What to wear when stand up paddling

What do I wear when I go and paddle? A question often asked when stand up paddling. This short guide will shine some light on this matter.

A wetsuit vs normal clothes

Let’s start by stating that there is no standard SUP outfit. Stand up paddling is easy and falling in the water happens very rarely. Beginners generally learn it under 10 minutes and stand stable on their board. More experienced paddlers can confirm this. Consequently, this also means that a wetsuit is not necessary.

Wear whatever makes you feel comfortable is the bottom-line here. Stand Up Paddling is an activity that demands you to be active, so if that’s your sport-outfit that you also wear during your CrossFit sessions; please do so! Or if you want to show everyone on the water that you support you local football-club; just wear that club jersey! If you like to wear swim shorts on a hot day; just do it.

 Quick dry SUP clothes

Generally spoken, the thing that you are after is having some sort of quick-dry function. Splashes and drops of water will disappear quickly, no matter if it’s sweat or from the water beneath you 😉 Take a look Jobe’s quick-dry SUP sportswear here. 

That is also why jeans are not the best idea to wear while stand up paddling; even though you don’t fall in the water, they are not the most comfortable and flexible clothes around. Besides that, when you splash your paddle in the water and water drops will get on your jeans, jeans do not dry very quickly. Solution: we do have quick-dry SUP sportswear with a denim print!

Temperature X SUP clothes

Obviously, another determinant is to check is the temperature. For this the best cue to remember is that it  It most probably isn’t the best decision to go out in a tanktop plus swimshorts when the temperature is around zero degrees. So check the weather forecast before you start paddling!

Our advice: wetsuits (or as we call it: SUP-fashion) would be more suited when the temperature is below 10 degrees. The neoprene keeps you warm and safe, even if you decide to take a dive in the cold water.

My feet

Your feet are generally the one and only part of your body that do get wet. It’s almost impossible to prevent water coming on your board. Therefore, in the winter and/or with low temperatures, always try to wear neoprene socks. In spring/summer: bear feet are a good choice. We also offer special SUP shoes to look on point and wear on your SUP.

Sun lotion

On sunny days make sure to protect yourself with sun protection. Suscreen protects you from the UV light and prevents you to get sunburned. Getting on the water means being exposed to more UV light than on the land so never forget to bring it!

Conclusion

Go with whatever float’s your boat!... Err, board we mean. Enjoy!