Paddling with a friend is the best way to enjoy the water in my opinion. Sharing it with your four-legged friends can bring even more fun and excitement to your paddling adventures. For those paddlers with disabilities, being able to bring a service dog can open up even more opportunities on the water. When shopping for a paddleboard to share with your pup it’s important to take a few different things into consideration.
How large is your dog? While a Teacup Chihuahua is small enough to fit on any board (and in many PFD pockets!), a Newfoundland can make things far more complicated on smaller boards. Remember to take your dog’s weight into account when evaluating what paddleboard will work best for you and your dog.
How comfortable is your dog on the water? While some breeds are predisposed to having a great time in the water, others may not, and that still doesn’t guarantee your dog will immediately take to being on the water. When paddling with a dog that is less comfortable on the water, you should opt for a larger board with more stability.
How well trained is your dog? Dogs that are well trained with basic obedience commands (come, sit, down, stay) are easier to work with on a SUP. Dogs that are more independent can make paddleboarding more difficult and would likely do better on larger boards for better stability.
Don’t forget doggy safety! Just like human paddlers, our canine friends should also have a properly-fitted PFD with a heavy-duty handle on the top. The handle makes it much easier to help your dog back onto your SUP after he goes for a swim.
Below are our favorite iSUPs for paddling with your dog. We chose these based on their weight capacity, stability, and dog-friendly features like larger or full-length deck pads.
Best Paddleboard for DogsComparison Chart
| section-hd | Top-Rated Paddleboards for Dogs |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOARD | DIMENSIONS | CAPACITY | WARRANTY | PRICE | |
| Gili Komodo | Gili Komodo
| 10'6” x 33" x 6" 21 pounds | 340 lbs | 2 years, 60-day money back | Read Full ReviewCheck Best Price |
| Sea Gods Skylla | Sea Gods Skylla
| 11' x 33" x 6" 19.5 pounds | 350 lbs | Lifetime, 30-day money back | Read Full ReviewCheck Best Price |
| Isle Switch 2-in-1 iSUP/Kayak | Isle Switch 2-in-1 iSUP/Kayak
| 11'6" x 35.5" x 6" 19 pounds | 425 lbs | 2 years, 60-day money back | Read Review Check Best Price |
| Thurso Max Multi-Purpose | Thurso Max Multi-Purpose
| 11’6 x 34" x 6" 29 pounds | 370 lbs | 2-years, 30-day money back | Read ReviewCheck Best Price |
| Nixy Venice G4 | Nixy Venice G4
| 10’6” x 34" x 6" 23 pounds | 400 lbs | 2 years, 30-day money back | Read ReviewCheck Best Price |
| Bote Flood 11’ Full Trax | Bote Flood 11’ Full Trax | 11’ x 32" x 6" 28 pounds | 275 lbs | 2-years, 60-day money back | Read Review Check Best Price |
| Gili Manta Ray Multi-Person | Gili Manta Ray Multi-Person
| 12’ x 45" x 8" 35 pounds | 725 lbs | 2-years, 30-day money back | Read Review Check Best Price |
| Aqua Marina SuperTrip Tandem 14’ | Aqua Marina SuperTrip Tandem 14’
| 14’ x 34" x 6" 34 pounds | 500 lbs | 1 year, 30-day money back | Read Review Check Best Price |
Gili Sports Komodo
10’6” x 33” x 6”
Availability: US, International Shipping Available
Read Full Review Here
The Gili Sports Komodo cruiser iSUP blends stability and performance into a high-value kit with a full-length deck pad perfect for you and your pup.
The Gili Sports Komodo uses Gili’s top-tier construction and carbon-fiber reinforced rails to create an extremely stiff inflatable paddleboard. The 33” width and wide outline make it very stable wherever you find yourself on the board.
The full-length deck pad is a great addition for your dog. This gives your pup a soft, but durable, surface to grip onto the board rather than sliding on wet PVC.
Bottom Line:In addition to paddling with your pup, the Gili Sports Komodo is also great as a general-purpose cruiser board and for yoga.
Sea Gods Skylla
11’ x 33” x 6”
Availability: US, Canada
Read Full Review Here
The Sea Gods Skylla is an excellently stable crossover all-around/touring board that offers a great adventure platform for you and your dog.
The Skylla is the newest addition to Sea Gods’ lineup and with it comes new materials. This keeps the Skylla incredibly lightweight, but still very stiff and durable. The 33” wide board borrows its front half from a touring-inspired shape and pairs it with a wide, square tail for extra stability. While it doesn’t have a full-length deck pad, the pad does extend far enough up the front of the board to accommodate medium sized dogs easily.
The Skylla is also a little different from the other boards on this list because it is significantly faster and more efficient on the water than most wider all-around boards. It also comes with Sea Gods’ lifetime warranty for years of paddling confidence.
Bottom Line:The combination of stability, speed, and a large grippy deck pad make the Sea Gods Skylla an excellent choice for long-form adventures with your dog.
Isle Switch 2-in-1 iSUP
11’6” x 35.5” x 6”
Availability: US
Read Full Review Here
The Isle Switch 2-in-1 iSUP makes it easy to SUP with your pup and includes a kayak conversion kit for when you need a little more stability.
Starting off, the Isle Switch’s extra width and extra-wide tail make this an incredibly stable platform for paddling with a dog (or two). The Switch is designed to be able to support two people while paddling, and the full-length deck pad lets you comfortably position yourself and your dog wherever feels best.
The included kayak conversion kit (an inflatable kayak seat, foot brace, and kayak paddle) also makes it easy to increase your stability, by comfortably sitting, without sacrificing your paddling efficiency.
The wider board also makes it easy for your dog to move around from front to back without sliding off or tipping the board.
Bottom Line: The Isle Switch 2-in-1 iSUP is great for paddling with larger dogs, sitting while paddling, and for pups that like to stay active on the water.
Thurso Surf Max Multi-Purpose iSUP
11’6” x 34” x 6”
Availability: US, Canada, UK, EU
Read Full Review Here
The Thurso Surf Max Multi-Purpose paddleboard may be focused on fishing, but those same features that make it great for landing fish also make it a great board to bring your favorite fishing buddy.
At 11’6” long and 34” wide the Thurso Max’s size and wide outline give it plenty of volume and stability for you and all but the biggest dogs with a weight capacity of nearly 400lb. The carbon fiber reinforced rails keep the Max stiff under the extra weight of a larger dog, which helps maintain its great paddling performance on the water.
The full length deckpad is also grooved the entire length of the board. This gives your pup’s paws more traction as they brace side-to-side. The two paddle holders make it easy to keep your fishing rod nearby, and the extra grab handles make getting back on the board easier if Mr. Fluffles, the 80lb lab, decides to take up diving as a hobby.
Bottom Line: The Thurso Surf Max Multi-Purpose paddleboard is perfect for blending your pup’s next paddle session with a little bit of fishing.
Nixy Venice G4
10’6” x 34” x 6”
Availability: US, Canada
Read Our Full Review Here
The Nixy Venice G4 is a lightweight option for paddling with your dog.
By using advanced materials within their paddleboards, Nixy Sports has kept their entire lineup of G4 iSUPs very lightweight – including the Nixy Venice G4.
This lightweight board makes it even easier to transport your board whether it’s wrapped up in the rolling travel case or inflated to carry to the water. This makes it even easier to wrangle your board, equipment, and dog as you head down the beach.
Once you’re on the water, the 34” width and wide tail and nose keep the Venice pleasantly stable while your dog makes use of the full-length deck pad. The smaller front cargo area leaves lots of uninterrupted space for your pet to get cozy as you paddle.
Bottom Line: The Nixy Venice G4 is a lightweight and stable iSUP with lots of open room in the front of the board for your dog.
Bote Flood 11’ Full Trax
10’6” x 34” x 6”
Availability: US
Read Our Full Review Here
The Bote Flood Full Trax gives you excellent paddling performance, fishing capability, and a full-length deck pad for your pooch.
The Bote Flood Full Trax is an all-around iSUP that really does offer all-around features. It’s got plenty of storage space, kayak seat compatibility, has fishing rack mounts, and the full-length deck pad is comfortable for both humans and canines alike.
At only 32” wide, it is the narrowest board on this list, but it packs a great amount of stability into a relatively narrow package. The wide tail and nose hold the Flood’s volume throughout its length making it feel just as stable as you move your position forward or backward to make room for the dog (and they’ll feel stable too).
Bottom Line: The Bote Flood Full Trax offers a great amount of versatility and stability for you and your dog.
Gili Sports Manta Ray Multi Person
12’ x 45” x 8”; 15’ x 56” x 8”
Availability: US, International Shipping Available
Read Our Full Review Here
The Gili Sports Manta Ray is a multi-person/dog paddleboard that can handle even the largest of our four-legged friends – and even the whole family!
The Manta Ray comes in two sizes, 12’ x 45” and 15’ x 56”, and both are 8” thick. These boards are big, but they have enough capacity to easily fit three adults on the 12’ and five adults on the 15’. Or some combination of people and pups.
The decks are fully padded, have plenty of room for passengers and accessories, and include two paddles and two pumps in the kit.
While they can be a little difficult to paddle solo for a new paddler, paddling with a partner or experienced solo paddlers will find them to be much easier to move around on the water than you’d expect at first glance. It almost goes without saying, but the large size and high volume of these boards also makes them incredibly stable – even when standing far to one side or the other.
Bottom Line: The Gili Sports Manta Ray multi-person iSUP is a great way to get on the water with larger dogs, multiple dogs, or a mix of people and pups.
Aqua Marina SuperTrip Tandem
14’ x 34” x 6”
Availability: Worldwide
Read Our Full Review Here
If a super-sized party board doesn’t sound like the best option for just you and your dog, but a standard all-around iSUP isn’t enough, then the Aqua Marina SuperTrip Tandem might be just the ticket.
For solo paddlers with a large dog, the Aqua Marina SuperTrip Tandem gives you all the space and volume for you and Tiny (if I had a Mastiff, his name would definitely be Tiny), while still being easy to paddle by yourself.
At 14’ x 34” the SuperTrip Tandem is still manageable by a solo paddler, though you’ll want to plan your turns well ahead of time, as maneuverability isn’t the high point with a board this size. It does still have plenty of space and volume for paddling with your larger dogs, or another human if the occasion calls for it.
Bottom Line: The Aqua Marina SuperTrip Tandem has plenty of space for larger dogs without needing a second person to help paddle.
Paddleboards for Dogs FAQs
What Makes a Paddleboard Good for a Dog?
The two biggest things that a paddleboard can offer to make your time on the water with a dog more enjoyable are a large deck pad that extends as far forward as possible, and enough width and volume to give you the carrying capacity and stability to handle your passenger. With smaller dogs, the overall size of the board isn’t as important as the larger deck pad, but as you get into your medium-to-large dogs (50lb or more) you’ll want to consider larger boards. Make sure to add your dog’s weight into the equation when looking at paddleboard weight capacities and considering different widths. Even a 50lb dog can send you toppling off a smaller board if they decide to suddenly jump after a fish (ask me how I know…).
What Do I Need to Paddle With My Dog?
Aside from your own regular paddleboarding gear, I always recommend getting a properly-fitting PFD for your dog as well. Not only will this help your dog swim more easily should they hop off your paddleboard, but most dog PFDs also have a heavy-duty handle you can use to help lift your dog back onto your board. If you will be out on the water for longer periods of time, make sure to bring fresh water and a bowl for your pup to drink out of as well.
Should I Leash My Dog to the SUP While Paddling?
No! Leashing your dog to your board while on the water can actually be quite dangerous for your dog. Should your board capsize, your dog cannot detach its own leash. The leash can tangle on the board or on the dog and can actually trap your dog under water. Use a leash when walking to or from the water’s edge, but once you are on the water make sure to remove the leash from their collar or PFD.
Recommended Gear for Paddling With Your Dog
Paddling with your dog is a great way to spend time together on the water. Whether you are heading to the lake to beat the heat during those dog days of summer (I couldn’t help myself) or heading off on an overnight adventure here are a few items that we recommend for paddling with your dog.
- PFD – A PFD (Personal Flotation Device), is not just a piece of safety equipment for people, but for dogs as well! Not only do they keep your pup afloat, but many have a sturdy handle you can use to help your dog get back on board after a swim. Check out the Ruffwear Float Coat dog PFD.
- Dry Bag – Not everything we bring with us on our SUPs should get wet. Soggy sandwiches and waterlogged phones can ruin a good day out on the water. Dry bags come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes to fit your needs. See our Best SUP Dry Bag reviews here.
- Coolers – whether you are keeping your drinks cold or your catch fresh, a great cooler can make the difference after hours out in the sun. Plus hard coolers make a great seat to take a break from standing! See our Best SUP Cooler reviews here.
- Electric Pumps – Using the hand pump that comes with your board is a great way to warm up for your day paddling. But every now and then it’s nice to relax while getting ready, too. Electric SUP pumps are easy to use and let you focus on other things while inflating your board. See our Best Electric SUP Pump reviews here.
Final Thoughts – Best Paddleboards for Dogs
Paddleboarding with your four-legged friends can be an incredibly fun and rewarding experience. Or it may be frustrating and potentially dangerous. Choosing the right paddleboard is a huge step in making sure that everyone has a great time. When starting to paddleboard with your dog make sure to go slowly. Get them used to the board on land first – teach them where you want them to stand or sit. Plan very short outings near an easily accessible shore to start with and work on the basics (getting on and off the board, sitting, getting comfortable with the paddle, etc.). A PFD for your dog helps them swim and makes it easier to help them get back on the board. Never leash your dog to your paddleboard. If the board does capsize the leash can become tangled and your dog may not be able to resurface. Lastly, make sure to practice Leave No Trace while paddling with your dog and check for any local regulations at the beaches you are using. Have fun and paddle safe!
