Paddleboarding is an exciting way to explore the whooping 75 miles of coastline stretching from Malibu to Long Beach in the famous “City of Angels.” However, you need to choose the right place to savor the premium experience. Let’s take you on a virtual surf through the best places to go paddleboarding in Los Angeles.
Let’s paddle!
Top 7 places to go Paddleboarding in Los Angeles
The following places are 7 of the best beaches and canals to go paddleboarding in Los Angeles:
1. Malibu Surfriders Beach
The Malibu Surfriders Beach is highly reputable for being one of the world’s birthplaces for paddleboarding. You’ll love to soak in all the water sports history this place offers.
Ever since Tom Blake and Sam Reid first rode the wave here in 1927, all wave riders have been visiting the Surfrider Beach in Malibu to catch that wave. And you should, too, if you’re a true paddleboarding enthusiast or looking to become one.
It is located about 30 miles west of Los Angeles, just halfway between the Malibu Lagoon and the Malibu pier. This unique location puts you in the right spot to reach all of Malibu’s experiences.
Not only that, it’s guaranteed that you’ll enjoy breathtaking rides here at the Malibu Surfriders beach. The beach experiences three major peak waves: the first, second, and third points.
Sounds adventurous, right?
Yes, we thought so too! As a result, some celebrities often come out to enjoy all these perks of the beach. You never know; you might run into your favorite stars at the Malibu Surfriders Beach.
2. Venice Beach Canals
If you’re in Los Angeles and looking to explore the inner city, you should go paddleboarding on the Venice Canals. These canals are a complete network of architectural masterpieces running through the residential areas of Venice in Southern California.
The panoramic view comprises gorgeous houses, exceptional bridges, parks, and fun spots. All these come together to give you beautiful scenery as you paddle gently on your paddleboard. The delightful sites and gardens allow you lovely places to cool off if paddleboarding wears you off.
Abbot Kinney developed them in 1905, and they brought a taste of Venice to America. If you’re a paddleboarder interested in taking slow and calm surf on calm waters, the Venice canals in Southern California are the perfect place for you.
3. Marina del Rey
Yet another visually attracting paddleboarding location in Los Angeles! Marina del Rey is a serene and flat inland waterway with a community setting existing right on the waters. It is the perfect place to paddleboard for beginners.
How so?
A small craft harbor (the largest artificial harbor) consisting of over 4000 expensive yachts is ever-present on the calm waters. This harbor is perfect if you’re looking to do light surfing while also networking with other individuals in the summer. You’re very close to the town if you need to make a quick fuel run.
That’s not all!
Local wildlife, comprising sea lions and dolphins, contribute to the visual aesthetics of the Marina del Rey. You would love the view!
You have a good community of surfers and paddleboarders to interact with while also in close contact with nature. Yet, you get all these without traveling too far away from town.
What’s not to love?
4. Latigo Beach
The Latigo beach in Malibu is an excellent spot for paddleboarding in Los Angeles. You can enjoy gentle rolling waves because of the point break from the Malibu surfriders beach. These rolling waves make it easy to enjoy long-quality paddleboard experiences.
Situated on the east side of Latigo point in Malibu, the Latigo beach is a valid option if you’re looking for a quiet place to go paddleboarding in Los Angeles. Visitors often overlook the spot in Malibu, and it is not as often overcrowded as the other beaches.
With this tranquility and serenity, you get a clear view of the Malibu shoreline and the beautiful houses on the beach house front. You should check out this place if you’re in Los Angeles.
5. Huntington Harbor
A relaxing ambiance, calm waters, and a tranquil environment are some of the features why most beginners enjoy paddleboarding at Huntington harbor. The setting offers a pure and exciting paddleboarding experience because of the harbor’s low population of people and yachts. This allows beginners to practice standing up on a paddleboard for the first time before going to the Huntington harbor to avoid any mishaps.
This experience is partly because of smooth and subtle water currents. The subtle nature of the harbor means you won’t be experiencing waves strong enough to topple your paddleboard. Ultimately, the experience could go from a workout experience to surfing on the water. However, you can sometimes get the workout experience when the wind blows opposite your direction. Huntington harbor can give you multiple thrills.
6. Pyramid Lake
The pyramid lake is a must-visit whenever you’re in Los Angeles as it is named after the famous giant-sized pyramids carved out of stones.
You should picture it as a reservoir situated right at the center of the mountains of Santa Clarita. It is characterized by calm waters, high mountains, and birds, promising you nature at its finest.
All these features make it an ideal spot to visit in Los Angeles. You could organize a family picnic. There are excellent spots to camp and settle in the mountains, fish in the waters, or paddleboarding on the lake.
There’s an activity for every person in your group at the pyramid lake, making it one of the best places for paddleboarding in Los Angeles. This fact is quite evident in that plenty of people also want to partake of these attractive recreational features, thus resulting in long queues on certain days. Therefore, you’ll need to arrive early to get your chance to go paddleboarding on the lake.
7. Santa Cruz Island
You should head to Santa Cruz Island if you’re searching for a paddleboarding adventure in Los Angeles. This Island is home to different locations where you can get diverse paddleboarding experiences. The Island houses the Santa Cruz harbor, Capitola beach, the New Brighton State beach, and the Soquel Creek.
Santa Cruz Island also has lots of sea caves for you to explore. You might want to get headlamps when going on this breathtaking adventure. The Island is also home to one of the largest sea caves in the world – the painted cave.
Santa Cruz Island has many stand-up paddleboarding shacks where you can rent paddleboards if you decide not to bother carrying one when going.
Asides from all these, the Island is magnificent. You want to take nice pictures here if you’re in Los Angeles.
Top 5 tips to guarantee the best Paddleboarding experience in Los Angeles
So, you know the best places to go in Los Angeles for paddleboarding. However, even the best places might give less than enjoyable experiences if the conditions are not right. Therefore, you need to put certain things to guarantee a wonderful experience when you go to these incredible places in Los Angeles.
The following are five tips to guarantee the best paddle boarding experience in Los Angeles.
1. Take Paddleboarding Lessons
Taking paddleboarding lessons gives you the knowledge to avoid making mistakes on the water. If you’re a beginner, you need to learn how to stand on a paddleboard because it’ll better help you enjoy the experience.
2. Get Quality Paddleboarding Gear
The right paddleboarding gears guarantee your safety and smooth paddling on the water. Ensure to invest in quality stand-up paddles, paddleboards, and personal flotation devices like life jackets and leashes.
3. Carry a Dry Storage Bag
Dry storage can always come in handy to keep all personal effects that don’t do well with water, like your clothes and gadgets. Also, it’ll be best if the storage bag has a vibrant color, so it is easily discernable if it falls in the water and also of waterproof build material.
4. Stay Hydrated
You need to drink plenty of water to ensure that you’re in fine condition throughout your time-out. Paddleboarding can count as a complete workout exercise, so grab a bottle and fill it with plenty of water.
Wrapping Up!
That’s it! Starting from the beaches in Malibu to the caves on Santa Cruz Island, Los Angeles is filled with unique places for the ultimate paddleboarding experience. You need to perfect your paddleboarding skills, get the right gears, pack them up, and you’re good to go.
Have fun in Los Angeles!