Places to Paddle Board or Kayak
Explore The Jurassic Coast
The below are suggestions only and must be risk assessed by you, please refer to our terms and conditions for clarification.
The idea behind our boards and kayaks is that you can grab them and go, to appreciate our stunning coastline from the best vantage point – the water!
We have listed some of our favourite options below:
Regardless of weather – Litton Lakes and the River Brit offer the best options in poor conditions. However, some bays are possibly still doable, have a read through all our options to get to know them.
Nestled into the beautiful Bride Valley you can find this truly idyllic family run campsite, lake and cafe. Used frequently by wild swimmers and paddle boarders all year round the lake’s crystal clear waters offer a secluded and safe spot for you to get onto the water regardless of the wind!
Once you finish your fun on the water, enjoy a coffee and slice of delicious homemade cake at the lakeside cafe or lunch by way of a pre-prepared picnic to be enjoyed in these special surroundings.
A small launching fee must be paid at the time of booking via their website.
Start this idyllic river cruise at West Bay and paddle the two miles up to the brewery in Bridport. Once again sheltered from high winds this route winds up through local farmers fields giving the opportunity to spot wildlife,take all this in at your own pace. Any members of the group on foot can take the footpath and meet you at your destination.
Inflate your boards and launch either from the slipway in between kiosks or over the small bridge past Rise cafe into the field. About 100 meters up there is a break in the river bank where it is great to launch from. On your way back you can always pull in near to Rise for a drink or bite to eat!
River Brit River Cruise
Wareham River
The place BBSUP was born! This idyllic local beach can’t be beaten when the conditions are right. Simply mess about in the water in front of you while enjoying a day on the beach or if you fancy more of a challenge, pack a waterproof bag and paddle along the coast to your right (when looking out to sea) where you will first reach Freshwater. Here lies a small beach on Burton Bradstock side of the river that often offers more quiet surroundings due to its less accessible location.
Keep on paddling and you will reach West Bay where you can enjoy any number of places to eat or drink – talk to us about the best places. When the evening draws in, appreciate the sunset with freshly caught Mackerel on the bbq, a cold beer or glass of wine in hand!
Hive Beach, Burton Bradstock
West Bay
There are two options here, the River Brit cruise mentioned above or the sea!
If you’re going for the sea then simply paddle around in the water in front of you or if you fancy a bit more of a mission then paddle right to Eype where you will find a couple of options for food or go left to Freshwater beach and onto Burton Bradstock.
Eype
Charmouth & Lyme Regis
When the weather’s more questionable Charmouth & Lyme Regis offer more protection and with the added security of shallower waters they are more popular with families. Charmouth however does have some rocky reefs just under the waterline (tide dependent) whereas the main beach at Lyme Regis doesn’t have this issue.
Lyme also offers the benefit of many local artisan coffee shops and local traders as well as an abundance of good pubs and places to eat that are all within easy access of the beach! Charmouth’s couple of pubs and few shops are more of a walk from the beach.
If it’s a day out you’re after then Lyme offers more in terms of things to do and see, check out the rock pools on the Monmouth beach at low tide, always a favourite of the youngsters!
Heading up the coast in the opposite direction, the first destination ideal for paddle boarding you will reach is Weymouth.
Weymouth offers very shallow waters with lovely sandy beaches, again because of the location and depth of the waters here it doesn’t succumb to higher winds as much as other beaches in the area. Weymouth does tend to be much busier mainly due to the close locations of various holiday parks and campsites.
If it’s a more secluded paddle you’re after than this can be found at the upper end of the beach from the harbour or the Preston end. Here you will find a smaller area mainly populated by the locals with a good local cafe on the hill from which fine views of the bay can be appreciated.
Weymouth
Ringstead Bay
Durdle Door is one of Dorset’s most photographed and iconic landmarks. It is part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and is an extremely popular beauty spot.
Access to the pebble and shingle beach is on foot via a path and steps over the hill from Lulworth Cove or down from the Car Park which is located on the cliff top at Durdle Door Holiday Park. There is a 20 minute walk along a steep downhill path, plus a further 143 steps down onto the beach.
This is an absolutely fantastic spot, however, if crowds are not your thing then avoid this during peak times. Durdle Door is definitely worth seeing, Paddling or not! It’s one of our top places but our advice would be to either go very early and appreciate a sunrise or go later and appreciate a sunset to avoid the huge crowds this place attracts and make a more special experience of it.
Durdle Door
Lulworth Cove
Just up the coast from Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove offers sheltered swimming and paddling, not quite as popular as Durdle Door, it’s a good bet for a day on the beach.
Feeling fit?! A walk back over the cliffs will take you to Durdle Door, people often park at Lulworth and make the journey by foot to take in some of the fantastic views on offer.
A great place to get on the board because of the shelter, on a calm day you can paddle out around the bay to take in the coast from the water.
There are plenty of places for food and drink within walking distance from the beach.
