Words:
Morene Decker

Photos:
From Morene’s library

Morene Decker

If you are interested in a private tour in Amsterdam or the Amsterdam area, contact Morene via her Instagram @morenesup or @supinamsterdam. She has over 15 years of experience and is more than happy to share her love for Amsterdam by paddleboard.        

Amsterdam’s magic vibe

Amsterdam has a magical vibe, with its canals, beautiful canal houses, and historical architecture that goes all the way back to the Middle Ages. For stand-up paddle enthusiasts, it’s a must-do to paddle at least once through this outdoor museum.

Amsterdam paddling
The first paddleboarding in Amsterdam came around 2008 by Anne Marie Reichman, who organised a marketing stunt by paddling through Amsterdam with some of her friends to gain attention for the ultra-long-distance SUP 11 city tour race. In Amsterdam, Morene Dekker founded the first Dutch stand-up paddle school in 2010.

She fell in love with SUP herself and had to share her beautiful city with whoever wanted to experience it by stand-up paddling instead of ‘passively’ sitting in one of the hundreds of tourist boats that float through the canals every day. In the first couple of years, people didn’t know what SUP was, and she had to explain and work with many surprised people who spontaneously started asking questions about this ‘new’ watersport.

Amsterdam canals
Whilst stand-up paddling through Amsterdam, you can wander around the city endlessly as there are so many little side canals. Of course, there are the famous bigger canals such as the Keizersgracht and Herengracht.

Still, once you take a left or right, you will end up in smaller, even more beautiful and calmer canals that immediately take you back to how Amsterdam looked hundreds of years ago.

Next to the beautiful canal houses, with sometimes impressive ornaments and varying styles, you will also be surprised by the canal boats left and right in the canals, which are also all different in style. Together, all this gives the city an extremely lively feel.

Scenery
To paddle downtown, some experience or a teacher/guide might be better, as it can get very busy with boats (max speed is 6 km an hour), and finding your way might be challenging. Hardly any canal ends where it starts, as the bigger ones are ‘half moons’ (map attached), and the side canals are not always connected because Amsterdam consists of many islands joined by hundreds of bridges.

The Amstel river runs through town and is also a nice river to paddle, as it takes you south, into more countryside, along windmills and old-fashioned Dutch farmhouses and buildings.

On extremely busy days in the centre, this is a nice route. If you have more time and want to paddle a couple of times around Amsterdam, this is a fun route to add. If you want a challenge, it is also very nice to go on the big inland lake (Markermeer) and paddle along one of the old dike villages, such as Durgerdam. For these routes, I recommend booking a guide, as a local knows the way around.

Prepare
As the Netherlands has four seasons, be aware that when you come over for a paddle, you should bring appropriate clothes, as in winter it can get down to freezing temperatures, and you do need surf boots (at least 5mm) and warm surf/paddle clothes. In summer it can get up to 30 (Celsius), and you will need sunscreen, glasses and a hat.

Many travellers think the canals are dirty because there are so many houseboats, but they are connected to the sewage system. You will find many children and adults jumping from bridges and swimming in the wider canals.

The city has around 39 locks, which means water is moving all the time, as the North Sea is only about 30 kilometres away and water also comes in from the south.

Facts & Figures:
The canals were used to transport goods for years and years.

• They call Amsterdam the Venice of the North.
• The Amsterdam canals have been listed on the UNESCO list since 2010.
• Amsterdam has 165 canals with a total length of 75 kilometres.
• The city has 1500 bridges and consists of 90 little islands.
• The oldest canal is the Singel.
• The longest canal is the Prinsengracht.
• The widest (31 metres) is the Keizergracht.
• The Herengracht is also known as the ‘Golden Corner’, as it has the most impressive and largest houses.

Need to knows
SUP is allowed all around town. There are a few rules:

• Always keep right.
• Make sure to cross a bridge only when it’s free of big tourist boats.
• If you are not too experienced, be aware of the heavy traffic in the centre and choose a calmer area to paddle.
• Bring a dry bag with a phone, or a Citymap, so if you get lost you can find your way back.