Hey guys,

Pretty new to the sport but can anyone recommend a brand of belt/bag/holder or similar for holding a water bottle for longer trips? Been thinking of a possible attachment to the board but not keen on drilling holes.

Cheers,

Mike

mikedevelta.com/wordpress/

Yeh, checked those out, not sure if I'm happy the the idea of a backpack while paddling, does anyone have any experiences with these?

Ah yeh looks pretty sweet, cheers.I'll check into it.

I'm not a fan of backpacks either - I find they usually cut the inside of my shoulders if I paddle for too long.
Here's a few more options in additions to the Camelback ones above.

If you don't mind stopping paddling to take a drink, Black Wolf also do waist belt water bottle holders which also have a bumbag pocket for anything else you might want to take. There's a few pther brands of this style as well. If you're planning to go for a long paddle the Blabk Wolf or Camelback ones are good as they hold 2 full size water bottles whereas most of the others hold just one.

If you're planning on racing and want something you can drink quickly, you can get a bumbag bladder hydration system:
Kole Gear does a pressurized one, so when you bite the mouthpiece it squirts into you're mouth and you don't have to suck, they work well but you need a special pump bottle to fill them up and it takes a bit longer to get it ready. You also need to be careful not to twist the rubber bladder inside the pack or it can pinch and stop the pressure system from working properly. The other great advantage of the Kole is that it comes with a clip you can attach the tube to your shirt with so the bite bit is easily accessible.

Dakine also do one called the sweeper, just like a normal camelback ( about 1.5litres) but around you waist. It also has a small pocket on one side to put a snack or something in. Only problem is it doesn't have any clip so the tube is fixed around the waist and you need to grab it each time you want a drink and then clip it back around the waist.

My preference for racing is the Dakine Sweeper but I use the clip from the Kole gear pack to attach the bite bit to my shirt.

Just remember though if you're planning to do any ocean racing, most races are now requiring a (non-inflatable) pfd so the best option there will be a pfd with a pocket for a hydration bladder.

Hope this helps out with a few options.

That's a great idea fletch!

Or this.. www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/Water-great-idea/

DJ

I made my own from a Nike bumbag sports bottle carrier. It has a normal sports bottle with a modified spout (hollowed out so I can get a hose into it). The hose assembly is a camelback one with a bite valve. Importantly there is a neoprene hose cover; this keeps the water in the hose from warming up too much in sun between drinks. I either use an ID card holder alligator clip to clip the hose to the front of my shirt (change this regularly as they rust) or a cut down ID card lanyard in a loop hung around my neck and tied to the hose is an alternative I use sometimes. This bum bag also has pockets for gels and bars, etc.

Apologies for the condition of the unit, it gets a lot of use and is very clapped out ... time for a new one perhaps ...

i was talking to a coach around this part of the world who suggested bumbag style packs can inhibit hip movement which is important for good paddling technique.

i went back to backpack style

cheers

just bought a camelback and it works a treat on a long distance paddle.

Ali's done her research! ^

They say it's hard to "over hydrate". But "pre-hydration" also helps. Drink plenty of water prior, and some "Staminade" powder mix amongst it. Say 40 & 20 mins prior. Then slug a little more before you head off. You should be good to go for a solid 45 mins without fluids.

But don't do what I do... Beer chasers at the end, sitting waiting in a cooler pouch in the car with an ice pack!