TOP 10 PLACES TO PADDLE BOARD IN LA, CALIFORNIA

We round up our favourite places to paddle in the city.

1. MARINA DEL REY - Best for a family day out.

2. MALIBU SURFRIDERS BEACH - Best for small beach break.

3. VENICE CANALS - Best for city views.

4. LATIGO BEACH, MALIBU - Best for scenic shoreline.

5. BIG BEAR LAKE - Best for a long weekend.

6. Abalone cove beach - Best for clear waters.

7. PYRAMID LAKE - Best for SUP fishing.

8. NEWPORT BAY - Best for gaping at yachts.

9. DANA POINT - Best for relaxed SoCal spirit.

10. CHANNEL ISLANDS - best for a real adventure.

2.  MALIBU SURFRIDERS BEACH 

The surf riders beach in Malibu is a sandy beach that is popular among surfers for its long right hand surf break. In fact the Surfrider beach is one of the pioneer places of American surf and the Adamson House and Malibu Lagoon Museum resides there. The beach offers decent consistent waves and is usually packed with surfers. If you are just learning to SUP surf this isn’t the place to come, but if you are experienced you’ll really enjoy what the Malibu break has to offer. Malibu farm has a restaurant at the end of the pier that overlooks the break for a post surf feed and the spot is excellent for bird watching.

3. VENICE CANALS 

Weave through the Venice Canals by paddle board and embrace the serene vibes as you feel like you’ve escaped the busy city streets. You’ll have to bring your own board to the canals as there are no rental shops close by but access is easy at Venice Boulevard. The houses that line the canals are quirky and fun and offers shelter to the water making it a great place for an easy paddle. Paddle boarding is probably the best way to see the canals and feel like you're exploring in Italy. Post paddle you're not far away from Salt and Straw for ice cream on Abbot Kinney.

4. LATIGO BEACH, MALIBU 

About three miles North of Malibu Pier is Latigo beach. Its best to find parking on the Pacific Coast Highway and walk down the tight staircases onto the beach, avoid Latigo Shore Drive as the locals are good at protecting their neighbourhood and you could end up with an unexpected ticket. The beach offers good swell off the point break at certain times of the year and tends to be less crowded than Surfrider beach. The waves here are gentle and rolling and can offer some nice long surfs, which make it a good place to develop your skills. The point also offers some shelter to the beach and protects it from wind coming up the coast. When there’s no swell take your paddle board out and enjoy the stunning scenic shoreline, marvel at the luxury beachfront houses, catch a glimpse of some wildlife and paddle up to the west end at low tide and check out the tide pools.

5. BIG BEAR LAKE 

Big Bear Lake is a short drive East of Los Angeles nestled in the mountains it is subject to the four seasons throughout the year which makes it a change from the sweltering consistent weather down in the city. There are rentals available at the lake or you can bring your own paddle board, but be aware you will need to purchase a permit before paddling and your board needs to be inspected to ensure it’s not been contaminated in other water systems for a week prior. Big Bear Lake is the perfect location for a weekend getaway with family or friends with heaps of lake to explore and plenty of activities to do off the water as well as on. Pack your fishing rod and reel in a freshwater catch or simply explore the ample mountain shoreline. After you’ve spent a weekend at Big Bear you’ll feel relaxed and reset heading back to the city.

6. Abalone cove beach 

You can access the Abalone Cove Beach besides the parking at Abalone Cove Shoreline Park. You can paddle from Abalone Cove around Portuguese Point and Inspiration Point to Portuguese Bend where you’ll pass through the gorgeous coves. You’ll have a good view of Santa Catalina Island and the caves at the base of Portuguese Point at low tide. The water at Abalone is beautiful and clear and there are tide pools to explore around the points too. Paddle boarding is the best way to see the coast, you won’t have to deal with the riff riff of the holiday makers on the trails. After your session you can explore the Abalone Cove Reserve.

7. PYRAMID LAKE

Pyramid lake is a reservoir located in Santa Clarita and is named after the pyramid shaped rock that was carved out by engineers building the reservoir. It is a large lake situated between towering mountains with plenty coastline to explore. The lake itself is usually fairly quiet and its known for its good fishing and picnic spots, include 5 picnic areas only accessible by boat or paddleboard! You can easily spend a day here getting lost in the different forks of the lake.

9. DANA POINT

Dana Point is located along the Orange County coast and has easy access via state highway route 1. Dana Point is known as the whale watching capital of the west so keep your eyes peeled here for sighting. Head out towards sunset to watch the sun disappear behind the iconic southern Californian cliffs. There is a relaxed SoCal spirit about the place and Strands beach attracts surfers looking to improve their skills on the perfectly formed rolling waves. Head to the harbour for a spot of paddle board yoga or explore the coastline and the Dana Point caves. Californias first surf shop was opened at Dana point in 1954 and the famous surf film ‘The Endless Summer’ was produced there.

10. CHANNEL ISLANDS

The Channel Islands of California consist of five islands: Santa Cruz, Anacapa, Santa Rosa, Santa Barbara, and San Miguel. You can take a boat over to the islands or its a half hour flight. Once there you will be greeted by untouched national park. The best way to explore the islands is by paddle board or kayak. Why not make it an adventure and pack some overnight gear and camp out at the designated camp spots around the coast, there are plenty of hiking trails you can access and caves to explore. It’s worth doing some research before you go to find out where you are allowed to camp. Experienced paddlers may want to paddle between the islands, to do this you’ll need to be equipped with a VHF marine radio.

Think we missed a location from our top 10? Leave your favourite place to paddle board in the comments.