25 Jan Beginners Guide: Where to SUP (or Kayak) around Perth
There are so many places to SUP or kayak around Perth, the key is knowing where to go.
In this very in depth guide here are 5 “places” to sup (or kayak) around Perth & Peel region.
This was never intentionally going to be such an in-depth post. However after speaking to a few avid and beginner paddlers I realised there were so many questions that needed answering.
So here you go. A beginners guide, where to sup and/or kayaking around Perth.
Sup boarding and kayaking are great activities that combine nature and exercise. Naturcise, if you will.
Luckily Perth is surrounded by picturesque river systems to enjoy.
Sup boarding (or kayaking) can be a little boring and monotonous if you are always paddling in the same location. Looking out for new and exciting places to paddle are a must to keep the paddle board from gathering dust.
Below we dive into some popular paddles around the Perth metro areas and also branch out to some areas on the outskirts of the metro area.
Sup or Kayaking lingo
- Upstream: Heading towards the watersauce. Or the opposite direction to the flow of the watersauce.
- Downstream: Heading away from the watersauce, towards the mouth of the river.
Water Safety and how to assess safe Paddle Conditions.
Firstly, this needs to be said. Please use your common sense. Paddle in conditions according to your expertise or fitness level
If you are a beginner paddle, paddle in calm conditions and within your own fitness levels.
If you are stand up paddle boarding wind is a massive factor in both ease and enjoyment. Wind speeds over 20km/h will hinder your ability to easily and quickly navigate waterways.
Use a weather app to check the wind speed and direction before paddling. If you are paddling in an areas affected by tile or current, again… check your weather app before you hit the water. I personally use Predict Wind or Weather Zone is another great app.
If you are venturing into the ocean, skip to the bottom of the post to read about ocean safety.
5 SUP or Kayak locations in the Perth + Peel Region
Perth city is situated on a stunning riverway called the Swan River. There are plenty of amazing Riverways to enjoy around the Perth Metro area and the Peel Region. These are all very accessible from Perth for an enjoyable weekend activity.
- Canning River
- Swan River.
- Moore River, Guilderton
- Murray River, Pinjarra to Ravenswood
- Seal Island, Rockingham
Canning River Paddle.
This riverway starts in Wandering (a small town East of Dwellingup). The Canning River flows through the Jarrahdale State Forest, Armadale, Riverton and meets the Swan River around Mt Pleasant/Applecross.
All through Shelley and Mt Pleasant are great places to SUP (or Kayak), they are also designated Water Ski areas, which invite a lot of recreational boat traffic. Wake created from boats make waters difficult to Sup (or kayak).
The best places to sup or kayak in perth are upstream, East of Shelley into Riverton where it has mostly calm and flat waters with minimal boat traffic. There is a great paddle from the Shelley or Riverton Bridge upstream through the beautiful low lying paperbark tree bushland.
Paddles in Canning River
- Wilson Park to Shelley Bridge Loop. 7km (point A to Point A)
- Riverton Bridge Loop, 3.5km (point A to Point A
Locations Launch your SUP or Kayak in the Canning River
- Canning River Cafe’ in Wilson Park (Cafe, Toilet)
- Riverton Bridge, Western Side. Kayak launching Ramp.
Water levels can lower in summer creating areas upstream that are impassable, depending on the rainfall during winter. Winter, Spring and early summer will be ideal times to paddle this river.
Swan River Paddles
Perth city sits on the banks of the Swan River. You can easily put your SUP or kayak into the Swan anywhere there is water access and a carpark. The Swan River is approx 75km long, with that comes loads of great river to paddle.
Below are just a few options to get your SUP or kayak wet this weekend close to Perth.
Downstream paddles (From Applecross/Crawley to the Fremantle Bridge)
- Bicton Baths to Point Walter (South of the River) 5km approx return paddle. Toilets.
- Freshwater Bay to Point Roe Beach (North of the River) 7.5km approx return paddle. Toilets.
Note: These areas are close to the mouth of the river so can at times be affected by strong currents and the daily tide coming in and out of the river. Also you will get boat traffic in this section of the river. Pick light wind days to enjoy paddling with ease and early mornings to avoid boat traffic. You will likely see dolphins in this area of the river.
Central and Upstream River Paddles (South Perth, Perth CBD, East Perth)
- South Perth to Claisebrook Cove 6km return paddle.
**Upstream River Paddles
- Bassendean to Bakers Bridge 7.5km return paddle.
- Garvey Park to Garret St Bridge, Bayswater 7km return.
The Swan river is approx 75km long before it connects to the Avon river just north of Bells Rapids in Walyunga National Park. According to the Department of Parks and Wildlife website, the Avon River and the Swan River are the same river. The 2 rivers were thought separate and officially named (back in the 1800’s) before discovering they were, in fact, connected.
The swan River flows all year round and flows uninterrupted all the way from the Swan Valley all the way to Fremantle and out into the ocean.
Places to Launch your SUP or Kayak along the Swan River
Going from upstream to downstream here are some popular locations to launch your SUP or Kayak. With Parking facilities and some with toilet facilities. Depending if you are north, east, south or west of Perth, there will be a location for you to launch your SUP or kayak.
- Woodbridge Riverside Park (Toilets & Cafe)
- Lilac Hill Park/Bakers Bridge, Guildford (Toilets)
- Guildford Boat Ramp
- Point Reserve, Bassendean or Kings Meadow Reserve, South Guildford. Toilets at both locations
- Sandy Beach Reserve Bassendean. Toilets
- Bayswater Boat Ramp or Garratt Road Bridge Park or Memorial Drive Boat Ramp Bayswater.
- Bath Street Jetty, Bath Street Reserve (toilets)
- Clarkson Reserve (toilets) or Maylands Yacht Club (no public toilets)
- Goodwood Boat Ramp, Burswood (toilets)
- East Perth, Mardalup Car Park. Paid Parking during designated times. No toilets. Cafes nearby. Point Fraser (located near the Causeway Bridge) Paid parking. Toilets and Cafes.
- South Perth Foreshore, including Taylor St, Hurlingham St, Coode St Jetty (toilets and cafe), Millers Pool (under the Narrows Bridge).
- Matilda Bay (cafe and toilets) or Pelican Point, Nedlands
- Claremont Jetty
- Freshwater Bay (cafe) or Chidley Beach Park Mosman Park
- Applecross Jetty (toilets) or Tompkins Park Applecross (toilets)
- Point Walter Jetty (toilets and cafe) Bicton Baths (Toilets)
- John Tonkin Reserve (toilets and cafe) or the Leeuwin Boat Ramp.
- Johannah St, North Fremantle or Riverside Drive in East Fremantle ** These locations will be affected by the strong current and boat traffic at the mouth of the river, paddle in good conditions only.
Moore River, Guilderton.
Unboubtedly there are so many great paddle options around the Perth metro area you might just want a change of scenery. Just 1hr north of Perth is Guilderton, a quiet, small coastal town that sits at the mouth of the Moore river.
Enjoy a day trip up to Guilderton or stay for the weekend in its many B&B’s or caravan Park.
The Moore River is approx 200km. You should be able to paddle all the way to Indian Ocean Dr (approx 16 kms) depending on the water levels. In summer the water level may fall and reduce the paddle distance. However, that is a hefty 32 km return so not for the faint hearted or inexperienced paddler.
Surprisingly the river only breaks into the ocean periodically, not due to daily tides, due to heavy winter rain. Therefore there is little current in the river. Guilderton is a coastal town so will usually be hit by the afternoon sea breeze the closer to the mouth of the river you paddle. Wind permitting should be a nice flat water paddle the majority of the paddle upstream.
About 3km upstream there is a large sand dune on the southern banks you can explore and enjoy. Continuing upstream is a small island (Diamond Island) which is a good turn around point. Continuing on a bit further there is a small picnic area at Barragoon Rd, Caraban. You can hire Kayaks here and there used to be a great rope swing… not sure if it’s still there though.
Paddle the Moore River
- Guilderton boat ramp to Sand Dunes 6km return.
- Guilderton boat ramp to Barragoon Rd Picnic area (6km). 12km return
Places to Launch your Sup or Kayak in Moore River
- Guilderton Boat Ramp
- Barragoon Rd, Caraban
Murray River
Yes there is a Murray River in WA. The Murray River is approx 135km long and starts in Waroona. The Murray flows all the way through Dwellingup (Lane Pool Reserve) and Pinjarra into the Mandurah Estuary.
There are two main sections of this river to enjoy.
The first is the section that runs through Lane Pool Reserve, Dwellingup. However in summer this is split into Pools and difficult to enjoy a long continuous paddle. You will need to walk around some rocky sections when the water levels drop, in winter and Spring will be the best time to paddle this section uninterrupted.
Second section is to launch from the Pinjarra Boat ramp (in Pinjarra). This section of the river heading downstream winds for approx 15 km before hitting any boat traffic. Its lined with trees and high banks so very protected from the wind.
Murray River Paddles
- Pinjarra to Ravenswood Paddle. 17km Point A to B Paddle. Or you can shorten the paddle to suit your fitness level and return to the point A launch point.
- Pinjarra to Redcliff Paddle 5km Point A to Point A.
Places to Launch your SUP or Kayak in the Murray RIver
- Pinjarra Boat Ramp, Henry St. Public Toilets nearby. Cafes nearby.
- Ravenswood Canoe Launch, Off Pinjarra Rd, Opposite the Ravenswood Caravan Park. Toilet.
- Murray River Bend Boat Ramp. Toilet.
Most of the Murray River will be a flat paddle, weather permitting. The closer downstream towards Ravenswood you get you will encounter boat traffic. Enjoy early morning paddle to avoid boat traffic, wind or current. Although this is quite a long drive from Perth, its still a great location to SUP or Kayak so dont dismiss it too quickly. Make it a day trip.
If you are interested i did an epic 17km paddle down the murray river all the way from Pinjarra to Ravenswood which you can view on YouTube HERE.
Seal Island Secret Harbour.
This would have to be the most epic place to paddle on a nice weather day. Seal Island is a small island 1km off the coast of Shoalwater, in Rockingham. There is a plethora of wildlife here. Including seals that live on this island. If you do get to experience interacting with these amazing animals please respect their space and let them come to you.
There is great snorkelling off Point Peron, a short 5 min drive away from Rockingham or you can paddle from Point Peron to Seal Island. You are likely to see seals and dolphins here as well as rays.
Consider paddling first thing in the morning during calm conditions only.
Paddles around Point Peron, Seal Island Rockingham
- Seal Island from Shoalwater foreshore 2km return. Easy.
- Point Peron to Seal Island 5.5km Return. Moderate Difficulty.
If you are planning to SUP in the ocean, please continue reading about ocean paddling safety. You need to pay close attention to the weather conditions (especially the wind conditions) to ensure it is safe to paddle in the ocean. If you are inexperienced or very unfit it is not advised to paddle in the ocean.
Ocean Paddling Safety.
Western Australia has some pretty amazing coast line, most of the beaches in the Perth and peel region will be suitable to SUP. However, I don’t recommend any sup adventures in the ocean if you are inexperienced on a sup (or kayak).
You need to pay careful attention to the wind (speed and direction), swell and tide or risk being in a situation you can’t get out of. If you are unsure how to read these conditions, you shouldn’t be paddling in the ocean or make it a priority to learn to read the conditions.
Beach paddling is safe if you are just wanting to enjoy a quick morning paddle or a quick paddle close to shore. Long ocean paddles need careful planning to ensure your safety.
Consider installing a leg strap for ocean conditions and wearing a life vest if you are not a strong swimmer. You can get some very slim line inflatable life vests or even inflatable life vests in a slim line waste belt. These are not cheap, however ocean conditions can be unpredictable and you can’t put a price on safety.
Wind conditions
As a very general guide, you want wind speeds less than or up to 20km/h. Anything over is going to make paddling into the wind slow and difficult, against the wind will be much easier. Consider paddling into the wind first and having the wind behind you on your way back.
If you are born and bred here in WA you will know the coastline gets very windy in the afternoon making the conditions really dangerous and difficult to sup (or kayak). When planning to paddle in the ocean make sure to keep an eye on the wind speed, direction and swell.
I personally use Predict Wind to check the wind and swell conditions. It’s a great visual map to show the wind speed and direction and it will show you the wind conditions by the hour.
GET THE GEAR
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Final Thoughts
I hope this gives you an excuse to enjoy your sup (or kayak) or go out and buy one, SUP boarding and kayaking are wonderful recreational activities. If you are looking for som additional areas to SUP or Kayak around WA here are my top 10 EPIC locations to explore on a SUP or Kayak. Places all the way from Exmouth down to Esperance and everywhere in between.
Perth really is a playgroundfor outdoor activity, it has so many amazing paces to SUP and Kayak.
The only downfall is the fact that Perth can get very windy. I can’t stress this enough. Win and Sup boarding are not friends. Learn to read your conditions well and you will be able to grab your board at a moment’s notice to enjoy the good weather when it’s around.
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