What to Wear Stand Up Paddle Boarding: Winter Edition
Plan on paddle boarding throughout the winter but not sure what to wear?
Let’s kick off by stating that stand up paddle boarding is essentially a ‘dry’ water sport. We don’t necessarily plan on being in the water, but it’s always good to prepare for it. Especially in winter when the water temperature can be so cold that it can induce cold water shock. Any water below 15°C degrees can be dangerous, no matter how experienced you are.
To learn more about the dangers of cold water, head to the RNLI website.
Winter paddling with the Paddle Up Club.
In this blog, I'm going to guide you through some of my favourite winter SUP essentials. All the items mentioned in this blog have been tried, tested, and bought by either myself, or a member of our stand up paddle boarding club. No sneaky ads hidden here.
Our SUP (stand up paddle boarding) club has a shopping WhatsApp group where we enjoy comparing and reviewing SUP kit, and I thought it would be great to share some of our favourite items with you.
I'll just mention that primarily we are inland flat water paddle boarders, so the kit will reflect this. So let's get started.
Shoes / Booties
During the British summer I am partial to a bare foot paddle. But as soon as it hits October/November the first thing to come out are booties, because who likes having cold feet?
When looking for booties, I'd recommend neoprene boots which will help keep your feet warm even if you get them wet. Remember, the thicker the neoprene, the toastier your toes will be. Remember to take into account that If you’re wearing a drysuit or dry trousers with feet, you might find that you need to go up a size or two when buying your winter footwear. And remember, you won’t be able to wear split toe shoes on top of your drysuit.
Some of our faves:
Dawn Patrol 5mm Round Toe Boots. - “My Dawn Patrol boots are very flexi, perfect as I don’t like wearing foot wear paddling.”
GUL All Purpose 5mm Lace Up Boots - These are sailing boots but have proven to work wonders for SUP in the winter
Mystic Marshall 5mm Split Toe Boots - Good if you are SUP surfing as they are supposed to have better grip when moving around on your board
There’s also some great water/aqua trainers to choose from also. I recently picked up a cheap pair of the Gul Aqua Grip Shoe in a size up to wear with my drysuit, and a pair of the Aqua Grip Hydro Shoe for Autumn. These are both pretty cheap options, but there are some more luxurious options out there such as Red x Clarks, Musto, ASTRAL BREWER and many many more. Just search online for aqua trainers.
Socks
While we’re on the subject of feet, I’m going to mention neoprene socks.
We are all obsessed with Sealskinz socks, and no they’re not made from real Seal skin. They feel like a normal stretchy sock but are actually made with a three-layer construction that combines a 100% waterproof hydrophilic membrane between a premium Merino wool interior, and a nylon exterior.
These are a total game changer and 100% worth the investment.
Neoprene gloves
Neoprene gloves for me personally, are an absolute must during the winter months. I have horrendous Raynaud's in my fingers and toes, so keeping them warm is high up on my agenda.
A popular pair of gloves within our club are the Palm Talon mitts, made from 3 mm neoprene, with a GlideSkin cuff seal and grippy palm print.
I went for theMystic Star 3mm 5 Finger Gloves mainly because they were on offer. A lot of neoprene finger gloves are made with surfing in mind, but the extra layer on the palms of these gloves provides a strong grip for holding a paddle.
Changing robe
Changing robes are designed to be oversized so that you have plenty of room to change inside. Whether you’re a swimmer, surfer or paddle boarder, there's nothing better than drying off and warming up in your robe after you’ve been on the water.
The main features to look for are an absorbent material on the inside, and wind and waterproof on the outside. There’s tons of different brands so it can be tricky to know which to go for. Here’s some robes recommended by our paddle boarding club:
Dryrobe is the OG which is what the majority of our paddle boarding club have, including myself. The overall reason I chose Dryrobe was because they’re waterproof as opposed to water resistant. The long sleeved robe costs £160.
Other robes we love include:
Red £144
Primark £45
Nordic robe £140
Aldi’s Crane Blue Sherpa Changing Robe
One robe that didn’t pass the test was the Wave Waterproof Changing Robe from Mountain Warehouse, coming in at £159. “Disappointing, inside not particularly warm or absorbing”.
There’s tons more brands we’ve not tried, so if you’ve got something different and you swear by it, please get in touch to let us know.
Thermal leggings
Thermal leggings are great to wear underneath your drysuit or dry trousers. Tesco’s active range, have some for £17.50.
These are not neoprene and If you were to fall in cold water whilst wearing these only, they won’t keep you warm or dry.
Tops
Keeping your core warm is vital. So layer up and stay ahead of the forecast! As winter approaches, you probably want to ditch the rash vest and look for something to provide more warmth.
We love the Aqua Fleece from Rooster Sailing. Personally we’d opt for the PRO LITE AQUAFLEECE TOP as opposed to the Classic, as it features the Adjustable neoprene waist and wrist seals. Men’s options also available, Pro Light option here. Other brands do make aqua tops such as Gill, but I have not tried this one.
It might also be worth looking at neoprene jackets. I have a really old Gul one similar to this, but there are loads of other brands out there such as Prolimit, Gill and Mystic.
We like a good base layer as you can layer up with these. The Palm Arun long sleeve is a firm favourite. Very soft material, designed to keep your core warm and dry by moving moisture away from you. Can be worn on its own or under a cag or aqua fleece.
Top Tip: Whatever top you go for, you want it to have tight adjustable waist, neck, and wrist cuffs to prevent water ingress.
Drysuit vs Wetsuit
What's the difference between a drysuit and wetsuit?
A drysuit is designed to keep you completely dry
A wetsuit is designed to keep you warm when wet
Paddle boarding in a wetsuit can be tough, as neoprene can be as thick as 5 mm which can restrict your movements. If you’re not spending time in the water, it’s common to overheat in a wetsuit.
Myself and a club member wearing our two-piece drysuits.
Drysuit
If you have the budget we’d always recommend investing in a full drysuit. You can opt for a one-piece or a two-piece suit. A one-piece is more expensive but guaranteed to keep water out.
Drysuit pros
Keeps water out
Protect you from wind and spray
More comfortable than a wetsuit
You can wear the dry layers you want underneath
More convenient (have you tried putting on a wetsuit before?)
Drysuit cons
The hefty price tag
Possible chance of seepage in a two-piece especially
Can be inconvenient if you need to go spend a penny
Our faves are:
Paddling jacket
Also known as a cag which is essentially a raincoat with seals. They’re great for winter paddling and most of our club own a Palm one.
I have the Palm Mistral Jacket with latex wrist seals, and a twin waist to reduce the risk of water seeping in. I team this up with dry pants or neoprene leggings.
I chose a jacket with a collar which opens wide as it’s nice not to have anything too restricting around my neck. However it goes without saying that a neoprene neck gasket would better prevent the ingress of cold water if I fell in.
The Mistral jacket is a mid range jacket by Palm made from 100% nylon and is waterproof. There are some cheaper jackets but these tend not to have the twin waist seals, so even less protection.
More great jackets here.
Dry pants
Some of our faves:
I chose the Palm Zenith Pants without feet as opposed to the Palm Atom Pants with feet as I wanted to comfortably wear my thick Sealskinz socks and booties, and I thought it may be tricky to do so on top of the double taped socks which are built into the Atom Pants.
I also wanted to have the option of going barefoot, therefore felt the neoprene ankle gaskets on the Zenith Pants would be better for all year round use. Plus they’re a little cheaper.
Dry trousers are a little pricey but a good investment if you’re committed to winter paddling. Lots of our club members have either the Atom or Zenith pants, and everyone loves them. Both pants have a twin waist seal.
Neoprene leggings
Lastly, let's take a look at neoprene leggings, a great alternative to dry pants and probably more usable all year round.
Neoprene leggings provide some protection from the cold, even if wet. And similar to the advantages of a two-piece drysuit, the beauty of leggings is the freedom of movement. Pair these with your cag or rash depending on the weather and temperature.
Some of our club members have the Two Bare Feet neoprene leggings, and tend to wear them most during spring and autumn.
To conclude
There are many factors to weigh up when choosing what to wear for winter paddling. For example;
What sort of paddling am I doing today?
Am I paddling with others or alone?
How do I react when I normally fall in?
How experienced am I?
Can I self rescue?
Have I any experience in cold water?
Do I have the correct safety equipment?
What training have I had?
I paddled twice this week and even though the water temperature was exactly the same on both occasions, I wore two totally different outfits.
Paddle no.1 was a timed paddle where I was working on my personal best. This was an organised event with marshals, safety precautions and risk assessment put in place. I knew I was going to get hot, so I chose to wear normal Sweaty Betty leggings with a tank top and Joshua’s Rooster Sailing Aqua fleece (which is super comfortable by the way).
Paddle no.2 was a gentle paddle with other club members. For this paddle I chose to wear my dry trousers and cag. I also wore my neoprene gloves. I knew I wasn’t going to get as hot, and if I was to fall in, I'd have to paddle back to the car park in order to change. My feet are always freezing so on both paddles I wore socks and boots.
My point is that the situation had a huge part to play in my decision. If you are at all unsure of what to wear, it’s best to always be over cautious. And remember, if in doubt, don’t go out.
I hope you’ve found this blog insightful. If there’s any questions on your mind then please do drop me a message to info@paddleup.co.uk
Thanks for reading 🙂
