Stand up paddleboarding has been the world’s fastest growing watersport during the past decade and for good reason: it’s easy to learn, gear is affordable, and you can do it anywhere. British Columbia is no exception. In fact, given its plethora of lakes, rivers, and coastal water routes, the province is one of the best places in North America to SUP. From fast-moving river rapid expeditions, to warm-water lake paddles to coastal island hopping, BC offers something for every kind of stand up paddler.
Another reason stand up paddleboarding is so popular in BC is it allows for excellent viewing of all the surrounding wildlife, both onshore and in the water underneath you. For example, those who SUP on the Columbia River near the interior city of Castlegar are sometimes afforded views of ten-foot-long sturgeon swimming under their feet. And paddle boarders who quietly ply the coastal waters of the Great Bear Rainforest have been rewarded with views of Sitka deer, grizzly bears, and grey wolves. Even those near the province’s largest city of Vancouver regularly see harbour seals, orcas, and otters.
Of course, not everyone on a SUP is interested in going slow. For those with a need for speed, there are multiple races held throughout British Columbia every year including the BC SUP Cup series. There’s also SUP surfing to be had off the beaches of Tofino, on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, and innumerable waves and rapids to play in throughout the province, especially during the Spring run-off season when the province’s rivers are swollen with snow melt.
Meet the experts, businesses, associations, and clubs that have a handle on all things SUP related.
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Whether in Sechelt, Gibsons, or Pender Harbour, Alpha Adventures offers paddle rentals and more at each location.
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Aquabatics in Smithers, BC offers premier paddling gear, rentals, and courses since the 1980s.
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Experience top-notch kayaking, canoeing, and stand up paddling in beautiful BC. From lessons to advanced courses, we’ve got you covered!
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BC Marine Trails is a non-profit organization dedicated to securing long-term public access to British Columbia’s coastline. In partnership with coastal First Nations, we are building, protecting, and promoting a public network of marine trails that supports safe, respectful, and low-impact coastal recreation.
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Book a kayaking or SUP tour or lesson with Blue Dog Kayaking. Amber specializes in safety training before going out to explore.
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Plan a perfect self guided trip with the kayak, canoe, and paddle board rentals at Bowron Lake Lodge.
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Bruker Marina & Beach Club is a great spot to either go boating or enjoy some family time on the beach.
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Located in Fernie BC the Canyon Raft Company offers anything from scenic floats to whitewater rafting, making it suitable for all.
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Explore the waters of the Cariboo-Chilcotin with Cariboo Canoe and Kayak Rentals.
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Discover Cates Park for kayaking adventures, rentals, and lessons. Book online today!
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Your go-to store for kayaks, SUPs, gear, and accessories for paddling adventures.
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Coast Surf Shop is a family-owned store in Comox and Cumberland, B.C., offering surf, paddle boards, rentals, lessons, and tours since 2012.
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Explore Lake Windermere and the Columbia River through rentals and guided tours. Discover diverse wildlife and enjoy family-friendly paddling adventures.
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Explore the stunning Columbia Wetlands with self-guided rentals and unique accommodations for special occasions.
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Choose from different kayaking tours or check out their other watersports rental options at Cowichan Bay Kayaking and Adventure Centre.
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At CRIS Adaptive Adventures the offer canoe, kayak, and SUP rentals for all your paddling needs.
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Deep Cove Kayak Center in Vancouver offers premier kayaking, paddleboarding, and surfskiing tours.
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Destination Desolation offers custom tours and shuttle services to explore Desolation Sound & surrounding islands.
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Providing eco-excursions via guided kayaking and paddle board tours, Dog Mermaid Eco Excursions is a great place to reconnect with nature.
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Edge of the World offers a wide range of snowboarding, skateboarding, paddleboarding, streetwear, and goods in Fernie, BC.
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Book a kayak or paddle board rental at the Eldorado Marina to explore Okanagan Lake at your own pace.
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Endless Adventures offers a variety of different watersports options for everyone to try out.
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Need paddling gear, accessories or want to rent a paddle board? Find all it all plus more at Escape Route in Whistler BC.
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Far Out Gear Rentals offers a wide range of outdoor adventure rentals and tours, including biking and paddling equipment. Explore BC’s stunning waterways and trails with our top-quality gear.
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Float Your Way offers affordable paddle board rentals in Golden with door-to-door delivery. Choose your adventure and book online now!
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Discover quality paddle gear and apparel at GearHub. Find everything you need for your next adventure.
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Golden Paddle provides many different watersports rentals for their guests.
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Explore the Sechelt Inlet on and kayak or paddleboard with Halfmoon Sea Kayaks.
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Hellman Canoes and Kayaks, based in Nelson, BC, crafts high-quality, custom-made canoes and kayaks designed for adventure and durability. Founded by passionate paddler Bob Hellman, this Canadian-owned business offers personalized watercraft for recreational and wilderness paddling, available at their specialized shop.
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Hope Kayak and Paddle Board Rentals is a great place for rental options so you can explore the local waterways.
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Rent kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards with Jeff’s Kayak and Bike Rentals.
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Explore a wide range of outdoor gear, from apparel to safety and rescue equipment.
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With tour and rental options Kaatza Adventures is a great way to explore Cowichan Lake.
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Kamloops Water Sport Rentals offers three different locations. From paddle boards to pedal kayaks and canoes they have something that will work for everyone!
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Explore the beauty of Kootenay Lake with Kaslo Kayaking – offering kayak tours, rentals, lessons, and more in the stunning BC mountain town of Kaslo.
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Explore Mayne Island at our own pace with kayak and paddle board rentals or booked a guided kayak tour to explore the beautiful waters.
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Downtown Marina in Kelowna offers boat rentals, moorage, fuel, retail, and more. Live the lake life with speedboats, pontoons, and SeaDoos.
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Join the Kelowna Paddle Centre for safe and accessible paddle sports activities.
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Klahoose Wilderness Resort offers an immersive eco-experience in British Columbia’s pristine nature, rich in culture and wildlife. Stay in intimate accommodations and explore the land with Indigenous guides.
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Kootenay Raft Co. offers thrilling rafting adventures in the Kootenays. Family-friendly trips, rentals, and custom group outings available.
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Lakeside Heffley Hideaway offers cabins, campsites, and activities by Heffley Lake. Perfect for a relaxing getaway surrounded by nature.
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LakeSUP has everything to do with paddleboards with rentals, lessons, and retail available you’ll find what you’re looking for.
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With kayak and paddleboard rentals LakeSurf Premium Rentals is a great way to explore Okanagan Lake.
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Paddle the Powell Forest canoe route with Mitchell’s Canoe, Kayak, & SUP Sales & Rentals.
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Rent paddleboards and kayaks in Nelson for fun workouts or leisurely paddling on beautiful waterways.
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Norm Hann Expeditions explores the ocean and coastlines of Squamish and Howe Sound: connect with nature while observing a unique and vast ecosystem that’s easy to access.
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With a lot of rental options Okanagan Beach Rentals is a great way to explore Okanagan Lake in Kelowna.
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Located on Heffley Lake in Kamloops BC, Paddle Surfit is the perfect place to relax and escape the city with SUP and kayak rentals.
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Rent a paddle board with Palli Palli Mobile Ebike & Paddle Board & Kayaks Rentals.
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Rent a paddle board with Palli Palli Mobile Ebike & Paddle Board Rentals.
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Pender Island Kayak Adventures is a perfect place to try anything from kayaking to canoeing and even paddle boarding.
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Located on Cowichan Lake Pristine Paddleboard Adventures is the perfect place to rent a paddleboard and explore the lake at your own pace.
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Explore the rivers and experience beautiful mountain views while adventuring with Roam Adventures.
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ROAM Shop, a Nelson, BC-based outfitter, specializes in water sports gear for kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding (SUP). Since 2004, this locally owned store has offered top-quality equipment and expert service for unforgettable paddling adventures in the Kootenay’s.
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Rocky Peak Adventure Gear has a great retail selection of different paddle sports gear & equipment.
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Salt Spring Adventures has many tour and rental options available.
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Scoop Lake is the perfect wilderness get away where you can explore over a dozen lakes on a paddle board.
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Scotties Marina offers a scenic waterfront vacation rental suite, moorage, fuel, fishing derby, and kayak/paddle board rentals on the pristine Lower Arrow Lake.
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With many kayak and paddleboard rental and tour options Sealegs Kayaking Adventures has something for everyone!
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Create your own adventure with paddleboard rentals from Shawnigan Surf & Board Co.
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Experience nature’s tranquility in Slocan BC with canoe, kayak & SUP rentals since 1998.
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Squamish Paddling Club is perfect for paddlers that have a strong focus on the environment and keeping local waterways safe.
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Explore the waters of Howe Sound while paddling, kiteboarding, and even wakeboarding there is something here for everyone!
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Enjoy a scenic float on the Fraser River or try something more upbeat like whitewater rafting, Stellar Descents offers many of those options.
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Swell Tofino offers surf lessons, rentals, and a passion for ocean learning in Tofino.
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Tunnel49 is a rafting company that offers a variety of different tours including calmer trips or more adventurous ones.
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Explore over 450 brands and find great deals on paddlesports gear. Shop now!
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Valhalla Pure in Squamish BC is a great outfitter store that has a wide variety of gear options and even clothing for paddle sports.
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We have a variety of blow up paddle boards, hard paddle boards and kayaks. We are open most sunny/nice days throughout the summer.
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Wilderness Kayaking Co offers many different kayaking tours, lessons, and has many rental options for kayaks and paddleboards.
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The Alice Lake provincial park is 12 kilometres north of Squamish and includes its namesake lake as well as three others that are perfect for canoeing and stand up paddle boarding.
The Cowichan Valley spans 3,500 square kilometres in southern Vancouver Island and is home to communities like Ladysmith, Duncan, and Chemainus. It’s a paddler’s paradise, offering everything from peaceful SUP sessions on Lake Cowichan and saltwater kayaking in the Saanich Inlet to adrenaline-pumping whitewater canoe runs on the Cowichan River. Off the water, the region serves up a feast of local flavours with its farmers markets, wineries, cideries, farm-to-table restaurants and some great brewpubs.
Clayoquot Sound, launching from Tofino, offers paddlers a diverse range of experiences—from guided tours for beginners to challenging routes for seasoned adventurers.
Located on the southwestern coast of Vancouver Island, Ucluelet means “people of the safe harbour” in the Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ language. The small community of about 2,000 residents is nestled on an eight-kilometre-long peninsula that forms a natural barrier between the calm inner harbour and the open ocean. It’s the perfect launch point for beginner-friendly paddles and a fun town in which to enjoy aprés. If you only have three days, this paddling itinerary I enjoyed in Ucluelet is what I’d recommend.
The Kitimat River Meanders down from glaciers high up in the surrounding coastal mountains until it meets its estuary in the Douglas Channel. The Kitimat River is for paddlers of all levels and those kayakers who love fishing will love angling on the Kitimat River!
On a calm, windless day, Minette Bay is the perfect place to launch your stand up paddle board for a day on the water. This is Kitimat’s only waterfront nature park and is the easiest place to access Douglas Channel from the town.
The Douglas Channel is where the mountain meet the ocean! There are a limited number of take-out spots along the steep shorelines of the Douglas Channel, so be sure to plan appropriately with the weather and tides. Well-prepared paddlers will be greeted by awe-inspiring views, beautiful creeks, waterfalls and interesting rock formations along the way.
Ucluelet Harbour and Barkley Sound on Vancouver Island’s west coast offer paddlers calm, wildlife-rich waters and the breathtaking expanse of over 100 islands, including the Broken Group Islands. From serene shoreline paddling to exploring kelp forests and secluded coves, this area is a top destination for kayakers and paddleboarders seeking both peace and adventure.
Whether you’re drawn to swift water, calm exploration, or rugged backcountry nights, Kitimat offers a bit of everything. It’s untouched, wild, and waiting. Here’s a full itinerary of our trip to this undiscovered paddling paradise.
Spend an afternoon paddling one of the largest contiguous systems of wetland habitats in North America between Invermere and Radium Hot Springs and take in hundreds of different wildlife species from eagles to moose.
Only 30 minutes from the largest city on Canada’s West Coast, Vancouver’s North Shore is a magical area that boasts serene, secluded paddling.
Embark on a scenic 3-day paddling trip through the heart of the Kootenays, exploring the stunning waterways around Castlegar, British Columbia. This adventure blends gentle river currents, serene lakes, and breathtaking mountain views for a relaxing, yet immersive, outdoor experience.
The pristine waters of Slocan Lake serve as the gateway to Valhalla Provincial Park—a rugged wilderness aptly named after Viking heaven. Towering granite peaks rise from the shoreline, waterfalls cascade down steep forested slopes, and eight idyllic beach campsites dot the edge of the lake, offering the perfect launchpad for a multi-day paddling adventure or a scenic day trip.
Stretching over 100 km between the Selkirk and Purcell Mountains, Kootenay Lake offers paddlers an endless playground of crystal-clear water, secluded beaches, and dramatic mountain backdrops. Whether launching from the vibrant communities of Nelson, Kaslo, or Balfour, you’ll find calm bays perfect for a leisurely paddle, as well as long, open-water crossings for more experienced adventurers. Stop at remote coves only accessible by boat, explore hidden waterfalls along the shoreline, or follow in the wake of history past old steamboat landings. With its mix of sheltered inlets, island outcrops, and panoramic alpine views, Kootenay Lake is a paddler’s dream—equally suited to sunrise solitude or multi-day shoreline expeditions under starlit skies.
Experience the best of Nelson and Kootenay Lake on a three-day adventure filled with paddling, mountain views, and local flavour. From coffee at Oso Negro and shoreline paddles in Nelson, to soaring with Kokanee Mountain Zipline, ferry rides across the world’s longest free crossing, and hikes to the Pilot Bay Lighthouse, each day blends outdoor adventure with unforgettable dining—ending with a sunset meal at the historic Kaslo Hotel.
Vancouver’s North Shore blends coastal adventure with urban charm, offering a journey where paddlers, food lovers, and culture seekers all find connection.
Comox Valley offers an accessible yet unforgettable paddling experience — the perfect blend of convenience, community, and natural beauty. Whether you’re a seasoned kayaker or new to paddling, the region’s protected waters and stunning scenery make it a must-paddle destination on Vancouver Island.
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