Paddle Board

Shaggz

Shaggz

A strong 7
We are looking to purchase a couple of SUPs for lake use. I was surprised to read such positive reviews on inflatables, they seem to dominate the "top" lists. I was also a little shocked at prices. Any advice/recommendations for beginner friendly boards? Pros and cons of inflatable vs rigid?
 
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Mr.Moto

Mr.Moto

Well-Known Member
I'm sure someone with much more expertise can give better details and advice, but just want to provide my experience in buying and general feedback. A couple of years ago I bought my wife an inflatable SUP. She loves the water and took to it right away. Over the last two years, it has become part of her regular activities. Enough so that it is on top of her car most days during the summer. Being in Ringwood we have our local lake and Monksville nearby.

I bought the inflatable for a couple of reasons. I didn't know if she would really like paddle boarding and didn't want to spend a ton of money to find out. The inflatable has a good starter price and included everything. It could be deflated and stored in a smaller space or transported inside the car. I figure we could always upgrade if needed.

Inflatable Pros - Less initial investment. Easily transportable. More stable (beginner friendly).

Inflatable Cons - Needs to be inflated (takes time and effort). Larger and bulkier to move around out of the water. Not as nimble and fast as rigids.

I don't use the SUP, so take my comments for what they are. As I mentioned, my wife loves paddle boarding. It has gone two seasons now without an issue and she keeps it mostly inflated in the summer. She has tried a rigid board and found it to be faster, more maneuverable and less stable (better core workout?) She has not talked about upgrading yet. Some of her friends have purchase the same or similar inflatable SUP.

I think this is the one we got:

Hope this info is helpful. I'm sure there are others that have actual SUP experience that can provide more insight on the different boards and ride quality.
 
one piece crank

one piece crank

Well-Known Member
We got two rigid Lifetime SUP’s from Costco about 5-7 years ago, primarily for my sons to use. These have been fun, durable units and got tons of use. One was punctured on rocks, repaired with a heat gun and HDPE rod (supplied for free by Lifetime), and both are still kicking as good as new. They have a 220lb weight limit, and I’m 230, so they are not ideal for me, but do work surprisingly well kneeling and distributing my contact patch. Remember, we didn’t get these for me.

A year ago we purchased two Thurso Surf SUP’s, primarily to reduce transport storage size in a power boat, but also for the 330-370lb weight limit and to get specific board shapes/designs. The first run with the boards I simply could not believe how stiff and stable they were! They float great, track great, can handle two people or a cooler, and inflate/deflate easily. By far the best feature (for me) is the pack-ability of their large rolling backpack vs. their 11.5ft length.

Inflatable bonus - clip-on kayak seat for lazy day touring.

We still use the Lifetimes, just pull the cover and throw them in, but the inflatables are a whole other level. We bought them just over a year ago and they were on post-season sale, plus one was a blemished markdown (further reducing cost). This would be a good time to shop (assuming COVID hasn’t reduced availability).

EDIT: I just read Mr.Moto’s reply, our boards came with this huge, dbl-barreled floor pump, that is reversible to suck air out when deflating. It’s a pretty simple and quick operation.
 
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one piece crank

one piece crank

Well-Known Member
Patrick said:
ever look into a cordless inflator? - high volume, not high pressure.
I use one on my river tubes. quick and easy.
would be nice to have a power deflate - that is a bonus.
Click to expand...

Power-free. No need to complicate things, and nowhere near the volume of a River tube.
 
jmanic

jmanic

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
Staff member
JORBA.ORG
Team MTBNJ Halter's
BCurry

BCurry

Well-Known Member
A hard sup can be cumbersome to store and move about.
I am not sure how confident I would feel on an inflatable on the ocean. But if staying on flat water I would definitely consider an inflatable. BOTE brand seems to be the leader in the inflatable market.
 
icebiker

icebiker

JORBA: Morris Trails
JORBA.ORG
Shaggz said:
Thanks for all of the feedback. We wound up ordering the Serenelife Mr. Moto posted, and a this. These will be used on flat water. The stability and not having to make room for two 10 foot boards in our small garage were major factors. Christmas shopping is done!
Click to expand...
A little late to this thread but that’s a good brand for an inflatable. My son, who is super diligent in researching what he buys, got one of these. He bought inflatable because he hikes in the Cascades and takes the board in a backpack and scouts out lakes and ponds in in the mountains. As for me and my wife, we prefer rigid boards which we store at our lake house. Both are Pau Hana’s. One touring, one all around. The touring is faster but a little less stable than the all around. We love them both. Congrats on your purchase. You will find paddle boarding a great way to unwind after a ride.
 
Fat Trout

Fat Trout

Well-Known Member
Thanks to @Mr.Moto for the suggestion & others for the commentary. I had thoughts on a paddleboard but never understood the inflatable scene. When covid made everything out of stock I forgot about it. After this thread I bought one of the Serenelife inflatables recommended and scored big points with my wife. She's a Dec. B-day so it while its a bummer to wait she's all pumped about it. I'm trying to combo B-day and Xmas in this one deliverable so we'll see how that goes.
 
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