Top 6 Standup Paddleboard Date Ideas for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day brings to mind roses, romantic dinners, and exotic rendezvous, but for the outdoors-minded and active couple, Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to impress your partner with something unique and fun. You can plan an activity for the two of you on the water with your standup paddleboards and create whatever mood you’re looking for.

Paddleboards are fun just as they are, but you can also use them to create an experience your partner will never forget. So this post introduces you to some different ways you can develop a date using your paddleboard. You don’t have to tell anyone you got the ideas here either—claim all the glory—we don’t mind! Plus, these ideas can be used anytime you need to pull off a unique date for someone special.

Choosing the Best Paddleboard Date Ideas

Of course, a standup paddleboard makes an excellent gift for any occasion. So if you didn’t get that someone special a board during the holidays, Valentine’s Day makes another perfect time for exciting gift giving. However, if you both have paddleboards already, use them to do something special this Valentine’s Day.

Paddleboarding isn’t a new concept, but you can put a new twist on the activity by getting a little creative. These ideas are just a way to get you thinking about how to incorporate your board into an exciting date. This list helps get your imagination going and gives you some ways to design a date that corresponds best to your relationship level and budget needs:

1. Go on a paddleboard picnic. A picnic can fit any relationship level for Valentine’s Day. If you’re in a new relationship, you might play it cool with a fun day on the water followed by a casual picnic by the water. If you’ve been together for a few months, it could be fun to set out on the water with food and drinks in a cooler, paddle to a spot you can hang out together—either on the water or the beach—tether your boards together or lay out a blanket and have your picnic. If you’ve been in a long-term relationship, you can pull out all the stops. Plan ahead to paddle to a secluded beach and either have your romantic picnic waiting as a surprise or take it with you. Depending on your budget, you can have someone serving you, music, or whatever you think strikes the mood you’re trying to achieve.
2. Take your date on a sunset paddle. Similar to a paddleboard picnic, you need to plan ahead to know when to expect the sunset and how to plan your paddleboard date so that you’re not out on the water in the dark. You can either paddle out together and just take in the views on the water or paddle together for a while, find an empty area on the beach, and watch the sun sink into the horizon. Sunsets tend to be a more romantic gesture, so play the romance up or down, depending on your relationship level, by varying the mood. You might consider bringing drinks or music you can play through a waterproof Bluetooth speaker, and maybe even some light food.
   
3. Get up early for a sunrise paddle. As equally stunning but perhaps better suited to relationships in earlier stages, a sunrise paddle offers exquisite water views, and you can follow it up with brunch on the beach or head out to a restaurant once the beach begins to get crowded. If you’ve been together for a while, a sunrise paddle is certainly not out of the question. Play it up romantically with a secluded beach brunch, have it laid out in advance, or even have someone there serving you both.
4. Plan for some paddleboard fishing. Fishing may not sound like a romantic idea, but if your partner loves to fish, and especially if you never go, surprising that special someone with a fishing trip makes the effort and time extra special. Of course, fishing on your paddleboard requires getting up early, so you can mix it with the sunrise paddle idea. Have a spot staked out at a nearby lake that you want to take your date to for fishing, and fish all morning while the sun rises. You can enjoy both the sights and the sounds of lake life in the morning together. Just like the sunrise paddleboard idea, you can have brunch on the beach or at a restaurant after the fish stop biting.
5. Go on a paddleboard camping trip. If you’re looking for a special overnight idea for your long-term relationship, a paddleboard camping trip can be just the thing. This requires a lot of planning as you need to ensure you have places along the way to camp each day, and you need supplies. You can either have someone drop supplies for you each day or pack lightly so that everything can be stowed on both boards.
6. Find the perfect paddleboard excursions. The great thing about inflatable standup paddleboards is that you can travel with them. If you want to make a real (ahem) splash, find an excursion you can both travel to and really take a break from the day-to-day together. If you live in a colder winter climate, an excursion in a warm climate can be a great way to use your paddleboard for Valentine’s Day. You don’t have to break the bank either. While exotic, faraway locations always sound appealing, the U.S. is filled with great spots for paddleboarding. Whether you choose lakes with mountain views or prefer saltwater locations on either coast, you can find the perfect excursion to set the tone of your trip with someone special.

Valentine’s Day gives you an excuse to do something extraordinary, and if you regularly go on active dates and long weekends, incorporating your standup paddleboard into your Valentine’s Day fun gives your partner a unique gift. Use these ideas and add your own personalized twists to make this Valentine’s Day unforgettable.