In pictures: Santa paddle boarding events on Dorset coast

Real Dorset SUP Community hold regular paddle boarding get-togethers

Scores of paddle boarding enthusiasts have taken part in festive trips along the Dorset Coast in the run-up to Christmas.

Bay Paddle Boarders in West Bay organised a Santa Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) over the weekend to raise money for the Action for Children charity.

Meanwhile about 50 members of the Real Dorset SUP Community took part in the group's festive paddle down the river Stour towards Christchurch.

The group's Matthew Sephton said: "Paddle boarding is super-accessible, it's not very technical and is very easy to learn."

There were some unusual sights on the River Stour

The group holds weekly paddles in the Christchurch and Southborne Areas.

Mr Sephton said: "It's a social thing really - we're trying to grow a community.

"People haven't been able to meet up - so it's a way of getting outdoors and doing something fun and socially distanced."

Festive paddlers headed down the River Stour

Stand-Up Paddleboarding sees riders standing up on a large board and using a paddle to move through the water.

The activity has grown in popularity, with a round-Britain record set earlier this year.

About 150 friends and family cheered on the paddle boarders taking part in the Santa paddle with the backdrop of the Jurassic Coast at West Bay.

The event was first held in 2020 and organiser Sara Bennett of Bay Paddle Boarding said she hoped it will become an annual fixture.

About 40 paddle boarders enjoyed a paddle with the stunning backdrop of the Jurassic Coast

They were raising money for the Action for Children charity

"Paddle boarding has been getting a lot more popular since the lockdowns - it's been really busy with a lot more people coming here for their holidays," she added.

The boarders raised more than £530 for the Action for Children charity, which provides a range of practical and emotional help for children.

The West Bay Christmas paddle could become an annual event

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