Not only is Plymouth, Massachusetts, a town filled with rich history and charm, it also serves as a backdrop for
SUP enthusiasts. It is the launch point for the Cape Cod Bay Challenge, a 30-mile crossing into Provincetown.
Paddling along the harbor, don’t be surprised if you find

yourself cruising past the Mayflower II or catching an up-close and personal view of Plymouth Rock, a treat that few tourists exprience. When northeast swells sneak past the arm of Cape
Cod, it turns Brown’s Bank and the shoals off Long Beach into a surfer’s paradise. Whale watching and fishing charters leave the harbor daily in the summer months and head for Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Plymouth, with its variety of protected bays and beaches, provides an endless landscape for exploration on both the water and dry land.

But if consistent surf is what you’re looking for, head to the outer beaches of the Cape Cod National Seashore. Awaiting your arrival are 40 miles of pristine, sandy beaches with a number of breaks and constantly shifting sandbars, making this an exhilarating SUP playground. Summer months can be a bit flat, but once the tropics heat up and send swells in the late summer and fall, the more adventurous paddlers arm themselves with neoprene and are ready to go. There’s no need to get in a lineup as there’s always another break just a few hundred yards away. While paddling, expect the accompaniment of seals and a variety of whales just offshore.