8 of 10 places fit
A quiet beach club where paddleboarders share calm water with kiters, without the Dubai crowds.
Group SUP lessons from a kite shop in Umm Suqeim, cheaper than a private session and a good way to learn to stand up on open sea water.
Cheap board rental by Sunset Beach, and a women's paddle group, SUP Sisters, for regular sessions with other paddlers.
Rent a board on Kite Beach with a life vest, leash, showers and changing rooms included, and paddle with the Burj Al Arab in view.
The channel along the park is protected from open-sea swell, which makes it an easy place for a first stand-up.
The lagoon is flat and sheltered by the mangroves, so even a windy afternoon stays paddleable.
An 800-metre Blue Flag beach facing Hudayriyat, with a watersports centre on the sand if you have no board of your own.
Sahara Marine rents boards on the island, so you can paddle the same water you would otherwise only see from the bridge.