Paddleboarding in Mission Bay

If you've been following along our adventures on Instagram, you've probably seen that I started paddle boarding on my birthday (mid-August) and haven't stopped! I have gone at least every other day for the past 3 weeks and I've been having the best time! I've learned a lot about where to rent a paddleboard in Mission Bay, what you need to bring while paddleboarding and which spots are best to paddle around the bay. I'm sharing all of my tips below and I can't wait for you to try out Paddleboarding too!

My Paddleboarding History

I first rented a paddleboard during our coastal vacation last year. We stayed at The Bahia Resort Hotel in Mission Bay. They offer Paddleboard rentals from Action Sports Rentals right at the hotel. They offer a 1 hour rental for $25 so it was a great way for me to try paddle boarding for the first time. I just took it out right in the Santa Barbara Cove (Bay at Bahia) and stayed near shore while I was learning. I gave the kids a few little rides so they could test it out too.

On our vacation to the High Sierras, Kyla and my niece Jackie rented a paddleboard while my brother, Chris rented a kayak. I also went out on the Paddleboard for a few minutes to see if I enjoyed it. There is just something about being on the open water that is so fulfilling!

When we went back to the Bahia for my birthday this year, I did a rental from the Mission Bay Aquatic Center since they offer a 2.5 hour rental for FREE on your birthday! How awesome is that?! I basically fell in love with Paddleboarding and decided to do their monthly membership. All details on Mission Bay Paddleboarding rentals are below!

Where to Rent A Paddleboard in Mission Bay

There are quite a few places you can rent a Paddleboard in Mission Bay but I will break down each spot that I've looked into so you can figure out which option is best for your rental needs.

Mission Bay Aquatic Center: Rentals are $28 for 2.5 hours or $29/month for a membership (min 4 months) for a 2.5 hour rental per day! I went with this option. They also offer a FREE rental on your birthday! I also did this! You can rent a Paddleboard or a kayak. Located at Santa Clara Point.
Action Sport Rental: Rentals are $25 for one hour, $45 for 2 hours, $75 for 4 hours or $100 for 8 hours. This is where I first tried it for one hour. Located at the Bahia, the Catamaran and Paradise Point.
Mission Bay Sportcenter: Rentals are $18 for one hour, $36 for 2 hours, $54 for 4 hours or $75 for all day. Located at Santa Clara Point.
Cheap Rentals: $15/hour, $40 all day, $50 for 24 hours, $100 for 4 days, $150 for 7 days. Located on Mission Blvd.
Hui Hui Stand Up Paddleboard Rentals: $45 for 4 hours, $70 for 8 hours. Located by Sail Bay.
Paddleboard San Diego: M-F $25 for one hour, $40 for 2 hours, $50 for 3 hours. Located in Fanuel Street Park.

Where to Paddleboard In Mission Bay?

Since we do the monthly membership from the Mission Bay Aquatic Center, I've found my favorites spots to paddle around in Mission Bay. We typically start out going around San Juan Cove then along the shore in the Santa Barbara Cove. After that, we either head back or go across Mission Bay to Paradise Point and then head back. This is our typical paddle out that is a pretty good distance and not too tiring. It's probably about a 3-4 mile adventure. I will track it next time I go to find out for sure. I also enjoyed going around Sail Bay. This is more of a workout since it is farther with less wind blocks from the coves. Also, if the speed boats are out, it can be a bit tricky getting over there from the Aquatic Center but can definitely be done. With our membership, we cannot go under any major bridges, so I have not gone over by crown point at this time.

Many of these rental places also rent kayaks, sail boats and other styles of boats. View their sites for specific details.

We've been doing a lot of bay days with the family. We've been beaching it at Bahia Point or on the shore at Santa Clara Point. Then I drive over to rent the Paddleboard so the whole family can use it. This is why I love the 2.5 hour rental. I also go some days without the family and get a good long Paddleboarding adventure in with friends.

What to Pack for Paddleboarding?

The first time I went Paddleboarding, I used a zip lock bag to keep my phone and shoes with me. I knew right away that I was going to need a better bag for being on a Paddleboard. I found the Earth Pak (Amazon Affiliate Link) and it's been the best dry bag! It even came with a waterproof phone case. What's in my bag?

Cell Phone
Keys
Wallet
Flip Flops
Shorts
Snack
Water

The nice part about this dry bag is that it also floats. It has an attachment hook that I also slide through the Paddleboard string to keep it attached. The 10 liter size is perfect for what I need. They also offer larger sizes. I like that these come in several colors and I just heard Earth Pak is a San Diego based company!

The kids have loved learning how to Paddleboard too! It makes for such a fun activity to get us all out of the house and active!

As for me, Paddleboarding has become my new favorite hobby. I love being on the water in fresh air and moving around. It's been an awesome adventure so far and I look forward to many more paddles around Mission Bay!