Northern Ireland is a paradise for water lovers. It’s surrounded on three sides by the sea, where beautiful coastlines provide an ever changing vista of cliffs and beaches, inlets and islands. Inland, you’ll find the biggest lake in the UK, Lough Neagh, and many other smaller - but no less - spectacular lakes. To discover these wonders, we can’t think of a better activity than paddleboarding.

If you haven’t heard of it, you’re probably not alone. This sport has come from nowhere to become the coolest way to enjoy rivers, lakes and coastal waters across the globe, and Northern Ireland is no exception. The secret to its popularity is its simplicity: you just need a large, buoyant board and a long paddle to get going, and you can pick up the technique quickly. Once you’ve found your feet on the Stand-Up Paddleboard, or SUP, you can start exploring at your leisure!

Where are the best places to go Stand Up paddleboarding in Northern Ireland?

• Around Belfast: The capital city of Northern Ireland sits on the River Lagan, where it meets the sea in Belfast Lough. On the South side of this inlet, you can go paddleboarding from Bangor Marina and enjoy the sheltered waters, or further around the coast at Donaghadee, which is a popular destination for tourists and seabirds. On the North side of the Lough is Islandmagee peninsula where you can see the Scottish coast from a paddleboard on a clear day. The largest lake in the British Isles, Lough Neagh, is also within easy reach of the capital, and you can find SUP experiences at Aghalee, or Ballyronan on the far side.

• Southeast: County Down boasts some of the prettiest coastal scenery in the country, and paddleboarding is a great way to enjoy it. Strangford Lough, linked to the sea by a narrow channel, is a great place for a paddle, populated with over 70 islands and abundant wildlife. Inland, there are lakes such as Castlewellan and Camlough which offer SUP serenity in beautiful surroundings.

• Southwest: While there’s nothing as big as Lough Neagh, there’s an impressive lake system in County Fermanagh which covers a third of the total area. If you want to explore this watery landscape, there’s nothing better than a paddleboard. Lough Erne and Lough Macnean, on the border with the Republic of Ireland, are particularly rewarding places for a SUP excursion.

• Northwest: The wild Atlantic coast of Northern Ireland is the stuff of fantasy. The producers of the Game of Thrones TV series certainly thought so, choosing several locations in the area to represent parts of Westeros. And paddleboarding into the waves and under the cliffs is a dreamlike experience. The best coastal SUP experiences are around Coleraine and Portrush, while you can give it an urban twist by paddling down the River Foyle in the city of Londonderry.

What are the options for organising an experience?

The first thing to consider when planning a paddleboarding experience is whether you want to do it on a lake, a river or the ocean. You can expect to enjoy different scenery on these, but you've also got to take into account that in coastal waters you’ll have to deal with waves. This is especially true on the Atlantic coast around towns like Portrush which are popular destinations for surfers, and incoming swells can make controlling a SUP difficult. Lakes will almost always be calmer, and so will sheltered areas of the coast like Belfast Lough, while rivers don’t have waves but can have tidal movements or currents.

Once you’ve chosen your destination, you have to think about the kind of session that’s right for you. If you’re a first time paddleboarder, it’s best to take a lesson. An enthusiastic instructor will introduce you to the equipment and get you practising the paddling techniques before you get your feet wet. But once you’re ready to go, you’ll take to it like a duck to water. Over the course of a lesson, which typically lasts 1.5 or 2 hours, you’ll get the hang of controlling the board and be ready to take part in some games by the end. Lessons are great for beginners, but for those who have some experience on a SUP the ideal choice is a tour. Taking a tour means that you’re guaranteed to see the best of what Northern Ireland has to offer, whether that’s a sunset tour up the River Quoile from Bangor, a paddle around the islands and monuments of Strangford Lough, or tidal powered trip up the River Foyle in Londonderry.

But SUP isn’t just about paddling, there are a million and one ways to modify and enhance the experience. In Northern Ireland, there are a couple of innovative ways to enjoy paddleboarding. The first is SUP Yoga, where you practise a mind-and-body workout whilst floating in the middle of a lake. The other is less serene and more exciting: it uses an oversized paddleboard, known as a Monster SUP or Dragon SUP (like a dragon boat), which can support up to 8 people. Work together to race through the water, or mess around with your mates, this is a load of fun whichever direction you take it in.

Requirements to do this activity

Unlike other watersports like surfing or sailing, you don’t need to be a pro to enjoy SUP. The simple technique means that people of all ages and abilities can get involved. In fact, it’s a great activity to enjoy as a family. You can spice up your holiday in Northern Ireland with a paddleboarding lesson with the kids, or even the grandparents. The only requirement is that you can handle the equipment. Children as young as 10 can usually use a paddle correctly, but if you’ve got a particularly tall son or daughter who happens to be under 10 years old, they should be fine too. To take part in a tour, you need to be able to keep up with the group, so these are best for older paddleboarders or those who’ve done it before. We have to mention that you will almost certainly fall in at some point. Don’t worry, you’re not going to hurt yourself, but some familiarity in the water is a bonus.

Try it once, and you’ll keep coming back for more. If you don’t believe us, make yourself a booking today!