GS blue

Knysna lagoon is a must do paddle for all paddlers in South Africa. The scenery ranges from natural, lush, forests to playboy style mansions in a matter of minutes.
We decided to launch from the Leisure Island boat club as we figured it would be good to paddle into the lagoon with the incoming tide and out again with the outgoing tide. Please be aware though, we were approached by a gentlemen who asked us to pay R50/boat to launch our boats, we laughed, he laughed, we said his kidding, he said his kidding… Later that day when we were taking the boats out, he made the same joke… somehow I don’t think he was actually joking and maybe he did expect us to pay R50 for the use of the slipway. It is not necessary to launch from here though, if you just drive around Leisure Island you will discover a parking lot for a small beach where launching will also be a breeze. Another place that I can think of is near Lightleys houseboats on the other side of the bridge.



It is vital to take the tides into account. At low tide you will only have access to paddling the major canals whereas during high tide you will definitely have more options to paddle.

At low tide stick to the indicated boating lanes to prevent beaching


Also be very careful when approaching the heads. There is quite a bit of boating activity in the area so be aware of others on the water. Also be careful when you approach the heads on an outgoing tide, the current created by the escaping water, along with shallow banks and reefs can be quite treacherous. It is advisable to stay clear of the heads unless you know what you are doing and are accompanied by someone who knows the area well.

Nature at its best


We started off by first heading towards the Heads to get a few photos and then we paddled our way back to Belvidere hugging the Featherbed Reserve as long as we could. The natural beauty of the Featherbed forest is amazing to see and no photo can do it justice. You just have to experience it to understand.

The Heads



Something we are not used to is all the cultivated oyster intertidal racks you see in the lagoon. Juvenile oysters imported from Chile or France are sent to oyster nurseries in Port Elizabeth where they stay for about 3 months in conditions which promote rapid development. They are then brought to Knysna and placed in fine plastic mesh bags and tied onto the intertidal racks. This allows the oysters to be exposed during low tide and submersed during high tide. The exposure ensures that parasites are killed and reduces fouling of the bag and oysters by other organisms. After about 9 months they are harvested and sent to Port Elizabeth to complete the final stages of their cultivation.

Featherbed Reserve Coasline


Outeniqua Choo-tjoe rail


Although its manmade, the Knysna Waterfront is another wonderful area to discover. Again, bear in mind that this is a functional harbor with real boats so be aware of other traffic. You really will look rather silly plastered to the bottom of one of the glass bottom Knysna ferry boats.

The Knysna Waterfront


The harbour is also the entrance to Marina which is an a good view of what it’s like to be comfortable in life. We even spotted other kayaks in the marina.

The marina


We found a slipway to the west of the harbor where we pulled out our boats so that we could have a milkshakes and chips at Spur(not really dressed for much else). Don’t leave your boats on the slipway unattended as this could cause problems if someone else wants to us it while you not there. There is a little open area next to the yacht club you could leave the boats.

Harbour Slipway


The section back to Leisure Isle felt like it took forever to paddle, maybe its not such a good idea to stop off and have milkshakes and chips, stomachs full – eyes shut syndrome tends to set in.

Leisure Island boat club slipway

All and all we paddled 21km but you could paddle a lot more or a lot less depending on how you feel. To try to optimize you paddling area, keep the tides into consideration.