6 Stand Up Paddle Boarding Beach Locations in Cornwall

BUSY GP AND DAD, PAUL SAMPSON SHARES WITH US SOME OF HIS FAVOURITE STAND UP PADDLE BOARDING BEACHES IN CORNWALL

Paddlers are always in the search of new beaches and secluded spots to explore. In this feature we get in touch with 'the mid week 5-9 original adventurer' Paul Sampson. When he's not helping peoples ailments as a GP, he's out enjoying his local coastline, we caught up with Paul to find out some of his favourite places to paddle in Cornwall.

I’m a proud Cornishman and can think of nothing better than touring the Cornish coastline on my Red Paddle Co SUP whilst a beer chills in my Red Original Coolbag lashed to the front of my board.

The coastline in Cornwall is incredibly varied and offers many miles of long stretches of sand, dramatic coves and sheltered harbours. It is a paddleboarder’s dream location. Because of this I thought I’d share with you all some of my favourite SUP spots in West Cornwall.

Porthcurno Beach

1 - My ultimate favourite is Porthcurno beach. Park in the car park, pump up your SUP, walk 300m down the path and before you lies an incredible stretch of white sand and turquoise sea. Head here at low tide and head left towards Logan Rock. There are many coves and sand islands en route all of which are great to land your board and explore.

Carbis Bay Beach

2 - Another favourite of mine is Carbis Bay beach. This is good in most conditions and offers safe paddling for all ages. Head left and you can paddle right in to St Ives town where you can grab a drink or an ice cream (whilst using your paddle to fend off greedy seagulls). Alternatively you can head right from Carbis Bay and paddle around the cliff to Porthkidney Sands. It’s kind of like the Maldives, but perhaps a little colder…

Portreath

3 - My next favourite is Portreath. There can be a bit of a swell here at times but pick a calm day and it is magical. The landscape is much more dramatic out on this stretch of coast with towering cliffs, remote coves, bird colonies, seals and dolphins all around. My advice is to head out to sea then turn left, after a few hundred metres you can land up on dramatic Western Cove which has no land access, It’s kind of like Jurassic Park just slightly less dangerous. A little further down the coast lies Ralph’s Cupboard, a huge collapsed sea cave with a beach inside, it truly is awe inspiring in there…

Sennen Cove

4 - Another good option is Sennen Cove. Again, there can be a swell there but on a calm day it is one of the country’s most beautiful beaches. Paddle out from the little harbour by the lifeboat house and turn left to land’s end. Under the headland of our most Westerly tip lies a sea cave with a seal colony inside. Last year a large humpback whale was spotted here also swimming around in the bright blue sea, you never know, you could be lucky and spot one too?

St Michael’s Mount

5 - My next choice for a good paddle is St Michael’s Mount in Marazion. This is a great paddle at any state of tide and it rarely gets too rough to paddle. You can paddle over to the Mount harbour, hop off and enjoy a hot coffee from the cafe. Then head back on the board and paddle around the island which is topped by a beautiful 14th century castle. It is a world class view and one of my best paddles!

Mousehole

6 - If you want a bit of shelter and a guarantee of seeing some seals, try Mousehole just west of Penzance. Pronounced ‘Mowzel’ the place gets its name for the mouse-hole-like harbour entrance. It is often sheltered and the little island in front of the harbour entrance has a boisterous seal colony living on it. Common dolphins and harbour porpoises are often spotted out here…

Share your favourite Paddle Boarding Locations

We hope you have enjoyed this instalment, if you have any favourite locations you wish to share with us or perhaps you're a fan of Red Original and fancy featuring in our Original Adventure series. Get in touch or share your images by tagging us @redoriginalaccessories  or drop us an email at team@red-original.com