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Stand Up Paddle boarding

Clear your mind and soul as you Stand up Paddle in stunning Greenlandic nature

When thinking of the cold and sometimes challenging weather conditions in Greenland, Stand Up Paddleboarding in Arctic waters may seem like an unexpected challenge – but it is totally possible! SUPing in Greenland embraces a whole new world of inner peace where body and soul are in close contact with the stunning Greenlandic nature.

The short history of Stand up Paddling in Greenland

Standing Up Paddling is a very recent activity introduced in Nuuk in mid 2018, by the founders of Nuuk Adventure (Nuuk Adventure has closed down since 2021). The initial idea was to develop a complementary activity to kayaking already widespread in Greenland, by importing a popular and accessible sport, that people would never imagine practising here. And when you look at the soaring number of (both tourist and local) leisure practitioners in Nuuk and in Sisimiut, it is easy to say that the sport has taken off. 

The possibilities for SUP in Greenland are extensive. The lightness and handiness of the board offer a wide range of activities, and is quick to set up and easy to access. The only limits are imagination and safety. Some operators even offer custom-made tours, thereby allowing the customers to take an active part in designing their own adventure.

Investing in or renting boards is easy, but what really makes a difference is how you will use the equipment. While the debate rages whether the best way to see Greenland is from the sky or the sea, Stand Up Paddling definitely enhances the sensation of being on water and allows a special perspective of Greenlandic cities and landscapes. Indeed, listening to the cracks of a rolling iceberg, approaching whales and seal in their natural environment, lightly touching the fjord’s ice while slaloming between the chunks, feeling the refreshing drops of Nuuk’s largest waterfalls on your skin, or simply discovering the colourful city of Nuuk from the sea, will immediately make you realize that sceneries truly make Greenland such a special and unforgettable place to SUP.

A SUP board is more stable than a kayak, and there’s less risk of rolling and getting your head stuck underwater!

Package Tours

Greenland Travel: Summer impressions in Greenland

Greenland Travel

Summer impressions in Greenland

Greenland’s most popular sites: the Greenland Ice Sheet at Kangerlussuaq, the capital of Nuuk and, the world-famous Ilulissat Ice Fjord.

From €3,625
Greenland by Topas – Summer tour: Disko Island, Icebergs and Eqi Glacier

Greenland by Topas

Summer tour: Disko Island, Icebergs and Eqi Glacier

Experience Disko Island’s glaciers, Disko Bay’s huge icebergs and legendary whales, then further north, Eqi Glacier's deafening calving events.

FROM €3,617
Blue Ice Explorer: Traditional kayak experience – 1 day

Blue Ice Explorer

Traditional kayak experience - 1 day

Explore the old inuit culture by paddling in a kayak built using the traditional, greenlandic methods.

FROM €180
Greenland Travel: Summer paradise in the Arctic wilderness

Greenland Travel

Summer paradise in the Arctic wilderness

Experience the incredible UNESCO listed Ilulissat Ice Fjord! Fantastic icebergs. Sailing in the midnight sun. See the Ice Cap and much more

FROM €2,820
Show More

SUP for all experiences

For those who are beginners, SUP on a lake gives the comfort of calm waters. It can also be combined with a nice easy hike, picnic or camping in the wilderness in Greenland. 

For the more experienced, SUP expeditions can be customised. You can rent a SUP, navigational and safety equipment and choose camping experiences for several days. 

For example, a team of 4 SUPers from Greenland, France, and Denmark, traveled 55 kilometers in 3 days from Natsilik to Nuuk in June 2019, with a crew from Nuuk Adventure.  

In 2019, two experienced women SUPed 15 kilometers in the Icefjord to reach a bird cliff.

It is possible to celebrate important events such as birthdays or bachelor parties with SUP, or to do it as a team building activity.

How hard is Stand Up Paddle boarding?

  • Even when the activities are attractive, the question “Am I able to physically do this?” may still turn reluctantly in your head.
    Be reassured, Stand Up Paddle Boarding is a very inclusive activity. No matter your size, your weight or your balance, every member of the family can do it! No experience is needed before booking your tour. For beginners, 10 minutes of guided balance exercises are usually enough to make you stand on the board. The best way to realize this is by going out of your comfort zone to give it a try, while remembering that your guides will make your experience unforgettable.

SUP activities in Greenland

Greenland and its operators can accommodate a large range of possible activities in different locations. Guided Sightseeing while Stand Up Paddling around the cities for a few hours is a classic offering. However, the possibility to customise a trip is endless: evening or midnight sun tours in the summer, whale watching or doing yoga while on paddleboards, and even watching the northern lights dancing while sitting on your board can be arranged in Nuuk and Sisimiut.  

Nuuk

The most iconic SUP tours in Nuuk are those in the Icefjord organised by Nuuk Water Taxi between May and September. After two hours of sailing from Nuuk, the boat will drop you as close as possible to the glacier depending on the ice conditions on the way. You will hence be able to enjoy a magnificent landscape of calm waters, icebergs, and mountains all around you, safely supervised by a guide on the board and another one from the boat. As you watch the icebergs turning from afar from your board, and as your body is balancing in tune with the sea, you will realise how unforgettable this experience is for the body, mind and soul.  

Paddling towards the iconic mountain Sermitsiaq also offers a breathtaking view. 

Nuuk Water Taxi also offers a ‘SUP Classic’ Tour in the Colonial Harbour during the summer months (April – September) with a departure on shore from the wooden pontoon. 

Sisimiut

You may also try Stand Up Paddling on the calm lake Nalungguarfik in Sisimiut, where the famous Nasaasaq mountain and the cultural center Taseralik will grace your view. The founder of Black Ravens in Sisimiut includes in all its beginner classes a briefing about safety procedures – such as towing practice and techniques to help a tired SUPer to get back on this board.

Ilulissat

There is possibility to go Stand Up Paddling among the icebergs in Ilulissat with Ilulissat Adventure. 

In the future, there are possibilities for SUP experiences all over Greenland.

Safety precautions for SUP


More than anywhere else, safety is crucial to ensure a magnificent SUP experience in Greenland. Because SUP is easy, but if you are not an experienced SUPer choosing a guided tour including suitable equipment like drysuit, boots, life jackets, and radios, along with experienced guides, will ensure a completely safe and breathtaking adventure. 

The weather conditions and the water temperature could represent a risk if suitable safety equipment are not properly used. Being attached to the board by the leash is not enough. Should you fall into the water, the board can deflate – therefore, a life jacket is a necessary precaution in case of accidents. 

Furthermore, you will be practicing SUP in a water temperature below 7°C. Due to the cold your body will burn an important number of calories. It is therefore imperative to keep your body heat by wearing a drysuit, gloves and proper boots. The latter will additionally prevent water from entering the drysuit and will give extra protection to the latex feet part of the suit. 

Also consider the importance of a follow boat with a certified skipper in case of currents, tiredness, or changes in the weather conditions. Your guides must be experienced in exercising watersports in various and sometimes harsh conditions to ensure a safe execution of these outstanding experiences. 

Dry safe fun in Arctic waters

Full of your newly gained self-confidence and protected by your drysuit, you will soon start reconsidering your approach to cold water. Falling and even jumping in the water surrounding you can be fun and risk free. Do not miss the chance to take a unique swim in the Arctic waters in the middle of icebergs. Jump from your board and challenge your friends and family knowing that you will remain dry at all times, and will only and very lightly feel the cold through the suit. Being in the water is fully part of the excitement. Challenge yourself, test the equipment and expend the field  of possibilities, for this experience to remain as no others. 

Greenland is a unique place in the world offering a wide range of activities with water and ice – and you just have to try it.

Local providers

Kajakgruppe med pagajer i luften foran isbjerg. Photo by David D. Grant

Ilulissat Adventure

Ilulissat, Qupaloraasuk 56,
3952,
Phone: +299 294171More information
Nuuk Water Taxi Boat. Photo by Aningaaq R Carlsen - Visit Greenland

Nuuk Water Taxi

Nuuk, Imaneq 27 27,
3900,
Phone: +299 54 56 90More information

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By Astrid de Geyer d'Orth

Born by the coast of Normandy – France, Astrid moved around the world; Dubai, Copenhagen, London, before falling for Greenland. Watersport lover, she took part in several SUP expeditions in Greenland and actively promoted Stand Up Paddle in Nuuk as an easy and inclusive activity.

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