Best Dry Bags for Florida Kayaking

For Florida kayaking, a 20L submersible roll-top dry bag is all most paddlers need, and the Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil ($29) is the one we keep coming back to. It packs to the size of a fist, weighs 57 grams, and survives a full capsize — which matters, because every Florida kayak trip ends with water where it shouldn’t be.

Maybe it’s a brief afternoon squall over the Gulf. Maybe it’s a wave in the ICW from a passing powerboat. Maybe it’s just the steady drip off the paddle onto your lap for three hours. Whatever the cause, your phone, keys, and wallet will be wet unless you have a proper dry bag between them and the water.

This is not complicated gear. But it’s gear you genuinely need, and getting it wrong means a dead phone in the middle of Everglades City or salt-corroded car keys that won’t turn over on the drive home.

A $29 dry bag is the cheapest insurance policy in kayaking. It costs less than the first hour of your trip and protects everything that makes the trip possible.

What it is

The Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Nano Dry Sack ($29 at the 20L size) is a submersible roll-top dry bag made from 30D silnylon — a nylon-silicone composite that is essentially the lightest fabric you can make a genuinely waterproof bag out of. The seams are taped internally. The closure is a roll-top that you roll at least three full turns before latching the buckle.

It packs down to about the size of a golf ball when empty. Full, it holds everything you need for a Florida day trip — phone, keys, ID, snack, a shirt, sunscreen — with air to spare for floatation if you want it inside the kayak hatch.

Specs at a glance:

• Volume: 8L / 13L / 20L / 32L options
• Weight: 57g (20L)
• Material: 30D silnylon with taped seams
• Rating: IPX6 (submersible, not just splash-proof)
• Closure: roll-top with side-release buckle

Field test in Florida

I’ve run this bag on Florida Bay in October, on the Silver River in February, and on the St. Johns in June — three wildly different water environments and three different humidity profiles.

The heat test: In summer, everything in a hot cockpit sweats. The Ultra-Sil doesn’t absorb moisture and doesn’t trap condensation the way neoprene bags do. Contents stayed dry even when the outside of the bag was slicked with condensation.

The saltwater test: A Florida Bay crossing means constant paddle drip and occasional wave wash. After three days in that environment, the fabric showed no salt staining or stiffening. Rinse it with fresh water when you’re done; it takes thirty seconds.

The submersion test: I’ve capsized twice with this bag inside the kayak — once on purpose, once not. Both times the phone inside was dry when I rolled back up. The roll-top is the seal. Three rolls, click the buckle, done.

One real limitation: The silnylon is slippery and doesn’t grip anything. It will slide around in the cockpit unless you clip it to a D-ring or stuff it under a bungee. That’s not a flaw in the bag — it’s just the physics of nylon-silicone on a smooth hull. Get a carabiner clip or use the mesh top bungees.

Who it’s for

If you’re doing day trips on Florida’s bays, rivers, or springs, the 20L Ultra-Sil is the right call. It holds what you need, weighs nothing, packs flat, and is genuinely submersible — not just splash-resistant.

Beginners will appreciate that there’s nothing to figure out. Roll, click, done. No valves, no zippers that fail in salt, no confusing compression buckles.

More experienced paddlers doing multi-day trips on the Suwannee or an Everglades paddle route will probably want several: a large one for the bow hatch, a small one in the cockpit for on-the-go reach, and one dedicated to camera gear if they’re shooting. It pairs naturally with the rest of a Florida paddling kit — a good touring paddle, a PFD that breathes in the heat, and on remote crossings a personal locator beacon sealed inside the dry bag where you can reach it.

What it’s not

The Ultra-Sil is not a pannier or deck bag. It has no attachment points beyond the clip on the roll-top and it has no external pockets. If you want quick access to snacks, a sunscreen tube, or a map without opening the main bag, pair it with a small mesh pouch clipped to the bungees.

It’s also not a replacement for a waterproof phone case if you want to actually use your phone on the water. Keep the phone in the dry bag when you’re not using it; use a dedicated waterproof case with a lanyard when you want to take photos.

And it is not a camp bag or gear haul bag. It’s light because the silnylon is thin. Don’t drag it over oyster bars or pack it with sharp objects. It’ll last years if you treat it like it’s worth $29; it won’t survive being a catch-all throw-bag for heavy, abrasive gear.

Plan your trip

• Size to buy: 20L covers a day trip for one paddler; add an 8L for the cockpit if you want essentials within reach. Two bags beat one oversized bag.
• Rolling the top: three full turns minimum before you latch the buckle — that’s what makes it submersible, not splash-resistant. Less than three and water finds the gap.
• Securing it: the silnylon is slippery. Clip it to a D-ring or stuff it under a deck bungee so it doesn’t slide loose in a roll.
• Legal must-haves: Florida requires one U.S. Coast Guard–approved wearable PFD per person aboard a kayak, plus a sound-signaling device (a whistle audible at half a nautical mile). Keep them, not just your phone, where you can reach them.
• Year-round: there’s no closed season for paddling Florida, but plan for afternoon thunderstorms May through September and pack a layer for chilly spring mornings. See the Florida outdoor gear guide for the full kit.
• After the trip: rinse the bag with fresh water and hang it open to dry. Salt left on silnylon shortens its life; thirty seconds at the hose adds years.

Verdict

At $29, the Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil 20L is the obvious answer to “what do I need to keep my phone and keys dry?” for Florida kayaking. It’s not the only answer — there are perfectly good dry bags from NRS, Outdoor Research, and Watershed — but it’s the one that weighs nothing, packs to the size of a fist, and works.

The submersible seam rating matters in Florida specifically: you will capsize, or you will get washed by a wake, or you will be caught in a squall. None of those events should end your trip because your phone is dead.

Buy the 20L for day trips. Consider buying a second 8L for the cockpit. Keep your keys in it on every trip, no exceptions, and the bag will earn back its purchase price the first time it matters.

FAQ

What size dry bag do I need for a day of Florida kayaking? A 20L bag holds everything for a day trip — phone, keys, wallet, a change of clothes, snacks, and a water bottle with room to spare. For multi-day trips or to keep camera gear separate from food, carry two: a 20L for the main hatch and a small 5L–8L roll-top in the cockpit for what you want within reach.

Are cheap dry bags actually waterproof? A proper roll-top with welded or taped seams, rolled three full turns, is genuinely submersible. Budget bags under $10 are usually only water-resistant and will fail a full immersion. For a Florida Bay capsize or an afternoon of paddle splash, you need a real roll-top, not a drawstring sack.

Can I use a dry bag as a flotation device? No. A sealed dry bag traps air but has no buoyancy rating and is not a life-saving device — wear your PFD instead. Florida law requires one U.S. Coast Guard–approved wearable PFD per person aboard a kayak; children under 6 must wear theirs at all times, and every vessel must carry a sound-signaling device such as a whistle audible for half a nautical mile.

How do I keep the dry bag from sliding around the cockpit? Silnylon is slippery by nature, so the bag won’t stay put on its own. Clip it to a D-ring with a carabiner or tuck it under a deck bungee. That also keeps it inside the boat if you capsize, which is exactly when you need it sealed and on board.