Stand Up Paddle Board Carts

Hauling your stand up paddle board to the water can be tiring.  Here’s some of your options for safely and comfortably moving your paddle board using a cart.  (and some other ways too ).

Cart Comparison + Options

Dollys, wheels, bike trailers, and cart …there are plenty of other modes of transportation for your board…other than using a car.  In fact, for most paddling trips we pack out paddle boards and our dollys too.  This makes getting to the water much easier. 

That 30lb or 40lb board gets awfully heavy if you are hand carrying for more than a few minutes.   Here’s looking at you Connecticut state beach parking lot separated with a 5+ minute walk to the Long Island Sound!

There’s many names for these paddle board transportation devices…you know the ones you pull by hand.  Some people call them dolly, wheels, carts or even trailers.  When pulled by hand manufacturers usually refer to them as paddle board carts or dollies.  When being pulled by a bike you’ll be looking for a paddle board cart.  We’ll cover all of the good options here.

Dollys

SUP dollys are a type of cart that generally carry only one board at a time, but some can carry multiple.

For most dollys, the bottom of the board rests on its side on a set of wheels.  The person carries the nose of the board with an optional netting/rope, or suction cup handle.

A simple and sturdy option is the Apex Dolly (we have two of these). With this cart, the board lies on its side with the bottom of the board resting on a set of airless wheels.  Airless tires are good, you never have to worry about them getting flat.

Also, here’s a video displaying how to use the Apex SUP Dolly:

Zoe and I both use the Apex SUP Dolly and love it.  We tried our first one out for a full season and liked it so much we bought a second one!

It actually folds up nicely and we often paddle with this cart strapped to the fronts of our boards.

Wheels

SUP Wheels (A name brand) is pretty solid for anyone who bikes to the water. The wheels are somewhat bigger than regular carts making it more stable over faster speeds.

SUP Wheels usually only carry one board. Wheels also carry the board lying flat. They are sturdy and can handle those rocky roads and sandy beaches. Careful around curbs though…you don’t want to ding your nose!

Here’s a video demonstrating how to use SUP Wheels:

SUP Wheels can also be used with suction cup handles, allowing you to walk your board to the water. Trying to use this type of carrier by hand without some kind of handle will get very uncomfortable quickly. Check out the handle in the chart near the top of this page.

Bike Trailers

Bike trailers will make biking to the next SUP event so much easier!

Using bike trailers as a method of transporting your board is the next best thing to a car.  You’ll be able to cover more distance much faster with one of these.  Moreover, most bike trailers can carry more than one board. 

A great brand for an SUP bike trailer is the Boardwagon brand.

The Boardwagon bike trailer can hold up to two stand up paddle boards.  Just take it easy on the turns!  You can find more about the Boardwagon brand at their website

Check out this video displaying the abilities of the Boardwagon bike trailer:

Using bike trailers to transport your board is a great idea if the ocean or lake is not close to where you live and provided you live somewhere people won’t run you over.

Other Types of Carts

You can find many types of other paddle board carts that carry either one or more than one board at a time.

A popular multi-paddle board cart is the 2 SUP Carrier Paddle Board Cart. It carries two boards at a time and has sturdy, airless wheels that won’t go flat!

This video shows how to put together the 2 SUP Carrier Paddle Board Cart:

Homemade Transportation

The prices on some of these carts can easily get to be over a hundred bucks. If your budget is tight and you can’t seem to find the money for a regular cart, you can actually make one! With a trip to a hardware store and some determination, you’ll have yourself an SUP for much less money.

Here is a video on how to make your own SUP cart:

However – if you feel like making one would be a waste of time, or maybe you’re not exactly handy with tools, investing in a good quality cart is a good idea. Remember that a good quality cart can last you a very long time!

Shoulder Straps

Although shoulder straps aren’t a type of cart, they are still a method of transporting your board without a car.

Shoulder straps attach to your board and allow you to carry it like a big hand bag.

Straps are made for carrying one board. They may hurt your shoulder after a while, so they are definitely optimum for shorter distances.

Here’s a video that demonstrates how to carry a board with shoulder straps:

Suction Cup Handles

Another carry-it-yourself kind of method is using suction cup handles that allow you to carry the board manually.

These types of handles attach to the board via a suction cup mechanism.   These style handles can make using your paddle board cart a bit easier to navigate because sometimes the nose of the board is a bit cumbersome to grab onto.   Most of these handles are not meant specifically for SUPS but will work just the same.

Check out this video to see how handles can act as a good companion to a cart:

Most carts don’t come with suction cup handles. Some carts come with rope and netting systems that wrap around the board and allow you to pull it that way.

Whatever your method is, handles and carts make transporting your board a bit more comfortable.

Transporting Inflatable SUP’s

Carts, dollys and trailers are generally made for transporting solid SUP’s, since they can’t deflate. However, you can use the same kinds of methods for transporting inflatable SUP’s without a car.  Why?  You might be inflating your paddle board near your car and at a house which could be far away from the water of course!

Here are some methods of transportation for inflatable SUP’s (without a car):

• Lighter inflatables can fit compactly inside duffle bags and backpacks, but some inflatable SUP’s might be too heavy to carry it that way. If you have the strength, however, go for it!
• A trailer along with a bike is a great idea, just as it is with solid SUP’s. The nice thing is that the trailer doesn’t have to be as big. A small one will do the trick.
• Many inflatable SUP’s also come with their own convenient backpack carrying bag. The bag usually holds the board, the pump, the repair kit and possibly your paddle.

If you choose not to deflate your board before you transport it, make sure to check the air pressure before you go out. Now you know that you don’t need a car to transport your paddle board, whether it is solid or inflatable!

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Peacefully paddling along the water will come much quicker now that you know how to easily move your board to those sandy beaches.

Have fun and be safe!