Memorial Day: The Kick-Off to Summer
Hawaii
Honestly, go paddle board anywhere in Hawaii on any island. You can’t go wrong paddleboarding in Hawaii. There’s so many opportunities for awesome paddleboarding off any of the islands.
You can rent a board for the morning, take a SUP-yoga class, or paddle out at twilight while your board is illuminated from below. If you can only choose one island to paddleboard at, Oahu would be the first choice. It’s the 3rd largest of the Hawaiian islands, but it has some of the best paddleboard spots.
There’s a SUP company located on any side of the island you’re on, so you won’t be too far from renting a board and getting out on the water. The views are amazing anywhere you find yourself.
California
Are you surprised? Probably not. With California’s extensive coastline, there’s plenty of spots to launch your paddle board. You can go out off the coast of Santa Barbara or head south to Santa Monica, a more popular city for tourists. Going south from there you can go to Huntington Beach or even further south to San Diego.
No matter where you choose in California, the paddleboarding will be fun and the views will be great.
Key West, Florida
To get to Key West, you can either take a flight to the Key West International Airport or you can fly into Miami and drive. The drive over the bridge to Key West is epic. It may be longer than taking a flight, but it’s an experience all in itself.
The best part of paddleboarding in Key West is the white sands of the beaches and the clear blue water. You can see all the marine life under you as you paddle. There are plenty of spots to rent paddle boards as well. You can take them out day or night, your choice.
Key West is one place where you feel like you’re actually walking on water.
Lake Tahoe
Since Lake Tahoe is in both California and Nevada, it gets its own place on the list. The lake is huge and perfect for paddleboarding. One of the great experiences of paddling on Lake Tahoe is that you get different scenery than in the previous places on this list. It’s not sand and ocean views.
Lake Tahoe has views of evergreens and snow-capped mountains. It’s a whole other experience when paddling in the warm weather, but seeing nature that’s more suited for a winter wonderland.
If you’re a confident paddleboarder, you can make your way out to the state line in the middle of the lake. You’ll be able to say you’re in two states at one time right on your board.
Seattle
Seattle probably makes you think, “Really? A Northwest state? Isn’t always raining there?”
Well, it turns out all that rain has created plenty of bodies of water to SUP on. A lot of people in Seattle live in houseboats and travel the city that way. It’s a new way to explore Seattle as well, instead of just setting out on foot. Take to the waterways and paddle your way around to see the city and the scenery around it.
After dreaming about all the places on this list, summer can’t come soon enough. It’s time to book a trip and get out on the water.
Let us know your favorite places to SUP this coming summer. It’s gonna be a great 2019 season.