5 Christmas Gifts for SUP Owners

The 2017 Christmas season is upon us! Though its cold and possibly snowy in many areas, we can still think about summer and being on the water.

Anyone who knows someone who owns a SUP board knows they love it, and try to get out on the water as much as they can. This can actually make buying Christmas gifts for them easy: get anything to help improve their passion for paddle boarding!

If you’re not ready to spend the money on a new sup board for your friend or family member, there are countless accessories on the market for SUP boards that would make a great Christmas gift, birthday gift or a ‘congrats on your new SUP board’ gift.

Here are 5 amazing paddleboard gifts you can easily get online or at a local paddle store.

1. SUP Carrier Straps

   These are a game changer for those who live close to water. I got one of these last year and it makes a huge difference for short walking distances (i’m about 300 feet from the water’s edge).
   While most paddleboards are fairly light, carrying the board home after a long paddle does get tiring. This simple strap system lets you carry most of the weight on your shoulders, keeping hands from getting tired. They simply go around the board, and adjust to your height so you can keep a hand on/near the paddleboard’s handle. Super easy to use once you figure out the best centering placement so its fully balanced, and the padding on the shoulder part is comfy enough for good walking distances. Many come with straps for your paddle as well, and as an added bonus, you can use this to hang your board to dry or for storage. The straps wrap up small enough to store in a small bag while you’re boarding.

   You can find these at most paddle shops, or there is a large selection of Paddleboard Straps on Amazon
   

2. Paddling Gloves 

   You don’t need to be a paddle board racer to need good gloves for paddling. Anyone who does longer SUP touring knows that once your hands get wet – whether you fall off a lot (not judging!), or jump in for a mid-paddle cool down – blisters can form due to the wet hands gripping the paddle. This can easily be fixed with a good set of paddle gloves.
   These gloves are made for water, have good grips, and are padded just enough to keep your hands from getting torn up. While you don’t need to use them for every time you paddleboard, they’re a great addition to your SUP accessories for longer tours.

   View Paddling Gloves on Amazon.

3. ONYX MoveVent Dynamic Paddle Sports Life Vest

   In a number of states, provinces and countries, if you’re paddleboarding, you’re required to wear some sort of Personal Flotation Device. Especially if you’re a beginner paddleboarder, a PFD is important to just stay safe. Even if you’re paddling close to shore, one wrong move and a fall where you hit your head can lead to disaster. Thankfully, there are a wide range of paddle-friendly life jackets. These are smaller, made for more range of motion and are lightweight for more comfort.

   The ONYX MoveVent Dynamic Paddle Sports Life Vest (wow, that’s a mouthful), is one of the highest rated life vests on Amazon, and for good reason. Its durable, light, small and great for paddleboarding. Available in a number of sizes, read some of the questions for help to find the best size.

   View the ONYX MoveVent Dynamic Paddle Sports Life Vest on Amazon.

4. Under-board Lighting

   For the paddleboarder who really has everything, there’s always something more. In this case, underwater lights that connect to your board and make evening paddles a light show.

   Made by PoHo Surf Shop, the Northern Lights SUP LED Light System connects easily to your board and light up the water around you. They run on AAA batteries and have a remote control to turn on.

   While we strongly suggest not paddling alone at night, these lights can make for fun group on-water parties!

   View the LED Lights on Amazon.

5. Paddleboard Deck Bag by DeckBagZ

   When you want to stash your stuff in style while you paddle, these vintage styled deck bags look great and work even better. Made in the US from neoprene wet suit material and with a woven “wicker look”, the bags are made to attach to your board’s existing rigging. You can also get plugs or suction attachments.

   While these bags are not fully waterproof, they are here to hold your waterproof belongings (like your phone in a smaller waterproof case). It definitely beats a backpack or shoving something in your pocket while paddling.

   And the styles available (along with styled accessories) look great. I really love the vintage surf look they have. Great as a gift to any paddler!

   Check out all their styles at www.deckbagz.com