While paddle boarding is intended to be an activity that you do while standing, from time to time you may wish that you had a seat on the board.
Though paddle boards do not come with seats, you may wonder if one can be added to the SUP.
Yes, you can add a seat to your paddle board and sort of convert it into a kayak! We recommend the THURSO SURF Stand Up Paddle Board Seat for that.
The great news here is that you only have to buy one water vessel and you get versatility just with the addition of a seat.
Keep reading and we’ll tell you everything that you need to know about adding a seat to your stand up paddle board.
Convert Your SUP To A Kayak With A Seat
I love how easy it is to just add a seat to your SUP and then you can use it like a kayak.
This is great because it not only saves you storage space, but it also saves you money since you don’t have to buy both a SUP and a kayak.
Of course, you can also just install the seat on your paddle board so that you can sit comfortably whenever you’re out on the water.
Adding a seat to your SUP is so incredibly easy because you just need to attach it to the D-rings on your paddle board.
There are several seats you can buy to add to your paddle board, and I’ll give you my recommendations below.
However, one key thing that people forget when they want to use their paddle board as a kayak is that you’ll also need to get a kayak paddle for easier movement on the water while sitting on your paddle board.
Adding The Seat To Your Paddle Board
For many people, actually getting the seat secured onto the paddle board is the hardest part of this process – and it’s not really that hard at all.
When you get your paddle board seat, it will have a total of four straps – two for the front of the seat, and two for the back.
These straps are how you’re going to secure it to your SUP.
While there are videos on YouTube on how to attach the kayak seat to your paddle board, and there will likely be instructions included with it, here are the basic steps –
- Place the seat on the paddle board where you intend to sit. This should be in the center of the board, where you normally stand.
- Take the front straps and connect them to the D-rings in front of the seat. Then, take the back straps and connect them to the D-rings behind the seat.
- As you tighten the straps to the D-rings, be sure to keep the back of the seat upright instead of leaned back. The seat should have some give to it when you sit so that it reclines back slightly for comfort, while still keeping you upright. This will give you a natural seated position.
- Don’t leave any slack in the back straps!
- You can sit in the seat before paddling out to see if it needs adjusted for comfort. Tighten and loosen the straps as needed before you leave the shore.
Glide SUP has great video on how to put kayak seat on your SUP, if you need a visual demonstration.
The 2 Best Paddleboard Seats For The Money
We’ve gone through all of the available paddle board seats on the market right now and you can find our recommendations below.
We only have two seats to recommend because we consider them to be the very best options available right now.
1. THURSO SURF Stand Up Paddle Board Seat
This SUP seats from THURSO SURF is a great option to convert your paddle board to a kayak.
It is comfortable for long sessions on the water and it’s made from high quality PE material to provide the most back support and comfort.
Plus, it comes with a bonus accessory bag to store and keep your personal belongings within reach while you are out on the water.
If you’re interested in the size, here are the specs:
- Base: 15” wide and 12” long.
- Back: 19” wide and 17” high.
- Base cushion thickness: 2”.
- Back cushion thickness: 1”.
As you can see, this SUP seat is designed to be very comfortable and give you good back support while seated.
2. BOTE Aero Paddle Seat
This is not your normal paddle board seat because it is inflatable!
But since it is made by BOTE, you already know that it’s going to be super high quality and a great buy.
While the BOTE Aero paddle seat is designed for kayaks, it also attached to paddle boards.
And I find that this one is more comfortable that a traditional seat due to the fact that it is inflatable, and therefore softer to sit on.
You can also recline this one at different angles, just like a regular SUP seat.
While there are plenty of other seats you can buy for your paddle board, we found them to mostly low quality, cheap products that are not worth the money.
During our research and testing, the two models above are the only ones with high quality that we can recommend to you as a good addition to your paddle board.
Final Word
As you can see, converting your SUP to a kayak by adding a seat is a relatively simple process – as long as you don’t forget the kayak paddle!
Once you get a seat for your stand up paddle board, you’ll have more options for a day out on the water since you can now sit or stand on your board.
And if you need to buy a seat for your SUP, we have two great recommendations for you above.