Not sure what paddle board to buy?

Getting enticed to try out paddle boarding? Have you tried it, liked it but you´re ahving a hard time trying to buy a paddle board due to the many types of boards in the market? We´ll talk to you about the SUP boards that fit what you´re looking for.

Hard paddle board or inflatable paddle board?

When you think about buying a stand up paddleboard, the first thing that probably comes to mind is a hard SUP. These were the first types of SUPs that where launched in the market. This has generated a lot of misinformation over the existence of other types of models. You can also add the fear or lack of trust to try the new inflatable paddle boards, thinking that they are worse or have a shorter life.

The inflatable paddle boards have been in the market less time. The first weren´t as competitive in the quality department. In fact, it´s very possible someone might have been left on the beach shore with a deflated SUP. Nevertheless, the reality is that today inflatable SUPs have improved a lot. To the point that we are able to differentiate hard shells to inflatable.

Advantages of an inflatable paddle board

There are many advantages that a paddle board has vs a hard board. Especially if you are a person that likes to travel with your own material. Having an inflatable paddle board will let you move it around and store it easily. Also with it you will save money on renting material when you´re out of the house.

If you don´t have space problems and have a big car to transport a hard paddle board, this type of SUP will let you practice this sport even when the sea is agitated.

Don´t miss our complete comparison we do on inflatable vs hard in this post.

	Hard	Inflatable
Advantages	· Lots of stability, even if the waters are choppy	· Easy to store · Easy to transport
Disadvantages	· Occupies a lot of space · Hard to transport due to its dimension	· You have inflate it every time you sue it · Fold it after you´re done

 

Prices of paddle boards

Just like surfboards, there are a variety of models for paddle boards so there are a great variety of prices. In general, we can say that the price for a SUP will range between 500 euros and 1200 euros.

The price for an inflatable paddle board kit that is low cost would be around 400 or 500 euros. The kit is composed of a board, back pack, pump and water proof smartphone. If the price is very cheap (less than 200 euros) check that all the elements are there.

The first thing that we should check is brands that sell boards for less than 500 euros, the ones that cost less than 200 euros have some occult secret. For example the boards from decathlon. Cheap SUP and the most of the cases instead of being a paddle board, they are an inflatable mattress with fins.

Cheap paddle board

If you still don´t know if paddle board is for you, we recommend that before you embark to buy your paddle board, you should rent one and try it out. If you are just starting and convinced that you want to get your own SUP but have space problems to keep it we propose the O´Neill Santa Fade. An inflatable SUP with a great price endorsed by O´Neil with their seal of guarantee.

Types of inflatable SUPs

As we said in all you need to know about Paddle Board, there are six types of paddle boards. Allround, touring, surf, windsurf, yoga and race. Each board is thought for different modalities adjusting to the different requirements of each category.

Which are the best inflatable paddle boards?

The best inflatable paddle boards are the ones from Red Paddle Co. Red Paddle Co has been able to achieve the same performance from their inflatables as their hard shells. With the added benefit of being able to fold it. The majority of boards include a pack (backpack, pump and smartphone cover).

More info and prices

As a principle Red Paddle Co offers products of good quality. For example their SUP boards become totally rigid with their RSS system. This system guarantees an excellent quality. They also have their MSL technology implanted which give them a better aesthetic finish, more light weightiness and rigidity with more durability (thanks to their layers of coating).

Recommended reading: Red Paddle Co: the board that has it all.

Want to try out paddle board? Check out our Surfshop and find the board model that adapts itself most to you. If you have any doubts about what model is a best fit for you, you objectives and your style, call us or send us an email and we´ll advise you.