Paddleboarding - Tahiti Tourisme

Published on 25 August 2023

Reading time: 4 min.

An extra long and extra wide surfboard, an extended paddle, and you’re off! Paddleboarding is a superb way of exploring the lagoons in The Islands of Tahiti, and although it might take a short while to get your balance, it really isn’t very difficult. Basically, if you can stand up without falling over, you should be able to ride a paddleboard!

The sport of paddleboarding, also known as stand-up paddle, was invented in Hawaii in the 1950s. As its name suggests, the idea is to stand on a large surfboard and paddle it. Originally, the sport was developed by lifeguards, who used paddleboards to rescue swimmers in difficulty and tow them to shore. In the early 2000s, the sport gained in popularity, and different boards were developped for different activities: leisure paddling around the lagoon, racing and surfing. The Islands of Tahiti is an ideal destination for paddleboarding, with its exceptional lagoons and superb waves for surfing. If you’ve never tried paddleboarding before, take a quick lesson and you’ll soon discover why it has become so popular.

Gentle fun or sport

Paddleboarding is very popular in The Islands of Tahiti, and you’ll almost certainly find boards and paddles available at your hotel. If you’ve never tried it before, it’s very easy and you’ll quickly get the hang of it. Before setting off, make sure that you have some kind of headwear and your ecofriendly sun cream. Paddleboarding is an excellent excercise for all your muscles, especially the abdomen and triceps. And if you practice yoga, you can even have lessons floating on your paddleboard.

Paddle on a Raiatea river ©Tahiti Tourisme

If you want a more thrilling version of paddleboarding, then try traditional surfing on your paddleboard. Paddle out to where the waves break and from there it’s a matter of catching the right one at the right moment. The main difficulty of surfing is getting up to a standing position on the board, but with a paddleboard you have the advantage that you’re standing up already. The skill is in the way you use your paddle to accelerate and then steer your board on the wave. The best waves for paddleboard surfing are on the beaches to the east of Papeete in Tahiti.

Other nautical activities

The Islands of Tahiti is the perfect destination for watersports of all kinds. Paddleboard, surf, kitesurf, windsurf, foil, parasail…Come on in, the water’s lovely!

Paddleboarding in Bora Bora ©Charlotte PIHO

Whether you’re in Bora Bora, Moorea, Raiatea, Huahine, or any of the other idyllic islands in French Polynesia, you’ll have the opportunity to try out all sorts of nautical activities. After a tanning session on the beach, under the coconut trees, let yourself be tempted by an introductory session to kitesurfing. The more adventurous can even take the foil option (best spot: Moorea Island). The whole thing is to have a good sense of balance. These activities are part of the trend of sustainable tourism, highlighted in The Islands of Tahiti.