If you are looking for the best place to go stand-up paddleboarding on the south coast, Dorset has plenty to offer. In fact, Dorset is probably my most recommended region for paddleboarding, especially for if you are going paddleboarding with the family…
Dorset offers a fabulous slice of the best the English coast has to offer – you can find a little bit of everything here – coastal villages perched amongst striking clifftop scenery to buzzy seaside towns set on classic British beachfronts. There are bays, coves, open sea, estuaries, harbours, even rivers – all waiting to be explored.
Below is a list of our favourite places in the area that we have visited as a family that are perfect for paddleboarding, particularly with young children in tow, where you are likely to want to keep sessions relatively short, close to shore, and of course, safe.
Perhaps you are planning a family holiday to Dorset, a long weekend with friends or are looking for a day trip to the coast. In any case, if you are thinking of making Dorset your next paddleboarding destination and particularly if you have young children in tow, here’s some of our favourite places to head to…
1. Lulworth Cove
The iconic jewel in the Jurassic coast is a great starting place, particularly if you are paddleboarding with friends or family who are new to paddleboarding. The horseshoe bay is almost entirely enclosed by the encircling limestone, and the calm, clear waters within offer almost complete shelter – perfect if you are just getting to grips with paddling.
In fact, so serene is Lulworth Cove that it was here that we were finally able to convince a friend who had previously been apprehensive about trying paddleboarding before to give it a go, and we were able to set her off downwind while hubby waited at the other side of the bay to catch. It worked a treat!
At the base of Lulworth Cove’s towering cliffs is a stony beach, with rockpools at the fringes, perfect for entertaining younger kids.
The beach itself is narrow and gets super busy in summer so arrive early or you will find yourself having to trudge a long way around to find a spot – I regretted doing this in flip flops! The clever thing to do, if you are confident at paddling and don’t have too much to carry, is to take the shortcut and paddleboard straight across to the far side!
While overall Lulworth Cove is one of the best places in Dorset to go paddleboarding, avoid paddling too close to the exit of the cove if there’s a swell, and unless you’re very experienced at paddleboarding, the advice is not to venture out of the Cove. Otherwise, relax and spend the day pottering about the moored boats and enjoying a privileged on-the-water perspective on the stunning landscape around you.
Ice cream shops, cafes and car parks are plentiful, located just before you reach the cove, but be prepared for crowds and traffic jams in peak season.
But brace yourself for that (or get there early!) and you’ll find it well worthwhile. It’s certainly a good one to tick off on the UNESCO World Heritage Site – not to mention to breathtakingly beautiful.
2. Studland Bay
The gently shelving, sandy beach makes this an idyllic spot for paddleboarding with the family, especially if you have younger children as they can splash about within their depth which is great for building confidence. It’s particularly well-suited if you’re planning to swap in and out a lot.
The bay itself is sheltered from the prevailing westerlies, which means the sea is generally calm, although expect waves if there’s breeze from the southeast. A fantastic panorama spans from Old Harry Rocks out across the expanse of Poole Bay to The Needles. The beach is backed by sand dunes which make another natural playground for little ones.
In total, Studland covers a four mile stretch, so there’s plenty of spots to explore. We’ve found central Knoll Beach to be the best for paddleboarding with the kids, thanks to the super easy access from the adjacent car park and there’s a café and toilets also located here, all well-managed by The National Trust. But, it can feel busy in peak months, especially when the tide is high and the strip p off sand dwindles, so go early for a good spot.
When picking where to launch, watch out for swimmers-only zones which of course you need to avoid. And beware if you head too far along the beach as part of it is dedicated as a naturist beach – although it’s probably a good half an hour walk from the main car park, meaning with small kids in tow, you’re probably safe!
3. Portland Harbour
Our knowledge of Portland stems from its status as one of the world’s best dinghy sailing venues – it was here that the 2012 Olympic Sailing events were held, and today it’s home to the British Sailing Team. Competitive sailing usually takes place outside the harbour walls in Weymouth Bay where conditions are more challenging, but the harbour is a brilliant spot to explore by paddleboard.
We launched from the wide concrete slipway at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy; you can pay a small daily fee to use their world class facilities (including parking, extensive showers/changing rooms and drying room); this is in addition to harbour fees due to Portland Port Authority (around £5 per day, required wherever you launch from).
The harbour itself provides a unique place to explore by paddleboard, from comings and goings from the marina, to the pretty Nothe Fort headland on the far side, and providing your kids are happy to put in a bit of distance you can spend a good chunk of time afloat.
Watch out for the shallow patches alongside the causeway if the tide is low as there are weeds and rocks; you can damage your fins if you get too shallow.
After a visit to WPNSA, our absolute fav thing to do is grab fish and chips and watch the sunset from the highest point of Chesil Beach.
4. Ringstead Bay
If you are looking for something a bit more off the beaten track and offering a good slice of open water paddleboarding, Ringstead Bay is certainly worth considering. The beach itself comprises a series of little bays separated by pebbly bars, which make for great safety buffers in a cross-shore breeze, providing you don’t venture too far out. There are mooring buoys dotted around the bay to race around.
The beach does shelve quite sharply into the sea, so you can paddle nice and close to shore, but it’s best not to let little ones charge straight into the water for a swim!
Ringstead is quite an exposed beach, and you should definitely check the weather conditions and be aware of tides before heading here, but if you are looking for a relatively unspoilt patch of coast then on a pleasant summers day, it’s a great option.
Like much of this coastline, the beach is flanked by dramatic cliffs. Drive slowly on the way down to the car park to enjoy the impressive vista! We found it easy to park, and there’s also a small beach kiosk/café. Access to the beach is pretty straightforward; it’s a short walk and then a trudge along the pebbles to pick your spot.
It’s highly unlikely you’ll find this beach busy! We only walked as far as we did to make the most of launching slightly upwind given there was a fairly brisk sea breeze. There were a few little waves around as a result, which made it fun trying to balance, and we ended up on our knees more than usual!
5. Wareham
The River Frome at Wareham is a delightful and easily accessed inland alternative if you don’t fancy paddleboarding on the coast. You can park up and explore the little market town first (we loved being able to browse the Saturday market for picnic items!)
There’s a grassy area where you can get everyone ready before popping your boards into the water and heading off to discover ducks hiding between the reed beds.
In theory, you could paddle all the way to Poole Harbour, but with small people in tow, we found there was more than enough excitement in an hour or so spent paddling in either direction from Wareham – the main highlight being navigating under the bridge which the children found great fun! In places where you are drifting with the river current this is altogether a very serene experience.
One thing to note is that the river is tidal here, so it’s worth being aware of tide times to avoid having to paddle against the current at any stage – which is perfectly doable, just noticeably more effort than going with the flow!
Read more about our paddleboarding adventures on the River Frome at Wareham here.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this list! We’d love to keep add more great places to paddleboard in Dorset to it, so if you have a recommendation great places to paddleboard in Dorset, get in touch.
