What to Wear Paddleboarding in Winter

There’s something rather special about paddleboarding in winter. The waterways are quieter, the scenery takes on a completely different character, and on a crisp, clear morning you can sometimes have an entire stretch of water to yourself. It’s one of our favourite times to get out on the boards, even if the thought of getting changed in a freezing car park isn’t quite so appealing!

But winter paddleboarding does come with a few extra considerations, particularly when it comes to clothing. Staying warm while you’re paddling is one thing, but staying protected if you unexpectedly end up in the water is quite another. Getting your clothing right can make the difference between a wonderful winter outing and one you’d rather forget.

We’ve seen plenty of advice on social media recommending everything from extra fleeces and waterproof jackets to ski clothing as cheaper alternatives to proper paddling gear. While these might keep you perfectly comfortable standing on your board, what happens if you fall in? And perhaps more importantly, how are you going to feel paddling back to shore afterwards, wet and exposed to a cold winter wind?

Having spent much of my life climbing mountains in some fairly challenging weather, I’ve learned the importance of preparing for what might happen, rather than simply what you expect to happen. The same principle applies to paddleboarding. You might have excellent balance and rarely fall off your board, but cold water has a habit of being rather unforgiving when things don’t go to plan.

So, what should you wear paddleboarding in winter? There isn’t one perfect answer for everyone. Wetsuits, drysuits, semi-dry suits and separate paddling tops and trousers all have their place. Much depends on where you’re paddling, the conditions you’re likely to encounter and, of course, what you feel comfortable wearing. In this guide, we’ll explore the different options, explain their advantages and limitations, and share the clothing systems we favour for our own paddling.

Start with the Water, Not the Weather

It’s easy to get caught out by a beautiful winter morning. The sun is shining, there’s hardly a breath of wind, and standing beside the water you could almost convince yourself it’s a lovely day for a paddle. Then you leave the shelter of the trees, the wind picks up, and you’re quickly reminded that it’s still the middle of winter! It’s a familiar experience for anyone who spends time outdoors, and a good reminder that the weather at your launch point doesn’t necessarily reflect the conditions you’ll encounter once you’re on the water.

One of the biggest mistakes when choosing winter paddleboarding clothing is concentrating too much on the air temperature and not enough on the water itself. A surprisingly mild winter’s day doesn’t mean the water will be equally inviting, and the effects of suddenly entering cold water can be serious even for experienced paddlers. Cold-water shock can affect your breathing almost immediately, while prolonged exposure can progressively impair your ability to move and think clearly.

Before deciding what to wear, we always consider where we’re heading and what the conditions might throw at us. A leisurely paddle around a sheltered lake, with plenty of places to get ashore, is very different from a coastal trip where wind, tides and difficult landing places can quickly complicate things. If you fall in, how easily can you climb back onto your board? Are there suitable places to land along your route, and how far might you have to paddle if the weather changes or you become tired?

These are the same sorts of considerations I’ve always made when heading into the mountains. Conditions can change surprisingly quickly, and being properly equipped gives you more options when they do. For us, the aim is to choose clothing that provides sensible protection for the conditions and the risks involved, rather than simply dressing for the weather we hope to encounter. If a paddle starts pushing beyond what our clothing or experience can reasonably cope with, we’d rather change the plan than hope everything works out.

Wetsuit, Drysuit or Separates: What’s Best for Winter Paddleboarding?

Despite what you might read online, there isn’t one clothing system that’s automatically right for every winter paddleboarder. Someone who spends their time SUP surfing and regularly falling into the water will have different requirements from someone enjoying a steady winter tour across a sheltered lake. Comfort, flexibility, warmth and protection during cold-water immersion all need to be considered, along with the sort of paddling you enjoy and how much you’re prepared to invest in your clothing.

We’ve spent quite a bit of time looking at different approaches to winter paddling, and one thing becomes clear fairly quickly, every clothing system involves compromises. A thick wetsuit might be wonderfully warm in the water but less comfortable during a long touring paddle, while a drysuit offers greater flexibility with insulation but comes with its own considerations around fit, seals and cost. The materials used and their ability to block wind are equally important, particularly for paddleboarding.

Unlike kayaking, where you’re seated closer to the water and generally less exposed, standing on a paddleboard leaves your whole body exposed to the elements. Even a relatively light breeze can make a noticeable difference to how warm you feel, especially when you’re wet. Understanding these differences is far more useful than simply being told that one clothing system is better than another.

Can You Wear a Wetsuit for Winter Paddleboarding?

Absolutely, although choosing the right wetsuit makes all the difference. A well-fitting winter wetsuit can provide good thermal protection during cold water activities, particularly when you’re expecting to get wet regularly. It’s certainly not something we’d dismiss simply because the calendar says December, but there’s a world of difference between a proper full winter wetsuit and the lightweight summer suits many of us enjoy wearing during warmer months.

Wetsuits work by trapping a thin layer of water against your body and limiting its circulation, allowing that water to warm while the neoprene provides insulation. Fit is therefore particularly important. Too loose and cold water can continually flush through the suit, too restrictive and paddling becomes uncomfortable, especially around the shoulders. Thickness matters too, although thicker doesn’t automatically mean better for paddleboarding. A heavily insulated wetsuit might be excellent for spending time in cold water, but if you’re struggling to paddle comfortably or overheating during exercise, it isn’t necessarily the ideal solution.

It’s also worth remembering that a wetsuit behaves quite differently when you’re standing on a paddleboard compared with being immersed in the water. Although the neoprene continues to provide insulation, water can drain from the suit and moisture evaporating from its surface can increase heat loss, particularly when you’re exposed to a cold wind. We experienced just how unpleasant this can become a couple of years ago while paddling on Llyn Padarn in Eryri. Kiriaki became increasingly cold as we battled our way back to the car park against a bitter wind, and by the time we reached shore she was visibly shivering and her skin had turned blue from the cold. It was a frightening reminder of how quickly conditions can change and affect you, even when you’re wearing clothing that initially felt perfectly adequate. It’s one of the reasons we now pay particular attention to wind protection and the journey back to shore when choosing what to wear.

For our own spring and autumn paddles, when conditions are suitable, we’ve found that the NRS Mens Ultra John wetsuit and NRS Women’s Ultra Jane wetsuit, combined with neoprene jackets, offer a particularly comfortable balance of warmth and freedom of movement. We like the flexibility around the shoulders, and being able to choose suitable upper layers makes this combination useful across a range of conditions. It’s the sort of practical clothing system that makes sense for the paddling we enjoy, rather than simply choosing the thickest wetsuit available.

If you’re considering this approach, you can explore our paddleboarding wetsuits and neoprene paddle tops and bottoms to see the different styles and levels of coverage available.

As the water gets colder and we head into the depths of winter, however, our preference changes. That’s when we favour a one-piece semi-dry suit with suitable insulating layers underneath, giving us a different balance of comfort and protection for colder conditions.

Why We Prefer a Semi-Dry Suit for Winter Paddleboarding

If you’ve spent any time looking at specialist paddling clothing, you’ll probably have come across drysuits and semi-dry suits. Both are designed around a similar principle where the outer suit provides a waterproof barrier while the clothing underneath supplies the insulation needed to keep you warm. Unlike a wetsuit, where some water enters and is warmed against your body, a properly functioning drysuit is designed to prevent water entering in the first place.

The distinction between a fully drysuit and a semi-dry suit generally comes down to the way the garment seals, although the exact construction varies between manufacturers. Many fully dry paddling suits use latex neck and wrist seals, while semi-dry designs commonly replace the latex neck seal with a softer neoprene alternative. Latex generally provides the more watertight seal, whereas neoprene offers greater comfort and flexibility at the expense of some protection against water entering during immersion.

For us, comfort around the neck makes a considerable difference, particularly when we’re spending several hours standing, paddling and moving around on the board. I’ve never been particularly fond of the feeling of a tight latex neck seal. I appreciate why it’s there, and it certainly serves an important purpose, but when you’re wearing something for an entire outing, comfort matters. A well-designed neoprene neck seal feels like a more appealing compromise for the type of paddleboarding we generally enjoy.

That preference doesn’t mean we’re overlooking the limitations of a semi-dry suit. A close-fitting neoprene neck seal can limit water entering during a brief immersion, but it shouldn’t be treated as providing the same watertight protection as a correctly fitted latex seal. The amount of water that might enter depends on the design, fit and circumstances of the immersion, particularly if you’re spending longer in the water or moving around considerably.

For the sort of winter paddleboarding we generally enjoy, where we’re aiming to remain on the board and expect to be able to remount quickly after an accidental fall, that balance between comfort and protection is attractive. However, there’s an important distinction between falling into cold water and climbing straight back onto your board, and finding yourself unable to remount with a prolonged swim or wait for assistance ahead of you.

We might reasonably expect an accidental dip to be brief, but we can never guarantee it. If we were planning an outing where longer immersion was a realistic possibility, particularly in very cold or exposed conditions, we’d place greater importance on the additional protection offered by a fully drysuit. Even then, appropriate insulation underneath remains essential, and neither type of suit eliminates the immediate effects of cold-water shock.

For anyone considering a semi-dry suit, it’s worth looking carefully at the actual construction rather than relying solely on the description. The NRS Explorer Semi-Dry Suit, for example, uses a neoprene neck seal together with waterproof entry closures, wrist seals and integrated waterproof socks. This gives recreational paddlers many of the practical advantages of a drysuit while offering a less restrictive alternative around the neck. NRS also makes clear that its neoprene seals don’t provide quite the same watertight barrier as latex.

Once your suit arrives, it’s worth checking these movements at home with your intended layers underneath, making sure nothing pulls tightly across your shoulders or restricts your legs. You should also be able to operate the entry zip comfortably. And while it might not be the most exciting feature to discuss, practical considerations such as toilet access become surprisingly important when you’re wearing a suit for several hours! If you’re unsure about sizing or which suit would best suit your paddling, we’re always happy to help you work through the options before ordering.

What About Separate Dry Tops and Trousers?

Separate paddling tops and trousers are another option worth considering, and they certainly have their advantages. One of the biggest benefits is flexibility, allowing you to wear individual garments when conditions don’t require a complete outfit. If one piece becomes damaged or worn out, you can also replace it without buying an entirely new suit, which can make the initial investment more practical over several seasons.

We’ve also used combinations of neoprene wetsuits, thermal layers and separate paddling jackets during the cooler months. While this isn’t quite the same as a complete dry top and trousers system, it shows how different garments can be combined to suit the conditions and your own preferences.

For the sort of winter system we’re discussing, we’d be looking at a semi-dry paddling top with a comfortable neoprene neck seal, combined with compatible dry trousers featuring integrated waterproof socks. This arrangement allows you to wear suitable insulating layers underneath while providing protection from wind, spray and water entering. A good pair of dry trousers can also be particularly useful when launching, keeping your legs dry while you’re standing in shallow water or dealing with spray during a paddle.

It sounds like a very practical arrangement, and for some paddlers it certainly is. However, there are a few things that make us lean towards a one-piece suit instead, particularly when we’re considering the complete outfit for colder winter conditions.

The first is the connection between the top and trousers. Depending on their design, separate garments may rely on overlapping waist systems or specialised seals to help prevent water entering. Some manufacturers offer more sophisticated arrangements than others, but it’s important to understand that a combination of separate garments isn’t automatically equivalent to a continuous one-piece drysuit during immersion. Both pieces need to be compatible, fitted correctly and secured exactly as the manufacturer intends.

There’s also the additional material around your waist to consider. When you’re bending, twisting and moving around on a paddleboard, that extra bulk isn’t something we particularly welcome. We’ve always preferred clothing that allows us to move as naturally as possible, and the simplicity of a one-piece suit is appealing when you’re spending several hours on the water.

Then there’s the argument that separates allow you to remove your top when you become too warm. That’s certainly useful once you’re safely ashore, but we’d be reluctant to remove part of our cold-water protection while still paddling. You can’t predict exactly when you might fall in, so taking your top off halfway through an outing rather defeats the purpose of wearing it in the first place. Similarly, joining the garments correctly isn’t something we’d want to attempt while balancing on a paddleboard. If the conditions call for both pieces, we’d put them on and secure everything properly before launching.

Finally, it’s worth comparing the price of a complete top-and-trouser system against a one-piece suit. By the time you’ve purchased two compatible technical garments, the separate option isn’t necessarily any cheaper, particularly if you’re choosing good-quality equipment designed for colder conditions.

We can certainly see the appeal of separates, especially for experienced paddlers who want greater flexibility from their clothing throughout the year. For our own winter paddling, though, we prefer the simplicity of a one-piece suit. It’s straightforward to wear, removes an additional connection around the waist and gives us one less thing to think about when we’re concentrating on enjoying our time on the water.

What Should You Wear Under a Drysuit or Semi-Dry Suit?

Choosing the outer suit is only part of the equation. A drysuit or semi-dry suit is designed primarily to keep water out, not to provide all the insulation you need, so what you wear underneath is just as important as the suit itself. In fact, getting your insulating layers wrong can leave you feeling cold even when your outer clothing is doing exactly what it’s supposed to.

We’ve learned over the years that getting your layering right can make an enormous difference to how comfortable you feel outdoors. Much of what we know about managing warmth and moisture comes from spending time in the mountains, where conditions can change quickly and a poorly chosen clothing system can make an otherwise enjoyable day rather unpleasant.

There are some useful similarities between mountaineering and paddleboarding clothing, particularly when it comes to base layers and insulation. However, it’s important to remember that wearing warm layers beneath a waterproof paddling suit is very different from wearing those same layers beneath an ordinary waterproof jacket. A conventional jacket might keep the wind and rain off, but it won’t provide equivalent protection if you suddenly find yourself immersed in cold water.

Start with a Good Base Layer

We generally favour comfortable merino wool or synthetic base layers that sit close to the skin without restricting movement. Their job is to help manage moisture while you’re active and provide a comfortable foundation for the insulation worn above. You don’t necessarily need the thickest thermal clothing available, but you do want something that feels comfortable against your skin and continues to perform when you’re working hard enough to build up a sweat.

One lesson we learned many years ago was to avoid cotton for this sort of activity. There’s nothing quite like setting off on a cold morning wearing a cotton shirt, working up a sweat and then discovering just how unpleasant that damp fabric feels when the wind picks up. It’s an experience we’ve had, and one we’re not particularly keen to repeat! Cotton tends to retain moisture and dries slowly, which makes it a poor choice when you’re relying on your clothing to help maintain warmth in challenging conditions.

When it comes to base layers, you also have the choice between separate tops and bottoms or a one-piece thermal suit, sometimes called an undersuit. Both have their advantages. Separates give you more flexibility to mix and match different layers depending on the conditions, whereas a one-piece is more of a put-it-on-and-forget-about-it arrangement. For us, though, a one-piece is definitely our preference beneath a drysuit or semi-dry suit. Paddleboarding involves a surprising amount of bending, reaching and movement around the waist, and we’ve found that separate tops can gradually ride up your back, creating uncomfortable bunching and sometimes leaving a gap between your layers. A one-piece avoids that problem, keeping everything comfortably in place throughout the paddle. It might not offer quite the same flexibility as separates, particularly when you need to adjust your clothing, but for longer sessions we find it much more comfortable. It’s one of those little details you don’t necessarily appreciate until you’ve spent a few hours on the water!

Merino wool and suitable synthetics are much more practical options for managing moisture, although the amount of insulation you need will depend on the water temperature, weather and how strenuous your paddling is likely to be. Just remember that even the best base layer won’t provide adequate cold-water protection on its own, it needs to be part of a complete system suited to the conditions.

Choosing Your Insulating Layers

Over our base layers, we generally prefer fleece or suitable synthetic insulation. These materials offer a useful combination of warmth, flexibility and moisture management, making them practical for wearing beneath a paddling suit. Purpose-designed drysuit undergarments are also worth considering, particularly for colder conditions, as they’re made to provide insulation without unnecessary bulk and often allow plenty of movement.

Don’t forget about your legs, either. It’s easy to concentrate on keeping your upper body warm while overlooking the insulation needed beneath your trousers. When you’re standing on a paddleboard for extended periods, your legs aren’t necessarily generating the same amount of heat as they would during a long walk, so suitable insulation throughout your clothing system is important.

The trick is to build enough warmth into your outfit without making everything so bulky that movement becomes difficult. If you can barely bend your knees or reach forwards comfortably, you’ve probably gone a little too far with the layering! You also need enough room for the insulation to work effectively without being excessively compressed by the outer suit.

There’s a balance to strike between warmth and overheating, too. Paddleboarding can be surprisingly physical, particularly when you’re working against the wind. What feels wonderfully warm when you’re standing beside the water can become rather uncomfortable after half an hour of energetic paddling, whereas a relaxed outing with frequent stops for photographs won’t generate nearly as much body heat.

We therefore try to choose our insulation around the conditions and the sort of paddling we’ve planned, rather than simply piling on as many layers as possible. If we become too warm, we’d rather slow down or find somewhere suitable to land and adjust our clothing safely. Opening a drysuit or removing protective layers while still on the water isn’t a compromise we’d recommend, particularly when the clothing has been chosen to provide protection during an unexpected fall.

Keeping Your Hands, Feet and Head Warm

You can have the best suit in the world, but if your fingers have gone numb and your feet feel like blocks of ice, you’re unlikely to be enjoying yourself. It’s often these smaller details that make the difference between a lovely winter paddle and one where you spend the entire journey dreaming about getting back to the car.

Hands, feet and head protection deserve just as much consideration as the rest of your clothing, especially as they can have a direct effect on your ability to paddle comfortably and respond if something goes wrong. Cold hands that can no longer grip a paddle properly aren’t simply uncomfortable, they can become a genuine safety concern.

Choosing Gloves for Winter Paddleboarding

Gloves can be surprisingly difficult to get right. You need enough insulation to keep your hands comfortable, but you also need to maintain a secure, natural grip on your paddle. Some thicker gloves might look wonderfully warm, but if they’re stiff or force you to grip the paddle harder than usual, they can become tiring to wear over a longer outing.

We’ve always found it useful to try gloves while actually holding a paddle rather than simply putting them on and checking how they feel. Close your fingers around the shaft, move your wrists and see whether the material pulls tight across your hands. It’s also worth checking that you can still operate buckles, zips and any quick-release equipment you might need to use, particularly if you’re wearing gloves with a thicker neoprene construction.

For milder conditions, lightweight neoprene gloves such as the NRS Mens HydroSkin Gloves and the NRS Women’s HydroSkin Gloves can offer a good balance of insulation and flexibility. When temperatures drop further, the 2mm NRS Maverick gloves are a more substantial option, featuring sealed seams and close-fitting wrist cuffs designed to help limit water entering.

You can explore these and other options in our paddleboarding gloves collection, although we’d always encourage choosing gloves around the conditions and how well they fit rather than simply selecting the thickest pair available. Thick neoprene gloves can increase grip fatigue and possible cramping so always bear this in mind.

Ultimately, the best gloves are those that provide enough warmth without compromising your ability to paddle and operate essential equipment. If your fingers become so cold that you’re struggling to grip your paddle or use your equipment properly, it’s time to head ashore rather than trying to tough it out. There’s no prize for finishing a winter paddle with hands you can barely feel!

Keeping Your Feet Warm

Cold feet can be just as unpleasant, particularly when you’re standing still on a paddleboard for long periods. Neoprene wetshoes and boots are useful options, with the right choice depending on the temperature, the suit you’re wearing and the conditions at your launch point.

We particularly like footwear that offers a secure fit and good protection when walking across wet stones, muddy banks or slippery surfaces. After all, there’s not much point keeping your feet beautifully warm if you’re sliding around like Bambi on ice every time you try to launch your board!

The Men’s NRS Paddle Wetshoe is one option we stock, with a higher-cut design, zip fastening and an adjustable securing strap. There’s also a women’s version, offering the same general approach to protection and fit. These boots go everywhere with us and we use them throughout Autumn, Winter and Spring as the temperature drops.

If you’re wearing a drysuit with integrated waterproof socks, things are slightly different. Rather than relying entirely on neoprene footwear for insulation, you can wear suitable thermal socks inside the suit’s waterproof socks, with protective footwear over the top. This helps keep your insulating layers dry, provided the suit and its socks remain watertight, while your outer footwear protects against abrasion and provides grip.

The important consideration here is fit. You don’t want to squeeze thick thermal socks, drysuit socks and your feet into boots that are already too tight, as restricting circulation can leave your feet feeling colder rather than warmer. Ideally, your footwear should provide enough room for your toes while remaining secure when you’re paddling, walking along the shoreline or climbing back onto your board.

We’ve covered the different options in more detail in our guide to choosing paddle board shoes, including the differences between lightweight water shoes and more protective neoprene footwear.

Do You Need a Neoprene Hood?

We’re quite fond of a warm beanie when paddling in colder weather. There’s something reassuring about pulling a comfortable hat down over your ears before heading out on a frosty morning, particularly when the rest of the world seems perfectly happy to stay indoors with a cup of tea.

However, a beanie that keeps your head warm on the board isn’t necessarily the best choice for protecting you during cold-water immersion. A properly fitted neoprene hood can provide additional insulation and protection when there’s a realistic chance of entering very cold water, helping to reduce heat loss from your head and limiting direct exposure to the water.

As with everything else, comfort and fit are important. You need to be able to turn your head easily, maintain good visibility and avoid interference with the neck seal of your suit. A hood that’s too restrictive or creates gaps around your other clothing can be more trouble than it’s worth, so it’s worth trying the complete combination before heading onto the water. In bad weather conditions when it’s wet and miserable we do prefer a neoprene storm hood with neck covering for added warmth and protection. We use the NRS Storm hood as it gives that extra protection back of the neck with the added vale of a flexible bill to shield eyes from the low sun and driving rain.

And don’t underestimate the value of having a warm, dry hat waiting for you when you get back ashore. It’s often the little things that make winter paddling that much more enjoyable.

Don’t Forget Dry Clothing for Afterwards

One thing we’ve learned from spending years outdoors is that a little preparation at the end of an outing can make a world of difference. Getting changed beside a car in freezing conditions, with cold fingers and a pile of damp clothing, isn’t anyone’s idea of fun, especially when the wind seems determined to carry away anything you put down.

We always like to have spare clothing readily available, including additional socks, gloves and warm layers. A good waterproof dry bag is particularly useful for carrying spare clothing on your board, especially if you’re planning a longer paddle or conditions are changeable. It’s worth packing everything carefully so that your spare layers remain dry, even when you open the bag with wet hands.

We’d also recommend leaving a complete change of clothing somewhere accessible for when you return, including warm footwear. A sheltered place to change, something dry to stand on and a towel can make the whole experience considerably more pleasant. A changing robe can be particularly useful here, offering some shelter and warmth while you get out of your paddling kit.

Just remember that changing robes and ordinary waterproof jackets have a very different purpose from specialist clothing designed to protect you during immersion. They’re wonderful for keeping comfortable before and after your paddle, but they’re not substitutes for appropriate cold-water clothing.

And while we’re talking about getting changed, a warm drink waiting in the car is never a bad idea. Some winter paddling traditions are worth keeping!

A Few Things We Always Consider Before Heading Out

Even with suitable winter clothing, a little planning goes a long way. Before setting off, we like to make sure everything fits properly, we can move comfortably and our clothing doesn’t interfere with our paddling equipment. It’s particularly important to know that you can climb back onto your board while wearing your winter kit, because a drysuit and insulating layers can feel quite different from the lightweight clothing you’re accustomed to wearing during summer.

If you’re unfamiliar with remounting in your winter equipment, it’s worth practising in a controlled environment with suitable supervision before relying on it in more challenging conditions. Being able to get yourself back onto your board is an important part of cold-water safety, and it’s something that’s much better learned in a safe setting than discovered for the first time during an unexpected winter swim.

We’d also recommend wearing a properly fitted buoyancy aid, carrying a means of communication in a waterproof pouch on your person and choosing a leash appropriate for the environment you’re paddling in. The type of leash matters particularly on moving water, where entanglement hazards can make a conventional ankle leash unsuitable. Checking the weather, wind and any relevant tidal conditions before launching should also be part of your usual preparation, along with letting someone know where you’re heading and when you expect to return.

These aren’t just our own preferences. The RNLI’s paddleboarding safety guidance also emphasises wearing suitable clothing, using an appropriate buoyancy aid and leash, carrying a means of calling for help and avoiding offshore winds. It’s well worth reading, whether you’re new to paddleboarding or have been enjoying the sport for years.

One final consideration is cold-water shock, something that should never be underestimated. Even with suitable protective clothing, suddenly entering very cold water can trigger an involuntary gasp and rapid breathing, making it difficult to regain control immediately. If you unexpectedly fall in and cannot get straight back onto your board, the priority is to keep yourself afloat and regain control of your breathing rather than immediately trying to swim or exhausting yourself. The RNLI’s Float to Live advice provides valuable guidance for these situations and is well worth understanding before heading out onto the water.

There’s also a considerable difference between knowing you’re about to enter cold water and suddenly finding yourself in it without warning. One moment you’re happily paddling along, and the next you’ve lost your balance and you’re underwater before you’ve had time to react. That initial surprise, combined with the body’s involuntary response to cold water, can leave you disorientated and struggling to control your breathing. It can happen to anyone, regardless of how experienced a paddleboarder or how strong a swimmer they might be. It’s precisely why we feel so strongly about choosing clothing that provides protection during an unexpected fall, rather than simply adding extra layers to keep warm while standing on the board. Those layers might be perfectly comfortable in the wind, but they may offer very little protection when you suddenly find yourself immersed in cold water.

Of course, none of this should put you off enjoying paddleboarding in winter. It’s simply about understanding the risks and making sensible decisions before setting off. And don’t be afraid to keep your winter paddles short. There’s no rule saying you need to spend three hours battling against the elements to justify getting your board wet! Sometimes a peaceful paddle around a sheltered stretch of water, followed by a warm drink and a comfortable change of clothes, is all you need.

Enjoy Winter Paddleboarding, Whatever the Weather

Winter paddleboarding can be an absolutely wonderful experience. The waterways are often beautifully peaceful, the scenery can be spectacular, and there’s a real sense of satisfaction in getting out on the water when most people are tucked up indoors. With the right clothing and a little preparation, there’s no reason why enjoying your paddleboard should be limited to the warmer months of the year.

For us, a semi-dry suit with suitable insulating layers offers an appealing balance of comfort and protection for many of the winter paddles we enjoy. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the best choice for everyone, and we’d never suggest that one clothing system can cover every paddler, location or set of conditions.

A well-fitting winter wetsuit may be ideal for someone regularly getting wet, while a fully dry suit can offer additional protection where prolonged immersion is a greater concern. Separate paddling garments also have their advantages, particularly for those who value the flexibility to use different pieces throughout the year. The important thing is understanding what each system can and cannot do, and choosing something appropriate for the conditions you’re likely to encounter.

At SUP Funk, we believe good advice is just as important as good equipment. We use and test the products we sell wherever possible, and we’d much rather help you find clothing that genuinely suits your needs than sell you something simply because it’s more expensive. Sometimes the best solution is a combination of garments you already own, while on other occasions investing in a more protective system makes far more sense.

If you’re unsure what to wear, or you’re trying to put together a winter paddling system, get in touch with us. Tell us a little about where you paddle, the conditions you encounter and what clothing you already own. We’re always happy to share our experiences and help you work through the options.

After all, winter paddleboarding should be something you look forward to, not an endurance test to see how long you can tolerate frozen fingers!