Tips voor Suppen met een Hond

Written by: James | Last update: 8 November 2022

We see it more and more on the water. People who paddle with their dog. We regularly get questions about whether a stand up paddle board is suitable for it. This is of course also important to know when purchasing a paddle board. It is important to know what the total weight of you and your dog is. One dog can be small and another dog can be bigger. The weight of the dog can therefore vary. If you want to go paddling with your dog, we recommend that you first learn the basic skills of Stand Up Paddling. It is important to know what the stand up paddle board does with you on it. In addition, it is also important to first learn the correct paddling technique before you start paddling with your dog. Of course you want to be able to take your dog on a pleasant ride.

Take a stand up paddle boarding lesson

To learn all techniques and basic skills you can go to a sup school together with your dog. You can also choose to participate in a dog SUP workshop. We actually recommend that you first go to a sup school and take a few lessons there instead of going directly to a dog sup workshop. A workshop does not always teach you all the necessary skills and you do not always get the necessary tips. After you have taken a few lessons at a SUP school and have mastered the right skills, your are ready to go together with your dog!

If you are going paddling for the first time, the right stand up paddle board is very important, make sure the board is wide and long and also contains a high volume (air). This provides more stability and room to move for both you and your dog.

Top 10 stand up paddling with a dog tips

We have made a top 10 tips for stand up paddling with a dog. These tips are based on both our own and others’ experiences. Read below the most important tips for paddling with your dog.

1. SUP: learn the right SUP skills first before you go paddling with your dog
2. Supboard: take a stable SUP board with enough width, length and volume. Pay close attention to the total weight of you and your dog together, because the board must be able to carry this (always make sure the board can handle around 20% more weight then the total weight of you and your dog)
3. Leash: use a leash on your ankle or knee
4. Mat: if you use an inflatable paddle board, make sure you have an extra mat so that your SUP Board is well protected. A dog’s nail can destroy the board
5. Leash: make sure that your dog has a leash or harness on, because you can stand on the leash so that your dog stays on your board
6. Life jacket: if your dog can’t swim well, make sure he wears a life jacket at all times
7. Dog: know what your dog can and cannot do
8. Location: not every location is allowed to paddle with a dog. So pay attention to the rules of the location
9. Weather: pay attention to the weather, make sure you start on calm water. In addition, you don’t want to endanger yourself and your dog with a lot of wind or stormy weather
10. Phone: take your phone with you in a waterproof phone case and make sure you can always call if there is an emergency

Follow the tips

The above tips are really recommended. Make sure that stand up paddling remains safe for both you and your dog at all times!

Looking for the best board to paddle on with your dog? Then take a look at our best paddle board for dogs research.