paddle along to the finish on Playa De Los Lances. The start and finish points are a mere 10 metres from each other, sitting either side of a narrow road isthmus connecting the island with the mainland. On the paddle you connect an ocean with a sea, while paddling around the southernmost point of mainland Europe, all the while, Africa glints across the water!.

Sam now runs www.paddlesurfyorkshire.com and is a wealth of knowledge on where to paddle in Andalusia as well as in Yorkshire.