A Coast Guard-approved PFD, a whistle, and a white light after sunset are the paddleboard accessories the law requires on a SUP. The rest are gear I have tested, from an electric pump that filled three boards on one charge to a $350 dry bag that holds my camera gear when the board flips.
There are a lot of cheap, poorly made goods on the market, so my picks lean toward higher quality, and each one comes with where to buy it.
SUP California, the paddle shop in Folsom next to Lake Natoma, stocks several of these products, and its links sit beside the Amazon ones. Jaime Johnson, who owns it, is a friend. Her shop has sponsored my race entries and provided gear, and I earn a commission on purchases made through links to her store.
✦ Key Takeaways
- Required gear comes first. Outside designated swimming, surfing, and bathing areas, the Coast Guard treats a paddleboard as a vessel, so you need one wearable Coast Guard-approved PFD aboard per person, a whistle, and a white light after sunset. Only paddlers under 13 have to wear it.
- Wear a coiled leash on flatwater and a quick-release belt leash on moving river water, where a straight leash is an entrapment risk.
- Patch an inflatable with Tear-Aid Type B. Nearly every iSUP is PVC drop-stitch; Type A is for hard boards, fiberglass, nylon, and Hypalon.
- An electric pump saves the most time. My OutdoorMaster Cachalot 2S filled three boards to 12 to 14 PSI on one charge, and its successor, the Shark 3, carries a 74 Wh battery.
- Electronics need IP67 or better. IP65 covers water jets only, with no immersion rating.
- Colored lights are decoration. 33 CFR 83.20(b) prohibits lights that can be mistaken for navigation lights, so red and green rope lights belong in daylight.
- SUP California in Folsom stocks PFDs, coiled leashes, rail savers, pump parts, and a dog life vest, linked beside the Amazon picks.
Quick Picks: What to Buy and Where
| Accessory | What It Does | Where to Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Coast Guard-approved PFD | Required aboard for every person | SUP California |
| Coiled leash | Keeps the board within reach on flatwater | SUP California |
| D-rings and HH-66 cement | More tie-down points | Amazon |
| Bungee rigging kit | Strapping gear to the deck | Amazon · SUP California |
| Locking carabiners | Clipping gear without snag risk | Amazon |
| Patch kit | Leaks and dings | Amazon · SUP California |
| Rail savers | Protecting a hard board’s edges | Amazon · SUP California |
| Electric pump | Hands-off inflation to 20 PSI | Amazon · SUP California (hose) |
| Cleaner and UV protectant | Washing off grime and sunscreen, UV protection for vinyl | Amazon (303) · Amazon (Star brite) |
| Anchor kit | Holding position in still water | Amazon |
| Blunt-tip rescue knife | Cutting a fouled anchor line | Amazon |
| Quick dry towel | Drying hands, phone and gear | Amazon · SUP California |
| Dry bag | Keys, phone, camera | Amazon (YETI) · Amazon (MARCHWAY) · SUP California |
| Paddle seat | Sitting while paddling | Amazon |
| Dog pad and dog vest | Paddling with a dog | Amazon · SUP California |
| GloFin lighted fin | Bright white light under the board | Esca Surf |
| LED rope lights | Daytime color and group visibility | Amazon |
| Gaffer tape | Holding accessories in place | Amazon |
What You Are Legally Required to Carry
PFD, Whistle, Light, and Leash
Outside a designated surfing, swimming, or bathing area, the Coast Guard treats a paddleboard as a vessel. That means one wearable Coast Guard-approved PFD aboard for every person under 33 CFR 175.15, and anyone under 13 has to be wearing theirs while under way. The exemptions in 33 CFR 175.17 cover racing shells and sailboards only. You also need a sound-producing device, which in practice means a whistle on your PFD, and a white light after sunset. California adds nothing on top of this.
Adults only have to carry it. California State Parks rangers check that it is aboard, and they have asked me to show mine often enough that it never stays in the car. A belt pack satisfies them as well as a vest does.
Under Coast Guard limits, inflatable belt packs are not for anyone under 16 or for non-swimmers. Some inflatables are also labeled as approved only when worn, so read the label before counting one as the board’s PFD.
No federal or California statewide law requires a leash. Wear one on flatwater, because wind or current can carry a board away from a swimmer, and use a coiled leash over a straight ankle leash. In moving river water, a straight leash is an entrapment risk and a quick-release belt leash is the safer choice.
SUP California carries Mustang Survival belt-pack PFDs from $99.99 and coiled leashes from Red Paddle Co, Badfish, and Level Six at $39 to $40.
Rigging and Repair
Tie-down points, a patch kit, and edge protection.
D-Rings
Extra D-rings add tie-down points to a board that came with too few. Many come with 3M adhesive stickers, which work in most situations, and HH-66 vinyl cement makes a more permanent mount.
With either adhesive, D-rings last when the paddleboard is prepped and cleaned with care first. On an inflatable, make note of where you fold it before placing additional D-rings, and attach them 24 hours before using the SUP.
Bungee Cord Rigging Kit
A bungee kit adds quick strap-down points to the front or back of a paddleboard, or replaces a worn-out cord. The kit linked here is a glue-on D-ring set that ships with bungee cord and cord hooks, so it fixes to the board the same way the D-rings do.
For a board with SeaMount plugs, such as a Pau Hana, SUP California stocks the Pau Hana D-ring and bungee kit ($29.99), which threads into the plugs.
Aluminum Locking D Carabiners
Get the kind of carabiner that locks, whether that is an auto lock or twist lock. Locking is a boating safety standard, because a non-locking carabiner can attach itself to something underwater, your PFD, or other hazards, which increases the risk of drowning or of ripping gear.
I settled on the Black Diamond RockLock Screwgate, a climbing and belay carabiner with 24 kN of closed-gate strength, a 25 mm gate opening, and a weight of 85 grams. That is fine for lashing gear, and a rescue-rated connector is a different category. Aluminum is less prone to breaking down from water contact, and the D shape offers the most flexibility for paddleboard uses. Black Diamond is based out of Salt Lake City, Utah, and this carabiner is made in Taiwan.
Patch Kit
Keep a patch kit on hand with an inflatable stand-up paddleboard in case of small leaks. Many water or sporting goods stores carry the Tear-Aid brand.
Use Type B for vinyl and vinyl coated paddleboards. The overwhelming majority of inflatable SUPs are PVC drop-stitch, so Type B is the default for an iSUP. Vinyl carries oils that most adhesives absorb, which turns a Type A patch gummy.
Use Type A for nearly every other material type, meaning hard boards, fiberglass, nylon, and Hypalon rafts. Check the box before you buy, because the two kits look nearly identical on the shelf, and double-check your owner’s manual for the manufacturer’s patching recommendations.
For a ding on a hard board, SUP California sells Puka Patch repair tape at $6.95, or $12.95 for the XL.
Rail Savers
Rail savers are a clear bra for the edges of a paddleboard, and they make sense on a board that cost over a thousand dollars. With the tape on, you can rest the SUP on its side or bump into rocks without damaging the edges.
Watch the video on the Amazon order page before installing it, because it shows how to apply the tape properly. This one is sold by the Santa Barbara Surfing Store, based out of California.
SUP California has the Puka Patch Railsaver PRO ($49): two 7-foot strips with an application squeegee and a ding repair patch.
Inflation and Board Care
Electric Pump
I tried the Nixy Ventus and the OutdoorMaster Shark II, two electric pumps that get a lot of mentions in SUP communities, and found them similar in build quality, features, and price. I went with a third option, the OutdoorMaster Cachalot 2S.
The battery pumped up 3 SUPs to 12-14 PSI on a single charge, which I tested repeatedly. It is quicker than many others, which I know because I’ve secretly raced other paddlers in the Lake Natoma parking lot. These pumps display the current PSI and shut off at whatever PSI you set, which leaves time to put on sunscreen and get the rest of your gear ready. The PSI readout also helps when you’re evaluating a leak.
OutdoorMaster has discontinued the Cachalot 2S, and its current rechargeable equivalent is the Shark 3. It carries a 74 Wh battery against the Cachalot’s 57.72 Wh, inflates a 10’6″ board to 15 PSI in about three minutes fifty, and charges over USB-C at 45 W as well as from a 12V car socket. The Cachalot ran off its battery, and its USB port only charged a phone. I have not run the Shark 3 for a season.
The Nixy Ventus and the OutdoorMaster Shark 2S, the direct successor to the Shark II with a larger 88.8 Wh battery, cost a bit less. Each supports auto shut off, dual stages, and up to 20 PSI, and can pump up multiple paddleboards back to back without overheating. The Nixy Ventus mentions supporting a battery pack, but you can use any portable battery pack that includes a 12V DC car plug.
Pump Pro Tip: The intake is often on the bottom and can suck up debris and dirt and fail faster over time. Set it on your SUP or on cardboard to help protect the intake fan. I compare five pumps head to head in my paddle board pump guide.
SUP California sells OutdoorMaster’s replacement hose with seven nozzles ($29.99), which fits the Shark II, 2S, and 3 and the Cachalot 2 and 2S.
Cleaner and UV Protectant
303 Aerospace Protectant adds UV protection to vinyl and plastic, and it is the go-to for many high-end products, from cars to boats to outdoor furniture. On a paddleboard that cost hundreds of dollars, it helps preserve the board’s condition and looks.
I like to get a large multipack of cheap microfiber cloths just for the paddleboard, because they get dirty fast. 303 has multiple product lines for different materials, so check labels and match the product to the surface.
303 Quick Wax goes on the underside of the board, where it helps the paddleboard glide through the water and drag over beach sand and rocks more easily.
Star brite Ultimate Paddlesports Cleaner & Protectant is the spray I use most after a day on a lake with less than ideal water, or whenever the board needs a refresh. Spray it on, wipe it off, and the grime and sunscreen residue come off the deck with it. It leaves a polymer layer of UV protection behind, and Star brite rates it for inflatables as well as fiberglass, Kevlar, and rotomolded plastic. The 22-ounce bottle runs about $14.
On the Water
Anchor
An anchor keeps the board stationary. The rig takes an anchor, releasable cable ties, rope, and a blunt-tip rescue knife.
A light cable tie in an anchor rig is a deliberate weak link: if the anchor jams in rocks, the tie gives before the board does and you get your board back. The releasable ties linked here take the other approach, letting you undo the rig on the water by hand, which I have come to prefer.
A fixed line to the bottom in moving water can pull a board under. It is a recognized entrapment and capsize hazard. Anchor in still water. Never cleat the line somewhere you cannot reach from the water. Carry the knife where you can get it one-handed while swimming, which means on your PFD. A blunt-tip marine rescue knife in a sheath, like the NRS Pilot, is the right tool here; it weighs 3.65 ounces and has a smooth and a serrated edge. A pocket folder with a clip point is hard to open with cold wet hands.
Quick Dry Towels
I keep both a small and a large quick dry towel folded up in my dry bag at all times, for drying off a phone, wiping my hands, or getting water off gear. Pick out something with a pattern you like, and look for ones that mention being sand free.
SUP California carries the Red Paddle Co Quickdry Adventure Towel ($25), a sueded microfiber towel with an antibacterial treatment.
Premium Dry Bag: YETI Panga 50L
The YETI Panga 50L holds my camera gear when the paddleboard flips. YETI tests it to IPX7, submersion to one meter for 30 minutes, and because it closes with a zipper, surviving a dunking does not depend on having rolled a seal properly. The zipper also makes it one of the easier dry bags to open and close, and zipper lube is worth adding.
It is the toughest zip-closure duffel in this class, with material that resists punctures and getting banged up against rocks. It carries as a backpack or duffle and straps easily to the board. At $350 list and around $325 on Amazon, it is one of the more expensive options. YETI is based out of Texas, and this model is made in China.
Budget Dry Bag
For a basic bag to keep your stuff dry, a roll-top dry sack does the job for a fraction of the Panga’s price. The MARCHWAY floating roll-top comes in 5 through 40 liter sizes, enough to cover a phone or a change of clothes for two.
A roll-top closes by folding the opening over itself several times and buckling it down, a single seal that handles splash and a brief dunking. No roll-top dry sack I have found publishes an IP rating, so anything that cannot get wet goes in the Panga. Most roll-tops give you a D-ring on the closure buckle and little else, so plan on running a bungee over the bag.
SUP California’s 30L Dry Bag Cooler ($79.99) doubles as a dry bag. It holds 24 cans with ice and carries over the shoulder or as a backpack.
Aero SUP Paddle Seat
The Aero SUP Paddle Seat is an inflatable seat that attaches to the board’s D-rings, with soft foam padding and an adjustable reclining angle. It still leaves room for a kid, dog, or another adult on board.
Paddling With a Dog
Dog Board Pad and Dog Life Vest
The pad linked here is a Drydiet traction pad, 20.87 by 12.6 inches of non-slip EVA, which gives a dog its own spot on the board. It is reasonably priced and easily replaceable, which may be warranted because a dog jumping on and off scratches the pad with its toenails.
For the dog itself, SUP California carries the Underdog life vest ($59.95), which has a top handle for lifting a dog out of the water and a leash attachment.
Fishing and Drink Mounts
RAM Rod Holder and Cup Holder
Boards with SeaMount base plates, which Pau Hana fits, take RAM mounts. SUP California stocks the RAM Tube Jr. Revolution rod holder ($29.99), which rotates 360 degrees and threads into a 1.5-inch RAM Tough-Ball, and a self-leveling RAM cup holder ($29.99) on a 1-inch socket arm. Both need the SeaMount plates.
Night Paddling and Style
A paddleboard can light up at night or carry some tropical flair during the day. The paddleboard pictured above was decorated and set up by Stephanie St.Clair Youngblood, a paddleboarder with a keen sense of style on the water in Northern California.
Decorative color is not a navigation light and cannot substitute for one. Under 33 CFR 83.25, a paddleboard under way after dark must show an all-round white light or have a white torch ready to shine in time to prevent a collision. 33 CFR 83.20(b) prohibits lights that can be mistaken for the ones the rules specify, and a red or green glow reads to an approaching boater as your sidelights, telling them a heading you are not on. Carry a white light. Save the colors for daylight and for keeping track of your group.
For anything requiring electricity, aim for at least an IP67 rating. Under IEC 60529, a second digit of 7 means the thing survives being submerged a meter deep for half an hour, which is the accident you are protecting against when a board flips. An 8 is rated for continuous immersion past a meter. A 5 covers jets of water only, with no immersion rating, so an IP65 accessory strapped to a board that tips will fail sooner or later. Check the battery compartment’s rating separately from the light’s; manufacturers often rate the two differently and quote whichever number is higher.
GloFin
The GloFin is a lighted fin that attaches to your paddleboard, the only product of its kind on the market, and it costs $199.95. It fits screw-in, slide-in, and snap-in fin boxes, and all three fitments are free variants you pick at checkout.
- 3,200 lumens in brilliant white
- 85 minutes at max brightness
- Lithium ion rechargeable battery
- USB-C charging port
- Waterproof to 100 meters, drop proof, aluminum body construction
Esca Surf, based out of Florida, makes the GloFin, with all products assembled and made in the USA. Esca sells it direct.
Battery Powered LED Rope Lights
The rope is 33 feet long with 16 colors, which is enough to light up an entire paddleboard. The battery case is IP68, but the rope itself is IP65, meaning splash and spray with no immersion rating. Treat them as decoration for a calm evening on flat water, keep the battery case out of the bilge, and expect to replace them if the board goes over.
Gaffer Tape
Gaffer tape adds extra adhesion to paddleboard accessories that might otherwise fall off. It comes in white, black, or a color to match your SUP, and the rolls pictured are neon and UV reactive.
What have you found that works well on your paddleboard? Leave a comment and let me know.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Start with what the law requires: a wearable Coast Guard-approved PFD for each person, a whistle, and a white light if you paddle after sunset. A coiled leash, a pump that reaches your board’s pressure, and a patch kit cover most days after that. A dry bag, a towel, and extra D-rings come next.
Outside a designated swimming, surfing, or bathing area, a paddleboard counts as a vessel, so one wearable Coast Guard-approved PFD must be aboard for each person under 33 CFR 175.15. Anyone under 13 has to wear theirs while under way. Adults only have to carry it aboard, and California State Parks rangers check that they do. Inflatable belt packs are not for anyone under 16.
No federal or California statewide law requires a leash. A coiled leash keeps the board within reach on flatwater. On moving river water, use a quick-release belt leash, because a straight leash can snag and pin a paddler.
Tear-Aid Type B, which is made for vinyl and vinyl-coated material, and nearly every inflatable SUP is PVC drop-stitch. Type A is for hard boards, fiberglass, nylon, and Hypalon. Check the owner’s manual before you patch.
Glue them on with HH-66 vinyl cement for a permanent mount, or use D-rings with 3M adhesive for lighter loads. Clean and prep the surface first, keep them clear of the fold lines, and let them cure for 24 hours before paddling.
The OutdoorMaster Shark 3 and Shark 2S and the Nixy Ventus reach 20 PSI and shut off automatically at the pressure you set. My OutdoorMaster Cachalot 2S filled three boards to 12 to 14 PSI on one charge. Check your board’s recommended pressure before setting the pump.
An all-round white light, or a white torch ready to show in time to prevent a collision, under 33 CFR 83.25. Red and green decorative lights can be mistaken for navigation lights, which 33 CFR 83.20(b) prohibits.
IP67 or higher. IP67 survives submersion to one meter for 30 minutes, and IP68 is rated for continuous immersion past a meter. IP65 covers water jets only.
In still water, with a knife you can reach one-handed on your PFD. A fixed line in moving water can pull a board under, so anchor only in still water and tie off where you can reach the line from the water.
SUP California in Folsom, next to Lake Natoma, stocks PFDs, coiled leashes, pumps and pump parts, rail savers, fins, and dog life vests, and it rents boards for $70 overnight. Jaime Johnson, the owner, is a friend, and I earn a commission on purchases made through my links to her store.
The MK Library Amazon storefront collects these products in its Paddle Board Gear and Accessories list.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some links in this article are affiliate links, including Amazon and SUP California. If you buy through one, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Article Updates
October 10, 2026: Rewrote the introduction and reworked the product descriptions. Edited for clarity. Corrected the Cachalot pump note: it ran off its battery.
October 2, 2026: Rebuilt the page for phones: each product is now a card with side-by-side Amazon and SUP California buttons, and the section headers are compact. Added Key Takeaways, a quick-picks table, a fishing and drink mounts section, and an FAQ. Added SUP California, the Folsom paddle shop, for PFDs, leashes, deck rigging, repair tape, rail savers, the OutdoorMaster pump hose, a towel, a dry bag cooler, a dog life vest, and RAM mounts, with a note near the top on my connection to the shop. Moved the correction notes that sat in the body into this log; each is recorded under August 5, 2026. Replaced the pocket folding knife in the anchor kit with the NRS Pilot, a blunt-tip rescue knife, and added a GloFin link to Esca Surf, which sells it direct. Fixed the towel section, which was showing the 303 protectant chart, and the “Mineral Sunscreen Spay” typo. Added that adults only have to carry a PFD, that State Parks rangers check for one, and the Coast Guard’s under-16 limit on inflatable belt packs. Added Star brite Paddlesports Cleaner to the protectant section, the spray I use to wash grime and sunscreen off the board.
October 1, 2026: The BOTE Aero SUP Paddle Seat is back in stock on Amazon, and the seat link points to it again. The dry bag button now names the MARCHWAY bag it links to.
August 5, 2026: Completed the link audit. Nine of the twenty products linked here had gone unavailable, discontinued, or used-only since publication, including both electric pump recommendations and every towel link. All nine now point to in-stock replacements verified against Amazon’s Product Advertising API on this date: the Cachalot 2S to the OutdoorMaster Shark 3, the Shark II to the Shark 2S, the Seattle Sports bungee kit and dog pad to current equivalents, the BOTE seat to a Freein drop-stitch cushion, the NRS Ether HydroLock to a MARCHWAY roll-top, and both towels plus the gaffer tape to live listings. Replaced four bare Amazon search links with specific products. Corrected the GloFin specifications, every one of which described the previous generation: 1,600 to 3,200 lumens, Micro-USB to USB-C, a plain waterproof claim to the published 100 meter rating, and the runtime figures to 85 minutes at maximum brightness. Removed a claim that the slide-in adapter costs about $50; all three fitments ship as free variants. Corrected the IP rating guidance, which had IP68 described as short-period submersion (that is IP67) and offered IP65 as an acceptable fallback (IP65 carries no immersion protection at all), and disclosed that the recommended rope lights are IP65 on the rope with only the battery case at IP68. Added the navigation-light requirement under 33 CFR 83.25 and the prohibition on lights mistakable for navigation lights under 33 CFR 83.20(b). Added PFD and leash guidance. Strengthened the anchoring warning to name the entrapment hazard and moved the knife from a contingency to required, reachable equipment. Corrected the YETI Panga from “up to a foot” to its tested IPX7 one-meter rating and from $300 to $350 list. Corrected the Cachalot’s charging: its USB port is an output, not a charge-in. Made Type B the explicit default for inflatable boards. Fixed the Black Diamond origin claim and added the carabiner’s 24 kN rating. Explained the low-rated cable tie as a deliberate weak link. Removed a broken legacy table-of-contents shortcode that had been printing as literal text on the page.
August 4, 2026: Added the affiliate disclosure this page should have carried.
July 19, 2024: Added quick dry towels.
July 15, 2024: Edited for clarity.
July 12, 2024: New pump info and added Cachalot 2S.
1. Premium Dry Bag – Yeti
I could not verify this model made in China anywhere for this particular product…Are you sure it’s correct?
“Made by YETI and based out of Texas, United States with this model made in China.”
2. Budget Dry Bag
I could not verify NRS manufactured in Taiwan anywhere for this particular product.
“Made by NRS, and based out of Idaho, United States, manufactured in Taiwan.”
I called both companies to verify where the specific products were made.