How awesome, you are reading this blog – this means you just might be thinking about bringing the joy of SUP into your life. Trust us, you won’t regret it!
Maybe you have had a paddleboarding lesson, borrowed a friend’s paddle board or just know that SUP is for you and diving straight in (love it!). With paddling on the mind, you type ‘
what type of paddleboard should I buy’ into Google and an overwhelming list hits you – different shapes, varying prices, conflicting reviews…how do you know which paddleboard to buy? Help!
With so many options, how do you choose the best paddleboard to buy for you? Let’s dive in and find out!
Which Paddleboard to Buy - An Inflatable or a Hard Board?
The biggest debate is which type of paddleboard to buy. Both an inflatable and a hard board's constructions have their place. Each material has its pros and cons in terms of durability, weight, and performance, so choose one that suits your needs and budget.
Inflatables for the win if you lack storage, you just pop it in a cupboard. If your car doesn’t have roof racks, you can throw an inflatable in a boot (current record number of inflatables we have squeezed in a three door Mini… 7!).
If you have storage for a hard board, a way to transport your board, easy access to the water, do a lot of ocean paddling in waves, want to surf or race, then hard boards could be better suited to your needs.
What Type of Paddleboarding Will I Do?
Do you picture yourself floating on a hot summer’s day down the river, splashing and jumping with two kids and a dog on your paddleboard? Or supping and camping, racing, doing yoga, endurance events or days out on the board?
Flatwater, ocean, surf, white water – different environments call for different boards. This blog is for those new to paddleboarding so we won’t go into too much detail but all paddleboards are all designed differently to perform for their indented purpose and environment.
Therefore, it’s impossible to find one paddleboard that will do everything. So, ask yourself, what does paddleboarding joy look like for you?
What Do Different Paddle Board Dimensions Mean?
The size of your paddleboard can impact its stability, speed, and manoeuvrability.
Here’s some general rules to help choose the right board dimensions for you:
The wider the board, the more stable it is.
The narrower the board, the more streamline it is.
The shorter the board, the more manoeuvrable it is.
The longer the board, the more glide it has.
The more volume, the more stable the board.
The less volume, the lighter the board is.
If you are an experienced paddler, then there are specialised boards tailored to your specific needs, whether it's speed, agility, or wave performance. When choosing which paddleboard to buy, consider factors like board shape, volume, profiles, dimensions, construction materials, and fin configuration to find the perfect match for your skill level and paddling style.
How Is My Balance and SUP Skills?
What is the best inflatable paddleboard for beginners? When you first get started, we often suggest an all-rounder inflatable paddleboard to buy for beginners to gain skills, balance and get comfortable on the board.
Consider your height, weight, and paddling goals when selecting the right dimensions for your board.
A petite paddler, or someone with good balance could be super stable and comfortable on a 30” wide board from the start, as it suits their frame. A larger paddler or someone with poor balance could be best off starting on a 34” wide board.
But be cautious about buying something that you might grow out of quickly. If you are a beginner and you know you want to do day trips and longer paddles, take a leap on a touring board and just accept it will be a little unstable as you grow into it, rather than outgrow an all-rounder board in three months’ time.
How Much Am I Willing To Spend To Buy A Paddleboard?
We hate to break it to you but a paddleboard package that costs you less than £300 is unlikely to have the durability to last. Below, we have outlined how the quality of your SUP can vary depending on the model and price of your board. We see thousands of boards launch from our jetty here at the Paddle Cabin and here are some of the common board issues that we see here at the Paddle Cabin.
So Which Paddleboard Should I Buy?
We spoke to the Telegraph last year, who released their top inflatable paddleboards to buy in 2024 – and there’s some great boards listed on there, but how do you decide which paddleboard to buy? We can’t tell you exactly which board to buy, as that comes down to personal preference, but here are some of the best paddle boards at varying price points:
Get a Free Paddleboarding Lesson on Us
As a Red Paddle Co School here at the Paddle Cabin, we love Red paddle boards for their durability, stability, performance and excellent customer service. In fact, if you love them too and buy from Red directly, enter the code XX at checkout and we will give you a free paddleboarding lesson on the water!
We hope you have come away feeling a bit more clued up so you can make an informed decision and pick your perfect paddleboard. Find a local club, join a social paddle and try out as many boards as you can before you buy. Come along to one of our club socials and spend the evening board swapping with our awesome members – they are so happy to share!
And as always, reach out if you need some more advice – we are always happy to help.
Happy paddling!
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