Stand up Paddle Boarding Accessories

Finding the right stand-up paddle board for you plays an important role in keeping you safe during your sporting activity. It is important not only to consider the length, width, and thickness but also to make sure that all paddle board accessories are present.

There are various types of accessories available. While all of these accessories are designed to make your stand-up paddleboarding adventure easier and much more fun, some are designed to help you maximize safety. 

Some of these must-have paddle board accessories include:

Personal Flotation Device

Also known as a life vest, personal floatation devices (PFD) are an important security measure to prevent a drowning incident. Designed to keep you afloat, these devices should always be kept on especially in rough waters where chances of being tossed off your board are high.

Certainly you’ll want to purchase one if you are going out with a child. There are a lot of choices from less intrusive belts to full jackets. Check out some choices of PFDs here.

Leash

While a floatation device is designed to keep you afloat in the water, a leash is designed to keep you out of the water. Leashes, designed to be either cooled or straight, are used to keep you attached to your board at all times.

They do these by being attached to the board and then the ankle of one of your feet. This way, even if you do fall off your board, you don’t lose sight of it. So these are essential paddle board accessories.

An ideal type of leash is one that is strong enough for even the longest and heaviest of boards, comfortable, easy to use, durable, and overall, safe. Most boards come with a leash but you need to buy one if not.

Pump

For your paddle board accessories, a pump is of course a must. There are lots of brands that provide various types of SUP pump designs but essentially, SUP board pumps are split into electric and hand-operated designs.

When choosing a pump, it is important not only to consider your budget but the feel of the pump, its capacity, and the volume of air and pressure it administers. Most people favor electric pumps because they can be recharged and used anywhere and with so much ease too unlike the manual hand pump that requires a bit of hard work before you even paddle.

Carrying Strap

This paddle board accessory is designed to make your stand-up paddle board easy to carry and transport. Why log your board around with both hands when you can in fact attach a strap that makes it easy to carry your board, its paddle, and other accessories easily?

Simply throw this strap over your shoulder and you’re ready to go. A good SUP board strap should be comfortable- It can be double-triple padded-, durable, and adjustable.

Check out how a carry strap works and if it’s right for you:

Water-tight Phone Case

Seeing that you’re out in the middle of the ocean and might need to have your phone on you, another important accessory is the water-tight phone carry case.  This accessory comes in different sizes and designs. All designs, however, have a means of attaching to your body so you can keep your hands free. 

The waterproof mobile phone case is mostly in the form of a transparent, light film through which you can make use of your phone while simultaneously keeping it safe. Some designs come with the anti-slip feature for smooth operation with slick hands and some come with additional pouches for other small personal items.

You could of course keep your phone in a dry bag (see below), but you then won’t have immediate access to it for photos or calls.

Dry Bag

Dry bags are designed to keep any paddle board accessories safe and dry when you are out on the water. They come in different designs and sizes.Regardless of its design, when shopping for dry bags it is important to go for the most durable, high-quality product you might find. 

You may well find you need one, for instance you will need somewhere to put your car keys if you have driven to your location, perhaps a wallet or purse, and your phone if you don’t have a separate waterproof phone case. Also any food or extra clothes you have bought that you don’t want to get wet as you paddle or if you fall in.

There are plenty of other things you may want to take in a dry bag that you have not thought of. Check out what to take in a dry bag.