Gear
Latest Gear
Best Toddler Life Jackets In 2026
For this guide, I collected a dozen toddler life jackets for testing. Then I asked myself, how many children under 30 pounds are actually...
What’s Inside The Hudson Bay Girls’ Expedition Kit
An expedition team calling themselves the Hudson Bay Girls is canoeing from Lake Superior to Hudson Bay this summer. The 1,200-mile route will take...
Best SUP Paddles For 2026
Just like paddleboards themselves, paddle technology continues to evolve to the point that it’s nearly impossible to only have one paddle in your arsenal....
Best Kayak Paddles For 2026
Only once in nearly 30 years of paddling have I found myself facing a familiar adage in real life. I couldn’t help but chuckle...
Best Paddleboard Seats For 2026
Standup paddleboards continue to be one of the fastest-growing activities on the water, and for good reason. They’re easy to transport, they’re not particularly...
Best Kayak Seats For 2026
The well-worn saying, “It’s like riding a bike,” has a second meaning when it comes to kayaking. Like the saddle of our two-wheeled counterpart,...
Best Child And Youth Life Jackets For 2026
For this guide, I collected a dozen life jackets for children and youth between 30 and 90 pounds. This range can encompass kids anywhere...
Best Waterproof Phone Pouches For 2025
Nothing brings the outdoor vibes to a screeching halt like an unforeseeable phone malfunction due to too much adventure. Hard-hitting splashes, dropping in deep...
Best Paddleboard Car Racks For 2026
Picture it now: The breeze in your hair, the sun setting over the horizon and the blade of your paddle cutting through the water...
Best Paddleboard Seats For 2026
Standup paddleboards continue to be one of the fastest-growing activities on the water, and for good reason. They’re easy to transport, they’re not particularly...
Best Kayak Seats For 2026
The well-worn saying, “It’s like riding a bike,” has a second meaning when it comes to kayaking. Like the saddle of our two-wheeled counterpart,...
Best Waterproof Phone Pouches For 2025
Nothing brings the outdoor vibes to a screeching halt like an unforeseeable phone malfunction due to too much adventure. Hard-hitting splashes, dropping in deep...
Best Paddleboard Car Racks For 2026
Picture it now: The breeze in your hair, the sun setting over the horizon and the blade of your paddle cutting through the water...
Best Waterproof Fanny Packs For 2026
Whether you’re Inflatable paddleboarding, canoeing, kayaking, rafting or drift fishing, you need a place to keep some gear close and dry. It’s critical that,...
Level Six’s New Class 6 Sprayskirt Includes A Breakthrough Feature (Video)
The team at Level Six were sitting around the office, mulling over an infamous issue for an essential piece of whitewater kayaking gear when...
How To Transport A Kayak Without A Roof Rack
A small obstacle like not having a roof rack is no reason to let the world get between you and going kayaking. Yes, roof...
7 Creative & Simple Kayak Storage Ideas
Kayaks spend much more time in storage than they do on the water. But for most paddlers, storage is an afterthought rather than part...
The Newest Astral Brewer May Be The Best One Yet
Way back in 2012, kayak shoes were largely sandals or booties. And, regardless of the labeling as water shoe, few truly provided the confidence...
Ice Cold Innovation: How The World’s Leading Cold Water Safety Gear Reaches The Water
Created In Partnership With Mustang Survival
Mustang Survival had no intentions of reinventing the wheel last year when it took on the challenge of updating...
Best Water Shoes For 2026
Among the checklist of what to wear paddling, solid footwear is not to be overlooked. The best pair of water shoes will keep you...
Bracing For The Coming PFAS Ban
Few feats of industrial wizardry have had a greater impact on paddlesports than waterproof-breathable dry wear. These revolutionary garments made year-round paddling a pleasure...
Best Drysuits For Paddling In 2026
A drysuit is probably the most expensive paddling item you’ll buy after your kayak or canoe. It’s also the only investment that will double...
Beat The Cold With These Winter Paddling Must-Haves
There is no reason for the boating season to end, as long as you know how to dress for success. Winter offers some of...
Two Iconic River Brands Release Sandal Collaboration To Benefit A Noble Mission
Nothing says river trip like a pair of Chaco sandals and a couple of NRS straps. Now, the two iconic brands have come together...
In Praise Of The Unfashionable, Functional And Affordable Wetsuit
In 1952, surfing pioneer Jack O’Neill adapted technology developed by the University of California physicist Hugh Bradner to manufacture the first commercial wetsuit. O’Neill’s...
How To Choose The Right Kayak Paddle
Paddling Magazine gives expert advice on which kayak paddle is perfect for you
An Ingenious Method For Sizing Canoe Paddles (Video)
In theory, sizing a canoe paddle should be simple. Yet doing so is tricky, and the best method often argued. When we spotted Badger...
First Thoughts: Werner Stealth And Covert Paddles (Video)
Whitewater paddlers have caught on to the stroke power benefits of blade-forward offset, and with this we are seeing more paddles incorporating the design...
First Look: Aqua Bound’s New Aerial Paddles (Video)
Aqua Bound's latest innovation is the Aerial paddle lineup, featuring Lam-Lok technology. This new development uses aramid thread to mechanically bond the paddle's laminated...
2 Top Whitewater Paddles Go Head-To-Head
Sure, the kayak is the main attraction, but for whitewater kayakers, the paddle is doing all the work. And that means it is a...
Best Kayak Paddles For Touring In 2025
If your faithful touring paddle performs like a glorified egg beater, maybe it’s time to choose a new kayak paddle. The best kayak touring...
Why A Good Ash Canoe Paddle Is Going To Be Hard To Find
Why a good piece of ash is going to get harder to find.
Why Open Boaters Need More Than One Paddle
The topic of the perfect paddle length is second only to the discussion of the perfect boat whenever more than two paddlers gather. From...
A First Look At The NRS Lucid (Video)
The NRS Lucid PFD is new to the market in Spring 2025, implementing NRS’s new Orbit Fit technology and more variety in sizing.
We caught...
First Look: NRS Ninja Pro PFD (Video)
The NRS Ninja Pro got an upgrade in 2024 and the Paddling Mag team got a first look at the redesign of this classic...
Best Life Jackets For 2025
Personal flotation devices are the most crucial safety gear on the water. Each year, close to 200 paddlers die in the United States, and...
Astral Releases 15th Limited Edition PFD In Collaboration With Whitewater Legend Dave Fusilli
Oct. 10, 2024, Seattle, Wash. – Astral is proud to introduce its latest GreenJacket LE in collaboration with whitewater legend Dave Fusilli. This limited...
The Mustang Life Jacket Reinventing The Inflatable PFD
For decades, Mustang Survival was the brand of life jacket you’d expect to find hanging in the boathouse at the cottage, stowed on a...
Fake Life Jackets For Kids Flood Amazon
Looking forward to another season of boating with her young family, Allie Wojciak went online and bought a new life jacket for her son.
At...
Astral Unveils High-Float Indus Line Of PFDs (Video)
How does Astral evolve on the success of the long-running GreenJacket? By pouring over a decade of development into a freestyle-inspired high-float PFD built...
Astral’s 14th Limited Edition PFD Inspired By Pro Kayaker Nouria Newman
June 28, 2023– Asheville, NC – Astral is proud to introduce a limited edition GreenJacket Rescue PFD in collaboration with world-renowned athlete and Astral Archetype Nouria Newman....
