Top spots for paddleboarding near Vancouver

Want to ride the waters in the most expensive city in Canada? Here are the top 15 places to launch your paddleboard in Vancouver:

Jericho Beach

For a relaxing paddleboarding experience, visit Jericho Beach. The sunset is incredibly beautiful in the evenings, so don’t just visit in the mornings.

If you’ve decided to visit in the evening, don’t forget to bring your camera along to capture the wonderful mountain views and skyline while you watch with pleasure as the sun sets into the sea.

The waters at Jericho Beach are choppier than the waters you’ll find on a lake, but the calmness of the water varies according to the weather conditions.

On windy days, you’ll experience choppy waters, but it doesn’t last all day. The waters become calm as evening approaches and the weather becomes tranquil.

Jericho Beach offers you opportunities to spend time with nature. Just head towards Spanish Banks and Pacific Spirit Park on the west side.

There are a good number of amenities and other activities to while away the time at this beach. Examples include picnic tables, public washrooms, playing fields, tennis courts, and swimming areas on the east side of the beach.

There is a fairly large car park at Jericho Beach. It’s not free, but it’s a short walk away from the beach. If you don’t own a paddleboard or you’re with friends who’d like to join in, you can rent paddleboards and other types of water sports gear from WindSure Adventure Watersports.

Another company that offers paddleboard rentals on the beach (and tours/lessons) is the Jericho Beach Kayak Center.

False Creek

False Creek is a narrow paddleboarding spot that is perfect for those that prefer to paddle in smaller waters or creeks. It runs through the heart of Vancouver, flowing between Olympic Village and downtown Vancouver and ending at Science World.

There aren’t a lot of parking spaces and launch spots around this area, but paid parking is available, and there are a few launch spots at Science World. To paddleboard here, park your car, go to Science World, and launch your board from there.

False Creek is a somewhat protected spot, but the waters are still choppy on windy days due to its closeness to the coastline, although moderately so. It’s a busy spot where you’ll find lots of motorboats, paddleboarders, and kayakers, but the conditions of the water make it a great spot for beginners.

In terms of views, False Creek doesn’t disappoint. Scenic views with beautiful skylines make up the scenery at False Creek. This creek is also a nice spot to get a good view of the city.

There are parks, restaurants, attractions, and other recreational facilities in the area. You can get a workout in, join a fitness class, and play basketball at the community centers in Olympic Village and Granville Island.

Granville Island also has a market for fresh seafood and other items, restaurants for dining, and accommodations for getaways. Olympic village offers similar facilities, including a drug store, grocery store, and dry cleaners.

The seawall provides a nice path for hiking and biking if you want to explore the area. Water taxis ferry visitors to most of the tourist sites, so take advantage of these to get around the area quickly.

Pitt Lake

You’ll find Pitt Lake on the north side of Pitt Meadows. It’s a large lake and the second largest lake in the city.

Pitt lake is surrounded by beautiful mountains, nature, and hiking trails. The mountains and vegetation adorn the area, and the multiple flat hiking trails offer you the opportunity to engage in leisurely strolls.

There’s a large park (Grant Narrows Regional Park) at this lake that features a parking lot and a boat launch. If you love cycling and birdwatching, this park is the perfect place for these activities.

More than 200 bird species exist in this park, including sparrows, eagles, ospreys, and swans. Some of the trails have wooden watchtowers where you can watch these birds from.

Grant Narrows Regional Park also has picnic tables for outdoor dining and the best access point to the lake.

This lake has great depth (some parts of it are shallow as well), and as a result of its depth, it’s prone to big waves. It’s also characterized by downpours, high tides, and heavy winds.

Due to these disruptive conditions, it’s advisable to stay close to the shoreline while paddling and enjoy the protection it offers. However, you always have the option of going further from the shoreline if you seek a more challenging experience.

Aside from cycling, birdwatching, and hiking, you can have fun swimming, fishing, or uncovering the many hidden coves and streams in the area. Campgrounds and guest cottages are also available here.

Buntzen Lake

This is a scenic lake marked by widespread vegetation. It’s a paradise of nature, featuring mountains, trees, parks, and beaches.

Buntzen lake is divided into two parts – the northern and the southern part – and both parts have two parks that surround the lake. The Indian Arm Provincial Park is located on the northern beach, while the Belcarra Regional Park is situated on the southern beach.

The southern beach is the most busy part of the lake and is much closer to the parking lot than the northern beach. The parking lot has 600 parking spaces, but this lake is so busy that all spaces are occupied before 11 p.m during weekends.

You also have to book a free parking pass a day before you arrive, or you won’t be allowed in (this might change in the future).

When the parking lot is filled up, the gates are closed for safety reasons, so be sure to get there early, particularly during the weekends and when the weather is nice. A dog park is available too.

When you’re not paddleboarding, you can take a hike, go horseback riding, ride a bike on one of the many beautiful trails in the area, enjoy a picnic in one of the picnic areas, or go fishing.

Buntzen lake waters are calm, so expect calm trips. If you wish to explore the entire lake, bear in mind that it won’t be a short trip. It takes about an hour to paddle from one end of the lake to the other.

Kitsilano Beach

Kitsilano beach is a beautiful beach that provides you with access to the Pacific Ocean. This beach is also known as “Kits Beach”.

There’s a Kitsilano pool on the west side that is separate from the ocean but holds the same saltwater.

Kitsilano pool is the only saltwater pool in Vancouver. It’s warmer than the ocean too because it’s a heated pool, so if you feel like swimming while you’re at the beach and you prefer warmer waters, try the pool instead of swimming in the ocean.

At Kits Beach, you’ll enjoy stunning mountain views and have access to several water sports such as paddleboarding, kayaking, and skimboarding.

You can rent a paddleboard from Vancouver Water Adventures and launch from the beachfront which is a short distance from the paid parking space.

Kits beach offers many facilities to make your visit a memorable one. A restaurant (Boathouse Waterfront Restaurant), kids’ playground, public washrooms, basketball courts, and tennis courts are some of the facilities in the area that you can make use of when you’re not paddleboarding.

Biking is a popular sport at Kits Beach, and fortunately, you can rent a bike there if you don’t own one. It’s also one of the top ways to have fun while exploring the neighborhood, and there are several hiking trails that facilitate this.

The area also features well-maintained grassy areas where you can spend time with nature and picnic. BBQ and picnic equipment can be rented from the nearby concession.

Deep Cove

Deep Cove is a remarkably peaceful seaside village in North Vancouver. It’s beautiful and has some of the calmest waters you’ll ever experience.

The weather dictates how calm the waters will be, but on nice days, the waters are incredibly calm. That, paired with the tranquility of the area, makes Deep Cove one of the best places to paddleboard in quietude.

When you get to the beach, park your car in the paid parking lot or on the street and head to Deep Cove Kayak to rent a paddleboard if you didn’t come with one. Then launch from Bessie beach or Corner beach.

For the best experience, paddle north along the western side of Indian Arm to Racoon Island. Racoon Island has a rocky shoreline where you can rest before moving on to Indian Arm.

This island also gives the impression of being surrounded by snakes if you go to the middle of the island and close your eyes. This impression is created by the hisses of the aggressive territorial geese that infest the area in Spring.

When you’re done with Racoon Island, paddle on to Indian Arm to take in the impressive views of the steep mountains, waterfalls, and wildlife (seals, black bears, bald eagles, and more).

Downtown Deep Cove is where you’ll find restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, and other places where you can buy the things you need. Visit Panorama Park to access the children’s play area and picnic shelter. There are beautiful forest trails for hiking over there too.

Bowen Island

This island is a peaceful natural playground with a ton of activities to choose from. It also has majestic views to wow you throughout your stay here.

To launch here, go to Horseshoe Bay, and take a short ferry ride to Bowen Island. When you get to the island, you’ll find a parking lot on the left where you can park if you arrived by car.

There’s a local grocery store and another parking lot close to the park if you drive further up the road. Try the next parking lot if the first one is full. You can launch your SUP or rent one and get paddleboarding lessons at the harbor.

Bowen island is a picturesque paddleboarding spot with an abundance of wildlife. There’s a huge presence of deer, dolphins, and birds such as eagles and blue herons.

Unlike some other wildlife habitats, this one doesn’t contain dangerous animals like cougars or bears, so you won’t have these to worry about.

Sea lions often spring up from the water, too. If you watch out for them, you’ll catch sight of them frequently.

There are several hiking trails in the area, including a challenging one that leads to the top of Mount Gardner.

If you have a knack for hiking, you’ll like the Mount Gardner hike, and if you do decide to hike the trail, you’ll be rewarded with splendid views of the coastline and Georgia Strait (an arm of the Salish sea).

Bowen Island has a nice golf course. Visitors can also participate in other activities including horseback riding, boating, soccer, baseball, tennis, and biking.

Sasamat Lake

Sasamat lake is a large awe-inspiring lake in Belcarra Regional Park with a wonderful paddleboarding spot called the White Pine Beach at the south end of the lake. This beach is a hidden gem in the lower mainland and the best spot to paddleboard in the lake.

The soft sand and warm water at this beach is one of the main reasons why people flock to it. It’s usually crowded during the summer, so come early if you don’t want to spend a good chunk of your time looking for a parking spot.

There are other hidden gems (beaches) in the area and you’ll discover them if you hike the trail along the lake’s edge.

One of the highlights of Sasamat Lake is its spectacular floating bridge at the north end of the lake. Make a point of SUPing to the floating bridge and paddling underneath it. It’s an experience you won’t forget in a hurry.

The entire shoreline of the lake is filled with deadheads and driftwood, so if you’re SUPing close to the shoreline, you’ll need to be careful to prevent your fins from getting caught in the mess.

That said, you should be able to paddle over the partially submerged logs, and if your fins get caught in the muddle, it should be easy to free them.

At White Pine Beach, you can picnic with the picnic benches scattered around the beach and get what you need from the concession stand. Other facilities include change rooms and public bathrooms.

Alice Lake

Alice lake is a provincial park marked by stunning mountain views, grassy areas, and dense forests. There are four clear, calm, and somewhat warm freshwater lakes in the park – Edith, Fawn, Stump, and Alice – and you can swim and SUP in any of them.

This provincial park is located in Squamish, flanked by Vancouver and Whistler. A lot of people go here for SUPing and other recreational activities like camping, picnicking, biking, and hiking. Seasonal SUP rentals are also available at the park.

Picnicking here is easy thanks to the abundance of grassy areas and picnic tables. There are also several hiking and biking trails for those who prefer to explore the area on foot or on a bike.

I recommend you start with the walking trail around the edge of the lake and then try the DeBeck’s Hill Trail and Four Lakes Trail. Some of the trails here are for biking and hiking, while others are for hiking alone.

Camping at Alice Lake is an awesome experience because all the facilities you need for a great camping experience are here, including showers and flush toilets. You’ll need to come early for summer camping because Alice Lake fills up fast.

Paddleboarding on the waters at Alice Lake feels amazing, although there are a few downsides that can detract from that experience. Canada geese sometimes litter the beaches with their poop. Also, the cleanliness of the water is sometimes less than ideal.

Browning Lake

This is a decent lake situated south of Squamish with fairly warm waters. It doesn’t have the wow factor that most of the lakes in this guide have, and it’s not a scenic or attractive lake, so your photos may not be as beautiful as you’d like.

Another downside of paddleboarding here is its closeness to the highway. Browning lake is inside Murrin Provincial Park, and this park is close to the Sea to Sky Highway (a beautiful but extremely busy stretch of road also known as HIghway 99), so it might not be as quiet or as relaxing as you might want.

Browning Lake is a relatively small lake too, so there isn’t much to discover. However, despite the passable scenery, proximity to Highway 99, and its relatively small size, this lake is still a good enough paddleboarding spot for SUP beginners.

It’s also a perfect spot for those days when you just want to do a short paddleboarding trip, relax, and return home.

Browning lake is a popular fishing spot. The shoreline provides many access points for fishing, so if you love to fish, come with your gear. During the winter months you probably won’t be able to fish because the water freezes at this time of year, but it’s fishable in all other seasons.

If you love hiking, the best trail to hike at Murrin Provincial Park is the Murrin Park loop Trail. At the end of the trail, there’s a lookout that affords beautiful views of Howe Sound and Browning Lake.

Murrin Provincial Park gets crowded in summer and parking space is limited, so you need to get there in good time.

Brohm Lake

North of Squamish, within the mountains, and sheltered from strong winds is Brohm Lake, a perfect paddleboarding spot for beginners and experts looking to have a peaceful water trip.

Squamish is known for its strong winds, but thanks to the mountain shelter, you can paddleboard at Brohm Lake without any disturbance. The waters are calm. and refreshing too, which makes it perfect for swimming.

Brohm Lake has an easy access point from the Sea to Sky Highway and it gets crowded in summer like the other spots in the area, so you’ll need to come early as parking space is limited.

After an exciting paddleboarding trip, a good way to end the day is to go for a walk in the woods. There is a hiking trail around the lake where you can enjoy a walk in nature. If you climb the small mountain, you’ll get a beautiful panoramic bird’s eye view of the lake and a stunning view of the surrounding mountains.

Brohm Lake looks marshy from afar but the waters are actually clear and deep. This lake has no beach. Instead, there are lots of rock outcroppings on the shoreline surrounding it.

Overnight camping isn’t available at Brohm Lake because it’s a day-use recreation site, but there’s a campground (Paradise Valley Campground) not too far from the lake where you can stay the night. A small picnic area is present at the lake too.

Rocky Point Park

This beautiful waterfront park is located in the city of Port Moody and has a ton of facilities and amenities for visitors.

At Rocky Point Park, you’ll have easy access to the shoreline, making it a great spot to launch your paddleboard. You can bring your dog along, but they have to be leashed for as long as you’re in the park. If you don’t want to leash your dog, you can use the off-leash dog park.

The park features two ramps – one shallow-water and one deep-water ramp. Both ramps are two-lane ramps and you can use them to launch paddleboards, boats, canoes, kayaks, and other types of watercraft.

There is a large beach to play on and lots of picnic areas to relax in and enjoy a good meal outdoors before or after paddleboarding.

When you feel like taking a hike, the Shoreline Trail is an easy trail to hike on. This trail connects Rocky Point Park and the other four waterfront parks in the area. You can either hike the trail or cycle through it. It’s also wheel-chair and stroller-accessible.

Other facilities in this park include washrooms, shaded groves, playgrounds, sand volleyball courts, a first-aid station, a comfort station, and an outdoor swimming pool.

Rocky Point Park has a number of nice restaurants where you can relax and enjoy a delicious meal. Don’t forget to check out the Rocky Point Ice Cream shop. Their ice cream is top-notch and they even have chicken cream for dogs. Parking is free but spots fill up fast, so come early.

Cat Lake

Looking for a less busy lake to ride on? Why not try Cat Lake. Cat Lake is a small body of water located north of Squamish. Since it’s small, don’t expect to have any epic or hair-raising adventures on it. That said, it’s perfect for relaxed or short paddleboard trips.

Cat Lake gets warm in the summer, and it’s a great lake to paddle and swim with lots of fish to catch if you do decide to fish there.

This lake has a campground which provides several access points to the beach and a day-use picnic area. The campground also has several pit toilets and food caches. The food caches are bear-proof to prevent hungry bears from raiding the campgrounds.

Cat Lake has had many bear problems in the past and still does, so when you’re here, remember not to leave food unattended and be sure to store food in either the bear-proof caches or inside your vehicle.

Each campsite has its own picnic table and fire pit, and it can be noisy or quiet depending on where your campsite is situated.

The campsites closer to the parking area is where most people prefer to camp, so that part is the busiest. If you want more solitude and tranquility, use the campsites on the far side of the lake.

Motorized watercrafts are not allowed on this lake, and that’s a huge plus for paddleboarders. Biking and hiking trails are available in the area too if you’re interested in those activities.

Cultus Lake

This beautiful lake with breathtaking views is 100 kilometers (about 62.14 mi) or 90 minutes (one and a half hours) away from Vancouver, so it’s not that far away from your city of interest.

Cultus Lake is a large lake with warm, fresh water. It’s inside the Cultus Lake Park, along with many facilities for visitors. Most of the facilities are on the southern part of the park. The northern part is underdeveloped.

The area is spectacular and affords a scenic view of impressive forest-clad mountains, so come with your camera to capture some of those stunning views.

Being one of the most popular parks in the area, campsites get booked up fast in the summer. That said, if you aren’t able to book a campsite, there are private ones you can try.

Aside from the provincial park, which is the main park that people go to at Cultus Lake, there are other parks to explore, like the waterpark and adventure park. The waterpark has wonderful water slides while the adventure park has fun amusement park rides all for kids and teenagers to have a blast.

Cultus Lake has a golf course, free parking (at the provincial park only), sandy beaches, and many campgrounds for chilling out. If you want to hike, there are several long hiking trails to challenge yourself with.

There are four seasonal campgrounds at the park which are accessible only from April through October. The first is the Clear Creek Campground which is located in a forested area and offers easy access to the beach and lake.

The second is the Delta Grove Campground, the third the Entrance Bay Campground situated close to a large sandy beach with wheel-chair accessible washrooms and fun kid facilities, and finally the Maple Bay Campground.

The Maple Bay Campground features grassy areas, picnic tables, a boat launch, and a wharf. All four campgrounds include flush toilets, free hot showers, and other facilities.

Porteau Cove

Porteau Cove is a luxury waterfront provincial park filled with lots of amazing facilities, views, and potential adventures. It’s located close to Vancouver and Squamish on the eastern shore of Howe Sound.

It feels incredible to ride on the waters at Porteau Cove. The waters are sparkling, pebbly, and clear. There’s a seemingly unlimited amount of immersive views to take in as well.

Sea creatures are abundant in this park. You can see dolphins, seals, and other sea creatures while paddling on the waters, and this spices up the experience to a great degree. Generally, the greater the variety of things you can see at your paddleboarding spot, the better the experience.

From Porteau Cove you can paddle out to Howe Sound for hiking trails and more amazing sightings, such as the beautiful mountain views, nature views, and art gallery.

Porteau Cove is the ideal destination for a weekend getaway. There are 44 campsites (most of them are situated on the waterfront), picnic areas, boat launches, an outdoor kitchen, and a washroom/shower building here. You can even rent/buy campfire tools at the park.

Summer is the most busy season, so fees are a little higher than they are in the winter, and there are more available facilities in the summer than there are in the winter.

Daytime parking is available until 10 p.m. for all visitors. Overnight parking is only allowed if you’re taking a multi-day boat trip or your campsite isn’t large enough to park your car.

Safety regulations and tips for paddleboarding in Vancouver

Paddleboarding is exciting to engage in and watch, until someone drowns. Just kidding!

Nevertheless, you have to stay safe while out on the water and bringing your safety gear (the most important of which is a life jacket) is the best way to ensure your safety. A whistle and a flashlight (for nighttime paddling) are also important safety tools to carry along with you.

In Vancouver, you could be fined up to $500 for paddleboarding without a life jacket, whistle, and flashlight.

Also, a good number of the spots featured in this article allow motorized watercraft such as motorboats and some of them even have large tankers sailing on their waters. Be on the lookout for these and do your utmost to stay out of their way.

Where to rent a paddleboard in Vancouver

You can rent a paddleboard from many of the spots featured here. Before visiting any lake or park, confirm that there’s a rental over there if you don’t own a board. Otherwise, buy one before setting out.

Conclusion

Vancouver is the third most livable city in the world and is home to the third largest Canadian port and some of the best paddleboarding spots in Canada.

Whether you live in or outside of Canada, if you’re looking for places to go on exciting water adventures in Vancouver, you can’t go wrong with any of these 15 spots.