First and foremost we always recommend you wear a Personal Floatation Device (PFD). Second to this, tell someone where you’re planning to SUP and take a phone in a waterproof bag. You never know how the session will turn out – be prepared.
It’s a personal choice of what to wear but this will give you an idea:
Spring: full length wetsuits are best even on sunny days as the water hasn’t warmed up yet. If you feel the cold – you could invest in some wetsuit gloves.
Summer: a shortie wetsuit is ideal, but plenty of us paddle in summer wearing a full length wetsuit. If the sun is out then you could just wear board-shorts and a non-cotton tshirt.
Autumn: The weather varies so much and the water is warm in Autumn. We would recommend a full length wetsuit.
Winter: Don’t let the cold stop you getting out on the water. You’ll need to wear a full winter suit of at least 5mm, probably wetsuit boots and gloves and also consider a wetsuit balaclava – especially if your SUP session is on the beach to avoid any ice-cream headaches!
On your feet: Stand up Paddle Boarding is easier bare feet, however many people opt to wear wetsuit shoes or old trainers, particularly for launching off rocky shores.
