What’s SUP?

Blue Lemon Paddleboarding, West Berks and South Ox

Ready to make a splash? Float on down to Blue Lemon Paddleboarding in Berkshire and Oxon, a BSUPA (British Stand Up Paddleboarding Association) affiliated school for bespoke group bookings, lessons, and tours. There’s a range of activities on offer. Join their Guided Paddleboard Tours, Sunset Tours or brilliant two hour courses to learn all the proper insider techniques to meander around gracefully without nose diving in a blur of flailing limbs. Tours are just £39pp and numbers are kept purposely low (max of 12) so you know it’s going to be SUPer chilled out. Sorry, couldn’t help it.

Bray Lake, Maidenhead

Bray Lake has it all going on – beautiful location and the largest independent water sports club in the country. Learn to windsurf, sail, paddleboard or enjoy open swimming in this lovely setting. I’ve had a SUP lesson here (you can check out my review here), the instructors are first class – patient and highly skilled – and will get you on the water even if you spend most of the lesson falling in the H20. Guilty. Head to the fab onsite café for refuel, and there’s a shop and changing rooms too.

Go with the Flo, Henley

Whether you’re keen to try standup paddleboarding for the first time, or you want to sharpen your skills, Go with the Flo runs individual and group lessons for all abilities. Locations include Henley, Reading, Wargrave and Caversham. There’s loads of different options available but the one that caught my eye involves paddling up to the Henley Rewind Festival site on Aug 17 and catch some of the acts, which include Billy Ocean, Jason Donovan and Gabrielle. There’s a Henley Fest version on Sat 13 July too.

Hi5, Reading Lakes, Reading

If it’s an adrenaline rush you’re after, Hi5 offers waterskiing, wakeboarding (think combination of water skiing and snowboarding skills), banana and ringo rides (you only need holding on skills for this!). There’s experienced instructors on hand and lots of options for different ages and skill levels. Find out more here.

Wild Paddle Berkshire, Newbury

Wild Paddleboard tours newbury paddleboarding berkshire

Offering paddleboard tours, Lara and her team set off on their adventures from four sites in Newbury, Kintbury, Sulhamstead and Woolhampton. Suitable for newbies through to the more experienced, all boards, paddles, buoyancy aids and instruction are provided. There’s lots of booking options available but if none suit you can opt for a private tour instead.

Taplow Lakeside, Taplow

Family run Taplow Lakeside has something for everyone including wakeboarding, waterskiing, paddleboarding and kayaking. Oh and did we mention, once you’ve finished being super active, there’s a sauna with views of the lake and private steps into the water in case you need to cool off. There’s also a well stocked bar, specialising in Belgian beers, local gins, and good value wines, plus home cooked food. This seems to be ticking a lot of Muddy boxes!

Dinton Pastures, Wokingham

Dinton Pastures, Wokingham paddleboarding berkshire

You can do it all at Dinton Pastures lake – choose from pedalos, paddleboards, canoes, and single or double kayaks starting from £9 for half an hour. There’s a giant eight person SUP if you’re with a group and fancy giving it a go. With 94 acres of lake, it’s the perfect spot to practise your water skills before heading to local rivers or further afield. Or bring your own equipment and grab a lake access pass with a range to suit your needs.

Horseshoe Lake Activity Centre, Sandhurst

Horseshoe Lake has lots of activities on offer including SUP and kayak courses and launch your own vessel days for £10 per craft. Day launch runs from 10am-5pm everyday but you do need to book. They run one or two day powerboat courses for those aged 8+ years and hire paddleboards, giant SUPs, kayaks and katakanus – think two canoes joined together, which makes for a nice stable base apparently!

Set sail

The Swan at Streatley, Streatley on Thames

Self-drive day boat hire on one of the most beautiful stretches of the River Thames – yes please! PureBoating know all the insider intel for where to picnic, good riverside pit stops (essential surely?) and the best places to see kingfishers and Loddon lilies. Or, if you fancy getting closer to the water, you can book paddleboarding at the Swan too. And if your picnic doesn’t fill you up, a table at Coppa Club is always a good idea or go the whole hog and book an overnight stay!

The Great House, Sonning

THE GREAT HOUSE SONNING EXTERIOR RIVER VIEW boat cruises berkshire

Also a Coppa Club venue, you can book a private charter on a luxurious launch from The Great House at Sonning and experience the Thames in style in boats that carry between 4 and 12 people. Opt for a self-drive or join a private cruise on a gorgeous Edwardian-style boat. Lunch, dinner or an overnight stay at The Great House is also highly recommended (see our review here)! What are you waiting for?

Thames River Cruise, Caversham

Thames River Cruise, Caversham boating in berkshire

Now this is a truly unique experience – eating Sunday roast al fresco on a narrow boat. Join Thames River Cruise for a slap up roastie with all the trimmings one Sunday each month as you gently meander through Wind in the Willows country. Lunch is freshly prepared and homemade by local passionate chefs with two courses (including a pud) to sink your teeth too. The on board bar will help the three hour cruise pass just nicely. It sets sail from Caversham Pier and costs £55 per adult. A ton of other river trip options also available.

The Windsor & Maidenhead Boat Company, Murder on the Thames

The Windsor & Maidenhead Boat Company boating in berkshire

A jaunt down the River Thames with Shurlock Holmes for company? Sign me up. For a murder mystery on water, head for one of The Windsor & Maidenhead Boat Company’s three-hour events. Shurlock will greet you on arrival before a mixer quiz kicks things off. Channel your inner panto villain – guests will even be asked if they want to get in on the action and play a suspect. For £46pp you’ll get a two-course lunch, plus all the murder mystery action you need. A prize for the winning sleuth too. Check out their other daily cruise options too. The pudding cruise has my name on it.

Caversham Boat Services, Caversham

Hire a motor or row a boat for an hour or two, take a day trip or go all out and opt for an overnight trip. The motor and rowing boats are based at Christchurch playing fields in Caversham and will set you back £20 an hour for a rowing boat and £40 for a motorboat. Surely worth the extra to sit back and trail your fingers in the water and not have to put the hard graft in? You can head west towards Goring or east towards Henley.

Boating at Cliveden, National Trust, Taplow

Rowing boats Boating at Cliveden boat cruises berkshire

Boating has been popular at Cliveden for over a hundred years, and the river here, one of the prettiest spots on the Thames, inspired Kenneth Grahame’s children’s classic The Wind in the Willows (1908). You’ve got masses of choice – from a skippered cruise and self-drive electric boats to canoes and row or pedal boats. The self-drive electric option looks gorgeous and definitely has my name on it with its picnic table and space for five passengers. An hour gives time to cruise downstream towards Boulter’s Lock passing Cliveden Estate and the riverside homes of Maidenhead. On your return, you’ll get even better views of Cliveden House before heading upstream towards Cookham. Check out the options and booking details here.

Cliveden House Hotel, Taplow

If you’ve got an anniversary or birthday to celebrate or just fancy a super special day (you’re worth it), check out Cliveden House’s luxurious boating experience for an unforgettable jaunt down the Thames. Cliveden House – an amazing Italianate mansion set in 376 acres of gardens and woodland – is also home two lovingly restored vintage launches. Choose between the Belmot and The Suzy Ann, which can be booked along with a picnic lunch, tailor made for you by Cliveden’s head chef – be sure to ask him to throw in a bottle of the Laurent-Perrier Champagne too.

Kris Cruisers, Datchet and Windsor

If you’re looking for boating experience, Kris Cruisers, run by three generations of the Clark family, is the one for you. They offer day boats for 2 – 12 people and luxury holiday cruisers for longer trips sleeping 2 – 10 occupants. If it’s your first time, an instructor will show you everything you need to know and they’ll send you off with a map showing moorings and the all important pubs, restaurants and toilets. You can even take your dog!

Further afield

Oxford punting boats boat cruises berkshire

If you fancy a punt, there’s only one location – head for the spires of Oxford. Popular for more than 150 years, punts were originally small cargo boats before being used for fun from around 1860 and they remain popular today. There are lots of places to hire one. Muddy recommends Salters Steams, which rents five person punts for £25 an hour, £60 for half a day or £100 for the whole day. A chauffeured punt is £75 an hour. Or try Magdalen Boat House or Cherwell Boathouse – the riverside restaurant at the latter is lovely, plus it’s slightly cheaper and less touristy.

Ahoy there! Best places to boat and paddleboard locally

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