So Where Do You Buy A SUP?
You might think that the obvious answer for an online guide and store like ourselves would be, “Right Here!” But as much as I would agree with that statement, that is not my first recommendation. Crazy right?! But it’s the truth and that is what I love to give people….”transparency”.
So let me get into why I would recommend somewhere else first and then maybe consider purchasing here after that.
Where To Check First
No matter where you live, you are typically within at least 100 miles of a store that supplies some kind of paddle board. Probably closer than that. Why I would suggest looking local first is two reasons:
- You are supporting you home town shops.
- You get to physically feel, see, and maybe even test a board VS buying online.
Let me list off some local stores or places that might have paddle boards for you to look at:
- Dicks Sporting Goods
- Costco
- FredMeyer
- Wallmart
- Local Skate/ Surf Shop
- Local Sporting Goods Store
- Kayak Shop
- Boating Store
I can think of an example of each of these around where I live that have paddle boards for sale. The great thing about getting out and looking at them is you get a better sense of what you want. Even though you can always test it at least you can see what it looks like and if it is cheaply made or not. You also might as well know that the board looks good if you are going to be staring at it a lot.
The other advantage is that if you live near a kayak or surf shop, they often rent SUP’s. This is even better to get an idea of what you want. I can’t personally send you a board just to test out and see if you like it, so this is another reason why you should look local first.
Your Next Step
Now that you have looked around locally, you have probably seen or even tested a board or two. This is great because you will have more input as to what you really want.
Maybe you rented a board and it was sluggish and hard to turn, so now you know that you want a more responsive board. Or maybe you saw a Fiberglass board and you really loved how it looked at felt (I don’t blame you) so you would like to find something with a hard shelled instead of a foam shell. Or maybe you saw a color that just popped for you and you need a board that color.
The point is, that by looking locally first and getting more knowledge, you gain a better understanding of what you need and want.
NOW, you can start looking here and reading our reviews on boards that most of your local shops wont have or offer.
A lot of higher end boards aren’t typically big movers for stores so them won’t stock them. Also, if they do have them, they may have a higher price on them. Then you can come here and find out where to go to save money.
That is why you should look locally first. Then, come here and spend all your $$money$$ so I can buy some gold chains 🙂 (Man, Wesley is young in that picture)…anyway.
But seriously, that is how I personally do it. If you run into a screaming deal locally, then great! I’m happy to have helped you out anyway. Don’t feel bad to read our reviews and go look for it in your town to buy. We are here to help.
Questions
I know some of you have more questions, feel free to ask them below and I will respond within the day typically.
