The classics. Pick one.

SUP the downtown loop under the bat bridge.

Austin, USA · easy

Glassy water before the wind rises.

Hermanus, South Africa · easy

Cape Maclear to Mumbo by kayak, cichlids under glass water.

Cape Maclear, Malawi · moderate

Lake paddle.

Chiang Mai, Thailand · easy

Hippos and crocs.

Sodwana Bay, South Africa · easy

Urban paddle.

Seattle, USA · easy

Night paddle.

Rotorua, New Zealand · easy

Calm paddle.

Matka, North Macedonia · easy

To the lighthouse.

Summersville, USA · easy

Marine lake.

Hossegor, France · easy

SUP from Ouchy.

Lausanne, Switzerland · easy

Quieter sister of Ha Long. Floating villages, monkey beaches.

Cat Ba, Vietnam · easy

Eagles, otters, limestone at Kilim. Go with the tide.

Kuah, Malaysia · easy

To the Mokes at first light.

Honolulu, USA · moderate

Tacking, gybing, man overboard drills. Competent crew in two days.

Anywhere · moderate

Acropolis views from water, St Paul's bay swim, beach lunch.

Rhodes, Greece · easy

Paddle to Inchcailloch, camp wild, swim at dawn. Midges included.

Balmaha, Scotland · moderate

Big-water Idaho classic, 20+ rapids, no mercy in May.

Lowell, USA · expert

Grade III-IV classic, loop shuttle, surf at Swimmers. Weekend busy.

Ohiopyle, USA · hard

Chapel Bridge lights, Pilatus silhouette. Summer evenings only.

Lucerne, Switzerland · easy

Palm trees meet Alps. Gandria village landing for lunch.

Lugano, Switzerland · easy

Lagoon through the tunnel.

Cat Ba, Vietnam · easy

Pulpit Rock from below, seals, waterfall showers. Long day.

Lysebotn, Norway · moderate

Kayak to a sandbank that vanishes at high tide. Reef sharks below.

Malé, Maldives · easy

Spirit Island views, elk on shore. Book first slot.

Jasper, Canada · easy

Mangrove paddle.

Jungutbatu, Indonesia · easy

Bioluminescent water in the mangrove tunnels.

Cartagena, Colombia · moderate

Turtle reserve.

León, Nicaragua · easy

Limestone gorge.

Skopje, North Macedonia · easy

Inside the reef to Île aux Cerfs. Kites overhead, beer after.

Port Louis, Mauritius · easy

Cala Macarella approach by water, cliff jumps optional.

Mahón, Spain · easy

Paddle still water under Mitre Peak before cruise boats wake. Seals watch.

Milford Sound, New Zealand · moderate

White rock arches, pirate coves, water impossibly blue.

Milos, Greece · moderate

Urban paddle.

Minneapolis, USA · easy

Atoll rim snorkel stops, dolphins common, tides rule everything.

Zanzibar City, Tanzania · easy

Crane Żuraw.

Gdansk, Poland · easy

Lake paddle.

Bariloche, Argentina · easy

Inflatable kayak the gentle upper. Sandy beaches, smallmouth bass.

Fayetteville, USA · easy

Bioluminescence and foghorns.

San Francisco, USA · moderate

City lights from the water.

Miami, USA · easy

Calm paddle.

Jinja, Uganda · easy

Whitewater course.

Jinja, Uganda · hard

Calm lake.

Myoko, Japan · easy

Mirror waterways.

Noosa, Australia · easy

Estuary paddle.

Noosa, Australia · easy

Crocodiles and howlers.

Nosara, Costa Rica · easy

Paddle the narrow arm.

Flåm, Norway · moderate

Olympic course laps at release flow. Pushy and proud.

Ducktown, USA · hard

Silent dugout glide with a poler, elephants nearby. The delta at eye level.

Maun, Botswana · easy

Urban paddle.

Montreal, Canada · easy

Four days Richtersveld desert drift, hot springs, no signal.

Vioolsdrif, Namibia · moderate

Six-man crew.

Maui, USA · easy

Three days loaded boats, gorge camps, toucans. Jungle classic.

Turrialba, Costa Rica · hard

Castle point and back.

Annecy, France · easy

Canoe the island chain.

Balmaha, Scotland · easy

Hvar to Jerolim nude-beach swim stops, pine shade, gin bars after.

Hvar, Croatia · easy

Wetland paddling.

Lima, Peru · easy

Channel paddle, Despotiko ruins, ouzo at sunset return.

Parikia, Greece · moderate

Red Lady cave.

Llangennith, Wales · moderate

Island paddle.

Porto Covo, Portugal · easy