What to Wear Paddle Boarding: A Practical Guide

Paddle boarding looks gentle from the beach. Then you're forty minutes in, the sun is directly overhead, your bikini top has shifted twice, and there's a raw patch where your leash rubbed.

What you wear on a SUP matters more than it does for swimming, because you're upright, exposed, and moving continuously for an hour or more. This guide covers what to wear in warm water and cold, on flat water and surf, and the specific mistakes that ruin a session.

The three things that decide your outfit

Before any specific recommendation, everything comes down to three variables:

1. Water temperature, not air temperature. You will fall in. Dress for the water.
2. Session length. Twenty minutes and an hour are different problems. Chafe and sunburn are cumulative.
3. What kind of paddling. Flat water cruising, SUP surf, SUP yoga and touring all ask different things.

Get those three right and the rest follows.

Warm water paddle boarding (water above 22°C / 72°F)

This covers most of Bali, Southeast Asia, the Mediterranean in summer, Florida, Hawaii and the Caribbean.

The best single option: a long sleeve one piece swimsuit.

Here's the reasoning, and it isn't about looks. On a SUP you're standing, which means your shoulders, upper back and thighs take direct sun for the entire session with no shade and no relief. Sunscreen washes and sweats off within about forty minutes. A long sleeve UPF50+ suit doesn't.

It also solves the two problems specific to paddling: nothing shifts when you take a stroke, and there's fabric between your skin and the board when you kneel, which is where most beginners get raw.

Our long sleeve swimwear is UPF50+ and made from ECONYL® regenerated nylon, which holds its shape through salt and sun rather than going slack after a season. The Luna long sleeve is the one most paddlers choose, because the high neck takes the sun off the back of the neck, which is the single most commonly burnt spot on a SUP.

Good alternatives:

• A one piece plus a rash guard. More adjustable, slightly more to carry. See our one piece swimsuits.
• Bikini plus rash guard. Fine for short flat-water sessions. Choose a bikini top with proper back support rather than a triangle tie. 
• Surf leggings and a top. Best if you'll kneel a lot or you're prone to thigh chafe. The Milu surf leggings are made for exactly this.

Bottom half, honestly: anything high-waisted. Low-rise bottoms shift constantly when you paddle and slide when you kneel.

Cool water paddle boarding (16–22°C / 60–72°F)

Spring and autumn in Europe, Northern California, coastal Australia outside summer.

• Neoprene top or shorty wetsuit over swimwear. A 2mm shorty covers most conditions in this range.
• Long sleeve swimwear as the base layer. It stops neoprene chafing at the neck and underarms, which is where wetsuits rub.
• Neoprene booties if you're launching off rocks.

You rarely need a full wetsuit for flat-water SUP at these temperatures, because you're mostly out of the water. Dress for the swim you might take, not the swim you plan.

Cold water paddle boarding (below 16°C / 60°F)

• Full wetsuit, 3/2mm or thicker, or a drysuit below 10°C.
• Neoprene boots, gloves and hood as temperature drops.
• Base layer underneath. A long sleeve suit under neoprene adds warmth and stops chafe.
• A PFD is not optional. Cold water shock is the actual danger, not distance.

What to wear by type of paddling

Flat water cruising. The most forgiving. Long sleeve one piece or swimwear plus rash guard. Sun protection matters more than anything else.

SUP surf. Treat it as surfing. Nothing that ties, nothing loose, nothing that can shift on a wipeout. A long sleeve one piece or a proper surf suit. Our surf collection is built for this, and the full comparison is in our guide to what to wear surfing.

SUP yoga. Needs the most stretch and the most coverage, because you'll be in positions where a shifting top becomes a distraction. A one piece with proper back support, or activewear that doubles as swimwear. Avoid anything with hardware that presses into you in a plank.

Touring and long distance. Chafe management is the whole game. Full coverage on the shoulders, high-waisted bottoms, and something on the thighs if you're going over two hours.

What not to wear

Cotton anything. It soaks, gets heavy, stays wet, and chills you. A cotton t-shirt over a swimsuit is the most common beginner mistake on a SUP.

Triangle bikini tops with thin ties. They shift with every stroke and undo on a fall. If you want two pieces, choose a top with a proper band.

Loose board shorts. They ride up when you kneel and bunch under a leash.

Denim. It happens more than you'd think.

Brand new swimwear on a long session. Test seam placement on a short paddle first. Seams that are invisible in the water will announce themselves at ninety minutes.

Jewellery and loose sunglasses. Both end up on the seabed.

The gear that goes with it

• Leash. Always. A board travels faster on wind than you swim. Use a coiled leash on flat water and a straight leash for SUP surf.
• PFD. Legally required in many countries on flat water, including US federal waters for anyone paddling outside surf zones. Check local rules.
• Reef-safe sunscreen on face, hands and feet. The spots fabric doesn't cover.
• A hat with a chin strap or cord.
• Sunglasses with a floating strap.
• A dry bag strapped to the board for keys and phone.
• Water. An hour of paddling in the sun dehydrates faster than people expect.

Sizing: the thing people get wrong

Swimwear that fits perfectly standing still can bind when you're paddling. If you're between sizes and planning long sessions, most of our customers find sizing up more comfortable for sustained movement. Check the size chart against your actual measurements rather than your usual dress size.

Test the shoulders specifically. Raise both arms overhead. If the suit pulls down at the chest or digs at the armpit, it will get worse over an hour of strokes.

Frequently asked questions

What should a beginner wear paddle boarding?
A long sleeve one piece swimsuit in warm water, or swimwear under a shorty wetsuit in cool water. Beginners fall more and kneel more, so coverage on the shins and thighs saves skin.

Can you wear a bikini paddle boarding?
Yes, for short flat-water sessions in warm water. Choose a top with a proper back band rather than thin ties, and high-waisted bottoms. For anything over an hour or anything with waves, a one piece is more comfortable.

Do I need a wetsuit for paddle boarding?
Below about 16°C, yes. Between 16 and 22°C a shorty or neoprene top is usually enough since you're mostly out of the water. Above 22°C, swimwear and sun protection.

What shoes do you wear paddle boarding?
Barefoot on flat water. Neoprene booties if you're launching over rocks, coral or oyster beds, or if the water is cold.

How do I stop chafing while paddle boarding?
Cover the contact points. Shoulders and upper arms where the paddle shaft crosses, thighs and shins where you kneel, and the neck under a leash. Long sleeve swimwear or surf leggings handle all three.

What do you wear for SUP yoga?
A one piece with proper support and full coverage. You'll be inverted and folded, and anything that shifts becomes a distraction. Activewear that doubles as swimwear works well.

The short version

Warm water: a long sleeve UPF50+ one piece. It solves sun, chafe and shifting in one piece of clothing.

Cool water: swimwear plus a neoprene top or shorty.

Cold water: full wetsuit and a PFD.

Whatever the temperature: nothing cotton, nothing that ties, nothing loose.

Makara Wear is handmade in Bali in small batches from ECONYL® regenerated nylon, tested in real water before production. Start with the long sleeve collection.