For paddleboarding, choose a roll-top dry bag in the 2 to 10 liter range, closed with three tight folds and buckled, then clipped to your deck rigging rather than set loose on the board. Size, closure, and attachment matter more than any other feature. Color is the part nobody tells you that you get to choose.
Every paddler has watched something float away. A water bottle, a hat, one time (we heard) an entire pair of car keys in a sandwich bag that turned out to be a very bad dry bag. The board is a wet, moving, occasionally upside-down shelf, and whatever rides on it needs to be sealed and attached like it plans to swim.
So here is the honest version of how to pick a dry bag for your board: what size earns its spot on the deck, what the closure has to do, and where it should live while you paddle.
What size dry bag do you need for paddleboarding?
Smaller than you think. A board has limited deck space and everything on it adds windage, so the right bag is the one that holds your phone, keys, a layer, and a snack without becoming cargo.
- 2L: phone, keys, sunscreen, a bar. The everyday flatwater pick, and the one that lives on the deck without you noticing it.
- 5L to 10L: add a packed layer, a small first aid kit, lunch. Right for longer paddles or rivers where the weather has opinions.
- Bigger than 10L: touring and overnight territory. If you're packing camp gear onto a board, you already know who you are.
If you're deciding between two sizes for day paddling, take the smaller one. A half-empty dry bag seals better than a stuffed one, because the roll-top needs slack fabric to fold.
How does a roll-top closure keep water out?
A roll-top works by folding the bag's collar over itself, at least three times, and buckling the ends. Each fold makes the path water would have to travel longer and tighter, and trapped air inside turns the bag into its own flotation (which is why a properly closed dry bag bobs instead of sinks when, not if, it goes in).
What that means when you're choosing: look for welded seams rather than sewn ones, a stiffener in the collar so the folds stay crisp, and a buckle you can work with cold hands. Then the closure does the rest. We wrote a full step-by-step on sealing it right in How to Properly Seal and Close a Dry Bag.
Where do you attach a dry bag on a SUP?
Under the bungee rigging at the nose, clipped to a D-ring or the rigging itself with a carabiner. Both, ideally. Bungees alone hold the bag in flat water and lose it in chop, and a leash-less bag on a board is just a donation to the river.
If your board has no rigging, a small bag can clip to the carry-handle webbing. It rides fine there, and you will stop noticing it about four strokes in. Or in a pinch, your leash will work as an easy spot to clip to.
Does it have to be safety orange?
No, and we'd argue it never did. The industry has defaulted to safety yellow, safety orange, and primary red for decades without anyone asking the women on the water what they wanted to carry. Visibility comes from your leash, your PFD, and your boat. Your dry bag can be the thing in the photo you're glad is in the photo.
Ours come in five prints named for real water, designed by the founder, a surface pattern designer and longtime outrigger paddler on the Columbia River Gorge. You can see the full lineup in the collection.
The short version
Pick a 2L for everyday paddles or a 5 to 10L for long days. Insist on a roll-top with welded seams. Clip it, don't trust the bungee alone. And choose a bag you like looking at, because it's going to be in every picture you take out there.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take my phone on a paddleboard in a dry bag?
Yes. A roll-top dry bag closed with three folds keeps a phone dry through splash, rain, and brief dunks. For full submersion insurance, put the phone in a small zip pouch inside the dry bag so it has two layers between it and the river.
What size dry bag is best for SUP?
2L for essentials on everyday paddles, 5L to 10L if you carry a layer and food. Smaller seals better and rides quieter on the deck, so when in doubt, size down.
Do dry bags float if they fall off the board?
Yes, if they're closed correctly. The air trapped by a proper roll-top closure keeps the bag on the surface. A bag that was stuffed completely full or under-rolled can take on water, which is one more reason to leave room and roll three times.
How do I attach a dry bag to a paddleboard without D-rings?
Clip it to the carry-handle webbing with a carabiner, or add stick-on deck rings (sold widely for kayaks and SUPs, they bond to most board surfaces). Avoid letting the bag ride loose under bungees alone in anything but flat water.
Are dry bags for paddleboarding different from kayaking dry bags?
No. The same roll-top bag works for both. The difference is how you rig it: SUP bags ride on deck and need clipping, kayak bags often ride in the hull where space allows a bigger size.