Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
Subscription Form

Get notified of the best News

Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 25K Likes
Twitter 5K Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
22K Followers
25K Likes
5K Followers
1K Followers
Mountain Life
Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
  • Stay & Play

Aloha Georgian Bay: Top 12 Places to Stand-up Paddleboard

  • July 10, 2012
  • Colin Field
Total
3
Shares
1
0
2
0
0
0
Total
3
Shares
Share 1
Tweet 0
Pin it 2
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0

Born on the Hawaiian Islands, the sport of stand-up paddleboarding continues to take the world by storm. Anywhere there’s water, people are standing up and paddling. Rivers, lakes, bays, you name it, they’re on it. If you haven’t tried stand-up paddleboarding yet, you should. It’s a surprisingly good time. And Georgian Bay offers a range of experiences that will have you hanging five with the best of them in no time (well, on flatwater at least).

If you can stand up (and swim, because falling is inevitable) you’ll pick this sport up right quick. You don’t need to spend hours taking lessons and the number of places offering rental boards is rapidly expanding (see sidebar). So without further ado, let’s drop into the top 12.

1. Bruce Peninsula National Park
If you paddle any of the shoreline in Bruce Peninsula National Park, you’ll be amazed; limestone cliffs drop into the water in dramatic fashion and the water is a clear azure reminiscent of the Caribbean. Where you put in depends on how far you’re willing to carry your board. Little Cove is probably your best option with the smallest distance between your car and the water. Be careful paddling here as storms can come in quick, and when they do, you need to get off the water ASAP.

2. North Winds
North Winds beach in Craigleith has been a surfing destination since windsurfers first discovered Dacron. On calm days this is a great spot to head out and explore the local islands. If you’re feeling confident, the Mary Ward shipwreck is a bit of a paddle, but worth the effort: drifting atop the wreck you can clearly see the ribs and hull of the ship that sank way back in 1872.

3. Wasaga Beach
The longest freshwater beach in the world, Wasaga’s sands are a beachgoer’s dream. And the best way to get away from the inevitable crowds is to get on the water and paddle the shoreline. From there the people-watching is limitless and the sunsets are incredible.

4. Thornbury
The Thornbury boat launch is the perfect place to step onto your SUP. A popular swimming area, this is one easy place to paddle from. From there you can head up and down the shoreline admiring the Escarpment and the ski hills as they descend into the Bay. The ultimate bonus is all the bars in town where you can have a post-paddle-pint and brag loudly about your ‘surfing’ adventures.

5. Big Tub Harbour
Tobermory’s Big Tub Harbour is a great place to check out some of the local shipwrecks. Sweepstakes is one of the easiest to get to, ask at Thonrcrest Outfitters how to get there. Watch out for offshore winds here, and be mindful of the boat traffic, which includes the infamous Chi-Cheemaun.

6. Dyer’s Bay
With instant access to the water at the Dyer’s Bay pier, one can head south towards Devil’s Monument and paddle under impressive dolostone cliffs, with crystal clear views of the submerged rock formations. Make sure to read the signs at the pier about winds and currents.

7. Matchedash Bay
If you’ve got any angling ambitions then Matchedash Bay is the spot for you. Paddling over the clear waters you’ll spot massive Bass and Walleye below as they search for food. Signified as an Important Bird Area, this is as much a wildnerness tour as it is an SUP spot, once again proving just how versatile these boards are. The best place to put in is at the Swift Canoe and Kayak Centre just off the 400. Make sure to ask permission, or you can also rent boards here. The north side of the Bay offers the clearest water.

8. Killbear
Exploring the rocky shoreline of Killbear Provincial Park provides endless entertainment. The Canadian Shield is displayed in all it’s glory here offering lots of dramatic shoreline and inlets to explore. On a paddleboard you’ll get the best views of the park and discover incredible places to watch the sunset.

9. Killarney
A short drive from the town of Killarney, Chikanishing Creek leads south to Collins Inlet, with views of Phillip Edward Island. And this place is magical. Smooth rocky islets pop out of the water all over the place. Orange moss-coloured rocks rise up out of torquoise waters, creating bright contrasting vistas covered in windswept pines. This is an incredible place to paddle, just make sure you can find Chikanishing Creek again before you go exploring as everything starts to look the same here and if you can’t find the Creek you can’t find your car.

10. Sauble Beach
Sauble Beach is such a great spot: endless stretches of sand head north and south and there is unlimited potential here for SUP fun. On quieter days go for a cruise up and down the shoreline people-watching and enjoying the scenery. On windy days, if you’ve got the skills, you can legitimately surf here.

11. Providence Bay, Manitoulin Island
If you want the full surf experience while out on an SUP, Providence Bay is a great option; the sandy beach and enclosed bay are reminiscent of Maui’s infamous coastline. This place is as beautiful as it gets and the view from the water is even better.

12. French River
More and more people are starting to play in whitewater on SUP boards and some are even doing multi-day trips through the wilderness on them. If you’re up for the challenge and some potential first SUP descents, the French River region might be just up your chute. This destination will take some planning. Talk to a local outfitter to get all the beta.

SUP RENTALS AND SALES:
Sauble: Jack N Jills
Heathcote: Free Spirit Tours
Collingwood: Blu Wave, Southwinds Marine
Craigleith: Blue Surf
Thornbury: Two the Core
Hepworth: Suntrail
Port Severn: Swift Outdoor Centres
Killbear: White Squall
Tobermory: Thorncrest Outfitters
Manitoulin: Paddle Manitoulin

IMG 3962

Total
3
Shares
Share 1
Tweet 0
Pin it 2
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
Related Topics
  • Big Tub Harbour
  • Free Spirit Tours
  • French River
  • Georgian Bay
  • Killbear
  • Stand Up Paddleboard
  • Suntrails
  • SUP
  • Thorncrest Outfitters
  • Tobermory
  • White Squall
Colin Field

Previous Article
  • The Great Outdoors

Extreme Ice Survey

  • July 5, 2012
  • Colin Field
View Post
Next Article
  • On The Trail
  • The Great Outdoors

50 Years of Bruce Trail

  • July 11, 2012
  • Ned Morgan
View Post
You May Also Like
L'Hymne-des-Trembles-Laurentians-Quebec
View Post
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding
  • Stay & Play

L’Hymne des Trembles: Uncompromising Laurentian Skiing

  • Editor
  • January 27, 2023
View Post
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding
  • Stay & Play

RED: Big Mountain, Small Town

  • Sarah Bulford
  • December 20, 2022
Red-Resort-Rossland-BC
View Post
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding
  • Stay & Play

RED Resort: Sweepstakes for The Good Life!

  • Mountain Life Media
  • November 1, 2022
Blue-Mountain-Agora-lights
View Post
  • On The Trail
  • Ontario
  • Stay & Play
  • Videos

AGORA: An Interactive Night-Walk through the Forest

  • Mountain Life Media
  • September 19, 2022
Floating-spa-Clayoquot-Sound-TOFINO-RESORT-MARINA
View Post
  • Mountain Lifer
  • Stay & Play

Hot & Cold

  • Mountain Life Media
  • September 15, 2022
Cottage-Backcountry-Hut-Company-Ontario-Georgian-Bay
View Post
  • Ontario
  • Stay & Play

A Cottage Off the Shelf

  • Mountain Life Media
  • July 19, 2022
Family-Nature-Therapy-Charlevoix-Quebec-MtDufour
View Post
  • On The Trail
  • Stay & Play
  • Travel

Family Nature Therapy

  • Mountain Life Media
  • July 12, 2022
Explore-the-Bruce-Boating-Paddling
View Post
  • Mountain Biking
  • On The Trail
  • Ontario
  • Paddling
  • Stay & Play
  • Travel

The Artistic River Village: Discovering Paisley

  • Mountain Life Media
  • June 15, 2022
1 comment
  1. Tricia says:
    July 29, 2012 at 9:39 am

    Thanks for this interesting post. Regarding Bruce Peninsula, I know it for many years and can say it’s absolutely one of best paddling location in whole North America. It’s however sad that environmental damage on the peninsula is so evident. After spotting less of its orchids growing there, I realized that there is really something going on. I hope the discussion will continue. Still, for those who have never been there, it’s worth of visit, also if your preferences are not in paddling. The national park offers numerous possibilities, some of them are listed in this inspiring summer guide to Bruce. It’s definitely one of the most beautiful places in the world I’ve ever seen.

    I am sure to come back again, and can highly recommend this place for unforgettable vacation.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Featured Posts
  • Norco-Bigfoot2-fat-bike-winter-ride-MTB 1
    Gear Shed: Midwinter Picks
    • February 7, 2023
  • Skeena-Cat-Skiing-Northern-BC 2
    We Were Here
    • February 6, 2023
  • Mountain-Life-Coast-Mountains-Winter-2023 3
    ML Coast Mountains Winter-Spring ’23 Issue Out Now
    • February 3, 2023
  • Saint-Lawrence-ice-canoe-Jean-Anderson 4
    Jean Anderson: 40 Years of Ice Canoeing
    • January 31, 2023
  • CHOK-Images-RAB-Avril-2022 5
    Chic-Chocs: True Eastern Alpine
    • February 2, 2023
RECENT POSTS
  • Life-Time-Grand-Prix-gravel-bike
    New Docuseries Profiles the World’s Elite Off-Road Cyclists
    • January 30, 2023
  • L'Hymne-des-Trembles-Laurentians-Quebec
    L’Hymne des Trembles: Uncompromising Laurentian Skiing
    • January 27, 2023
  • Fjallraven-Nuuk-Parka-daniel-blom-photo_jacket
    Gear Shed: Multisport Winter Roundup
    • January 26, 2023
Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 25K Likes
Twitter 5K Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
INSTAGRAM
mountainlifemedia
22K Followers
There is a trend—mostly with tourism organizations and marketing departments, but travel journalists have been on board for a while now too… and the trend is to use the phrase “untouched wilderness” when writing about remote areas like the Skeena Mountains of northern B.C.
Help us wish ML Publisher @glenedwardharris a very happy, pow filled birthday! #mountainlifer
Live It Up EP 22 is OUT NOW!
NEW ML Coast Mountains Winter-Spring ’23 Issue is OUT NOW! 🙌
There are some first times that we will always remember. Like the time I skied off-piste through the alpine highlands of le parc national de la Gaspésie.
@shimizuimg getting those January goods ❄️ #mountainlifer
With four decades of ice canoeing under his belt, Jean Anderson has dominated a sport that's unique to Quebec and that he helped shape.
Featuring three gravel and three MTB events, the series explores the intense competition and love of the sport among 60 of the world’s premier cyclists.
Winter commute with #mountainlifer @michelle_pittam ❄️🚵‍♀️🌲
@lhymnedestrembles.ca is no mirage. Set in the lush Laurentian forest, yet easily accessible (less than an hour and a half from Montreal), this luxurious ski-in ski-out residential resort by @groupebrivia is nestled at the foot of the Versant Soleil side of Mont Tremblant. The Tremblant region is a perennial destination for outdoor enthusiasts from around the world, and within the province, attracting 3.5 million visitors annually.
Follow

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

There is a trend—mostly with tourism organizations and marketing departments, but travel journalists have been on board for a while now too… and the trend is to use the phrase “untouched wilderness” when writing about remote areas like the Skeena Mountains of northern B.C.
Help us wish ML Publisher @glenedwardharris a very happy, pow filled birthday! #mountainlifer
Live It Up EP 22 is OUT NOW!
NEW ML Coast Mountains Winter-Spring ’23 Issue is OUT NOW! 🙌
There are some first times that we will always remember. Like the time I skied off-piste through the alpine highlands of le parc national de la Gaspésie.
@shimizuimg getting those January goods ❄️ #mountainlifer
Mountain Life
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Advertising

Input your search keywords and press Enter.