Solid or inflatable
There are two types of paddleboards that you can buy, inflatable or rigid, that is, solid. One is not better than the other – it will mainly depend on your current situation and what you are looking to get out of your board.
Solid paddleboards tend to be better for the ocean because they are more durable and can likely withstand the impact of jagged rocks and coral reefs. They are also more stable when tackling rough water, boat wakes and waves. They are also generally heavier, more difficult to transport and store.
Inflatable paddleboards allow you to easily store it in small spaces like apartments, studios, or the trunk of your car. It’s also easier to access water, especially if you don’t have a truck or vehicle with roof racks.
Functionality
You can purchase specific types of paddleboards that are ergonomically designed for certain activities. There are different lengths, widths and styles to maximize functionality.
- Tour: Touring paddleboards are intended for traveling long distances on flat water and allow you to cross rough water without problems. They tend to be long with pointed noses to maximize speed, but are wider than a racing board to help you feel more balanced over a long period of time.
- Races: Racing paddleboards are built for speed. They are generally long, lean and agile for large maneuvers. Expect to pay over $1,000 for a quality racing paddleboard.
- Yoga: Yoga paddleboards are longer and wider than your average SUP, so you can feel more balanced while practicing your poses. The footrest also tends to take up a lot of the board’s surface area, so you have plenty of room to move around.
- Fishing: Fishing paddleboards are like yoga SUPs in that they are longer and wider for better balance. They also usually have a recessed bridge to help lower the center of gravity and improve balance. Not to mention more D-rings to hang your fishing gear.
- Multi-person: Most paddle boards can weigh between 250 and 300 pounds. Paddleboards intended to accommodate more than one person are quite large, wide, and can be up to 20 feet long.
- Hobbies: The average paddleboarder wants to glide through the water and balance without falling. A paddleboard can be between 10 and 11 feet long and offers a nice combination of speed, stability, and maneuverability.
Budget
You can find a wide range of prices with paddleboards, so you can enjoy this sport on almost any budget. Inflatable boards tend to be more affordable than hardtop boards, while performance and racing boards are some of the most expensive you can buy. For a good paddleboard, prices start around $300 and go up to $2,000 or more.
Storage
Once upon a time, I lived in a 750 square foot one bedroom apartment and bought a 10 foot paddle board. Do I have a detached garage? No. Do I have an unusually large storage closet? No, I didn’t have that either. Not understanding the size of a paddleboard, I didn’t take storage into account. I had to purchase wall mounts to hold my paddleboard above my bed, almost like a makeshift headboard. Before I knew it, my house looked like a beach house in the middle of Reno, Nevada.
The moral of the story is: make sure you have enough storage space for a solid SUP before you buy if that’s the type you’re leaning toward.
