Paddle Boarding San Diego: Top 5 Places To SUP

San Diego is a paddle boarding paradise! With countless beaches, bays, and harbors, San Diego is the perfect place to paddle board. Having an outdoor active lifestyle is a staple characteristic of any local. We absolutely love going to the beach to surf, paddle board, and enjoy the sun. This is one of the main reasons why Tower was founded in San Diego. There is no better place to start a paddle board company. Right in the heart of the beach culture, we at Tower, were able to grow off of our local market and prosper into a national brand. The very first paddle boards we ever produced were tested on the waters of Mission Bay. We now are headquartered on Mission Bay at 1010 Santa Clara Place. Come give us a visit! We do free demos on all of our Tower paddle boards.

Top 5 Places to Go

1.) La Jolla Cove

La Jolla is one of the gems of San Diego. Perched on cliffs looking over the pacific ocean, this affluent beach city is an amazing place to paddle board. There are dozens of little coves with scaffolding cliffs that provide amazing scenery as you paddle. You’ve probably heard of the seals that swim up to La Jolla cove for some much needed sun bathing. Viewing these seals has become quite the tourist attraction. However, most people watch them from the cliffs which provides a good view but, if you have a paddle board you can view them from the water in their natural habitat. The easiest way to enter the water is down a path right next to the Marine Room Restaurant. You can then paddle over to the coves and see the animals up close. Another awesome attraction in this area are the leopard sharks that come out during the summer. These sharks are completely harmless so don’t worry they won’t do anything to you. Wen the waters are calm and clear you can bring paddle boards out and view them from above the water or use a snorkel to swim above them.

2.) Mission Bay

Mission Bay might be the most popular paddle boarding spot in San Diego. With its calm waters and vast space, it's ideal for any paddle boarder. There are plenty of launch points that you can go out of including our Beach Club. Tower recently moved right onto the Bay at 1010 Santa Clara Place! We have a 360 degree view of the entire Bay. We use our space as a pop up retail as well as an event space. It is one of San Diego’s premier waterfront event spaces. Come by and check it out for yourself.

3.) San Diego Embarcadero

The San Diego Embarcadero is another great spot to paddle board at. The embarcadero is basically a harbor near downtown San Diego that serves as a Cruise ship hub as well as Seaport Village with shops and restaurants. Paddle boarding around this harbor gives you up close views of the expensive yachts and massive cruise ships that come into San Diego everyday. Also, nearby is the USS Midway which is an old retired aircraft carrier that is stationed in the harbor. You can get tours as well as visit the museum of this aircraft carrier. If you are near downtown, this is a great place to paddle board!

4.) Coronado Island

Coronado Island is another great paddle boarding spot in San Diego. Located on an island that connects to downtown via the Coronado Bridge, this sport provides you with incredible city skyline views while you paddle. You can paddle up to the world famous Hotel del Coronado to check out their expensive property. Also, there is a Naval Station on Coronado Island as this is one location where Navy Seals train. If you’re lucky you might be able to witness some Seals in training.

5.) Bird Rock

Located on the southern tip of La Jolla, Bird Rock is another paddle boarder's dream. With cavernous cliffs and stunning turquoise waters this spot provides a beautiful setting. You can bring your snorkeling gear along to jump off your SUP and explore the wildlife below you. The Bird Rock itself is a rock that juts out of the water at the point. You can paddle up close to it but be careful of all the birds nearby as they like to leave their droppings in that area. Overall, this is a beautiful spot to go explore on your stand up paddle board but keep in mind that if the waters are rough it can be a bit dangerous with all of the rocks nearby.