SUP Paper Mill Lock, River Chelmer, Essex
If the tide’s wrong or it’s too windy and choppy for comfortable paddling at the coast due to a sea breeze or the ambient wind, it’s time to head inland. Our nearest useful stretch of freshwater is the River Chelmer (technically the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation) which extends 22km east from central Chelmsford beyond Maldon to the Heybridge Basin. The most comfortable launch is at Paper Mill Lock where trees and the surrounding valley provide good shelter from the wind, ensuring the water stays flat. This is our preferred teaching venue, we’ve regularly been instructing SUP lessons here since 2013 and are the resident paddleboard school…