Paddling around Torquay
Torquay is a surf town, but it isn't all surf. Spring Creek runs into the sea at the south end of town, Front Beach faces east into Zeally Bay away from the big swells, and within half an hour there are two proper rivers, the Anglesea and the Barwon, with flat water and hire or tours on them. A stand-up paddleboard (SUP) or a kayak is one of the easiest ways to get on the water here, and you don't need a wave to enjoy it.
This guide covers where to paddle, who hires boards and kayaks or runs lessons and tours, the lifejacket rules, and how to read the wind, which matters more on a paddleboard than anything else. Prices and details are from each operator's own website, or the operator, in October 2026.
Hire, lessons and tours at a glance
| Operator | Where | What | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Torquay Surfing Academy | 34A Bell Street, Torquay | SUP and kayak hire; private SUP lessons | $40 for 2 hours |
| Stonker | Unit 5/11 Haystacks Drive, Torquay | Inflatable SUP hire; SUP lessons | $180 a day |
| Go Ride a Wave | Anglesea River (shop at 143B Great Ocean Road) | SUP lessons; guided night kayaking | $50 (1-hour sunrise SUP) |
| Anglesea Paddle Boats and Canoe Hire | Riverbank by the Anglesea bridge | Canoes, paddle boats, fun boats | $40 for 15 min (paddle boat) |
| Outside Adventures | Barwon River, Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove | Guided kayak tours, from November | $79 a person |
Where to paddle
Spring Creek, Torquay
The creek that reaches the sea at the south end of town, between Torquay and Jan Juc, about 5 minutes' drive from north Torquay. Torquay Surfing Academy suggests new paddleboarders start on the calm water of Spring Creek before trying the ocean, and it's a good first go in a kayak too. The reserve along the creek is an off-leash dog area, so expect a few dogs on the banks, and locals fish off the platforms in the evening, so give the lines some room.
Front Beach and Zeally Bay
The sheltered side of town. Front Beach faces east into Zeally Bay, so the south-west swell mostly misses it, and on a still morning the bay can be close to flat. But read the signs before you launch. Under the state's waterway rules, boats, kayaks and paddleboards are all kept out of the water within 100 m of the shore along a signed 400 m stretch of Front Beach between Bell Street and Anderson Street, and out of signed "No Boating" areas near the boat ramp at Fishermans Beach and at the surf beach by the life saving club. The water close in from Bell Street round to Point Danger, Cosy Corner included, is set aside for sailing craft. That leaves the northern part of Front Beach, past Anderson Street towards Fishermans Beach, for getting on the water. Torquay Surfing Academy's kayak page suggests finishing a paddle with a coffee down at the boat ramp.
Point Danger Marine Sanctuary
The water round the headland at Point Danger is a marine sanctuary of about 21.7 hectares, running out roughly 600 m to the east and 400 m to the south. Fishing, taking or disturbing marine life is banned, so look but leave everything be. Parks Victoria notes this coast is exposed to strong winds and big south and south-west swell, so it's for calm days and confident paddlers only, and the sandy channel between the beach and the reef fills again as the tide comes in.
Anglesea River
Our pick for a first paddle with kids. The river runs through Anglesea, about 20 minutes down the Great Ocean Road, and Go Ride a Wave's lessons weave around its small islands and under its bridges. The whole river from the mouth up to Coalmine Road is a 5-knot zone, and sailing boats over 3 m aren't allowed below the Great Ocean Road bridge. The river mouth isn't patrolled, so stay upstream with younger paddlers.
Barwon River at Barwon Heads
About 25 minutes east through Breamlea, where the Barwon meets the sea at Barwon Heads. Visit Geelong and the Bellarine calls the estuary good for paddleboarding on the right tide, but warns the current can be strong: stick to the banks and check conditions before you launch. Upriver, the mangrove channels and Lake Connewarre are wilder country, best seen on a guided tour (below).
Hire and lessons in Torquay
Torquay Surfing Academy
The surf school at 34A Bell Street hires paddleboards, both soft and hard, and ocean and river kayaks in single, double and three-seater sizes. Boards and kayaks cost the same: $40 for two hours, $50 for four, $60 for a full day and $70 for 24 hours, or $10 to $20 more with a wetsuit. Multi-day and weekly hire is available. It can provide transport wheels to walk a board or kayak to the water, hires soft racks for the car, and has up to 12 double kayaks on a trailer for a group. It also runs private SUP lessons. Ring (03) 5261 2022 or see the Torquay Surfing Academy website.
Stonker
A board shop at Unit 5/11 Haystacks Drive in Torquay, about 5 minutes from north Torquay, that's been going since 1998. It hires inflatable SUPs only, with a leash, paddle, pump, carry bag and waterproof phone case: $180 for one board for a day, or $200 for two. Pick-up is Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm, and you take the board to the beach yourself. Stonker also runs one-on-one SUP lessons with a Surfing Australia qualified instructor, and group lessons for up to eight family or friends. See the Stonker website or ring 03 5261 8877.
Lessons and canoes at Anglesea
Go Ride a Wave SUP lessons
Go Ride a Wave started its surf school in Anglesea in 1987, and runs its paddleboard lessons on the river. The 90-minute SUP Skills session is for ages 8 and up and suits families, with wide, stable boards, a short paddle and a few games ($94). The 90-minute SUP Journey, for ages 14 and up, explores the man-made waterways, islands and bridges ($94). In the school holidays there's a one-hour Sunrise SUP at 6am on Wednesdays for adults ($50). The board, paddle, wetsuit or rash vest, and a leg rope or lifejacket are included. Over summer, SUP classes meet at the river end of Agnes Lane. The shop is at 143B Great Ocean Road, opposite the main beach, and it also hires SUPs and double sit-on-top kayaks. Book on the Go Ride a Wave website or ring 1300 132 441.
Night kayaking on the Anglesea River
Go Ride a Wave's guided night paddle is something different. You set off at dusk in a double kayak with lights, switch on a head torch and look for kangaroos, possums and birds along the banks, stop for a hot drink or soup, then float with the lights off under the stars. No experience is needed, and the wetsuit, booties, lifejacket and torch are included. It's $94 a person, or $220 for a private tour plus $50 for each extra person. See the night kayaking page.
Anglesea Paddle Boats and Canoe Hire
The old-school option, on the riverbank next to the Anglesea bridge. A canoe is $60 for an hour, which is roughly how long a lap of the river takes. It takes two adults and a small child, and if the river's full and you're a bit late back, there's no extra charge. Paddle boats are $40 for a 15-minute ride, with two sets of pedals for two people. The fun boats are small motor boats, $50 for 15 minutes: they're really a kids' ride, with the child at the wheel and an adult on board, up to three people a boat, and most kids have had enough after 15 to 20 minutes. Prices are from the operator in October 2026 and include the safety gear, and the canoes are available all year. The prices aren't online, so ring 0408 599 942 to talk through what suits your group, or see the Anglesea Paddle Boats website.
Photo: Anglesea Paddle Boats and Canoe Hire,
used with permission 
Photo: Anglesea Paddle Boats and Canoe Hire,
used with permission 
Photo: Anglesea Paddle Boats and Canoe Hire,
used with permission Kayak tours on the Barwon
Outside Adventures is a Geelong kayaking school whose summer tours on the lower Barwon return in November 2026. Morning Meanders is a gentle two-hour paddle from the Barwon Heads bridge or boat ramp, depending on the tide, with a morning treat on the water ($79 a person, or $299 for a family or group of up to four). Estuary Explorers heads into the mangrove channels from the Ocean Grove or Barwon River boat ramp ($79, or $299 for four). Sunset Seekers is a 2.5-hour evening paddle from the Barwon Heads boat ramp, with a hot drink at the end ($97, or $365 for four). All three are for beginners aged 8 and up who are comfortable in a solo kayak; the kayak, paddle and lifejacket are included.
For fit adults, the Lake to Ocean Odyssey is a full day: a transfer to Lake Connewarre, then six or seven hours paddling through the Ramsar-listed wetland and down the estuary to the river mouth, with snacks and lunch ($185, ages 14 and up). Book on the Outside Adventures website.
Photo: Bob T,
CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Bob Tan,
CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Lifejackets and the rules
In Victoria a kayak or canoe is a boat, and Safe Transport Victoria says you must wear a lifejacket in one, on every kind of water. On a paddleboard you don't have to wear one within 400 m of the shore, but beyond that you need a Level 50 or 50S jacket, and Safe Transport strongly recommends wearing one all the time, especially when conditions are changeable. Children under 12 must wear a lifejacket at all times. Hire shops and tours supply the gear, so ask for a jacket if one isn't offered.
Wear a leg leash on a paddleboard. If you fall off without one, the board can get blown away from you quickly, and inflatables are harder to paddle in a breeze. Take a phone in a waterproof pouch. And if you're out at night, or in poor visibility, a paddleboard must show a white light such as a torch where practicable.
Wind, tide and swell
Wind is the big one. Safe Transport warns that an offshore wind can feel calm near the beach and still whip up choppy water within 500 m, and a paddleboard catches it like a sail. At Front Beach, which faces east, an offshore wind is a westerly or north-westerly, the kind that makes the bay look glassy from the sand. On days like that, stay close in, or head for Spring Creek or a river instead. Check the wind on the Bureau of Meteorology's MetEye before you go.
Mornings are often the calmest time, and Outside Adventures runs its gentlest Barwon tour early for that reason. Torquay Surfing Academy puts it simply: paddle in light winds and small swell. On the rivers, think about the tide. The Barwon estuary runs hard when the tide's moving, and Outside Adventures picks its launch spot by the tide. If you're new to it, we'd paddle against the current first, so the easy leg is the trip home.
Paddleboarding and kayaking FAQ
Where can I hire a paddleboard in Torquay?
Torquay Surfing Academy on Bell Street hires SUPs from $40 for two hours, and Stonker on Haystacks Drive hires inflatable SUPs from $180 a day. Go Ride a Wave hires SUPs at Anglesea. Prices are from October 2026.
Where can I hire a kayak?
Torquay Surfing Academy has single, double and three-seater kayaks from $40 for two hours. At Anglesea, Go Ride a Wave hires double sit-on-top kayaks and Anglesea Paddle Boats hires canoes on the river ($60 for an hour).
Do I have to wear a lifejacket on a paddleboard?
Not within 400 m of the shore, but you must beyond that, and Safe Transport Victoria recommends wearing one all the time. In a kayak or canoe you must always wear one, and children under 12 must always wear one.
Where's the calmest water near Torquay?
Spring Creek in town, and the Anglesea River about 20 minutes away. Front Beach is sheltered from the swell, but check the signed no-boating areas and the wind before you launch.
Can kids do a paddleboard lesson?
Yes. Go Ride a Wave's SUP Skills lesson at Anglesea is for ages 8 and up, and Outside Adventures' Barwon kayak tours take beginners from 8. The SUP Journey is 14 and up, and the sunrise session is adults only.
Can I paddle at night?
On your own, you need to show a white light such as a torch. The easiest way is Go Ride a Wave's guided night kayak on the Anglesea River, which supplies the lights.
Want a wave instead? Our surf lessons guide compares the schools, the surfing guide covers the breaks, and the kite surfing guide has the windy days. For a quieter day east of town, see Breamlea and Lake Connewarre. Staying in north Torquay? Check dates at Holyday House.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on 25 October 2026. Opening hours, patrols, rules and closures change — check with the source before you go.
- Wear a lifejacket — Safe Transport Victoria
- Paddleboards — Safe Transport Victoria
- Kayaks and canoes — Safe Transport Victoria
- Vessel Operating and Zoning Rules (VOZR), Schedules 11 and 13 — Safe Transport Victoria
- SUP hire — Torquay Surfing Academy
- Kayak hire — Torquay Surfing Academy
- SUP hire — Stonker
- Anglesea SUP — Go Ride a Wave
- Night kayaking in Anglesea — Go Ride a Wave
- Prices (email to Holyday House, 26 October 2026) — Anglesea Paddle Boats
- Anglesea Paddle Boat and Canoe Hire — Anglesea Paddle Boats (official)
- Summer kayaking tours — Outside Adventures
- Morning Meanders / Estuary Explorers / Sunset Seekers / Lake to Ocean Odyssey — Outside Adventures
- Water activities — Visit Geelong & the Bellarine
- Point Danger Marine Sanctuary — Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority