SUP Mathews County, Va

If you like a good combination of flat water Stand Up Paddle Boarding, a little bit of chop and don't own your own boards, the Inn at Tabbs Creek in Mathews County is a great place for you to stay and explore!

My husband and I took the opportunity to escape from reality for the weekend to the Inn at Tabbs Creek in Mathews County, Va.

The B&B has it's own gorgeous dock that you can launch from on kayak, boat or SUP board!

They also have two Stand Up Paddle Boards you can rent for a day.

Ok, it's not like we picked this place out of the blue and realized they had Stand Up Paddle Boards we could rent....

we actually picked this place because they mentioned Stand Up Paddle Boarding in their blog and I couldn't resist.

I also couldn't resist the reviews of their breakfast....

but that aside...

We started our Stand Up Paddle Boarding exploration on Tabbs Creek.

Conditions were perfect. Light winds, sunny skies and open water.

We originally planned to paddle down to Mobjack Bay and explore the area but having found out that would be a longer trip than we anticipated we decided to turn onto the East River and head for Williams Wharf (approx 1.5-2 miles) instead (time constraints).

At Williams Wharf we were able to get onto solid ground, use the bathroom, stretch our legs and catch up with the locals casting out fishing lines.

Williams Wharf is also a perfect picnic area if you're able to pack a lunch in a backpack on your  trip!

We hoped to have a good downwinder coming back on East River but mother nature wasn't going to let us have a free ride that afternoon (which was really no problem for us). We headed back to Tabb's Creek, docked, had lunch, took a nap...and got back on the boards for another round.

The two boards we rented from Lori and Greg (Innkeepers) are Doyle's.  They are fantastically stable but still shaped well enough to allow you to turn fairly quickly in small swells.  They also had carbon paddles which were extremely light-weight (helpful if going for a long excursion).

If you want to try out different shaped or sized boards and paddles, have Lori or Greg give Chesapeake Boardsports a call.   They're more than happy to come out to the B&B and demo any items they have in stock.  (see next blog)

Round 2 of our paddle boarding exploration found my husband heading toward Mobjack Bay for a few good swells...or at least more chop. He was greeted (rather screamed at) by various birds not appreciating sharing their space with him on the water. He did find some choppy water closer to the opening of the Bay which provided some entertainment for him.

Meanwhile, I took my time on the beautiful flat water of Tabb's Creek and explored the various tributaries.

Paddling Tabb's Creek was similar to paddling the Wildlife Refuge in Sandbridge Va Beach in that there were many areas of low water that you had to be mindful of (otherwise you'd smack your paddle against something or catch the board fin on marshes/weeds).

I confess I was hoping to see a bit more wildlife, but I can't complain. I was privy to seeing a Blue Heron up close and personal just before I startled him thus causing him to show me his wingspan....frickin awesome.

Overall, a FANTASTIC Stand Up Paddling experience!

I would HIGHLY recommend this area for beginner Stand Up Paddle Boarders who may not be confidant enough to brave the open Bay waters just yet.

Staying at the Inn at Tabb's Creek really added to this experience as well.  It was so wonderful having a place to put the boards in the water or put them up without having to worry about them.  We literally woke up, had a wonderful breakfast and immediately jumped onto the water.

Our Innkeepers Lori and Greg are also passionate about SUPing and had great stories about paddling out to the lighthouse and catching awesome downwinders.

We hope to pick their brain a bit more for great SUPing spots they've found around Mathews.

For more information on the Mathews area or the Inn at Tabb's Creek you can check out Lori and Greg's blog.