21 Great Gift Ideas for Paddle Boarders

Again and again I receive comments in which readers ask for suitable gifts for paddle boarders.

It’s no wonder. With the growing popularity of paddle boarding, almost everyone has an acquaintance in their family or circle of friends who considers themselves a paddle boarder.

For this reason, I have listed a number of great paddle boarding gifts below. For some presented paddle board gift ideas, you have to dig deep into your pocket, while other gift ideas are priced to pass as a souvenir or small gift.

Note: If you want to do something wonderful for your loved ones and want to buy a new SUP paddle or a paddle board, for example, you should coordinate with the paddler beforehand. The differences between the individual models are simply too great. Who is looking for a board, should start with my review of the best paddle boards.

The Best Gift Ideas for Paddle Boarders

#1 Balance Board

Balance boards are really practical for training in winter or also as a supplement to the paddle board tour. They playfully train the deep muscles and can also be used as an extension of normal workouts – because push-ups on a balance board are really exhausting!

Meanwhile, balance boards come in many shapes and sizes. For paddle boarders, of course, surf shape boards are the best choice. Check out our complete list of best balance boards.

#2 Dry Suit

Many paddle board beginners only paddle in the summer in the best weather. But with the right clothing, the season can be significantly extended and even extended to the whole year.

Dry suits are the best choice because they are completely waterproof. Underneath, you can wear one or more layers of clothing, depending on the outside temperature.

We have already tested and presented some dry suits for different purposes: 8 Best Paddling Drysuits for Paddle Boarding (Warm & Dry)

#3 Travel Guide

In paddle boarding travel guides, paddle boarders can find detailed information about spots for paddling different tours.

Entry and exit points, restaurants and parking possibilities are presented, dangers and special features of the rivers, lakes, and seas are pointed out and the route is documented with pictures and maps.

#4 Action Cam

Photos and videos from paddle board tours let you reminisce and share wonderful moments on the water. With a waterproof phone case, this works quite well.

Even better is an action cam. This can be attached to the board or paddle and make so much better shots from new perspectives.

Check out our list of the best waterproof action cams.

#5 Electric Pump for Paddle Boards

Inflatable SUP boards are handy, but the constant pumping up and down is really exhausting. Fortunately, there are now electric SUP pumps that take over this annoying task for us paddlers.

Check out the best electric pumps for paddle boards.

#6 Waterproof Phone Case

Nowadays, not much works without a smartphone. And paddle boarders also benefit from taking a phone with them on tour.

Photos can be taken, numerous measurements can be tracked with SUP apps and in emergencies, the nowadays often neglected phone function of smartphones as well as the built-in GPS (or apps like Google Maps) are extremely helpful.

So why not give your loved one a waterproof phone case? That way, the presentee can also contact others while on the move.

Check out the best waterproof phone cases.

#7 Paddle Boarding Book

Whether as a Christmas gift or as a gift of the Easter Bunny just before the start of the season – a SUP book is the ideal way to bridge the cold months.

The books are aimed primarily at beginners and advanced learners.

Many authors get in with the elementary techniques first, but then move on to more advanced techniques, guides to buying gear and paddling spots. Experienced paddlers will also get something out of this.

#8 Drybag

Provisions, the smartphone, and the car keys can be stowed in a drybag, protected from the water. The dry bags themselves float on the water surface.

The drybag is simply attached to the board’s luggage net and taken along on the trip.

Drybags with a volume of around 20 to 25 liters are ideal for paddle boarders. In these sizes, the SUP drybags are neither too small for the luggage nor too bulky.

Check out the best drybags for paddle boarding.

#9 Double Action Pump

Do you always have to listen to the whining about the difficult inflation of the board?

With double action pumps this is (almost) over. Often, especially inexpensive beginner paddle boards only come with a cheaply made single action pump.

This is where upgrading to a double action pump can really pay off.

Double action pumps press air into the board both when pulling it up and when pushing it down.This makes inflation much faster and less strenuous.

With a double action pump, you start in double action mode. When pumping becomes more strenuous (around 7 PSI and up), you switch to single stroke mode and pump up to the desired air pressure (usually 15 PSI).

View the best double action pumps

#10 Sunglasses

In summer, the water strongly reflects the sunlight. This can be quite a nuisance when paddling. A pair of sunglasses can not hurt. So why not give trendy bamboo sunglasses as a gift?

#11 Restube Swim Buoy

The Restube is an innovative solution. It is a self-inflating floating island.

When paddling, you wear a restube as a small package on your waist belt. In an emergency, the restube can be triggered and in seconds the swim island inflates and can keep an adult afloat.

For the abrupt inflation, cartridges are needed, which you can buy later. If you like, you can also use the Restube as a buoyancy aid and simply inflate Restube before the tour.

In an emergency, a Restube can be a real lifesaver.

Check out the best swim buoys.

#12 Wall Mount

A wall mount for paddle boards is not only a chic way to store paddle boards, but also a space-saving way.

The reason these wall mounts exist is that you should store inflatable paddle boards inflated.

In fact, choosing a storage place is not so easy. Neither the basement nor the attic are suitable.

A perfect storage place is one where the temperature is not too low or too high, the humidity is not too high, and the board is not exposed to direct sunlight.

Attention: For other water sports, there are already a lot of different wall mounts. However, many of these mounts are not well suited for SUPs because they are too narrow. When looking for a suitable wall mount, make sure that the mounts have at least a 20 cm wide opening.

Check out the best wall racks for paddle boards.

#13 Paddle board bag

A paddle board backpack is much larger than a normal backpack. In the paddle board backpack, the airless, rolled up board can be stowed.

In addition, the other paddle board accessories, change of clothes and provisions usually fit into the large backpacks.

For the transport of the equipment, SUP backpacks are therefore incredibly practical. For this reason, the backpacks belong to the standard equipment of every paddle boarders.

With most inflatable paddle boards, a backpack is already included. Sometimes, however, only a carrying bag is included. Transporting the equipment, which weighs a total of around 15 to 20 kilograms, is thus hardly possible.

Often, the backpacks from very cheap complete sets are also very poor in quality.

In some models, for example, the shoulder straps cut into the shoulders so badly that it is hardly possible to carry the fully loaded backpack more than a few hundred meters.

In both cases, it is worth switching to a really good paddle board bag.

Check out the best paddle board bags.

#14 Bluetooth Headphones

If you don’t always want to enjoy the peace and quiet on the water, but also want to have a bit of a relaxation or party atmosphere, you definitely need waterproof headphones.

Check out the best waterproof Bluetooth headphones.

#15 Bluetooth Speaker

For paddle boarding tours with several people, a waterproof speaker is the perfect companion. The music can be played very relaxed via Bluetooth.

To protect the waterproof model not only from water splashes, but also from a dive, it is best to attach it to the luggage net.

Check out the best waterproof Bluetooth speakers.

#16 Carbon Paddle

Without a decent paddle, paddle boarding is not much fun.

Especially a heavy aluminum paddle, which is usually included in the beginner sets, and a high-quality carbon SUP paddle are worlds apart.

With a lighter carbon SUP paddle, higher speeds can be built up and longer trips can be made.

If you want to buy a paddle for someone else, you should rely on the following formula:

Height = Body height + 25cm

It is also important that you choose a height adjustable paddle (also called vario paddle). Such a paddle can be adjusted (usually continuously) in length and can therefore be adapted to the respective body size.

Check out the best SUP paddles.

#19 Paddle Board

The paddle board is the most important piece of equipment.

Here there are significant differences between different board types, individual paddle board brands, different price ranges and many other factors.

If you are thinking about buying a paddle board for someone else, you should check out my paddle board guide and my current paddle board best list.

Also note that paddle boards often come with additional accessories (e.g. paddles, air pumps, carrying bags, leash and more). Especially in terms of the scope and quality of the included accessories, the various offers differ.

#29 Swimming Companion

Maybe it doesn’t have to be a big gift, but just a little gimmick? Then these litte swimming animals are certainly a funny idea.

We even know a paddler who lights up his shark and takes it with him on paddle board tours in the dark. Otherwise, swim animals are of course also suitable for use in the pool.

#21 Waterpistol

Are you looking for a gift for someone who still remains a child? Then a water gun is also a fun gift for adults for more action on the paddle board!

How to Make a Paddle Board Gift Card

Especially with gift cards, the packaging is important. Therefore, we would like to give you a few ideas how you can make your paddle boarding gift coupon a real eye-catcher.

Particularly suitable are of course suitable little things on the subject of paddle boarding. This could be a keychain, a necklace, a bracelet, a t-shirt, a Playmobil figure, a painted cup or even practical equipment like a dry bag.

The number of paddle board gift items continues to grow…! If you want to do your own crafting, you can do a lot of it yourself.

Of course you can also make a classic card. Here you can get really creative.