Finding the perfect gift can be challenging, especially when you want to get that special someone a gift for their favorite activity. There are all sorts of different gift options for the paddle boarders in your life at all budget levels.
We’ve put together a list of the most useful and most universal paddling gifts for every SUP paddler, and at every price point.
We’ll kick off our SUP gift guide with a few inflatable stand up paddleboards that make excellent gifts.
Best Inflatable Paddleboards for Gifts
iSUPs on a Budget
The holidays make a great time to score an excellent deal on paddle boards. For the new paddler on a budget, look no further than the Glide Wander 10’6. This cruiser style iSUP is a great board for beginners or anyone who wants a high-quality, stable iSUP on a budget.
Read our review of the Glide Wander 10’6
Specialty iSUPs for Your Special Someone
After a bit of time on the water with an all-around iSUP, your favorite paddler may be looking for a board that performs a little better with one aspect or another. For the paddler in your life that likes to go far and go fast, a touring iSUP is just the ticket. The Honu Sorrento 12’6 is a fantastic touring iSUP that blends speed, efficiency, and stability for fitness, destination, and overnight touring trips. Honu’s carbon fiber Evolution paddles are excellent gifts themselves as well!
For your favorite angler, the Bote HD Aero is a fantastic fishing iSUP that’s ready to be rigged to catch The Big One.
Read our review of the Honu Sorrento and the Bote HD Aero iSUPs
A Competitive iSUP for a Competitive Paddler
When you’ve got an athlete in the family, you know they are always striving for the best equipment to give them that competitive edge. Why not treat them to the best holiday gift they could imagine with the fastest iSUP on the market? The Hydrus Elysium Air is incredibly fast – so much so that I replaced my carbon fiber race board with it last year, even for competing in the USA SUP National Championships! Now Hydrus has an entire lineup of high-quality, but budget friendly racing products including the Elysium Air, Ruckus paddle, and Katana 2.0 race fin.
Read our review of the Hydrus Elysium Air and the Hydrus Ruckus race paddle
Best SUP Accessory Gifts
Gifts Under $100
- Inflatable PFD – Belt-style Inflatable PFDs are the most comfortable way to stay safe while paddleboarding. When worn properly these devices feel like they aren’t even there. Check out the Onyx Inflatable PFD.
- Dry Bag – Not everything we bring with us on a SUP is meant to get wet. A dry bag is a great gift for the paddler in your life to keep their valuables, lunch, towel, and other items safe and dry while on the water. Check out the Big River dry bags and Dry Bag Sling by Sea to Summit for a convenient, waterproof, way to store on your board.
- Glasses Strap – Sun in your eyes isn’t comfortable, and prolonged exposure to UVA and UVB radiation can be bad for your eye health (not just your skin). A nice pair of sunglasses is the best way to relax your eyes, but no one wants to lose them on the water! Glasses straps are great ways to keep your sunglasses on your face, and keep them floating if they do somehow slide off. Check out these floating glasses straps by Chums.
- Changing Poncho – sometimes we need to change clothes at the waterfront. Other times we might just be getting a little chilly hanging out after a nice day paddling. Either way a changing robe is the best way to stay warm and stay modest while changing clothes by the water. Check out the Nixy Towel Changing Poncho or Parka for those chillier days.
Gifts Under $200
- Electric Pump – inflating your paddle board by hand is time- and energy-consuming. Give the paddlers in your life a break with an electric pump. These “set it and forget it” pumps do the work for you so you can go about getting ready for your day on the water. Check out the Outdoor Master Shark 3 Electric SUP Pump or the Swonder Seawolf S20Li for a self-contained battery-powered option.
- Bone Conduction Headphones – enjoying your favorite tunes is a great way to amp up any paddle session whether you are casually cruising or crushing a workout. The Open Run headphones by Shokz have great sound quality, are waterproof, and allow you to stay aware of your surroundings while paddling.
- Cooler – Hot days on the water are best matched with cold beverages. A waterproof cooler is a great choice for keeping drinks and food cold and secure during your paddle. Check out iRocker’s lineup of SUP Coolers!
- Paddle Upgrade – Upgrading a kit paddle can make an old paddleboard feel new, especially for those paddlers who spend long days on the water. Lighter constructions and more refined shapes make paddling smoother, more efficient, and faster. Check out the Honu Evolution Carbon Fiber/Bamboo paddle. The evolution uses hexagonal inserts for a perfect fit, high quality 12k carbon fiber with an optional bamboo veneer, and is available in two different sizes.
- Wetsuit – For the die-hard paddler in your life a wetsuit can safely and comfortably extend their paddling season far into the fall and even into (or through) the winter. There are lots of different thicknesses and sizes available, so make sure to slyly figure out what your favorite paddler needs! Check out the Rip Curl Omega 3/2 wetsuit for Men and Women.
Gifts Over $200
- GPS Smartwatch – A smartwatch with GPS is a great way to track your paddling activities and biometrics for workouts and sharing your adventures. Not to mention all of the other great benefits that today’s smart watches have available. Check out the Garmin Forerunner and Garmin Fenix smart watches to easily track paddle sessions.
- RUX Gear Box and Storage Set – The Rux Gear Box is the ideal way for you or your beloved paddler to store all of their daily SUP accessories. Pumps, spare parts, clothing, lunch, and more fits easily into the lightweight 40L gear bag and is easy to organize with the optional storage bag set.
- Dry Suit – In colder climates or for paddling into the deepest part of winter a wetsuit may not be enough. Dry Suits keep your favorite paddler completely dry and let them layer for warmth while paddling and are the ultimate in comfort for cold-weather SUP. Check out the Kokatat Hydrus 3L Meridian Dry Suit for Men and Women.
- Speed Coach – If your favorite paddler is into racing or fitness paddling, the NK Speed Coach SUP 2 GPS device is a must have. Besides tracking distance, speed, and time, the Speed Coach also tracks stroke rate, distance per stroke, and heart rate. You can also get it pre-loaded with different workouts for even more efficient training. Check out the NK Speed Coach SUP 2 GPS training device.
- Ultimate Paddle Upgrade – A high-quality paddle can make all the difference when it comes to long days on the water, sprinting past a competitor, or catching the next wave. If you want to give the paddler in your life one of the best paddles available, then check out Hydrus Ruckus racing paddle. The 30T pre-preg carbon fiber construction is incredibly lightweight and the blade design (available in a Medium and Large size) is the most effective shape I’ve used offering excellent speed performance without sacrificing stability in the water.
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