The Best Paddle Board Accessories Of 2023 Complete Guide

Updated July 20th, 2023

Stand up paddle boarding is a lot of fun. Inflatable paddleboards are convenient and easy to transport. There are some great accessories that can enhance your paddleboarding experience even more. Things like electric pumps and better paddles make using your board easier and more fun. Let’s take a look at some of the best paddle board accessories available today.

The 24 Best Paddle Board Accessories

Pumps and Setup Accessories

1 – Electric Pump

Hand pumping inflatable paddle boards is the single worst thing about inflatable paddle boards. Pumping a board up to 12-15 psi with a hand pump takes a lot of effort. An electric SUP pump is the best paddle board accessory you can get for an inflatable board. An electric pump lets you save your energy and arm strength of paddling instead of using it to pump.

The downside is that they are a little noisy and don’t really save you time. An electric pump will take 8-10 minutes to pump the average board. A person might take 6-10 minutes depending on how many breaks they take. The effort you save makes them worth it especially if you have to pump up several boards. I personally use the iRocker electric pump and Outdoor Master Shark 2 and Whale Pumps. The Outdoor Master Shark is great for pumping several boards in a row. The iRocker electric pump is faster and more compact for pumping 1 to 2 boards.

• Outdoor Master Shark 2 – Active cooling for inflating several boards
• Outdoor Master Whale – Active cooling and built in rechargeable battery
• iRocker Electric Pump – The fastest electric pump out there

See our guide to the best electric inflatable SUP pumps to learn about all the pump options.

2 – Electric Pump Battery

You will love your electric pump even more when you don’t have to hook it up to your car to use it. A battery allows you the freedom to use an electric paddleboard pump anywhere. Once you have one you won’t ever want to go back to being stuck next to your car to inflate and deflate your boards. The Nixy Battery Power Pack has enough juice to inflate at least 3 paddleboards. More depending on the size and pressure. It also doubles as a flashlight and has USB outlets for powering and charging your phone or camera.

• NIXY Battery Power Pack – Big enough to inflate several boards with an LED light
• iRocker Electric Pump Battery – Enough juice for a couple boards

3 – Landing Mat

Inflatable paddle boards are easily damaged by rocks and sharp objects on the ground. A Landing Mat is great for covering the ground where you will be inflating and deflating your board. It is basically a long tarp sized to cover the ground underneath the average size paddle board (up to 11’8″). It will keep your board from getting scratched or punctured by rocks, sticks, glass, or other debris on the ground. iRocker and NIXY both sell a similar landing.

I use the iRocker and NIXY landing mat any time I have to set my board down on the pavement, gravel, sand, or some other rough or dirty surface. It is big enough for most all around boards. My touring boards hang off the end a bit. It has 4 stakes that hold the mat down on windy days.

• iRocker Landing Mat – Available in blue only
• NIXY Landing Mat – Available in several colors

4 – Red Paddle Co Silent Air Remover

When you push the valve in to deflate your paddle board it makes a really loud high pitched noise. This can be as loud as 130 decibels which can damage your hearing over time. The Red Padde Co Silent Air Remover is a simple device that diffuses the air reducing the noise level down to under 80 db. If you have something like a BOTE Deus with 5 air chambers, it is a lot of loud valves to release all at once. If you use your paddle board often this is a great item to get that can easily be stored in your paddle board bag.

• Red Silent Air Remover – Makes releasing high pressure H3 valves much more quiet. No more ear piercing scream from your board.

Paddles

5 – Carbon Paddle

The next thing that will improve your paddle experience a lot is a better SUP paddle. Most under $500 paddleboards all come with a similar 3 piece aluminum paddle. It has a flat blade shape and they wobble at the joints between the shaft parts. They aren’t great but they work good enough. A carbon paddle with a stiffer shaft and better blade shape will make paddling the stand up paddle board feel a lot better. You’ll get a lot more go out of each paddle stroke. Turning the board will be easier also. I use an Aqua-Bound Challenge Paddle.

• Aqua-Bound Challenger 85 – Light, stiff with a good blade shape

Fins and fin accessories

6 – High Performance Fins

Have you ever felt like your board just wasn’t performing the way you wanted it to? Maybe it wasn’t tracking well, or it felt unstable. Or maybe you just wanted it to go faster. If you’re looking for a way to improve your board’s performance, consider investing in a high performance fin. Fins play a big role in how your board handles, and the right fin can make a big difference.

The touring fin by Eisback Riders, for example, is designed to improve tracking and stability while also increasing speed. So if you’re looking to get the most out of your board, be sure to check out after market fins. With the right fins, you can take your riding to the next level.

• FCS li Touring Fin – Improve stability, speed and tracking with a fin upgrade

7 – SUP Board Electric Fin Motor

Mount an electric motor under your SUP board to have a new kind of adventure. Power your board so you can go more distance for exploring or fishing. Replaces the fin on your paddleboard with a powerful motor that can propel your SUP board. Get the feel of surfing on flat water. This one looks like a ton of fun and I want to try it out as soon as I can get one.

• Boost Surfing Motorized Fin – An all in one fin with a self contained motor and battery. Can go up to 10mph with run times up to 100 minutes. See Review
• BIXPY J-2 OUTBOARD MOTOR KIT – A self contained unit with fin mount adapter, battery pack, motor unit and controller. Turn your SUP board into a powered surf board.

Coolers and bags

8 – Cooler

Who doesn’t like to have some cold drinks or a snack out on the water? Putting a cooler on your board can help keep your food and drinks from overheating on a hot day. They can attach to your D-Rings so you won’t lose it if you flip the board.

• iRocker Cooler Deck Bag – Fits a 6 pack and straps down to your SUP deck

9 – Dry bag

A dry bag or waterproof pouch is a good way to keep your gear dry while you are out on the water. Dry bags come in a variety of sizes to fit all of your needs. You can get bags or waterproof fanny pack pouches to wear around your waist. These are good for your wallet, food, extra clothes, electronics, or food that has to stay dry.

• iRocker Backpack Drybag and Cooler – A big 30L backpack cooler that also works as a drybag
• Earth Pak Waterproof Drybag – Drybags that are available in several sizes and colors.

10 – Floating Phone Case

Even if your phone is waterproof, chances are it doesn’t float. You need a floating case to make sure it doesn’t go to the bottom. Your phone can get hot sitting in direct sunlight as well. The great cases from Phoozy such as the Apollo II Anti-Microbial can keep your phone afloat, cool, and free from mold and other dirt.

• Phoozy XP3 – Floating, heat and shockproof phone case. Keeps your phone from getting too hot to take pictures
• Universal Waterproof Case – Keeps your phone dry. Phone and camera can be used inside the sealed pouch.

11 – SUP deck bag

A deck bag that attaches to your D-Rings is a good way to store gear on your paddleboard. If you are touring and doing a longer trip you may need a bigger travel bag than a standard 5 liter dry bag.

• Seattle Sports SUP Deck Bag – A 15L bag that can hold gear strapped to your board
• Red Paddle Co Waterproof Deck SUP Bag – A waterproof deck bag with lots of bungees and pockets for keeping your gear safe and dry

12 – Water bottle

I get thirsty when I’m out paddling for a while. A good water bottle is a necessity for preventing dehydration. Epic Water Bottles with filters are a great way to always have water. You never know how clean the water source is at the lake. They can be stored in your gear bag or bungees on your paddle board.

• EPIC Nalgene Water Filter Bottle – Nalgene water bottle with built in water filter. Outdoor filter can be used to make lake water drinkable.

Speakers

13 – Waterproof Speaker

Having some sounds out on the water can make your day a lot more fun. A waterproof speaker mounted on your stand up paddleboard can give you enough volume to enjoy music. It will still let you hear everything going on around you. Make sure that the people you are paddling with like your taste in music before you blast it really loud.

Speaqua Vibe 2.0 – It sounds good. It floats. It can hold songs in internal memory. It can mount to any GoPro or Action Mount.

PFD’s

14 – Inflatable belt pack PFD

A life jacket is a good idea if you’re paddling far from shore or your paddling in conditions where you might fall in. If you are a new paddle boarder they are a good idea as well to wear all the time. An inflatable belt pack PFD is a good way to carry a PFD that isn’t as bulky as a life jacket. Inflatable belt pack should only be used by strong swimmers in protected waters.

• Onyx M16 Inflatable Belt Pack – The most popular inflatable belt PFD out there. It’s small, lightweight and low profile. See our review

Kayak seats and conversion kits

15 – Kayak seat

Sometimes you don’t want to stand and paddle. You can sit and paddle a paddle board without a seat. A seat provides some extra comfort and back support. I have used one a lot with my paddle boards and enjoy using them as inflatable sit on top kayaks as much as SUP boards. The basic seat is sold under a ton of brands on Amazon and works okay. If you plan on using this a lot I recommend looking for one of the versions with thicker padding.

• NIXY Premium SUP Kayak Seat – A seat with thick padding that will work with any SUP with D-Rings. Has a bag on the back of the seat
• WOOWAVE Kayak Seat – The most popular thin foam kayak seat sold under many brands

See our article on making a SUP into a kayak to learn more.

16 – Kayak Conversion Kit

Many paddleboard makers sell a kayak conversion kit for their paddleboards. This usually consists of a seat and a paddle blade. The blade will slide into their paddle in place of the SUP Paddle handle. The seat will attach to D-Rings on the board. iRocker makes a nice conversion kit that works with all iRocker and Blackfin paddleboards. Check the website of your paddleboard brand to see if they offer a kayak conversion.

• iRocker Kayak Conversion Kit – Includes a seat and paddle blade. Works with any recent iRocker, Nautical, or Blackfin inflatable paddle board.

Fishing Accessories

17 – Fishing rod holder

If you like to go SUP fishing you need someplace to set your rod. A rod holder can attach to your D-Rings or an action mount and hold your fishing rod. If you are lucky, your board came with Scotty mounts already installed which gives you a lot of rod holder options. You can install several if your someone who wants to use several rods while fishing. You have to buy adhesive mounts to attach most rod holders to a paddleboard in addition to the rod holder.

• Scotty Powerlock Rod Holder – A full featured rod holder that works with Scotty mounts. Works for almost any small to medium rod
• iRocker Fishing Rod Holder – A universal rod holder that works with any M8 threaded action mount

18 – iBobber Fish Finder

Do you think a fish finder is too big to use on a standup paddleboard? Think again. ReelSonar has the perfect SUP fishing solution with their iBobber Fish Finder. It is the size of a small fishing bobber and connects by BlueTooth to your iPhone, iPad or even Apple Watch. You can tow it behind your SUP and use your iPhone to look for fish.

• iBobber Fish Finder – A tiny fish finder the size of a bobber that displays on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch.

19 – Anchor

Sometimes you want to stop somewhere and go for a swim or snorkle and don’t want your paddle board to drift away. If you are doing SUP yoga you want your board to stay in place. An anchor is great for these times. A small anchor or weight can keep your board from drifting away. They don’t take up much space on deck while you are paddling.

• iRocker SUP Anchor – A complete anchoring kit including anchor, line and carrying bag for your SUP
• Extreme Max SUP Anchor – A small grapnel anchor kit good for SUPs, kayaks and other small boats

Carriers

20 – Paddleboard carrier

Inflated paddleboards are big and awkward to carry around. The handles in the middle of the board are good for short distances but aren’t great for long distances. A paddleboard carrier lets you carry the board with a shoulder strap which is a lot more comfortable. You can also use them for hanging up the board on the wall in your garage or shed if you want to leave it inflated.

• iRocker Carry Strap – Padded shoulder strap that works with any SUP board with D-Rings

Lights

21 – SUP LED Lights

If you want to be out on the water after dark you need to have lights. Coast Guard requires lights on any boats operating after dark. You can use red and green LED lights on the front and a clear light on the back of your board so you can be out after dark.

• NIXY Navigation Lights – 3 LED lights that can mount to your SUP board to make it legal for use at night.

Paddleboard clothing

22 – Rashguard

Rashguards can provide UV protection for your skin. They also help regulate your temperature. They can help keep you cool on hot days if you get them wet. They help you feel warmer on cool days because they keep the water from evaporating off your skin. They make wetsuits more comfortable to wear because they give you a layer between your skin and neoprene. I wear one most of the time when paddleboarding on hot or cool days.

• Kanu Surf Women’s Long Sleeve Rashguard – Quick drying with UPF50+ sun protection. Keeps you cool and protected on hot days.

23 – Changing Robe

There isn’t always a good place to change where you want to paddleboard. There is no privacy or it’s cold or what if it starts to rain. A changing robe can solve all your problems. They are big enough to easily swap clothes underneath without exposing yourself. They are big and warm so you won’t freeze after taking off a wetsuit. They are comfortable to wear while you are warming up after getting out of the water too. Voited makes one of the best changing robes available.

• Voited Changing Robe – The best changing robe availabe. It’s dry, warm and cozy with enough room to change underneath. See our review

24 – Polarized Sunglasses

Sunglasses are important for protecting your eyes while you are out on the water. Water reflects the sunlight making it very hazardous to your eyes. A good set of sunglasses will help protect your eyesight and make it easier to see. Polarized lenses work especially well on the water. They reduce the glare from the reflections. Outdoor Master makes really good low cost optics including sunglasses. We wear them all the time when we’re on the water or snow.

After fish, the next most common thing in every lake is Sunglasses that were dropped in the water. Floating glass straps will keep you from losing your sunglasses to the deep.

• Redfin Polarized Hatteras Sunglasses – Polarized Sunglasses with Zeiss lenses and Italian made frames. Great for any water activity. See our review.
• Outdoor Master Hawk Sport Sunglasses – Sport sunglasses available in polarized, color optimized and photochromic versions. Good comfortable fit and field of view. See our review
• Floating Sunglass Strap – Keep your sunglasses from ending up at the bottom of the lake.

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