Over the past few years, a waterborne revolution has been quietly taking place in the UK; Paddleboarding. We got our first paddleboards in 2008. Back then we would get funny looks and people asking us what on earth we were doing! Nowadays, check out the middle aisle of Lidl or Aldi for an easily portable, inflatable option that gets you on the water for a reasonable price. The sport was already developing at a fair pace and then Covid hit and accelerated the growth, as people looked for ways to enjoy the sea with their family. It is also a relatively quick and easy sport to get into compared to other watersports.
On our bit of beach, just in front of our holiday lets you will find great conditions that work for experts and beginners alike. If you have some experience you are best to go three hours either side of high tide. You can then go along the coast in either direction – though we do suggest you head into the wind first as then when you are a bit tired, your return journey will be easier rather than the other way round. If you are just starting out, or less experienced you may want to wait until a lower tide when the lagoon has formed.
The lagoon at low tide is great for beginners and/or children just getting into it as the rock bank creates a shallow pool inside the reef so you don’t need to worry so much about drifting out to sea! It’s also standing depth everywhere so you can watch the kids from the beach or stand in the shallows supervising knowing that as long as the wind conditions are right, they should be able to get themselves back to shore easily enough.
For the more adventurous or experienced – a trip along the coast eastwards for a coffee to the Bluebird (about a mile each way) or the other way to The Beach in Littlehampton (5 mile round trip) is a fun way to spend a morning.
If you don’t have your own boards but fancy having a go, lessons and hire are available at the Beach. They offer family sessions too so you can all go together and you can even sign up for paddleboard yoga!
If you are very experienced and want to know about paddling in either of the rivers near us – the Arun and or the Adur – then get in touch and we will happily advise. These are amazing tours but definitely ones to plan and get detailed information on with regards to tide etc – the Arun is one of the fastest flowing rivers in England so local knowledge is king!
We have been doing many different watersports on this beach for over 15 years so we encourage you to come and ask us about when is the best time to go, what the wind and tide are doing etc – so that you maximise your enjoyment of this wonderful sport!
If you would like to find out more about our family friendly self catering holiday cottages check out Driftwood Stays.