Paddle boarding in Cabo San Lucas: the calm spots, the right hours and the yachts with a board

Yes, you can paddle board in the ocean in Cabo San Lucas, as long as you pick the calm side. Médano Beach in town and the coves of Santa María and Chileno along the corridor face the Sea of Cortez, and on most mornings the water there is flat enough for a first-timer. Go early, because the wind usually builds after midday. The Pacific side is not for paddle boards at all.

You can rent a board on the beach, or paddle from a private yacht anchored in a cove. Four of the yachts we book include a board.

Where can you paddle board in Los Cabos?

Médano Beach

Médano Beach is the long swimming beach on the bay, 0.8 miles (1.3 km) from the marina. Land's End blocks the Pacific swell, so the water is calm, and this is where the rentals are. For a beginner in Cabo San Lucas it's the obvious place to start.

The catch is traffic. Médano is also the base for jet skis, parasail boats and water taxis, and by late morning the water off the beach is busy. Paddle early, stay close to shore and just outside the roped swimming areas, and you'll have the flat water mostly to yourself.

Our Médano Beach guide covers access, the swimming zones and what the beach is like at different hours.

Santa María Bay

Santa María Bay is a horseshoe cove up the coast, 6.7 miles (11 km) from the marina by boat. The points on both sides shelter it, the water is clear, and there's reef along the rocks, so you're paddling over fish.

The inside of the cove is the calm part. The mouth is open to swell, and that's where a board gets pushed around. Stay inside the horseshoe.

By land it has public access from the corridor highway, but don't count on finding a board to rent there. By boat, you arrive with it.

Chileno Bay

Chileno Bay is the next cove over, 7.9 miles (13 km) from the marina, with a sandy bottom and reef on both sides. It's a good place to combine a paddle with a snorkel: go out on the board, then swap it for a mask.

Both coves get breezy as the day goes on. If you want to compare them before you choose, read our Santa María vs Chileno guide.

Why is the Pacific side not for paddle boards?

Cabo has two kinds of water. The bay and the corridor face the Sea of Cortez and are sheltered. The beaches west of Land's End face the open Pacific, with big surf, a hard shore break and a strong undertow. Divorce Beach is the best-known example, and it's a beach for photos from the boat.

A paddle board has no way to handle that kind of water. Don't paddle around the point at Land's End, and don't launch from any Pacific beach, even on a day that looks calm from the sand.

When is the best time to paddle board in Cabo?

Time of day matters more than the month. The bay is usually calmest early in the morning. The wind tends to build after midday, and a breeze that feels pleasant on the beach is tiring on a board, because you're standing up like a sail.

At Médano, early also means less traffic. By late morning the jet skis and parasail boats are working.

Water temperature changes how a fall feels. Monthly averages run from about 72°F (22°C) from February to April to about 85°F (29°C) from August to October. In the cooler months, a rash guard makes the first dip easier.

From November to April there's a bonus in the bay: whales. They start arriving in November, with the peak in January and February. If one surfaces anywhere near you, stay where you are and enjoy it from a distance. Never paddle toward a whale.

Can you paddle board to the Arch?

Guided paddle outings from Médano do go that way. The Arch is 1.2 miles (1.9 km) from the marina, on the far side of the busiest water in Cabo, and the route crosses the lane that boats use to enter and leave the harbor.

For a confident paddler on a flat morning it's a reasonable trip with a guide. For a beginner, it's a long way to stand, with wakes coming from several directions. A kayak is more forgiving for that crossing, and our kayaking guide covers the same route in detail. Whatever you paddle, stay on the bay side of Land's End.

Paddle board safety in Cabo

• Wear the leash. If you fall, the board is your float, and without a leash the wind takes it faster than you can swim.
• Wear a life jacket, or at least have one on the board. Kids wear theirs the whole time.
• Check the wind before you go out, and notice which way it's blowing. A wind blowing from the beach toward open water is the dangerous one, because it carries you out and you have to paddle back against it.
• If the wind gets up or a wake is coming, drop to your knees. You're more stable and you catch less wind.
• Stay away from boat lanes, anchored boats that are about to move, and the swim zones.
• Bring water, a hat and sunscreen. There's no shade on a board.
• Tell someone on the beach or on your boat where you're going.

Which private yachts include a paddle board?

Our yachts are pleasure and snorkel boats, and the equipment differs from one to the next. According to each yacht's included list, four carry a paddle board:

Prices are per boat for your whole group, with the 16% tax included. The customary crew tip is 15% and isn't included.

The Azimut 45 Flybridge is a 45 ft flybridge yacht with a captain and deckhand, a cooler with ice, water and sodas, towels, snorkel gear, a floating mat and the board. The Sea Ray 55 is a 55 ft flybridge motor yacht for up to 15, and besides the board it carries a floating pool, a lily pad and a floating platform. The Sea Ray 65 is a 65 ft express motor yacht with a paddle board, snorkel gear and a lily pad floating mat. It meets you at Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal, and has to be back by 8 PM. The Azimut 70 is a 70 ft flybridge motor yacht with a menu and complimentary drinks included, and it carries the board along with snorkel gear and a floating mat.

Each list shows one board, so a group takes turns: one person paddles, a few snorkel, and the rest stay on deck.

If the board isn't the priority

Some groups want things to float on more than something to paddle. A floating mat is a big foam pad that sits on the water behind the boat, and it's easier than a board for kids and for anyone who'd like to lie down.

• The Chaparral 28 has a lily pad floating mat and snorkel gear, for up to 10 guests, from USD 519 (MXN 9,799) for 2 hours.
• The Bayliner 33 has a floating mat and snorkel gear, for up to 8 guests, from USD 599 (MXN 11,399) for 2 hours.
• The Pontoon 38 doesn't carry a paddle board, but it has a water slide from the upper deck and a freshwater shower, and it takes up to 18 guests. It starts at USD 869 (MXN 16,599) for 2 hours.

How to plan a paddle board stop on a boat day

Paddling from a yacht solves the two problems of paddling from the beach. You skip the traffic at Médano, and you get to the coves without carrying a board down from the highway.

The route to ask for is the 4 hour Santa María snorkel: the Arch first, then up the coast to Santa María Bay, with a swim stop on the way back. It's 15.5 miles round trip. A charter of 5 to 8 hours adds Chileno Bay and lunch at anchor.

Two things make it work:

1. Leave early. A 7 or 8 AM departure puts you in the cove while the water is still flat.
2. Let the captain decide. If there's swell in the cove or the wind is up, the crew may keep the board on deck and suggest snorkeling instead.

A 2 hour charter stays around Land's End and the bay, where the stops are short. If the board matters to you, book at least 4 hours.

Booking

Tell us in the planner that you want time on a paddle board, along with your date and group size, and we'll point you to the yachts that carry one and a departure time that suits the wind. We reply in writing within 2 hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time. Charters leave between 7 AM and 7 PM.

Yachts in this guide

Azimut 45 FlybridgeFlybridge yacht · up to 12 guestsfrom $1,249 / 2 hSea Ray 55Flybridge motor yacht · up to 15 guestsfrom $2,129 / 3 hSea Ray 65Express motor yacht · up to 12 guestsfrom $2,509 / 3 hAzimut 70Flybridge motor yacht · up to 12 guestsfrom $4,199 / 3 h

Questions people ask

Can you paddle board in the ocean in Cabo?

Yes, on the Sea of Cortez side. Médano Beach, Santa María Bay and Chileno Bay are sheltered and usually calm in the morning. The Pacific side has big surf and strong currents and is not for paddle boards.

What is the best time of day to paddle board in Cabo San Lucas?

Early morning. The bay is usually flat at that hour, the wind tends to build after midday, and boat and jet ski traffic at Médano Beach grows through the morning.

Where can I rent a paddle board in Cabo?

Water sports stands along Médano Beach rent boards by the hour. We don't list rental prices because they vary by stand and season.

Which private yachts in Cabo include a paddle board?

On our list, the Azimut 45, the Sea Ray 55, the Sea Ray 65 and the Azimut 70 include a paddle board. The Azimut 45 starts at USD 1,249 (MXN 23,799) for 2 hours, per boat with tax included.

Is paddle boarding in Cabo safe for beginners?

On a calm morning inside the bay or in the corridor coves, yes. Wear the leash and a life jacket, stay close to shore or to your boat, and get out when the wind picks up.

Plan your day on the water

Pick a yacht, the hours and the food in the planner. A written reply within 2 hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time.

Check availabilitySee the fleet