Best Places To SUP On The Sunshine Coast

SUP enthusiasts have plenty of opportunity for some incredible paddleboarding on Australia’s Sunshine Coast - an incredible stretch of over 100km of coast just north of Brisbane. Starting at the coastal city of Caloundra and stretching all the way up to the Great Sandy National Park, the Sunshine Coast has it all. Whether you're seeking low or high difficulties, busy or quiet locales, you are guaranteed an epic SUP experience here. Not sure where to start? Here are our top 5 picks for the absolute best places to SUP on the Sunshine Coast.

1. Cotton Tree

Cotton Tree makes for a phenomenal beginner-level SUP experience, with calm waters surrounded by beautiful views of the ocean. Cotton Tree Park is the perfect launch point for your SUP trip and Cotton Tree Beach itself is notably tranquil which makes it particularly great for anybody looking to hone or develop their technique. There are also plenty of cafes and shops nearby so you’re spoiled for choice for a post-paddle snack. For a beginner to intermediate-level paddler, this is a top spot for paddle boarding on the Sunshine Coast.

2. Pumicestone Passage

Pumicestone Passage makes it onto our list of the best places to SUP on the Sunshine Coast because of the fantastic opportunity it presents for seeing the vibrancy of the Sunshine Coast’s wildlife life up close. Home to several different species of shorebird as well as dolphins, turtles and dugongs, Pumicestone Passage is a fantastic choice for a SUP spot for anybody looking to see these fantastic sights for themselves - just remember to bring a camera and mount it to your SUP with a board camera mount!

3. Lake Baroon

Though this spot is not your typical coastal spot - it’s actually set inland just south of Montville - Lake Baroon is well worth checking out if you’re looking to enjoy a bit of paddleboarding near the Sunshine Coast. As a closed-off pocket dam with no powered watercraft allowed, Lake Baroon provides a large space dedicated to the SUP experience. There are many tributaries that feed into the lake, meaning that there’s plenty of space for hours of paddleboarding. Just be aware that it can get quite choppy in windy conditions. Check out our blog on the best apps for paddleboarding to find some great solutions for checking weather conditions before setting out on a SUP trip.

4. Golden Beach

Located at the very start of the Sunshine Coast in Caloundra is Golden Beach, a picture-perfect stretch of sea and sand perfect for paddlers of all abilities. Its proximity to the city makes it a great place to SUP on the Sunshine Coast if you want easy access to the water - just launch right off the beach and enjoy the gentle but expansive waters. Golden Beach is also home to a number of convenient rental options if you don’t own your own board and there is plenty of space on the shore for a post paddle picnic with some incredible views. Pack up your favourite snacks in your cooler bag and you’re sure to have a quintessentially Sunshine Coast SUP experience here. 

5. Noosa North Shore

The Noosa North Shore is another fantastic SUP spot for paddlers with more experience under their belt. You’ll find the North Shore just a 20-minute drive from central Noosa, providing a relatively quiet space away from the main beaches in the area where you can experience some moderate waves and take in the breathtaking beauty of the shoreline. In fact, Noosa North Shore boasts over 80km of unspoilt open beaches with rugged terrain, ocean views and intriguing marine life making it a real SUP paradise.

So that’s our list of the best places to SUP on the Sunshine Coast. Get yourself geared up for an unforgettable SUP experience with our collection of awesome paddleboards we have available here, or if you need any assistance, you can get in contact with the expert members of the Red team for help.