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I just got one of those £99 Lidl/Mistral paddleboards at the weekend. The idea has gnawed at me every summer for years now so at that price I had to bite. (It seems it'd cost a significant amount more to get a better alternative, at least). Just got to pick up some PFDs and maybe swap the leg-leash for a waist one now... and find some water.
I'm reasonably handy on the water with kayaks and swimming, but generally my experience has been at sea (or in a municipal pool). And, I've watched some Youtube tutorials, so I feel confident that I'm an expert at these already. What I'd like to ideally do, the beach being a long way away, is find a quiet lake where me and my kid can muck about with an easy launch and just see how we get on casually. What I get when I google variants of "paddleboarding near London" is a lot of links to clubs and schools that go paddling on the Thames or the canal, which I'm not thoroughly against doing but isn't quite what I'm ideally picturing. Places like Brent Reservoir have clubs that again steer you to equipment hire and lessons. Is there anywhere you're allowed to just rock up and self-launch? I'm not averse to paying a small fee for the facilities if they're useful and may well seek out lessons and so on, just trying to be as casual about it as I can for now. But also am too impatient to wait til we next get near a beach and can time the weather/wind/tides with enough luck. Cheers if anybody's got some advice. I guess I'm trying to think of it like when I started in MTB around here and you could just rock up to Swinley/Peaslake and have a go.
That looks ideal! Apart from being a 90 minute drive each way, that is. I will shortlist it for sure.
There are quite a few ex-gravel pits/water sports centres out Sandhurst, Yately and Farnborough way but generally you have to pay for parking / use of their facilities. The further reaches of the Basingstoke Canal are quite quiet - Fleet, Church Crookham and Odiham have areas with parking with suitable put-ins or there is the Basingstoke Canal Centre in Farnborough where there is a cafe and toilets. You are supposed to have a permit for the canal but I never got checked in 30 years.
Place just off the a331 at Farnborough / Mytchett - £8 self launch
https://www.quayswatersports.co.uk/sup
What they said, Horsehoe lake near Sandurst, there's similar places dotted all over.
For 'free' access to lakes you'd need to go elsewhere to where there are lakes with public access. Might still need some permit/license though depending on where.
The in-between is to join paddle-UK (formerly British canoeing), it's ~£65 and gives you access to almost all canals and rivers in the UK.
Jubilee River from Datchet to Maidenhead?
If you’re specifically looking for a lake then I’m sure you can self launch at Bray Lake.
Head to Peasmarsh/Shalford just outside Guildford, see loads of paddle boarders parked up by the bridge over the river wey and they launch from there, not far from the Surrey hills so you could combine a MTB ride along with a paddle board
River Wey | Canoe | Kayak | SUP | Routes and Launches
Longside lake near Thorpe Park
Thanks all, I'd just discovered Bray and Horseshoe as well as potential contenders. It's unfortunate Ruislip Lido is still getting over the blue algae thing as that would've been another nearby option if they allowed it.
Definitely not averse to paying a bit for parking/showers/toilet facilities/permits convenience, I'm assuming we're likely to end up in the water at some point (which is another reason I'm not hugely enthused at the canal idea just yet! Although whether the lakes are that much better I don't really know). Paddle UK looks great if we get into it, my suspicion is that we'll more likely be a couple of times a year but who knows.
It's unfortunate Ruislip Lido is still getting over the blue algae thing as that would've been another nearby option if they allowed it.
ruislip lido has had a blue green algae issue since i moved here - the red flags may as well be painted on as they have been up for the last 15 years
I'm not hugely enthused at the canal idea just yet! Although whether the lakes are that much better I don't really know). Paddle UK looks great if we get into it, my suspicion is that we'll more likely be a couple of times a year but who knows.
If you're a not-rubbish swimmer I wouldn't discount rivers.
Yes you need to check a map and apply some common sense around weirs (i.e. follow the signs and go nowhere near them). It's easy on the Thames as it's navigable so there are great big motorway sized signs telling you which way to go towards the locks / portage.
Yes they move, but the Thames upstream of Henley is nothing like the tidal Thames. It might be exhausting for a kid to paddle against (or if there's a headwind) but for adults it's easy enough, just aim to paddle upstream first! They also have the advantage of riverside pubs so you can head somewhere for lunch and a beer rather than just splashing about in circles.
Or make an adventure of it, park in one town and get the train a few towns up river.
Rivers definitely sound fun once we've got confidence, it makes a better adventure I'm sure. A couple of years ago we did a short camp next to the Ouse near York and had a nice inflatable-kayak paddle up the river to a place for lunch and back, I could see us doing something like that again. We also have the potential option of my Mrs being a support vehicle driver for a one-way trip. I definitely need to assess if my kid's up to being more than a passenger first!
Well we had a go, Bray Lake was the closest so they got first attempt. £20 a craft to launch feels a bit steep though so I’m not sure we’ll be rushing back but in fairness they have a nice set of facilities and a very pretty lake.
My kid did not feel confident at all with the SUP, but luckily he was happy to paddle himself & mum around in the kayak while I got on with it. I’m almost disappointed to say I didn’t fall off even once.
Just south of M25 J10 on the southbound side of the A3 there is a lake thst used to be popular with people learning to windsurf.
ive not been there I. About 30 yesrs, so it may have changed. The great thing about it is that it is very shallow all the way across.
Had to suffer Smooth radio yesterday as was out for a drive with an old one in the car. Anyway, apparently Tina Hobley was off to do some paddleboarding after her show (I'm assuming she is in London).
Can't help but you could see if her show from today is available as she said yesterday she'd tell the listeners how the paddleboarding went...suspect she'll confirm where she was as well.
Westhorpe looks like a 35min drive in current conditions, that's pretty good! £12 per hour per craft could add up quickly though, these places seem almost randomly priced at times. We did about 3 hours at the weekend in 2x craft for our £40 and felt it was a bit steep, it'd be £72 here! Horseshoe Lake in Sandhurst £8 launch, £7 per additional person for a day, which would be £23 for us, probably be trying there next. It all makes me want to live in Wales again. Or at least by the sea somewhere. Like I say, don't mind paying a little for facilities and maybe there's a bit of insurance liability to cover but £72 for an afternoon with our own kit?!
M25 J10 looks like Bolder Mere if my map-reading is correct, closer to an hour's drive but would have the very large advantage of 'free' from the looks of things and my kid would appreciate the shallowness I'm sure. I think you're not allowed to kayak on it now though, I can only find a passing mention in 2016 on 'Song of the Paddle forum' where someone says it's not allowed anymore due to being a nature reserve.
Now, can I summon the mental fortitude to listen to Smooth FM?
Get an old person in the room and you'll be amazed at what you'll listen to!