SUP Lesson and Tour in Portknockie, Scotland

We are primarily based at Cullen Beach, just off the A98 and visible from the main road. Our nearest sat nav postcode is AB56 4WB.  However, for paddleboarding, we will give you a meeting point upon booking. This will be near to Cullen Beach, and will be based on the conditions. 

There is ample free parking at our location at Cullen Beach and in the surrounding area.

For paddleboarding, we require participants to be able to swim 50 metres unaided.

The minimum age for paddleboard lessons is 8 years old, and for coastal tours 12 years old. You’re never too old to get in the sea and have a go!

If you have any medical needs, disabilities, injuries or special requirements, just give us a call and we can talk through how best we can cater for your needs during your experience. We aim to be an inclusive surf school.

Yes, all the kit is provided for your lessons, including warm wetsuits and wetsuit accessories if needed (gloves, boots, hood), as well as buoyancy aids for paddleboarding.

Please bring a towel, sunscreen, and water. We recommend you arrive with swimwear on (for under your wetsuit) as it makes it easier to get changed at the beach.

We’ve got everything you need here, but if you’ve invested in your own wetsuit you’re welcome to bring it along if it is suitable for the conditions and activity. We use quality 5mm winter wetsuits to keep you really toasty, and have gloves, boots, and hoods available.

If you’d like to use your own paddleboard during a lesson or tour, please let us know when you book, s we can make sure it’s suitable.

The safety of our clients is of the highest importance to us and we will never run lessons in unsafe conditions. However, we do not cancel lessons when it’s raining. We’ll all be getting wet anyway and it can be a unique experience!

We schedule our lessons around reliable weather & wave forecasts, however conditions can change very quickly and this can be unpredictable. The safety of our clients is of the highest importance to us and we will never run lessons in unsafe conditions. If we deem conditions are not appropriate on the day we will try to contact you in advance.

In the very rare event that we have to cancel a lesson we will:

• Rearrange for another day
• Offer you an alternative activity if conditions allow
• Give a full refund

Providing you are able to swim 50m and you have no current health issues or injuries preventing you from taking part in physical activity you can participate.

We have a wide range of wetsuits to cater for all shapes and sizes.

We have limited space for belongings in our van or trailer, however we recommend leaving your belongings in your vehicle once changed. We can look after your keys during your session.

Unfortunately, we do not have changing facilities available yet, however arriving with a swimsuit on (for under your wetsuit) will make it easier to get changed.

There are toilets on the beach, which are public toilets run by the local Friends of Cullen volunteer group.

Don’t worry, every SUP session starts by learning how to paddle on your knees and you can still enjoy all the elements of the session knee paddling.

This is all part of the fun. The main thing is not to panic; you’re attached to a big float which you’ll be able to climb back on to relatively easily. If you have any problems, your instructor will be there with you to help.

The paddles float, don’t worry! Try to retrieve it quickly, you will be able to manoeuvre your board using your hands. Your instructor will be there to lend a hand if you have any problems.

It is best not to wear glasses if possible. However, if your level of sight means you’ll need them, this should not be a problem in calm conditions. We suggest using a floating lanyard or set of floating straps, or using disposable contact lenses if possible.

We aim to teach you the skills to go out paddling safely and independently. This will include precautions to take when going out unsupervised, self-rescue, and important knowledge about suitable weather & sea conditions.

Yes. It needs to be waterproof and secured with a lanyard or similar. Make sure your camera will not sink; some waterproof cameras like GoPros require an additional flotation device to float. We’d love to see any photos you take!