Which Stand Up Paddle Board Should I Buy?
You’ll need to consider a few choices before you buy your paddle board. Are you going to use the paddle board for fun, fitness, touring or racing?
If you’re a beginner, you probably want to start off with a paddle board that is meant for fun and fitness to begin. Fun and fitness paddle boards are for paddle boarding on flat water. These types of paddle boards can only handle small to medium sized waves.
Touring and racing paddle boards are for people who travel a long distance while paddle boarding. These types of paddle boards can reach high speeds, and they can better handle the ocean waves.
A planning hall is a paddle board that can handle ocean waves well, and it’s great for people who’re still learning to paddle board. These paddle boards are stable and versatile.
A displacement hall is similar to a kayak. These types of boards flow through the water softly, making it easier to maneuver the board. Displacement halls are fast, but they also can be dangerous since they tend to be tipsy.
It’s important to pick a paddle board that supports your weight and size. If the paddle board doesn’t support these, your paddle board won’t support you. You’ll need to consider volume and weight capacity before you purchase your paddle board.
A paddle board’s volume will be shown in liters. The higher the number is means that it’ll be able to support more weight. If you want to surf using your paddle board, and you weigh over 200 pounds, you’ll want to purchase a paddle board that is short with a high volume.
Before you purchase your board, look to see if you can find weight capacity listed. If you’re too heavy while using the paddle board, the board won’t maneuver as well, and it’ll be hard to get through the water.
Lengths Of Boards
There are various options to choose from when it comes to picking out the perfect paddle board. One of these options is the length of the board. You’ll need to choose the length of your paddle board depending on the type of activities you want to do.
- Short boards, which are under nine inches, are great for surfing. Short boards will maneuver better in the water compared to longer boards. Boards that are eight inches in length are typically for children.
- Medium boards, which are nine to 12 inches, are great for everything. These boards do great with surfing and leisurely days on calm water.
- Long boards, which are 12.6 to 14 inches, are great for racing or touring. Long boards are much faster compared to short boards. If you’re looking to race on your paddle board, you’ll need a long board. If you think you’ll need to paddle several miles while using your paddle board, a long board would also be a good choice.
Width is another important factor when it comes to picking out the perfect paddle board. Stability depends a lot on the width of the paddle board. Wide boards, which are 31 inches or wider, are more stable compared to narrow boards. The only downfall is that wide boards are slower than narrow paddle boards. Narrow paddle boards, which are 29 to 30 inches in width, are faster than wide boards, but they aren’t as stable.
Different Materials
The next options you have to consider are the core materials. Paddle boards cores are usually hallow, EPS foam, polyurethane foam or inflatables. EPS foam paddle boards have a foam core that has been wrapped in fiberglass and epoxy. Hollow core paddle boards are used to reduce their weight and increase performance. Polyurethane foam is similar to EPS foam, but polyurethane foam is heavier, and they’re typically used for people who’re learning paddle boards. Inflatable paddle boards are durable and lightweight.
Final Thoughts
We hope this helps you understand the variety of boards just a little more. To get even more information, check out our paddle boards for sale page and our review on the Wave storm paddle board which is a great board option if you are just starting off. I personally have this board and think that it is the best board for you money getting started.
Namaste
