Considerations When Buying a New SUP

Disclaimer - this post contains affiliate links that help support this blog at no cost to you. Additionally, this entire article is based on the understanding that you have basic Stand Up Paddling safety knowledge and awareness; always wear your PFD and leash, and paddle with a friend and within your limits.

As I have previously posted here and on Insta and Facebook, I am a huge fan of Stand Up Paddle Boarding. I feel SUP is the greatest bite-sized adventure of all time.

My love of SUP was sparked in 2017 when I rented a board at the beach and became super stoked about it. The wife and I quickly purchased two boards from Amazon, two of the least expensive boards they offered. They served us well for a few years but then we started looking for boards that are more stable and more responsive. The SUP market has exploded in the last five years, there are dozens of introductory brands available and dozens more middle to high-level boards to choose from. It can be overwhelming.

I have tried to streamline the process to a few major considerations when purchasing a new stand-up paddleboard. But please understand that there are many other considerations when shopping for a new board. I also recommend that you support your local board shop to ask questions and support them by buying a board there. If you are not near a local shop I have included affiliate links in this post to purchase a board online.

Here are some considerations when purchasing your first stand-up paddleboard

Inflatable vs Hard Board

There are 2 major types of boards on the market, inflatable board (iSUP) and hardboard. There are plenty of differences between these two but the short story is related to portability, durability, speed, and performance on the water. A hardboard can offer better performance in the surf and better speed but can be cumbersome to store and transport. While an inflatable board is easy to store, durable, and easily travels in your car’s trunk. I believe an iSUP is an excellent board for beginners. It is easy to store, light to carry, and more forgiving when you drop it. The biggest downside is waiting to get it inflated in the parking lot. If you are an impatient person (like me) I suggest investing in an electric pump, this will be a huge time and energy saver. I have had good luck with this one on Amazon, the Saylor Electric Pump. But many others have had really good experiences with the Shark from OutdoorMaster and this one from Earth River SUP is simple and durable. You will find that an electric pump will make inflating your board much easier and less time-consuming than a hand pump.

Cost

This is a big one for most people. Buying a SUP can be a big investment. SUPs can range from $200 to $3000+ for a high-quality racing board. You need to take into consideration your budget and what you are willing to spend on a paddle board. You will find that the phrase “you get what you pay for” is a very real issue in the world of SUP.

Let’s break down 3 basic levels of costs.

• <$500 - Many boards available on Amazon are great starter boards to get you on the water. Check out this one, it will be a great starter board to teach you the basics but lack a lot of speed and durability. Also, check out Funwater Boards, they are an introductory brand that has a ton of fun colors and pretty basic boards at a reasonable price. At the upper end of this range is the Drift iSUP, Drift is the offshoot and less expensive brand from the BOTE Boards Brand, which makes quality boards often geared toward fisher persons. Since the learning curve can be steep for many folks, after a season you may begin to look for something that is faster and has more performance, so you may just want to look at the next price range up.

• <$800 - In the $500-$800 range you will look into something more like the ISLE Explorer SUP. This is a huge step up, it will be more stable, and more comfortable to paddle, it can hold more weight like kids or dogs, and since it is longer will provide better tracking while moving forward over longer distances. ISLE also makes a great introductory hardboard for a little more money, check out the ISLE Cruiser Board. The other bigger company in this range is iRocker. They offer 3 types of boards, the low range is the Nautical line, the mid-range is iRocker, and the Cadallic line is the Blackfin. They also offer a few children's boards and ultra-lightweight options. But iRocker had some bad press in the summer of 2022 with a huge recall on boards that were delaminating because of a manufacturing error. They seem to be working to make it right but just so you are aware.

• $800+ - There are a number of companies that make higher-end boards like Blue Planet, 404, Red Paddle Co, Infinity SUP, and SIC, but I have found really good luck with my Earth River SUP. They have a great selection of iSUPs to fit most people’s paddling needs. They make great all-around boards, touring paddling boards, and surfing boards. I highly recommend ERS for any iSUP you are looking for. (Full disclosure, I am an ambassador for Earth River SUP but I do not get any kickbacks from them, I just believe they make one of the most stellar iSUP boards on the market).

Dimensions/Shape/Length/Width

There are so many shapes and measurements on the market it can seem overwhelming; do you get a board that is 10’9” or 10’7” long, what is the difference between those 2 inches? Do I get a 30” wide board or a 34” wide board? Why is one board nose so pointy, and why does that one look like is curved like a banana? Wait, this board has 3 fins and this only has 1. There is a ton of information and science behind why these boards are shaped this way, but the short story for most beginners is to look at an “all-around” shape. This type of board will be between 10’7” and 11’ long, with a fairly standard width of 32”. But again, if you are looking for lots of details on this, support your local board shop or stroll through the internet to find lots of detailed guides.

Volume

The volume of your SUP is basically making sure the board will support you and whatever you are planning on bringing along (kids, dogs, cooler of drinks, camping gear, etc..). Finding the volume is a bit of math, so check here for how much volume your new board should have.

Paddle

Most new board packages for introductory paddlers come with a paddle. It is normally a fiberglass paddle that will work but you will quickly realize this paddle can get tiresome. When you paddle for an hour you will perform the paddle stroke movement over 3000 times, and you start to think about a lighter more responsive paddle. I have heard from experienced paddlers that a better paddle is better than a better board. In other words, you will want to consider investing in a high-quality carbon fiber paddle that has the features you are looking for in a paddle. When you start looking at high-quality paddles you may start looking into non-adjustable paddles, so keep in mind what your perfect length might be for a paddle. I have had 3 different boards but I have had 6 different paddles. Your paddle is your connection to the water so you want to make sure it suits the kind of paddler you are. I recommend looking at Earth River SUP, Black Project SUP, Infinity SUP, or HippoStick. They all make superior paddles for your SUP, you will notice a difference immediately.

This is only the tip of the SUP iceberg, there are still a ton of other minor considerations to decide, like do you want a GoPro mount, bungee tie-downs in the front and/or back, or what kind of carry handle, do you need a deck cooler bag, will you bring your dog, do you have the space to store a 14-foot longboard in your home, can you transport a 12'6" board on the roof of your car, or do you want interchangeable fins. But the basic considerations you will want to ask yourself are already covered above in this article. As you get more questions, support your local board shop, and look online, there is a ton of information and details out there. If you want to read about the technical and super-specific issues around SUP check out this blog post from SUPBoardguide.com. I also suggest you check out this 2023 SUP Buying Guide from my friends at PumpedUpSUP.com for a detailed but easily understandable overview of inflatable board options.

The big take-home for you is “you get what you pay for”, and this can be a big purchase for many people. If an introductory board is what you need to get started while you save money, do it. Maybe you will love it and want to upgrade later in a few years.

No matter what you decide, as long as you are up for SUP, I will see you on the water. (Okay, that was really cheesy).