Buying Your First Paddle Board Tips [Make it Easy Guide]

How to choose an inflatable paddle board

Paddle boarding is one of the fastest growing sports around today. It’s no secret that paddling is great fun everyone can enjoy. It’s not that difficult to learn and is great exercise.

It may seem harder to choose a paddle board to buy than to actually get on a board and ride. There seem to be so may options, sizes, brands and types of paddle boards. Where do you start?

I have created some simple guidelines to help. You really only need to consider six factors when looking at paddle boards. It comes down to your priorities and needs. It’s actually easy and fun shopping for a paddle board.

What do I need to know about buying a paddle board?

6 Questions to Consider

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1. What type of paddle boarding do you want to do?

There are a few different types of paddle boards. The type of paddle board you buy will depend on the type of activity you are interested in.

Many people buy a paddle board just to cruise around the water. Other paddlers have a more specific use for their paddle board. Then there are many people who may want to do multiple activities on one board.

For example I have a paddle board that I surf with but also cruise around on flat water. I have another paddle board I cruise around on but also use for fishing.

Here are the different types of paddle boards:

• All-round
• Yoga
• Surfing
• Fishing
• Touring
• Racing

Read: Types of Paddle Boards Explained

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All-around cruising

All-arounds are the most common type of paddle board and are considered the “jack of all trades” among paddle board types. They are great for beginners and can be very family friendly. If you want to paddle with your child or dog be sure to look at the maximum weight capacity of the board.

All-around paddle boards are versatile and can work well in different conditions and activities. For example if your all-around board is wide enough is can be used for yoga and fishing. I have used my Atoll All-Around for camping. All-around cruisers can be okay for surfing small waves. But if you are serious about surfing you will want to go with a surfing specific paddle board.

• Great for beginners
• Most versatile
• Most common type

Read: Best Mid-Priced All-Around Paddle Boards

Dig Deeper: Beginner Paddle Board Terminology

Yoga

Yoga specific paddle boards are wide stable boards that can also be used for flat water slow cruising. You can also fish off a yoga paddle board if you are not traveling far. Yoga paddle boards are not good for long distance paddling.

Dig Deeper: Do I need a Yoga Paddle Board to Practice SUP Yoga?

Check Out: SUP Yoga Accessories

Surfing

Surfing specific paddle boards are only good for riding waves. Unless you buy a hybrid surfing/cruising paddle board. Surfing paddle boards come alive in the surf but are not good on flat water. They are essentially an oversize surfboard with a paddle.

Unless you plan on doing a lot of surfing you may want a hybrid. I have a hybrid that surfs well in medium to small surf and paddles fine in flat water too. These hybrids will be larger than pure surf sups. The larger volume gives them more float for flat water paddling.

Dig Deeper: Can You Surf an All-Around board?

Fishing

Any wide and stable paddle board can be used for fishing. But there are paddle boards made specifically for fishing and they work very well.

If you are a serious angler you will want to look into fishing paddle boards. The best ones are stable and glide easily. They also have large decks and accessories plates, slots and tie downs for your fishing gear. The best fishing sups are slick well-designed paddle boards.

Explore: Benefits to Fishing Off a Paddle Board

Explore: Best Inflatable Paddle Boards for Fishing

Dig Deeper: Rig an Inflatable SUP for Fishing

Dig Deeper: SUP Fishing Accessories

Touring (2+ miles)

Touring paddle boards are designed for longer distance paddling with easier glide.

If you are serious about camping with your paddle board you will want either a hybrid or sup made specifically for touring.

Touring paddle boards are good for people who want more speed but not a racing board.

Easy glide becomes a priority when you are paddling long distances. Plus you want maximum cargo space. Paddle boards made with these characteristics in mind are the way to go for campers.

With plenty of float and easy glide many touring SUPs are good for beginners and ideal for big heavy riders. If you are going to use a touring board as an all-around paddler I would look for a 32″ wide board for good stability.

Read: Best Inflatable Touring Paddle Boards

Read: Why you may need a Touring Paddle Board

Racing

If you are interested in racing paddle boards you need a racing specific sup. These are long and narrow paddle boards that are designed for moving fast. Racing boards can be used for fitness and open ocean paddling. But they are not stable and not versatile beyond those activities.

 

2. Picking the Right Size Paddle Board

What size paddle board should I get?

The size of the paddle board you choose will be related to the type of activity you will be doing. Once we know what type of paddling you want to do we look at the size and weight of the paddler.

Dig Deeper: What Size Paddle Board do I Need?

What size SUP board is right for me?

• Your size and weight
• Type of paddling activity you want to do
• How much experience do you have?

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Weight of the paddler

Check the maximum weight capacity of the paddle board you are interested in. You want to be well below the maximum. Give yourself extra weight capacity. In most cases more float is better than not enough. If your board does not have enough float it will drag in the water and be hard to paddle.

Dig Deeper: Paddle Board Weight Limits

Don’t forget a dog, your kid or a cooler will add to the total weight you will be carrying on your board.

Read: Paddle Boards for Big Guys

If you are a big person you need a bigger board. Using the length and width guidelines above should work fine unless you are real heavy.

3. Inflatable or hard paddle board?

Inflatable and hard paddle boards both have advantages and disadvantages. For most people the decision to buy an inflatable comes down to storage and transportation. Inflatable paddle boards are easy to transport and store. They roll up and fit into a large backpack.

Durability

Many people wonder how long lasting and durable inflatables can be. These inflatables are made from military grade pvc and are very durable. They are more durable than a hard paddle board. They can be dropped on a parking lot off a two story building and even run over by a car with no ill effect. And they never collect scratches or dings like hard paddle boards

Inflating a paddle board takes 10 minutes. And to make it easy there are electric air pumps that can operate off your vehicles cigarette lighter.

Dig Deeper: Inflatable SUP Board Pros and Cons

Inflatable Paddle Boards – iSUPs

Pros

• Travel easy
• Compact storage
• Durable
• Can have low price point
• Family and dog friendly

Cons

• Need to be inflated/deflated every session
• Perform well but not as well as hard sups

If you want a versatile all-around paddle board and are not a serious surfer, long distance paddler or speed freak buy an inflatable.

Read: How to care for an inflatable sup.

Hard Paddle Boards

Pros

• Plenty of variety
• Glide better
• More responsive
• Best for surfing and racing

Cons

• Ding and damage easy
• Can be higher priced
• Need room to store
• Need method to transport

If you are serious about surfing, long distance paddling or maximum speed get a hard paddle board.

4. Where will you store a paddle board?

Storage is something to think about before you buy a paddle board. Luckily inflatable SUPs allow anyone to own a paddle board no matter how little space they have.

Hard paddle boards can be a challenge if you are low on storage space. You can store a paddle board outside. If you do make sure it is protected from the sun and intense heat. Any paddle board stored outside must be covered with a tarp.

Under decks and eaves are good out of the way spots that offer some protection but you still want a tarp. Make sure water cannot collect on the board.

If you are storing your paddle board in the garage there are many options for making the most of the space you have. There are DIY designs for building shelves and racks. And my favorite is hanging your board from the garage ceiling.

The simplest solution is to lean your board against the wall. Never set the board down on the nose and protect any area that touches the floor and wall with padding like a towel.

5. How will you transport a SUP to/from the water?

Transporting your paddle board is a major concern. If you have a large van or truck you have an easy solution. If you have an SUV with roof racks you are in luck.

With fixed roof racks on an SUV you can use cam tie down straps to secure your board. Never use ratchet style tie downs, they are too easy to over tighten and damage the rails of your board. A good option is an add-on system made for paddle boards. Yakima and Thule make great add-on sytems that will make your life easier.

if you don’t have a fixed rack you can use a soft rack system or a hard rack system to secure the board to the top of your vehicle. Soft rack systems are cheaper but not as secure. They are about $30. Good soft rack brands are Curve and FCS.

A more secure but expensive option is buying a hard rack that fits your vehicle. These are going to set you back 300-$400. However they are more secure. Plus you can lock your board on these racks so they can’t be stolen. These hard rack systems are well-designed and easy to use. They make mounting your paddle board on your car quicker and easier.

Read: Transporting a Paddle Board in a Truck

6. How much are you willing to pay?

You need to determine how much you are willing to pay for a paddle board. In general, you get what you pay for and good paddle boards are not cheap. You can get a very good all-around paddle board for well under $1000.

I would not buy a cheap paddle board under $500. (Kids boards are an exception) Cheap paddle boards perform poorly and are not durable.

Expect to pay at least $600 for a good All-Around inflatable paddle board.

Inflatable can have a lower price point but many inflatables are just as expensive as hard paddle boards.

Warranty on your board is another consideration. Most good brands have a two year warranty.

Read: Best Paddle Board Brands

Read: How Much Does a Good Paddle Board Cost?