Don’t go paddleboarding without our round-up of the best paddleboard accessories for 2022!
We love to paddle board in the UK. We’re not necessarily technically great, but we love to relax and have fun when we’re paddle boarding, and enjoy the scenery.
So today we’re sharing 20 of our favourite accessories for paddle boarding in the UK, so that you can have more fun on your SUP. We won’t include paddle boards or lifejackets – I’m assuming you already have those. These are accessories that will make it easier and more fun to have SUP adventures this summer. Some of these links are affiliate links, meaning I’ll receive a small payment if you click through and make a purchase.
Best Paddleboard Accessories under £20
1. Navigation Lights, £10
A night-time paddle is on lots of peoples’ bucket lists and what could be cooler?
If you’re going to paddle in the dark, then it’s important to ensure you can be seen. These navigation lights can easily be attached to your board, PFD and paddle. Not only does it ensure that you’ll be seen by anyone else on the water, you’ll also look pretty cool on your SUP!
2. Paddleboard Carry Straps, £12.99
Let’s be truthful – if you’re a woman, carrying a big paddleboard on your own can be TOUGH. My arms are never quite long enough to reach around my board. I either need to ask someone to help, OR I end up struggling to hang on to my board on the walk from the car to the water.
Surely there has to be an easier way? The good news is that there is! These paddle board straps are super affordable and dead simple to use. Wrap them around the front and back of your board and you have a handy shoulder strap that makes it way easier to transport your board. And the straps are small enough to just pop into a bag when you’re done.
3. Waterproof Phone Case, £8.49
If you go paddle boarding, I would even recommend bringing your phone with you. If you run into trouble, at least you can contact someone to help you out. It’s best not to keep your phone in a dry bag because if you fall off the board it might not be easy to get to.
A simple waterproof phone case like this one (currently on offer, 2 cases for £8.49) can be clipped to your PFD or worn around your neck and it’s always close to hand. It also makes it easier to take photos!
If you want something more substantial, these dry cases from YETI and Red are smaller and perfect for holding things like a camera, wallet, keys and phone in a waterproof holder.
4. Wetsuit Lubricant, £12
As mentioned, I like anything that makes it quicker for me to get onto the water, and so wetsuit lubricant is an essential on days when I’m feeling hot and sticky, and I am not slipping effortlessly into a wetsuit or neoprene jacket and boots. We always keep a bottle of wetsuit slicker in the back of the car for those days, and I recommend you do the same! Skin Slick is inexpensive and as an added bonus stops clothing from chafing if you’re working up a sweat.
5. Bottle Opener, £6
Got your beer in the cooler? Don’t forget this nifty paddle board bottle opener – a perfect gift idea for someone who loves to SUP! It costs just £6 and is available from Etsy.
6. Paddleboard GoPro Attachment, £9.99
Getting the right GoPro mount for your SUP can be a hassle, but this paddleboard GoPro mount is simple to use, with a suction cup that attaches to the board and provides a safe home for your action camera. It’s a great little accessory and is available from Etsy at just £9.99
7. Personalised Paddleboard Christmas Decoration, £10
I had to include this because it’s one of the cutest SUP accessories EVER! Send this Etsy seller a photo of your loved one’s paddleboard and they will make you a custom paddleboard Christmas tree decoration. Printed in full colour onto a wooden base, I think they’re fab, and a great stocking filler at just over £10.
8. SUP Beanie Hat, £19.99
On colder Spring and shoulder season paddles, it’s important to keep your head warm, and I know we all remember those stats about how much heat you lose through your head. Of course, nobody wants a hat that won’t dry quickly if it gets splashed and nobody wants to be chasing a hat that gets blown off by the breeze. These Neoprene beanie hats have a warm, waterproof inner layer with wool on the outside so you keep warm and stay dry! Available in multiple sizes from Get on the Water at £19.99, I think these are a great SUP accessory.
9. Core Balance Board, £14.99
I like to joke that I invented a new sport called kneel up paddle boarding but the truth is I have horrible balance and find it really difficult to stand on my SUP when there is wind or waves. If that’s you then I promise that 5 minutes a day on this core balance board will do wonders for your paddleboarding technique.
It’s not technically a paddleboarding accessory but I do think it’s a valuable accessory that’s going to make your paddleboarding adventures much more fun, and will stop your children from laughing at you. Because children don’t care that you’re 40 and you’re doing your best. They find you pathetic.
This board holds up to 150kg (which I think is about 20 stones) and is made from multiple layers of plywood with an east-grip top. It costs just £14.99 on Amazon and it’s a fantastic buy.
Paddleboard Accessories under £50
10. Red Roll-Top Dry Bag, £26.95
The key to being comfortable on longer paddling adventures is to ensure you have all the kit you need with you. But what you don’t want to happen is for your dry sweater or sandwiches to get soggy because they’ve been splashed.
One of the Best Paddleboard Accessories is a dry bag – these are waterproof bags that usually roll over at the top to keep the contents dry. They’re a must have if you want to carry a change of clothes, some snacks, or car keys etc.
At the top end, I love these Red dry bags that are available in sizes that will hold a few basics for a morning, right up to bags that will hold ALL your kit for an overnight expedition.
Looking for something cheap and cheerful? This 3 pack of dry bags from Lomo is only £11.99.
11. Kayak Seat, £29.99
I don’t know about you but after a while of standing on a SUP, I start to really feel it in my back and legs. What can I say? I’m old. I can kneel down, but after a time I start to lose sensation in my feet, or my back aches because I’m not comfortable.
Take it easy by adding a kayak seat to your SUP. There are a range of seats available, and they’ll clip to the D Rings on your SUP. They’ll have straps to adjust the angle, so you can rest for a while in comfort.
This HomCom kayak seat is easy to use and has memory foam for comfort. It’s only £29.99 and will fold flat when it isn’t on use.
12. SUP Drinks Cooler, £37.49
I totally remember the first time I saw someone on a paddleboard open up a cooler and drink a cold beer on a sunny afternoon. It’s possible I shed a tear of silent envy.
There are a bunch of coolers that are designed to sit on your SUP deck and attach to the bungee storage cords. They’ll hold a bunch of snacks and drinks and keep them cold for up to eight hours. Some bags also have suction cups on the bottom to help secure them to the deck, which are great if you have a solid (not inflatable) SUP. This iRocker cooler bag attaches to your paddleboard securely and will hold a day’s worth of food and drink easily.
13. Red Silent Air Release, £34.95
If you’re a regular paddle boarder you’ll know there’s a moment after your paddle when EVERYONE turns to look at you. It’s the moment you unfasten the valve on your SUP and the air blasts out with a loud whoosh! For the SUP owner who has everything, here’s a little gadget that allows you to deflate your paddleboard noiselessly.
Seriously, though, sometimes I do feel bad when the noise disturbs birds or we’re in a really peaceful location, so this silent deflation valve from Red is sort of nifty.
14. Surf Cap with 50 SPF, £25
For warmer days, one of the best SUP accessories you can have is a hat that stops you catching the sun – this SPF cap has a strap that secures it to your head, making it ideal for paddling in moving waters where you might fall off and don’t want to be chasing your baseball cap across the waves. This one is £25 from Amazon UK.
15. SUP Jacket/Cover, £30
I know plenty of people who like to inflate their boards at home and then drive them to the water. Also people who use their boards on one part of the beach, then move to a second location for the afternoon. If that’s you then these UV SUP jackets from Red will cover and protect your board from small knocks and scratches, and prevent it from overheating and fading.
The jacket comes with attachment points so it can be secured to your roof rack, or a boat deck, with 4 way stretch allowing it to fit most boards.
Paddleboard Accessories under £100
16. Wireless waterproof speaker, £50
This Bluetooth wireless speaker is amazing for any paddle boarder. Good sound, a whopping 24-hour battery life, and a clip so you can attach it to your paddleboard – making it an essential SUP accessory.
The speaker is Alexa compatible, so it’s ideal for connecting to your phone, and it’s fully waterproof and drop proof. 100% recommended SUP accessory.
17. Dog Buoyancy Aid for SUP, £64
There is nothing, but nothing that improves your day on a paddleboard more than bringing a dog along for the ride.
But it’s essential you have a decent flotation device for your four-legged friend. It needs to be buoyant and offer a sturdy strap so that you can lift your dog out of the water when they get tired of swimming.
These K9 jackets from Red are ridiculously cute, and available in all sizes and multiple colours at £64. If you want a budget option, we use this jacket for our Westie, which is less sturdy but only costs £16.99.
Paddleboard Accessories over £100
18. The Shark Electric Pump, £135
If you only take one recommendation from this article, let it be this: the best, coolest accessory for your paddleboard is an electric pump.
There are some (weird) people who think manually pumping up a SUP is “part of the fun” but I think paddle boarding is fun, and anything that makes it faster or easier to do more paddleboarding has to be a good thing.
We use the Shark pump, which inflates 2 boards in around 10-15 minutes. It has an automatic shut-off so you can’t over-inflate the board, and it runs off the car’s power adapter, so we can throw our SUP into the car, and then inflate boards while we’re getting changed.
You can find one on Amazon here
19. GPS Watch (on offer at £199)
This Garmin Forerunner GPS watch from Wiggle is great for paddle boarders who want to track their paddles. It will capture your route, speed and distance, along with your heart rate. More than that you can listen to music, receive messages and get weather alerts. What more could you need?
20. Change Robe for SUP, £149.95
A changing robe is an essential accessory for paddle boarding and there are robes for all shapes, sizes and seasons. They’re basically giant coats that dry you off AND give you privacy for getting changed on the waters’ edge. Just be sure to never, ever wear one on the water because if you fall in, you WILL sink.
I love that Red offers a regular changing robe for colder weather and climes, but also a microfibre towelling robe for the summer months.
So there you have it – 20 of the best paddleboard accessories this summer in the UK, so you can have your very best SUP adventures. We hope you make the very most of your paddleboard this year with some of these top accessories!