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Paddle Boarding Weekend Packing List: Day Trip and Overnight Checklist

Paddle Boarding Weekend Packing List: Day Trip and Overnight Checklist

Quick answer: For a day out, pack your board kit (board, paddle, pump, fin, correct leash), safety kit (buoyancy aid, phone in a waterproof pouch worn on you, whistle), clothing for the water temperature plus a warm windproof layer, a dry bag with food, water, sun protection, a repair kit and first aid. For an overnight trip, add camping kit, a head torch or light, straps to secure the load, and check that your total weight stays within your board’s capacity.

Use this as a tick-list before you leave the house. It is split into four parts: board kit, safety kit, the day bag, and extra kit for overnight or camping trips. Everything that is a safety or legal point links to the official or expert source behind it.

Before you pack: check the plan

  • Check the forecast and tide times. The RNLI says check both before setting out and warns conditions can change quickly: “If in doubt don’t go out.”
  • Check the wind direction and avoid offshore winds, which the RNLI says can quickly blow you out to sea.
  • AdventureSmartUK suggests checking wind strength and direction again when you arrive, and notes river levels can rise and fall.
  • Tell someone where you are going and when you will be back.
  • If paddling inland in England or Wales, check whether you need a waterways licence. Go Paddling explains which waters need one.

Checklist 1: Board kit

  • Board (and board bag for inflatables)
  • Paddle, adjusted to length (REI: T-grip in the bend of your wrist with your arm raised)
  • Pump, and the gauge reading you are aiming for
  • Fin (and fin screw or clip if removable)
  • Leash suited to where you are paddling: coiled for general use, straight for surf, quick-release waist belt on rivers and tidal water (Go Paddling)
  • Roof rack straps or a trolley, if needed

Checklist 2: Safety kit

  • Buoyancy aid, life jacket or PFD, correctly sized (see our essentials guide for country rules)
  • Phone, charged, in a waterproof pouch worn on your body, not in a bag strapped to the board (RNLI)
  • Whistle, ideally clipped to your buoyancy aid
  • Light if there is any chance of paddling after sunset (required in the USA and Canada in those conditions)
  • In Canada, if you are not wearing a lifejacket, the extra carry items Transport Canada lists for paddleboards, including a 15 m buoyant heaving line (Transport Canada Safe Boating Guide)
  • Knife or line cutter if you use one, and know how to use it

Checklist 3: Day bag (dry bag)

REI recommends a dry bag clipped to a D-ring or the bungees for keys, phone backup, repair kit and extra layers, plus a small first aid kit.

  • Drinking water
  • Snacks or lunch
  • Sunscreen, cap and sunglasses (the RNLI beginner guide lists sunscreen and a cap)
  • Warm layer and windproof jacket (AdventureSmartUK suggests insulating layers under a windproof)
  • Spare dry clothes for afterwards (the RNLI reminds you to pack spare clothes)
  • Repair kit: patches, glue, spare valve cap or tool, spare bungee (REI)
  • Small first aid kit
  • Car keys in a secure pocket or the dry bag
  • Small towel

Clothing: dress for the water

  • Cool water or cool weather: wetsuit or drysuit. The RNLI warns that even in summer the water is often cold enough to cause cold water shock.
  • Warm conditions: swimsuit, board shorts and a rash vest (rash guard in the US) for sun, according to REI, with warm layers in the dry bag.
  • Footwear you can paddle and wade in.

Checklist 4: Overnight and camping extras

SUP camping works best on a board designed for it. REI says touring boards (usually 12 ft 6 in and longer) suit touring and camping, and recommends a wider board for long trips with lots of cargo.

Loading the board

  • Webbing straps: REI suggests criss-crossing straps through the D-rings on long trips, as bungees alone are not the most secure if you tip over.
  • Spread the weight evenly for a smoother paddle (REI).
  • Add up everything: REI stresses the weight capacity must cover you plus gear, food and water.
  • Keep the standing area clear.

Camp kit

  • Tent or bivvy, sleeping bag and mat, all in dry bags
  • Stove, fuel, lighter and a pan
  • Food for each meal plus spare
  • Water, or a filter if you know there is a safe source
  • Head torch and spare batteries
  • Warm sleeping layers kept dry
  • Toilet kit and rubbish bags to carry everything out
  • Power bank for your phone
  • Permission or a booking for where you plan to camp

Bringing kids or a dog?

REI’s buying guide has three tips worth adding to your list if someone small is coming along:

  • Check the board’s weight limit can handle the extra body plus all your gear. If you are already near the limit, paddling becomes much harder.
  • Pack a correctly sized buoyancy aid for them. REI says to keep kids and dogs in PFDs, as slips and tumbles happen.
  • Practise on shore and in shallow water first, then build up with short trips out and back. For dogs, REI suggests rewarding a calm sit or lie-down on the beached board, so pack treats.

Pack extra snacks, water and a spare warm layer for children.

After the trip

  • Rinse the board, fin, leash, paddle and buoyancy aid in fresh water, especially after the sea. Paddling Magazine explains salt water is corrosive.
  • Dry everything before rolling or storing. See our care guide.
  • Check, clean, dry your kit before moving to a different river or lake, to avoid spreading invasive species. Both Go Paddling and Citizens Information Ireland mention this.

Printable one-line version

Board, paddle, pump, fin, correct leash, buoyancy aid, phone in pouch on you, whistle, light, wetsuit or layers, windproof, water, food, sun protection, repair kit, first aid, spare clothes, dry bag, keys. Overnight: tent, sleeping kit, stove, food, head torch, straps, power bank.

Sources