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If you’re a visitor to our website, you’ve probably tried Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUP) at least once by now - after all, it’s one of the best selling activities on the platform. But unless you’re a SUP fanatic or a regular practitioner of the sport, you might not be aware of the wide variety of sub disciplines that it contains. And each of these requires a particular kind of board. Read on to find out the different types of boards and the uses that they’re put to.
INFLATABLE PADDLEBOARDS
Whether you’re having an intro to SUP session in the Scottish Highlands, paddling down the River Foyle in Londonderry, or purchasing your very own first SUP, chances are it’s going to be an inflatable paddleboard, made of PVC, that you’re looking at. This kind of construction has a host of benefits that’s made them the most common type of paddleboard out there.
The main advantages are: buoyancy and stability, resistance to collisions, transportability and storage. They’re great for beginners and casual paddlers because they’re easy to control and harder to tip over other designs. In addition, you can easily keep one at home and chuck it in the boot of a car or luggage rack of a train to enjoy the sport wherever you want. Don’t be fooled into thinking that an inflatable board is going to behave like a pool lilo, they have drop-stitch technology which makes them far more rigid.
HARD PADDLEBOARDS
Paddleboards of hard construction generally have a foam core, layers of fibreglass and a resin coating, although some artisan manufacturers might make wooden models or use other techniques. They’re more expensive, larger and heavier than inflatable boards, so what’s the point in going hard?
Touring SUPs
Inflatable boards are fantastic for low-intensity paddling on enclosed, sheltered waters. But if you’re going to make long journeys on your board, especially if those will take you across the open sea, fast flowing rivers or even large lakes in strong winds, you need a touring board of hard construction.
These are serious pieces of kit and the difference will be evident within minutes of setting out from shore on a touring board. They are much more resilient in the face of wind, waves and tide, they reward your hard work by conserving momentum with each paddle and they glide across the surface of the water beautifully. These boards allow you to do some really cool things like extended, multiday trips and even SUP surfing. We know a company on the Cornish coast that will give you a comprehensive introduction to using a touring board and advise you on continuing your open-water paddleboard journey.
Racing SUPs
Just as you wouldn’t enter the Tour de France on a child-sized bike with stabilisers and a basket, you can’t turn up to a SUP race with an entry level paddleboard. Racing SUP design focuses on straight-line speed at the expense of stability and turning ability. They often rise to a prow at their pointed end to cut through the water and have a kind of spray deck to stop them taking on water.
BIG BOARDS
So far, we’ve been talking about paddleboards made for a single person. Many parents have found that it’s possible to take a young child as a passenger on their SUP, whether it’s inflatable or hard, and small dogs can ride with you too. But what if you want a more social experience?
Tandem Paddleboards
Stuck for ideas for a first date? Why not make it memorable by taking that lucky person out on a paddleboard made for two? These are essentially elongated (and slightly wider) versions of standard SUPs. A word of warning - you have to work together, unless you want the outing to be memorable for the wrong reasons! Check out this riverside SUP base in Norwich where you pick up and return the board in a riverside pub garden. Order a drink together and you’re already enjoying your second date.
Mega Paddleboards
Mega, monster, giant, XL, there are lots of names for this kind, but they all express the same thing - excessive size! Mega SUPs are the party boats of the paddleboard world. Depending on the model, you can fit between 6 and 10 people on board, making them perfect for parties, stag and hen dos and team building events. You have two options with a giant board - pull together and see how fast you can go, or get silly! Last man standing, sit down you’re rocking the boat, diving competitions, there’s a whole lot of fun to be had here. Have a gon on a mega SUP in Newquay, the watersports capital of the UK!
There’s so much more we could write about paddleboards and paddleboarding, but we hope this article has helped you understand this fantastic sport more deeply. If you have any questions, or suggestions for more articles, let us know in the comments!
