Paddleboarding & SUP in Washington DC

DC is an awesome place to paddleboard and to SUP.  There are many options for flat water and for swift water.  If you like swift water, consider running Mather's Gorge.  Here's the best way.

Park in the Old Angler's parking lot, and paddle up the canal.  Then walk down to the river and head down towards the chutes and back to Old Angler's.  It's about a 2 hour round trip.

Here is some more information about paddleboarding in and near Washington DC on the Potomac River.

Also, check out www.potomacriversup.org

The Potomac River is cranking right now, and some fun waves are in play.  Offut will be good for the next few days.  This wave is located right up from Washington DC.  Check out more SUP and paddleboard information here.

No Crowds in the Winter

Yeah, it's true that the winter brings cold water on the Potomac River.  But that doesn't mean you can't get some awesome SUP paddleboard surfing in.  Just put on your thick wetsuit, or a well layered dry suit, and get on it!  The water levels are high and the crowds are low.  If you have the right gear, you really will be warm. The feet and hands are the first to go, so go with the best gear there.  I just bought a pair of Xcel 7mm mittens, and my hands stay very hot!  The only drag is getting them on and off.

The Potomac River is high now, with all of the rain and run off.  So it'll be a while till Maryland and Virginia Chutes are back in play.  The best level at Virginia Chute to SUP is between 3.7 and 3.9.  That's when the wave is most glassy.  Learning to paddleboard on a hard board is a bit tricky, but the key is to keep the board pointed up river.  Here's a good video that shows learning to SUP paddleboard on the Potomac River in Potomac Maryland. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYMnpeU4JS8

Our First Blog for Standup Paddleboarding on the Potomac River

Paddleboarding, also know as SUP or standup paddleboard, is an awesome workout.  If you're interested in learning how to do it, then take some lessons.  The Potomac River is a great place to learn to paddleboard because there is both flat water and swift water.

Check out www.PotomacRiverSup.org

It's also possible to SUP and standup paddleboard on the Potomac River in the winter.  There are two easy access points to the Potomac River to paddleboard, one is from the Ranger Station and one is from Old Angler's in.  Parking is easy, and it's a short walk to the Potomac River.

In the winter, if you SUP or paddleboard on the Potomac River, you'll probably want either a dry suit, or a 5mm or thicker wetsuit.  Be safe!

This video was shot river surfing at Virginia Chute on the Potomac River.  The paddle boarding was done on a hard SUP.