There is no requirement to passed a test or demonstrate a certain standard of competence before you’re allowed to SUP.
You can literally buy a paddleboard having never been in the water before, launch it off a beach and get going. However just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. There are many safety and access reasons why you should think twice before heading out by yourself. The RNLI are reporting ever increasing numbers of inexperienced paddleboarders needing rescue, and there have now been five paddleboarding fatalities in UK water in the last two years.
We recommend having at least one lesson from an instructor, or paddling with a SUP club before you paddle by yourself.
Check out our recommended by McConks maps to find a qualified and trusted instructor close to you
If you’re going to be anywhere where there is flow (estuaries, rivers, tidal races), the standard ankle leash that comes with most boards could kill you. There have been numerous fatalities caused by entrapment due to ankle leashes. If you don’t know why this is a risk, you’re probably not yet ready to paddle on flowing water. If you do know why, buy a quick release waist belt, and practice using it.
There is currently a UK wide campaign to make quick release waist belts mandatory at the point of sale. Find out why here.
Here’s a great video from the inspirational CAL Major for the Water Skills Academy (one of the four SUP training organisations that offer accredited training courses)
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Check the weather and tide information. Never paddle in open water (sea, large lake) if offshore winds are forecast, and never be on or in water if lightening is forecast.
When you first get on the water, check the wind, flow and tide, and just paddle about for a couple of mins to see which is the most difficult direction to paddle in. Then paddle in that direct for 5 minutes just to make sure you can beat the conditions. If you can’t, leave it for another day. If you ever need to ask yourself the question ‘is it safe to paddle today?’ then the answer is probably no!
There’s so much we can’t tell you on a blog post. But there are lots of great instructors who can. If you’re near to us in the Cotswolds, Rapid Skills do a really good SUP safety awareness course aimed at beginners. It’s dirt cheap, but will get you on the water with everything you need to know to be safe. If you’re not in our neck of the woods, check the recommended by McConks page to find an instructor you can trust close to you.
That depends where your paddling, and there is often no straightforward answer. We’ve broken it down into different paddle environments below.
No. There are no access restrictions to paddling on our coast. Some areas are no go areas because they’re MOD firing ranges, but it’s generally impossible to find yourself one without knowing it’s there!
Obviously you’re not going to go out on open water without the right safety gear or without checking the weather, tides and surf. But just as a reminder, we’ve provided a few links to useful resources below.
No. All rivers from the estuary up to the tidal limit have a historic Public Right of Navigation (PRN), and no licence is needed. Any OS maps shows the normal tidal limit below which there is public access. In strict legal terms, the PRN extends to the natural tidal limit, not the normal tidal limit, so sometimes can continue way above the tidal limit marked on OS maps if the normal tidal limit is formed by a manmade barrier such as a weir. The normal tidal limit is clearly defined on a map as shown below. Tidal rivers have a thick blue line defining their extent, and the upper tidal limit is normally marked with NTL as shown below.
The magic.gov.uk site is a useful one for viewing OS maps if you don’t have a physical OS map to hand. You can also use it to check the conservation status of any river you want to paddle. If the river or estuary is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Special Protection Area (SPA), or Special Area of Conservation (SAC), you might want to check with the conservation body (Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, or Scottish Natural Heritage) to check on conservation restrictions.
Please note. You should not paddle on tidal waters unless you are using a quick release safety belt/leash. A coiled or straight ankle leash has killed people on flowing water.
As above, no. All estuaries are tidal waters and therefore have a PRN. However, they may be subject to some restrictions from a Port Authority – normally if it’s a harbour or major shipping zone. These would usually cover fees for launching in these area, or restrictions covering safety for small craft, especially in major shipping areas. Before heading to an estuary or coastal location you are unfamiliar with please check to make sure the waters you wish to paddle are not covered by a Port Authority using the link below.
Please note. You should not paddle on tidal waters unless you are using a quick release safety belt/leash. A coiled or straight ankle leash has killed people on flowing water.
If you’re in Scotland, then all Scottish rivers have a public rights navigation. Therefore you can paddle on any Scottish river without licence or restriction. Yay for Scotland!
If you’re in England and Wales then it’s not quite as straightforward.
One interpretation of the law is that there is a public right of navigation on all flowing water (1). Therefore, as long as there is public access to the river through a public footpath or bridleway, then you have the right of navigation using any vessel – including paddleboards and canoes. However, this PRN is contested by landowners, in particular those with lucrative angling rights. And this can lead to angry standoffs between paddlers and landowners/anglers. Therefore it’s probably best to stick to waterways with a confirmed or agreed access.
As British Canoeing say:
“Of the 42,700 miles of inland waterways in England, only 1,400 miles can be paddled uncontested – that is a mere 4% of what is available. Paddlers are subject to challenge or dispute over their right to be on the water. The 4% of waterways is largely made up of canals and ‘managed navigations’ (such as the Wye and the Severn).”
To paddle the 1,400 miles that are uncontested, then you need a licence from the respective authorities that manage those waterways. As there are multiple authorities (Canal and River Trust, Broadland Authority, Environment Agency and many more!), the easiest way to ensure you have the appropriate licence is to Join British Canoeing. Membership of British Canoeing gives the authority to paddle nearly all of the waterways where paddling access is agreed (and a plausible deniability for all other waterways – you won’t be the first paddler to say “but I’ve got British canoeing membership. I thought I was allowed to paddle here?”
The answer is a clear yes in England and Wales. The Canal and River Trust (CRT) manage and maintain the vast majority of the canals, and you require a licence from CRT. Membership from British Canoeing and Water Skills Academy both include a CRT Licence.
There are also a number of abandoned waterways that still have water in them (still in water as the occupants of the cut say). We can’t guarantee that all of the waterways at the link below are in water, but you can have fun finding out!
Well, you can just rock up at the places you’ve seen people paddle, and ask to paddle with them. Most SUP boarders are very friendly! Alternatively, you can find your nearest SUP club or group. Sup clubs or groups are great ways of paddling with others, of picking up useful hints and hacks, and trying other boards and paddles.
Unlike other countries, there is no regulation or law that means that you have to wear a PFD. However, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t. We always recommend an appropriate PFD for the environment you’re paddling in.
Cold water shock is a killer. Even in the height of summer, sudden immersion in cooler water (sea, lake or river), can cause a number of physiological responses that can kill you, unless you know they’re coming. Taking 5 minutes to watch this video from the RNLI might just save your life
