Charleston Watersport is a practical guide to getting on the water around Charleston, South Carolina. We cover kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and flyboarding for beginners and visitors: where to launch, when to go, and how to stay safe. Most of our water is tidal, so the one thing we come back to again and again is timing your trip with the tide.

Kayaking

From no-tide county-park lakes to the marsh creeks, Charleston has calm, beginner-friendly water if you know where to look. Start with the best places to kayak around Charleston, or learn how to choose the right water for the day.

Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUP)

SUP is one of the easiest paddle sports to start, and the sheltered Lowcountry creeks suit it well. Begin with what stand-up paddleboarding is, then read our guide to your first SUP session on Shem Creek.

Flyboarding

Want something more dramatic? Flyboarding in Charleston lifts you above the water on a jet-powered board, and a first lesson is more approachable than it looks.

Start with the tide

The Lowcountry rises and falls several feet with every tide, and that decides whether a creek is an easy float or a hard slog. Before any trip, read Charleston paddling and the tide. Everything here is compiled from official sources, including Charleston County Parks, the Town of Mount Pleasant, and NOAA, and checked against the current conditions.