North Yorkshire is the largest county in England, and, with two national parks -the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors - as well as a network of rivers and lakes and the beautiful North Sea coast, there are plenty of places to enjoy paddleboarding. If you’ve never done it before, or even if you’ve never heard of it, it’s about time that you had a go at stand up paddleboarding, or SUP as it’s also known. The large, buoyant board is easy to control as you take to the water, and is a craft that you can use both for travelling around and for observing the surroundings in 360º.

But don’t take our word for it - you can ask any one of the huge number of people who’ve taken up paddle boating in the last couple of years. It’s the fastest growing watersport around and the most stylish way to enjoy rivers, lakes and coastal waters around the UK - and the world. North Yorkshire is an unmissable destination for first timers who want to be baptised into the SUP way of life, and experienced SUP users who are looking for stunning scenery, and innovative paddleboarding activities.

Where are the best places to go paddleboarding in North Yorkshire?

• Harrogate: Outside the fashionable town of Harrogate, a 14th century castle stands on a knoll above a lake. This is a fantasy location for paddleboarding, where you can take a tranquil tour around the shore or play games with your friends where you have to be the last one standing on your SUP. With full supervision from guides, even the most nervous participants will feel safe enough to enjoy this activity.

• Yorkshire Dales: The dales are a wonderful upland area, where you can drive for miles without passing another car, and explore for weeks without seeing everything. There are some SUP spots here that are true hidden gems. One of the best, but least visited, is Eavestone Lake, which is ringed by ancient woodland. Another great lake for paddleboarding is Semerwater, which most people only think of as a fishing lake. Finally, there’s the gentle River Swale, which winds its way through Reeth in the north of the National Park.

• Ellerton Lake: If you follow the Swale off the Dales and past Richmond, you reach a series of lakes which sit along its course. These are well established for watersports, but SUP is becoming one of the most popular activities in this natural beauty spot, whether it’s just for a quick paddle, or a mind and body treat of SUP yoga.

• River Ure: This is another river that flows off the Yorksire Dales and crosses the county towards the North Sea. There’s a great trip that you can make with the help of the current down the Ure, from Ripon to Boroughbridge. The current takes you through a peaceful landscape of agricultural fields and meadows, with bird song as the soundtrack.

• Scarborough: This is one of the most famous seaside resorts on the North Sea coast. It’s been a popular spot for surfers for decades, but now the waters are accessible to all because you can take a paddleboard from the beach and over the waves and take a tour along the shore and around the castle which separates the town’s two beaches. There’s also an inland lake, where you can enjoy SUP without worrying about waves and tides.

• Whitby: Further up the coast, Whitby is famous for being the port where Count Dracula makes landfall in Bram Stoker’s novel. We’re sure that there won’t be any vampires to spoil your paddleboarding trip here, but the striking coastline, including the ruins of the abbey on the clifftops, are a dramatic backdrop for a paddle - especially recommended at sunrise or sunset.

• Runswick Bay: Site of countless happy summer beach days, Runswick Bay is a timeless favourite on the North Sea coast, and with the addition of opportunities for SUP, it’s a must. Discover the beautiful coastline and forget your worries here!

• Further afield: If you like the idea of paddleboarding on a lake, you can’t go wrong by heading for the Lake District. The largest lakes in England are found here, and in their surfaces you can see reflections of the country’s highest peaks. Ullswater is a particularly good place to enjoy paddleboarding.

What are the options for organising an experience?

Paddleboarding is much easier to learn than other watersports like canoeing or surfing, and with just a lesson or two you can really get the hang of it and keep up with experienced SUP enthusiasts. A single lesson might last between 1.5 and 3 hours, in which time you’ll go from taking your first strokes of the paddle on your knees, to standing up confidently and getting involved in games and challenges. There are also tours that you can take in North Yorkshire, where you’ll improve your technique while seeing some of the beauty of this county. And SUP hire is also available in many locations, so you can enjoy the waterways in the way you want.

You can pick it up quickly, but you’ll never get bored of paddleboarding. In North Yorkshire there’s a huge variety of ways to enjoy SUP, from yoga sessions on the board, to SUP polo, a team sport that’s played on the water’s surface. Or you can organise an XL SUP session for you and your friends, where you all get onto a huge paddleboard and go on a wild ride across the water.

Requirements to do this activity

We want to make one thing crystal clear - paddleboarding is for everyone. People of all ages and abilities are welcome, and almost anyone who tries it will find it so rewarding that they won’t be able to wait to come back for more. Children too can easily pick up the technique needed to move around on a paddleboard, though in most centres in North Yorkshire, they’ll have to wait until they’re about 10 years old to find equipment which is suitable for them to use. Oh, and we almost forgot - you can even take your dog with you as a passenger on some tours!

So what are you waiting for? This is your chance to try your hand at the ultimate watersport.