Takapuna Beach, North Shore

Another local beach and popular paddle boarding spot that is also fantastic for beginners. It's a wider beach than Narrowneck, with the same buoys 200m out, which are good for race training and learning to turn.
 The bustling atmosphere of Takapuna charges onto the beach, with swimmers, runners, kayakers and most importantly, paddle boarders all going about their business trying not to crash into one another.

 I quite enjoy this aspect of the beach, as it promotes a sense of community that really does give a stamina boost after a long session. It's also a good chance to take a look at other people's techniques, in order to improve your own. If you're looking to get into the sport but haven't got yourself any gear, then this is the beach for you, as there is a SUP hire van on the beach and plenty of places who'll give lessons.
 The beach does have a fair bit of boat activity though so watch for boat wake, so you don't get taken by surprise and fall in - not that falling is the end of the world!

 To be honest, I don't spend as much time at Takapuna beach as others, as I am stingy and don't like paying for parking. There are some free parks on the Hauraki side of the beach, but they tend to fill up quickly, especially in Summer. The parking spaces near the cafe tend to fill up quickly and I'm pretty sure they have a time-limit, but they seem to be fairly lenient. The parking spaces near the library are paid, but they are super cheap and free after 6pm, every day.
 Although there are plenty of free parking spaces in the Takapuna area, they tend to be further away from the beach, which is not ideal when carrying a longer, heavier board, especially after a lengthy paddle!

 However, the winning aspect of Takapuna beach has got to be the Spring-Summer Beach Series. Every Tuesday night from November - March, excluding the Christmas holiday break.
 Races are held for running, swimming and SUP. In the SUP category, there are two types of race: the novice/casual 1000m race and the more competitive 3000m race.  Both are great fun and you don't have to be a top athlete to join in. It's a great way to pick up the sport quickly and get used to the racing scene. In my experience, SUPers are amicable competitors, which keeps the races friendly, whilst maintaining intensity. The numbers are growing, but the SUP group is definitely the smallest of the three, so why not join the ranks?
 For more info on the series, see: http://www.beachseries.co.nz/

 In my experience, Takapuna beach is more heavily affected by the weather than other beaches on the North Shore. This can be good as it exposes you to many different conditions, from glassy, to choppy, to 'forget standing it's time to knee-paddle' choppy. With a strong Easterly, you can expect the waves to get pretty big and messy, which is not great for race boards, or beginner's confidence. However, if you're lucky, the waves will be clean and even, making it a good place to surf with a SUP-surf board; though you'd have to dodge the hoards of local kite-surfers cashing in on the rare Easterly wind!

 The main things to watch for at this beach are swimmers, boats and jetskis. The swimmers won't always see you coming, especially if you're around the buoys, so make sure to keep out of their way as much as possible. The boats and jetskis tend to launch from the boat ramp facing north on the Takapuna end of the beach. They speed out of there and generally aren't too vigilant, so watch out for them and the wake they produce to avoid any collisions!

Although I wouldn't necessarily travel across the country to paddle at Takapuna, it's a good place to start, due to the versatility of the beach and the more communal feel than some other places. It's definitely not always the flattest or calmest of paddles, but it's still suitable for even nervous beginners.

Come on, join the carnage!

Narrowneck beach, North Shore

This is probably my favourite local beach to paddleboard at. It's a fairly open beach, so although there's not much to explore on it's own, there are plenty of places to travel to, in all directions.  

 Parking next to the beach is limited, although there is a large carpark across the road, both of which are free and have no time-limit, which is pretty rad. There's also a cafe and a park to refuel at after a long trek, which is also handy. 

 The beach itself is wide and exposed, leading to it being easily battered by the wind, making it messy and rough in some conditions. 

 However, for the most part Narrowneck is known to be glassy and clear, especially in the mornings. 

 Choosing to stay in the realms of Narrowneck won't get you much scenery, although the stationary view of Rangitoto that you will get is beautiful. However, the generally glassy conditions lend themselves to endurance and flat-water race training, aided by the buoys about 200m out.  

 Close to the shore, you'll get good beginners conditions and you may even catch some runners on your way in. Further out, on a wider board or kayak is perfect for fishing, especially in the morning sun. 

The best part about Narrowneck, though is that it is a great starting point for adventure! 

 Turning left and you'll be off towards Takapuna and Milford, with lots of nooks and secret beaches along the way, although one may want to avert one's eyes at St. Leonard's, the supposed nudist beach!

  You'll see rugged cliff faces and vast open sea, with plenty of awesome sealife to accompany you. This is a popular, short journey which is good for getting used to longer distance paddling. Take note of the wind direction and tides, however. It's easy to get dragged out further than you think, or get grounded upon the rocks if you're not careful.

 Shifting to the right of Narrowneck, you'll end up in Cheltenham or Devonport. This journey tends to be more sheltered than to Takapuna, which makes it a good option if the conditions are a bit rougher. The views are more village-like, but you'll also see the abandoned WWII tunnels in North head and the surrounding cliffs, which are pretty eerie. It is important to note that off-shore winds make it a breeze to paddle towards Devonport, but coming back may make it more arduous. 

 Paddling straight out will take you to Rangitoto island. This is a straight-forward paddle which will save you the potentially steep ferry fare. It also means that you can go when you want, instead of sticking to the ferry's schedule. Along the way, you'll pretty much just be seeing Rangitoto, as it is a rather big island, but time it right and you'll see the sun rising over the top of it, which is truly spectacular.  

 Remember that you are crossing the main container ship path to Auckland. These ships move deceptively fast - if you see one crossing your path, stop and wait for it to go past rather than risk it. They won't stop for you, funnily enough. 

 Assuming you don't get in the way of one of the ships, you'll eventually arrive at Rangtoto; a giant, green, dormant volcano which you can climb. The walk up is decent, but not too gruelling, unless the day is sweltering and muggy. It's totally worth it once you get to the top, though. The panoramic views of Auckland  are breath-taking, especially in the sun. 

 If you're not up to that, why not delve into the heart of Rangitoto, through the caves? It's a pretty mean walk, although remember to bring a torch with you, if you plan on seeing anything. 

 It's about 7km there and back, so you'd be sensible to bring water and it's probably a good idea to have a leash and some sort of flotation device, as the Rangitoto channel does get pretty deep. 

 Overall it's a beach with good potential, especially for beginners. As expected, it's flattest early in the morning, which is great if you like to be able to watch the sunrise. However, in summer, Narrowneck tends to stay pretty good throughout the day, making an evening paddle with a couple of beers at sunset a truly rewarding experience. 

Rangitoto Sunrise at Nearby Milford beach

Introductions are always important..

 After having a conversation with a friend about various Paddleboarding locations, it became clear that there isn't really much info on good flatwater beaches around NZ. There seems to be plenty of knowledge out there for surfers and hikers, but SUP cruising locations are pretty thin on the internet. Considering the looming road trip, with little knowledge of the beaches around my destinations, I figured that I would attempt to set the trend.

 My plan for this blog is to document fantastic and picturesque places to paddleboard around the North Island in particular, in an effort to get more info available for touring paddlers, but also to force myself to get out there and experience more of our fantastic waters.

So that's all for now, I guess.