The air is still, the water calm. The low, early morning sun casts your shadow far across the water’s surface. The only thing that blurs its outline is the soft splash of your paddle as you propel yourself on a tranquil journey of discovery. You’re living out your dream of experiencing stand up paddleboarding, or SUP, off the coast of West Sussex, or on one of the rivers that winds through this beautiful part of southern England.

What exactly is paddleboarding? This activity has really taken off in the past few years, but it’s still not quite a household name. Well, it’s just what it sounds like. You have a board, like a surfboard but longer, wider and thicker, to make it buoyant and stable enough to stand up on. And you have a paddle, long enough to reach the water from your upright position. With that simple equipment, you can take leisurely journeys through the water, have fun with friends, or turn up the intensity for a wet and wild adventure. West Sussex, with its variety of coastal and inland waterways, accessibility and high proportion of sunny days compared to other parts of the British Isles, is the perfect place to enjoy SUP. It doesn’t matter if it’s your first time, or your five hundredth time, you’re going to enjoy this experience.

Where are the best places to enjoy SUP in West Sussex?

• Chichester Harbour: The coastline on the border with Hampshire twists and turns in on itself to create the designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that is Chichester Harbour. Sheltered from the swells and waves of the sea, this is an important site for water birds such as plovers, redshanks and curlews, and a fantastic place to explore by paddleboard. You can find SUP schools and rental services at various points around the harbour, including Hayling Island, West Wittering and Emsworth. We should point out that this is a very popular area for sailing, but as long as everyone on the water treats others with respect, you shouldn’t have any issues with sharing the harbour.

• Chichester Canal: Another great option near Chichester,the only city in West Sussex, is the canal. There’s a beautiful oil painting by JMW Turner which shows a sailing ship passing between brilliantly coloured vegetation of the canal’s banks, with the silhouette of the Chichester cathedral in the background. If that sounds like a scene that you’d like to recreate, you can’t go wrong by taking a paddleboarding trip on this serene waterway.

• Bracklesham: Just outside the protection of Chichester Harbour, a beautiful sandy beach sits on the English Channel. As well as standard SUP, you can try your hand at a version of paddleboarding which deserves the label of extreme sport. Wing SUP involves swapping your paddle for an aerodynamic wing which you hold in the air above your head to catch the sea breeze. The power generated by the wing can take you speeding across the surface and even let you jump into the air! This is the only way to make a paddleboard fly. SUP surfing is also on offer - radical!

• Littlehampton to Shoreham-by-Sea: The coastline between the mouths of the Rivers Arun and Adur is characterised by an almost unbroken chain of beaches with towns that sit behind. Wherever you find yourself along the shore, whether in one of the bigger towns like Worthing or Littlehampton, or a smaller seaside resort like Goring or Lancing, you can find SUP lessons and hire. It’s easy to launch a paddleboard beyond the breakers on the beach, but if the waves are too big you can head for the River Adur and Shoreham and enjoy peaceful paddling.

• River Arun: It’s not just the beaches of West Sussex that are great for SUP. The River Arun is the only river that flows for its entire length through the South Downs National Park. Let the current take you on a tour of this charming river, through the green landscape between the towns of Stopham, Pulborough, and ancient Arundel where you can enjoy views of the castle without stepping off your paddleboard.

What are the options for organising an experience?

As we said earlier, paddleboarding is quickly becoming the watersport of choice in West Sussex and around the UK, so we know that you’ll be keen to get into the game. The good news is that beginners are well catered for here, with numerous SUP schools along the coast and inland offering beginners sessions. Unlike surfing, you don’t need to spend ages on the beach practising the movements, instead you can get onto the water pretty much straight away and start learning how to control the board. Over the course of maybe 1 hour or 2.5 hours, you’ll be confident enough to get around on a paddleboard.

Once you’ve got your balance on the back of a SUP, you can start experimenting with it. Why not explore the coast of Hayling island, paddle towards the cathedral on Chichester Canal or take a tour down the River Arun? You can get a guide to show you the best of what West Sussex has to offer on a trip that lasts anywhere from 3 hours to half a day.

But it’s not just getting from one place to another that makes paddleboarding an enjoyable activity. There are so many ways that you can enhance the experience, like catching the waves in a SUP surfing session, learning to harness the wind in Wing SUP, or having a laugh with your mates as you all try to stay aboard a Giant SUP or Mega SUP with space for up to 8 people! All of these adventures are available in West Sussex, as is the freedom of renting SUP equipment, for a couple of hours or even a couple of days.

Requirements to do this activity

Experience level aside, paddleboarding is also one of the easiest watersports for children to get involved with. In fact, if you take the family for a SUP experience here in West Sussex, you might find that they get the hang of it before you do! The only limiting factor on kids getting involved in SUP is the equipment that’s available in each particular SUP school. Some places have kit that can be used by all over 12 years of age, but there are also locations which boast child-sized boards and paddles, allowing boys and girls over the age of 6 to have a go. Having said that, there are tours in the area that require a certain level of experience, and more advanced activities like Wing SUP are more suited to teenagers and adults because you need some upper body strength. Similarly, you’ll get more out of a SUP surf session if you already have some experience riding the waves.

Wet and wild this county is the perfect place to have fun with this adventure, so let’s get organising it today.