Launch from the rigging green at Chalkwell Beach, then head west (turn right!) past Essex Yacht Club / HQS Wilton and into Old Leigh. At Bell Wharf, either cut straight across to Two Tree Island or carry on up the main shipping channel past the pubs in Old Leigh to turn left after The Crooked Billet. Follow the creek around the top of Two Tree, past the motorboat club to turn just beyond the road bridge. Paddle back the way you came…

Only suitable towards the top of the tide so there’s enough water to get beyond Old Leigh! Although there’s water at Chalkwell from mid-tide, Old Leigh and the marshes are only fully flooded within an hour of high water, before and after which the currents start getting pretty strong. For tidal assistance both ways, set off from half an hour (6kmph) to 20 minutes (8kmph) before high tide – you could leave it up to half an hour later for more of a pull home if you don’t mind working a bit harder to get there, but try and stick within slack water (the 2-hours around high). Great in light northerly winds, and stays flat enough for comfort in moderate west to north-easterlies. Avoid south-west via south to easterlies. Check tide and wind conditions via our SUP weather page…

It can get pretty shallow around the top of Two Tree, so definitely aim for the top of the tide (and avoid neaps – 5.3m+ is a decent rule of thumb). The buoyed deep shipping lane comes in east of Two Tree / Bell Wharf and continues into Leigh Marina: look out for traffic, both leisure and commercial. Be careful of beach furniture (generally stay offshore of green starboard markers) and mooring lines. On a hot and/or sunny day, an easterly sea breeze can fill in here – even if it’s light westerly when you set off – which can seriously chop the water up around Leigh Marsh. Check the wind, weather and tide via our SUP weather page. Not strictly a hazard, but don’t forget to pay for parking at Chalkwell (10am to 6pm) as the traffic wardens are pretty efficient!