Hatha Paddle Boards HQ couldn’t be situated in a better place! Our showroom is located just outside the market town of Tavistock, Devon, which lies at the foot of Dartmoor National Park.
The entire South West area is a mecca for all water based sports. Whether you want to explore a long lazy river, fight the wild water of the River Dart or spend the day surfing on the North Cornwall Coast we are a short trip away from your ideal stand up paddle boarding (SUP) location.
Here’s a closer look at the surrounding area
The high ground of Dartmoor forms the catchment area for many of Devon’s rivers. The moor takes its name from the River Dart, which starts as the East Dartand West Dart
and then becomes a single river at Dartmeet. It leaves the moor at Buckfastleigh, flowing through Totnes below where it opens up into a long estuary, reaching the sea at Dartmouth.
Just a few miles to the South is the Navy city of Plymouth which lies between the River Plym to the east and the River Tamar to the west. Both rivers flow into the natural harbour of Plymouth Sound. Plymouth has included the, once independent, towns of Plympton and Plymstock which lie along the east of the River Plym. The River Tamar forms the county boundary between Devon and Cornwall and its estuary forms the Hamoaze on which is sited Devonport Dockyard.
The River Plym, which flows off Dartmoor to the north-east, forms a smaller estuary to the east of the city called Cattewater. Plymouth Sound is protected from the sea by the Plymouth Breakwater allowing calmer waters perfect for paddle boarding.
Just along the coast from Plymouth are numerous south coast surf breaks including, Bovisand Bay, Wembury Bay, Bantham, Mothercombe, Challaborough, Thurestone Reef, Hope Cove and Bolt Head. If you travelled a little further along the coast towards Toquay you would find surf at Salcombe, Torbay, Teinmouth, Dawlish Warren, Exmouth and Sidmouth.
Directly North of Hatha Paddle Boards head quarters is the surf town of Bude. There are a number of sandy beaches in the Bude area, many of which offer good stand up paddle board surfing conditions. Bude was the founder club in British Surf Life Saving.
Both Summerleaze, Crooklets and ‘middle’ beaches are both within the town,
Widemouth Bay is a few miles south of the town and offers a long, wide sandy beach.
Sandymouth Beach is owned by the National Trust, and has spectacular cliffs and rock formations with shingle below the cliffs and a large expanse of sand at low tide. There are also a number of other coves and beaches to be found and explored in the local area. This entire stretch of coastline is perfect for grabbing a touring style (SUP) paddle board and exploring some caves.
The North Coast of Cornwall boasts some of the best surfing locations the country has to offer. Newquay is widely regarded as the surf capital of the UK. At the centre of Newquay’s surfing status is Fistral Beach which has a reputation as one of the best beach breaks in.
Cornwall. Fistral is capable of producing powerful, hollow waves and holding a good sized swell. Fistral Beach has been host to international surfing competitions for around 20 years now. The annual Boardmasters Festival takes place at Fistral beach, with a music festival taking place at Watergate Bay.
Newquay is also home to the reef known as the Cribbar. With waves breaking at up to 20 feet (6 m), the Cribbar was until recently rarely surfed as it requires no wind and huge swell to break. Towan, Great Western and Tolcarne beaches nearer the town and nearby Crantock and Watergate Bay also provide high quality breaks. If its stand up paddle board surfing you’re after then this is the place to be.
Along the entire Atlantic Coast are fantastic surf SUP spots, including Sennen Cove, St.Ives, Hayle, Goodrevy, Portreath, Porthtowan, Chapel Porth, Polezeath, Harlyn Bay (near Padstow and Rock), St. Agnes, Perranporth and Holly Well Bay placed just down the coast from Newquay.
The South Coast of Devon and Cornwall usually has smaller surf than the North and can be more sheltered due to the prevailing Northerly winds. When there is a small wave on the North it is usually flat on the South. These conditions are perfect for coastal paddle boarding or SUP fishing. There are numerous estuaries along the way to explore. The Helford River, commonly know as the Helford Passage is a fine example. Between Falmouth and St. Mawes is the Carrick Roads, the estuary of the River Fal, famous for the King Harry Ferry. This Estuary travels deep into Cornwall reaching the counties capital, Truro. There are lots of places along the journey to moor up your paddle board and grab a coffee or even a light lunch.
The furthest most surf break on the tip of Cornwall is Porthcurno which has some good waves when there is a SW swell. Then there is Porthcurno, Praa Sands and Porthleven. On the other side the Lizard Point, Kennack Sands can be located, at low tide two beaches join together making the longest beach on the E side of the Lizard Peninsula but it will only have waves in the biggest of swells. Falmouth bay has a number of waves working on SW swells. Maenporth, Swanpool and Gyllyngvase beaches all have good waves on their day but word spreads fast and they usually end up crowded. Further along the coast is Pentewan, Polkerris, Seaton, Portwrinkle,
Whitsand Bay and Bovisand. Wembury is the nearest break to Plymouth so often gets crowded, the best waves are to be found off Blackstone Rocks. If you have travelled this far with your SUP then Challaborugh and Bantham are well worth a visit.
If you want to travel a little further along the South Coast then you will hit the “Ledges, The Bay and Broad Bench” all at Kimmeridge Bay, Chapmans Pool and of course Bournemouth Pier. The pier is a crowed spot with the most popular peak on the East side of the pier. The next spot along is Boscombe Pier, which is the same as Bournemouth but less crowded. Along from here is Southbourne, Highcliffe Area, Isle of Wight and Hayling Island (most popular with windsurfers). The Witterings are next on the list, a busy spot that breaks between wooded groynes. On from here is Littlehampton, Southwick/Shoreham, Brighton, The wedge, The Marina, Eastbourne and lastly Joss Bay.
Please do call in for further information about our boards – best places to paddle board – to book a demo SUP – or for a clue on how to find Bude’s secret surf spot!
