Paddleboarding through Canal Tunnels

While there are plenty of tunnels you can SUP through, there are many more you can't for safety reasons. Here are our top tips for staying safe while paddling through the list of accessible tunnels.

For your own safety, you are not allowed to paddle through some canal tunnels, especially on parts of some larger river navigations. But there are several you can paddle through.

Tips for paddling through a tunnel:

• Always check before paddling through a tunnel. There may be an oncoming narrowboat.
• Always must carry a light (such as a head torch) and whistle to warn other craft that you are there.
• When possible, travel through in groups to allow you to help each other in case of an emergency.
• You can only travel through a tunnel less than 400m long and there are clear site lines.
• You can travel through tunnels up to 650m long if there are good site lines and there is a single way traffic system in place.
• Always check for local restrictions before entering for potential smoke / fumes or a towpath or grab chains are in use.

Tunnels open for canoes and other unpowered craft:

There are over 3,000 miles of canal to explore in the UK with over 100 miles of them close to us at SUP.co.uk! These 'water highways' are an ideal environment to learn on and most people will have a canal near them, but you will need a licence.

You will need a licence to use a paddleboard on a canal. If you try stand up paddle boarding with a club, they can arrange a licence for you. If you want to go on your own, you can book a short term licence via the Canal Trust Website.

The 30 day licence can be used on 30 different days throughout the year.