The Best islands in the UK for paddleboarding
What makes island paddleboarding special is the freedom to choose your water. On a single island you can drift across a glassy bay one minute, then find yourself over clear shallows with sand ripples beneath your board, or timing it right to ride the tide through a narrow channel. If conditions line up, you might even paddle right around the whole island.
A lot of it is about reading the day. If the wind picks up, there’s usually a sheltered side; at high tide, new routes open up; and with a bit of planning, you can use the tide to do some of the work for you. Even on bigger islands, everything feels close, and it doesn’t take much to find a completely different kind of water.
I’ve visited more than 500 islands around the UK, exploring their shores on foot and by paddle – here are eight that stand out from Ordnance Survey’s Island 82 list.
1. Isle of Wight, England (Island 74) – accessible and adaptable
The Isle of Wight combines accessibility with a wide range of paddling environments from sheltered estuaries and bays to classic beaches.
The north coast offers peaceful Solent paddles along the tidal River Yar and Newtown Creek – a quiet, protected estuary managed by the National Trust, where winding channels cut through saltmarsh alive with wading birds like curlew, redshank and egrets feeding along the margins. West coast options include Totland and Colwell Bays, also popular with wild swimmers.
The south coast is less protected but on calm days short trips out of Freshwater Bay allow exploration off chalk sea caves and stacks, whilst the east coast offers some of the most sheltered options. Here, Bembridge at high tide a reef protects the water and St Helens offers a very shallow beach with excursions out to St Helen’s Fort.
2. St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly (Island 8) – clarity and connection
St Mary’s, the heart of the Isles of Scilly, offers some of shallow, turquoise water and white sands for glorious paddling. Seagrass meadows, sandbars and exceptional visibility make this one of the most beautiful paddling environments in England.
Easy spots to launch include High Town Harbour and Porth Mellon Beach to explore around Newford and Taylor’s Islands on higher tides. Other islands like Bryher, Tresco and St Martin’s offer equally excellent paddles and can be reached via frequent inter-island ferries. It is possible to spend 3 -4 hours on St Mary’s using the Scillonian Ferry for a day trip.
3. Mersea Island, Essex (Island 39)
Mersea offers a different kind of paddleboarding experience to many of Britain’s open-coast islands. Set within the Blackwater Estuary, its character is defined by tides, sediment and shifting channels rather than swell or exposure.
Around West Mersea, calm, sheltered water makes for accessible paddling, particularly at higher states of the tide when the estuary fills. As the tide ebbs, mudflats and creeks emerge, reshaping routes and revealing the underlying structure of the coastline.
Popular routes include paddling from West Mersea to The Strood and exploring the small islands like Packing Shed and Cobmarsh. Find out about Mersea Island Paddleboarding routes
4. Hayling Island, Hampshire (Island 37)
Hayling offers one of the most accessible paddleboarding environments on England’s south coast, with the advantage of being able to choose between sheltered water and more open coastal conditions within a short distance.
On the western side, Langstone Harbour provides extensive sheltered tidal paddling. Here, tidal channels wind through mudflats and saltmarsh, creating calm but gently moving water that suits steady exploration.
To the south, the open beach along Hayling’s seafront offers longer, more exposed paddles, where wind and sea state dictate. In settled conditions, this stretch allows for straightforward coastal journeys.
On the eastern side Fishery Creek offers access to sheltered paddling along the island’s east coast.
With its strong watersports culture, it’s a great place to explore. Find out more about Hayling Island’s paddleboarding routes
5. Portsea Island, Hampshire (Island 45)
Portsmouth Harbour is a large, natural tidal inlet, rich in natural habitats and iconic views. Sheltered by the bulk of Portsea Island and Gosport in the south, its northern shores are a haven of intertidal mudflats, tidal creeks, and saltmarshes, supporting a diverse array of wildlife and offers peaceful paddling options. Land at Portchester Castle and explore the historic ruins or explore the tidal Fareham Creek where Tides Coffee Shop offers refreshment on Town Quay.
There is plenty to see with Portsmouth city’s distinctive landmarks – Spinnaker Tower and Naval Dock and the imposing walls of Portsea Castle – as a backdrop. Find out more about Portsea Island paddleboarding routes
6. Isle of Skye, Scotland (Island 81) – sheltered inlets beneath the mighty Cuillin
Skye’s sea lochs and inlets create some of the best sheltered coastal paddling in Scotland.
Loch Harport, Elgol, Loch Dunvegan and the Sleat peninsula offer protected routes with dramatic mountain backdrops. While the west coast can be exposed, the east coast is generally more sheltered meaning that there is often somewhere paddleable, even when conditions elsewhere are challenging. The coast around Armadale is a favourite, along with Isleornsay and Portree harbour. Across on the mainland, Plockton is also a paddleboarding gem. Find out more about the Loch Harport paddleboarding route
7. Isle of Mull, Scotland (Island 79) – wildlife and quiet water
Mull and Iona offers some of the most varied and quietly rewarding paddleboarding in Scotland with a coastline shaped by sea lochs, offshore islands and a long, indented shoreline. On most summer days you’ll find some sheltered paddling and open water routes when conditions allow.
On the Ross of Mull, Uisken Beach stands out – a near-enclosed bay with consistently calm, shallow water and easy sand launches, ideal for steady cruising in almost any settled conditions. Nearby Fidden, with its shallow turquoise water, scattered pink granite islets and views across to Iona is a paddler’s dream. Eilean Annraidh off the northern tip of Iona is also perfect for exploring shallow waters.
On the east coast, Tobermory Bay offers sheltered water and options to paddle across to Calve Island.
8. Anglesey and Holy Island, Wales (Islands 78 and 53) – variety in every direction
Anglesey offers a hugely diverse paddleboarding coastline. With around 200 km of shoreline, it combines sheltered bays, tidal channels, exposed headlands and sandy beaches within a reasonably compact area.
From the relative shelter of Trearddur Bay and Holyhead to the tidal movement of the Menai Strait and the more dynamic waters around Rhoscolyn and Porth Dafarch, the island allows you to choose your level of challenge. Few islands offer such consistent options across changing conditions. Read Lisa’s ulimate guide to paddleboarding in Ynys Mon (Anglesey)
Paddle with purpose
Island coastlines are often fragile. Many paddling routes pass over or alongside habitats such as seagrass meadows, kelp forests, dunes and saltmarsh, which support biodiversity, store carbon and buffer wave energy. Paddling with awareness matters: avoiding grounding in seagrass beds, giving wildlife like seabirds and seals space and landing carefully all help reduce impact. Recording observations through citizen science apps like SeagrassSpotter, iNaturalist, the Big Seaweed Search and Beachwatch really helps by contributing to a better understanding of how these coastlines are changing.
The joy of paddleboarding islands
Islands are some of my favourite places to paddle. Often less explored, certainly from the water, there’s always something new to notice. From the easy, clear-water paddles in Scilly, to the chalk cliffs of the Isle of Wight, the tidal flows of Mersea Island and the harbour edges of Portsea Island, each island has a distinctive character and reason to explore more.
For scale, paddle beneath the jagged Cuillin on Skye, or weave between the rose-pink islets of Isle of Mull, where sea eagles patrol above. And for variety – for the ability to find a different kind of water every day – it’s very hard to beat Anglesey.
This post is written by OS Champion Lisa Drewe who is currently undertaking a challenge to visit all 82 of the Islands of Britain over 5 square kilometres. Lisa aims to uncover the island’s unique landscapes, wildlife, and communities, while sharing how visitors can explore responsibly and support island ecosystems.
