5 Best Places to Stand Up Paddle Board in Seattle
Table of contents
1.Shilshole Bay/Golden Gardens
2.Alki Beach/West Seattle
3.Lake Union
4.Lake Washington, North
5.Seward Park
6.Paddle Boards Rental In the Seattle Area
Seattle is blessed with beautiful beaches, mountains, sea life that make it one of the best places to go paddle boarding in King County, Washington.
People who are hesitant to try out paddle boarding in Seattle, just get a standup paddleboard and do it. The paddleboarding spots in Seattle can offer you a fun and relaxing session of standup paddle boarding. Here are several of the best places for paddleboard in Seattle.
5 Awesome Spots To Go Paddle Boarding in Seattle
1. Shilshole Bay/Golden Gardens
This place gives you almost all the goodies you can find in Seattle. You have a beautiful beach to camp or take breaks on, mountains with great scenery, views of sea life and the Puget Sound.
The best time to visit the Golden Gardens would be in the summertime after the sun comes out. You can paddle on the water and observe sea life very closely. There’s the Ballard nearby for you to grab a bite, do some shopping, see a live concert or even do a little sightseeing.
Parking spots can be found at the Northside of the Marina, which is an ideal spot to launch your paddle board. Weather and tides can have a great impact on your SUP trip so be sure to check them out before you set out.
SUP Rentals Nearby:
Ballard Kayak
Website: http://www.ballardkayak.com
Address: 7901 Seaview Ave NW Seattle, WA 98117
Services: Paddleboarding, Rafting/Kayaking, Tours
Hours:
Mon Closed
Tue Closed
Wed Closed
Thu 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Fri 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sat 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sun 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Phone: (206) 494-3353
2. Alki Beach/West Seattle
Here you can get the best view of the city. Find Salty’s seafood restaurant because it is the place where you can launch and enjoy a wonderful meal at after finishing your paddleboarding session.
Alki Beach can get pretty busy in the summertime thanks to its restaurants and shops on the street. Beach goers and SUPers are the most frequent visitors of this place.
If you are planning on a long distance SUP trip, go south and you will see the Alki Point Lighthouse and Lincoln Park on the way. Remember to check for information of the weather and tides beforehand because the water is cold all year round.
SUP Rentals Nearby:
Alki Kayak Tours
Website: http://www.kayakalki.com
Address: 1660 Harbor Ave SW Seattle, WA 98126
Services: Boating, Rafting/Kayaking, Paddleboarding
Hours:
Mon 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tue 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wed 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thu 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Fri 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sat 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sun 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Phone: (206) 953-0237
3. Lake Union
Lake Union is a great spot to meet other paddle boarding lovers like you because on Lake Union paddle boarding is one of the most commonly seen water sports.
Not to mention you will get the breathtaking city views. If you are planning on taking a break at the nearby restaurant, then you are in for a treat. The clam chowder at Ivar’s Seafood house is probably one of the best you can find outside of New England.
The ideal place to launch would be the Sunnyside boat ramp that sits on the north side because parking on the south end is kind of troublesome.
SUP Rentals Nearby:
Urban Surf
Website: http://www.urbansurf.com/
Address: 2100 N Northlake Way Seattle, WA 98103
Services: Surf Shop, Kiteboarding, Paddleboarding
Hours:
Mon 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tue 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wed 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thu 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Fri 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sat 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sun 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Phone: (206) 545-9463
4. Lake Washington, North
If the purpose of your SUP trip is to relax, then Lake Washington is probably the best destination for you. Unlike the saltwater that surrounds the city, here in Lake Washington, the water is much calmer and more suitable for a relaxed session of stand up paddleboarding.
You even get to enjoy the scenic views of Mt. Rainer when paddleboarding on the lake. At the north end you can find the Matthews Beach Park which is a great spot to launch.
On the east side is St. Edward Park and on the south side you will find Sand Point. The water won’t be much of an issue for your SUP trip but the wind will. Deal with the wind carefully or you might end up in the water.
SUP Rentals Nearby:
REI Boathouse Meydenbauer Bay
Website: https://destinations.rei.com/seattle/meydenbauer-bay-boathouse
Address: 9899 Lake Washington Blvd NE Meydenbauer Bay Park Bellevue, WA 98004
Services: Rafting/Kayaking, Paddleboarding, Boating
Hours:
Mon Closed
Tue Closed
Wed Closed
Thu 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Fri 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sat 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sun 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Phone: (425) 300-3027
5. Seward Park
Usually the sea breezes are all it takes for a lake in Seattle to become difficult for beginners to paddleboard on. But there are calmer waters in certain part of Lake Washington that are suitable for even rookies to start their very first SUP journey, like Andrews Bay in Seward Park or Mercer Island.
Other paddlers with mid-level or advanced paddleboarding skills can consider challenging themselves to a trip from the lake to the Mercer Island.
SUP Rentals Nearby:
Northwest Paddle Surfers
Website: https://northwestpaddlesurfers.com/seattle/
Address: Adams Street Boat Ramp
Seattle, WA 98118
Seward Park
Services: Paddleboarding, Rafting/Kayaking, Surfing
Hours:
Mon Closed
Tue Closed
Wed 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Thu 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Fri 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Sat 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Sun 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Phone: (425) 366-7699
Paddle Boards Rental In the Seattle Area
Rentals of stand up paddle boards can be found in some parks and lakes. There are also online paddleboard rental shops that allows you to order the board online and they’ll send the stand up paddleboard to your location.
Here are some places for you to consider when you are going to go paddleboarding in seattle.
1.Agua Verde Paddle Club (University District)
2.Perfect Wave (Kirkland)
3.Surf Ballard (Ballard)
4.Northwest Outdoor Center (Westlake)
5.WhatsSup (Bothell)
If you are going to paddle board a lot, it’s strongly recommended that you get your own board. For a relaxing session of paddle boarding, an inflatable stand up paddle board is a more suitable choice than a rigid paddle board.
Compared to a typical hardboard, an inflatable SUP board is cheaper, much easier to transport from one place to another, and much more durable. Choices are abundant. A Goosehill Rainbow R inflatable SUP board would be a solid choice.
If you don’t want to settle in one place for stand up paddleboarding, there are some nice paddle boarding spots in San Diego, Austin and a lot other cities across the U.S.
