5 days ago
How To Choose An Inflatable Paddle Board
Learn how to choose the best inflatable paddle board : compare stability, size, weight capacity, and materials to find the right board for your skill level and adventures.
Whether you're a thrill seeker and want to try out SUP surfing or you're looking for a relaxing way to cruise around your local waterways, an inflatable paddle board is the right way to go. With reliable, high-quality manufacturers like iRocker and Red Paddle Co. creating exceptional boards and accessories, the inflatable paddle board market can be intimidating. For help choosing the right paddle board for you, read on.
Questions to Ask Yourself
It will be easy to find all of the best inflatable paddle boards online, as there are many buying guides out there that tell you exactly what to look for. But before you jump into the exciting prospect of shopping for your board, you should ask yourself a few questions to help narrow down the market just a little bit.
How Much Can I Spend?
As always, you can't forget about your budget. Some boards will be fairly affordable at $1,000, but other boards can cost as much as $12,000. Setting your spending limit early will help you find the right board in a price range you can actually afford. Keep in mind that you may also want to purchase a wetsuit, SUP paddle, electric pump or manual pump, or additional warranty coverage.
What Type of Paddling Do I Want to Do?
There are many, many types of paddle boards out there, and you'll see some variation within categories as well. If you want to help yourself choose the right board, it is a good idea to figure out what you'll be doing with it before you start browsing. If you're interested in paddle board racing, surfing, or other high-intensity water sports, you'll want to look for boards that are fast, maneuverable, and highly responsive. If recreational riding and yoga are more your thing, a more stable all-around board will be better for you.
Am I a Beginner or an Experienced Paddler?
Your paddle history should be something you think about before you start shopping for a paddle board. While inflatable models are generally more beginner-friendly than solid boards, they can still have some features in place that make them better suited to experienced paddlers. You'll learn more about this below.
Features to Consider
While inflatable paddle boards may initially come across as quite basic water vehicles, there is a lot that goes into their design and construction. Choosing the right board for you means understanding what each feature is and how it will affect your riding experience and board performance.
Hull Type
There are two types of hulls (nose designs) that you need to consider when browsing for a SUP board. The first type of hull is a displacement hull. This is the same hull type that you see on most types of boats; it is a V-shaped projection that extends down into the water. Displacement hulls can be easily spotted as they will have a pointed nose rather than a rounded one. These boards will be much faster in the water, but they do sacrifice some stability. They are used mostly for racing and touring boards and are best used by experienced paddlers.
Planing hulls are the second and most common type of hull for an inflatable paddle board. They sit on top of the water rather than in the water and have a rounder, wider shape than displacement hulls. They are more stable and turn more easily than boards with displacement hulls, so they are great for first-time paddlers. You'll find this hull type on most all-around and recreational boards.
Fin Type
The fins on a paddle board are what allow you to travel in a straight line and have control of the board's movement in the water. There are a number of different setups, though, and they each affect the performance of the inflatable SUP board.
Thinner fins will offer more maneuverability in the water than thicker versions. The more curvature a fin has, the more stable it will be and the better it will track. However, you'll sacrifice maneuverability here. If you have a stiff fin, you'll have more control of the board, but a softer fin will absorb impacts better and will improve the maneuverability of the board.
There are also a number of fin setups to consider. Each board may have only a center fin, two fins placed side by side, or a center fin with two side fins further up the board. Each will offer different benefits, and the type of fin in each location will also have an impact on how the board moves and responds.
Some fins will be permanently fixed to the board, and others will be removable from their fin boxes for safer placement on a roof rack or storage in a bag. There are a lot of things to consider when it comes to the fin type of an inflatable paddle board.
Rocker Style
The rocker of a board describes the lift at the nose or tail of the board. It can vary in placement and angle depending on the desired performance characteristics of the board. Almost every board you look at will have some type of nose rocker, as this is what allows you to glide smoothly over the water and ride over choppy water easily.
A board can have a high, moderate, or low nose rocker. A high rocker is really only used for river running or extreme white water paddling, and a low nose rocker increases the performance of racing SUPs and long-distance touring boards, since there is more board in contact with the water. A moderate rocker is the most commonly found nose rocker type for SUPs due to its versatility.
Some boards will have a tail rocker, and this helps the board turn more easily. However, it also slows the board down, so it isn't a very common addition to inflatable boards. It is worth noting, though, that some boards will have a tail rocker and a nose rocker combined, called a banana rocker style. This continuous curvature of the blade is excellent for white water paddling, as the paddler can stay above the waves and shift the board with only their weight.
Board Size
Inflatable paddle boards come in many, many sizes, both between and within categories. For example, multi-person boards can carry anywhere between 2 and 8 people, so there will be a lot of variation in size just within that board type. Depending on whether you buy a board for SUP yoga, racing, or white water paddling, the board length will also vary. You can have a board as short as 9 feet or longer than 12 feet. Longer boards can reach faster speeds with less paddling effort when compared to a medium or short board.
Board width can also vary; wider boards will offer more stability but won't have the same maneuverability as a racing board or one designed for paddle board surfers. Narrower boards are therefore not recommended for newbies.
Weight Capacity
The maximum carrying capacity of an inflatable paddle board can be comparable to hard boards, averaging between 300 and 350 lbs at the high end. However, there are smaller boards with weight capacities of less than 200, and even some large enough to support as many as 8 people. No matter what type of board you're looking at, you'll be able to find one that can carry the weight of you and any gear you're bringing along.
Durability
Durability for an inflatable paddle board is important, especially if you'll be using it more often on rougher water than flat water. Unlike hard boards and surfboards that can be made of materials like epoxy, fibreglass, carbon fibre, and other materials that can alter their durability, all inflatable paddle boards are made of drop stitch material enclosing the air chamber and military-grade PVC on the outside. As a result, the main factor that affects the durability of an inflatable SUP board is the number of layers of PVC. A single layer of PVC will be much less durable than two, and a board can have up to four layers.
Deck Pad Style
Believe it or not, there are actually three different styles for a deck pad alone. Some boards will only have a traction pad on a portion of the board where you spend your time standing to paddle. Other boards will extend that traction pad from the tail to the tip. With other SUP boards, you may even see that the traction pad wraps around the rails of the board as well. In general, longer deck pads will offer more versatility, and those that wrap around your rails will increase the durability of the board.
Storage Capabilities
The storage capabilities of an inflatable stand-up paddle board will usually be determined by its overall type, but there can be some variation within a category as well. Some boards may have two sections of bungee storage, one at the nose and one at the tail, whereas other boards will only have storage at one end. Certain boards will also be longer in order to accommodate any gear that you may be travelling with.
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Disclaimer: The prices displayed are accurate at the time of publication. We'll do our best to keep them as up-to-date as possible, but you may see slight changes.
