The south Hams offers a wide range of water sports, Salcombe and Dartmouth are best known for their safe harbours for yachts however the area offers a lot more! Including wild swimming, wind surfing, water skiing & wake boarding, fishing, caneos & kayaks, surfing and SUP.
Canoeing, Stand Up Paddle Boarding & Kayak
There is an excellent choice of places for climbing into a tiny boat, both the Kingsbridge and Dart estuaries and of course straight off the beach.
Singing Paddles, great for all ages and abilities, tours of the estuary, a highlight is the hot sausage tours, sometimes goes on Slapton Ley too: 0775 442 6633
Canoe Adventures, Tuckenhay, for all ages and abilities, why not try guided 12-seat Voyager canoeing offering you excellent fun on the wonderful River Dart in South Devon year round. 01803 865301
Totnes Kayaks & Canoe hire: 07799 403788
Water Born Stand Up Paddle Boarding based at the Crabshell Inn, offers lessons and hire on the estuary. Kingsbridge: 07835 157 635.
Salcombe Paddle Boarding based at East Portlemouth, tuition, hire and estuary tours. Kayak hire also available. 01548 844142, 0779094059, 07936291358.
South Sands Sea Kayak offers a rental service of stand-up paddle boards and Kayaks 01548 843451
Surfing
The best locations for surfing and body boarding are Bantham, Lannacombe & Thurlestone beaches.
Bantham Surfing Academy: 01548 853803
Discovery Surf School, Bigbury-on-Sea, provides professional coaching for all ages and levels, with an emphasis on safe, high quality tuition in small groups. 01548 810535
Surfin’ Sam South Milton: 01803 712 161 / 07974 101374
Sailing in Salcombe
Salcombe is a fantastic sailing harbour, one look at the harbour and you’ll be signing up for lessons.
Salcombe Dinghy Sailing, offers sailing lessons in a range of boats for all levels 01548 843927 / 07970 017321
Sailing in Dartmouth
Devon sailing offer courses and cruises for the more serious sailor 01803 853 843
Fishing
How big is your catch?
Seabass Fishing with Mark Cowling South Devon Bass Guide 07787 844332
Salcombe Angling offer angling charters 01548 531344 / 07967 387 657
Fresh water: Coombe Water Fishery, Kingsbridge, TQ7 4AB: 01548 852 038
Fresh water: Newhouse Fishery, Totnes, TQ9 7JS: 01548 821 426
Boat Hire
For a bit of adrenaline, seeing the Devon coastline or enjoying the lapping of water on the side of a boat.
Sea-N-Shore offer water skiing & wake boarding lessons, boat hire, water skis, RYA courses, power boat rides and Coasteering.
White Strand boat hire also offer Mackerel fishing trips 01548 843818 supply 12-16ft fibreglass boats with steering wheels. Life jackets, (dog life jackets), a chart of the estuary and full instructions are all supplied to make your hire as easy and enjoyable as possible. 01548 843818
Tucker’s Boat Hire: Small boats for use in the Salcombe estuary through Tuckers Boat Hire. They have re-equipped the Tuckers fleet with Terhi Nordic open boats with a choice of engines and controls. These provide customers with reliable craft which are ideal for Salcombe: 01548 843 838
Wild Swimming
The Outdoor Swimming Society is a great website to link up with other wild swimmers and find good spots. The nearby Avon river and Thurlestone rocks are renowned wild swimming spots. Bantham is home to the famous swoosh.
Wind Surfing
Bigbury & Slapton sands are both recognised amongst the best spots in the south west for wind surfing, however if you would like lessons Newton Abbott is the nearest I can find.