Picking a Stand Up Paddleboard, need SUP Help!

**bodywhomper** · 06-13-2022, 08:57 AM

Thx! That’s exactly the type of pfd I was looking for.

**summit** · 06-13-2022, 09:08 AM

I took my cheap Swonder out on the lake... so much more pleasant than my monster heavy river board.

**romeo tango** · 06-13-2022, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by fleaches

Something like this.... https://www.nrs.com/nrs-vapor-pfd/pkpm ....

.
no lash-point for a blade,
something to consider if you leash up or
have gear bungeed to the deck
.

**oftpiste** · 07-04-2022, 01:04 PM

I wanna buy one, even though I am kind of a hater at heart. Think it would be a fun thing to keep on my boat for farting around while at anchor. Also have a dinghy of course. Paddleboard won't see a ton of use, and when it does it will be extremely mellow so I'm thinking I want the cheapest one (probably a kit with paddle, pump, etc) money can buy.

The price variation on Amazon is ridiculous. The cheapest kits are around $120 (sounds good to me) and they go stratospheric from there. I'm sure there are good reasons to spend more for more quality, but for my limited use will there really be much difference between the $119 model and $250ish model? They sure look the same.

**Dantheman** · 07-06-2022, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by oftpiste

I wanna buy one, even though I am kind of a hater at heart. Think it would be a fun thing to keep on my boat for farting around while at anchor. Also have a dinghy of course. Paddleboard won't see a ton of use, and when it does it will be extremely mellow so I'm thinking I want the cheapest one (probably a kit with paddle, pump, etc) money can buy.

The price variation on Amazon is ridiculous. The cheapest kits are around $120 (sounds good to me) and they go stratospheric from there. I'm sure there are good reasons to spend more for more quality, but for my limited use will there really be much difference between the $119 model and $250ish model? They sure look the same.

X-post from the Kyak forum SUP thread:

iRocker has a crazy sale going on right now, boards up to 50% off and accessories up to 75% off, and an extra $25-off code if you sign up for their mailing list: https://www.irockersup.com/all-boards-sale-2022/

I bought an All Around 10' for the fam yesterday.

The iRocker All Around boards are very well-reviewed. At those sale prices I think it's well worth the extra cost over the $150-$250ish stuff. Triple-layer construction is much more durable than the cheap boards, and is also much stiffer when inflated so they paddle and track way better. You also get a *much* nicer paddle, pack, and dual chamber pump, fully removable fins, and leash is included (often not included with cheap boards). Wish I had seen your post yesterday, prices on the All Around boards went up $50 today.

**zion zig zag** · 07-06-2022, 01:18 PM

Xterra was having a sale on its boards too. $299 for a 10’ package.

Edit on price: https://www.xterraboards.com/product...ackage-special

I have two and they’ve floated the Teton and the Snake 5-10 times and seem fine to me. So far, so good….?

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**Dantheman** · 07-06-2022, 02:13 PM

Originally Posted by zion zig zag

Xterra was having a sale on its boards too. $299 for a 10’ package.

Edit on price: https://www.xterraboards.com/product...ackage-special

I have two and they’ve floated the Teton and the Snake 5-10 times and seem fine to me. So far, so good….?

Wow. Strikes me as overpriced at the list price and the 200 lb weight limit would give me some pause if I were anything north of 175#, but the sale price is a smoking deal. I'm tempted to buy one just to compare with the iRocker. How's the stability given the 30" width?

Gotta love the gratuitous ass shots in the promo vid.

**oftpiste** · 07-06-2022, 03:48 PM

Thanks for the beta.... those irockers do look way nicer and I have no doubt they're way better than the amazon cheapos. Still feels like a pretty big price bump from under one fitty.....

**zion zig zag** · 07-06-2022, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by Dantheman

Wow. Strikes me as overpriced at the list price and the 200 lb weight limit would give me some pause if I were anything north of 175#, but the sale price is a smoking deal. I'm tempted to buy one just to compare with the iRocker. How's the stability given the 30" width?

Gotta love the gratuitous ass shots in the promo vid.

Stability seems fine to me but, full disclosure, I’ve only been on about 3 different brand SUP’s and subtle differences in gear are normally lost on me. My wife reminded me that we’ve loaned them out to kids several times, so they have some decent use over 2 years now. My son weighs about 185 but he’s the closest we’ve gotten to the weight limit I’d guess.

Again, we’re just casual river floaters and no where near high performance users, but they seem fine.

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**Cruiser** · 07-06-2022, 06:27 PM

I have a pair of the Amazon cheapies and they've been just fine for our use out on the local reservoir as well as some alpine lakes shenanigans. This is our 3rd summer with them. But I'm not a pro sup'er so ymmv.

**The SnowShow** · 07-06-2022, 06:38 PM

What specs should I look at to determine stability? And are inflatable boards more stable or less stable than hard boards?

**Dantheman** · 07-06-2022, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by The SnowShow

What specs should I look at to determine stability? And are inflatable boards more stable or less stable than hard boards?

Wider and/or less tail taper = more stable, generally

Got the iRocker today. I've used a handful of other people's iSUPs, all in the $300-400 range. The quality difference between those and the iRocker is insane. The board, the paddle, the pack, the pump, everything is on a completely different level. Like going from a Walmart bike to a real bike.

I wonder how the $150 Amazon board compares to a $350 board. You might be best off either spending as little as possible or going to an iRocker level board and skipping anything in between.

**oftpiste** · 07-06-2022, 08:39 PM

Well I'm a TOTAL pro! Not. I think you just convinced me to go cheapo.

Originally Posted by Cruiser

I have a pair of the Amazon cheapies and they've been just fine for our use out on the local reservoir as well as some alpine lakes shenanigans. This is our 3rd summer with them. But I'm not a pro sup'er so ymmv.

**jackattack** · 07-06-2022, 09:23 PM

Originally Posted by oftpiste

Well I'm a TOTAL pro! Not. I think you just convinced me to go cheapo.

Not sure if you have the space on your boat, but for your use I’d look at a hardboard. There’s a huge community of SUP nerds in Seattle and I’m sure you could find a used all rounder relatively cheap.

Even the very best most rigid inflatables struggle in chop and even moderate winds.

**XXX-er** · 07-07-2022, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by The SnowShow

What specs should I look at to determine stability? And are inflatable boards more stable or less stable than hard boards?

At 165lbs I had a 9'8" Red and i fell off that thing all the time,

I upgraded to the 10'6" Red and I almost never fall off so IME longer/ bigger of the same brand was more stable

I don't think there is any difference in stabilty inflatable vs hard but I'm just wanking about on small lakes, the hard board is suposed to be faster, the biggest difference would be an inflatable bounces when you drop it, dings are not hard to fix with 2-part and a piece of plastic bag but who wants to do that

the guy I bought the Reds off used to take the 9'8" surfing at Sayulita, so while it was nimble enough to surf I found it was also tippy enough to fall off LOTS,

he would deflate that board roll it up to stuff into the RED roll on lugage and fly to mexico, you can't do that with a hard borad

**oftpiste** · 07-07-2022, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by jackattack

Not sure if you have the space on your boat, but for your use I’d look at a hardboard. There’s a huge community of SUP nerds in Seattle and I’m sure you could find a used all rounder relatively cheap.

Even the very best most rigid inflatables struggle in chop and even moderate winds.

Nope. No space. If I did have some I'd carry my kayak. I want to be able to stow it, and it'll only get used in the most pristine of conditions, and just for fun, as I have a dinghy also. I bought this:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

looks like I got the last one. It was $130.00. I think it'll probably be fine for the limited use it'll get.

**east or bust** · 07-07-2022, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by jackattack

Even the very best most rigid inflatables struggle in chop and even moderate winds.

What inflatables have you been on?

I’d say I pushed the limits on what anyone would want to be out in a few years back on my Lake Powell trip and didn’t have any problems with my gear (inflatable board). But curious how different (better?) it would have felt on a hard board.

**skifishbum** · 07-09-2022, 09:30 AM

kinda curious myself as to that one
all my inflatables seem to handle chop pretty good

and sleep pack and travel way better than the hard ones

do you have much time on a nice inflatible? sure a discount model isnt gonna git it but all of my nice ones handle the chop pretty well

dependent on skill
ive been running a 3" river shorty skeg /fin lately and like it tightens er up a bit better in the wind without catching in shallows

**chicken feathers** · 07-09-2022, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by jackattack

Even the very best most rigid inflatables struggle in chop and even moderate winds.

I took this to mean on open water.

For rivers inflatables are choice for whitewater.

**bodywhomper** · 07-10-2022, 02:29 PM

That was my thought, too.

Had a few days out on our new irocker 11’ all around. We opted for higher weight capacity over other boards. Flat water only so far (and likely almost all the time). Paddled yesterday on calm flat reservoir tail, which was fun and interesting. Was on a bigger reservoir last week with winds at ~15-25 mph (is that “moderate”?). I could paddle directly into the wind and turn around and run with the wind, but that was it. We let it be a chance for the kids to get used to the boards. No qualms with the discounted irockers so far. Excited.

**oftpiste** · 07-11-2022, 11:09 AM

So I got that cheapest one on amazon, and blew it up in the house. Seems pretty sturdy, big enough, felt like a good deal for the price.

**XXX-er** · 07-11-2022, 12:09 PM

When I bought the Red paddle was the premium product but I'm thinking all that inflatable tech is now available to the cheap brands ?

I was at a WW rodeo on the weekend and almost all the SUPers were on a couple of models of the Badfish which are wide short/ rockerd/ inflatable for wave riding

At least up here SUP has brought new paddlers to WW that didnt com from kayak paddling

**jackattack** · 07-11-2022, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by Chair 6

I took this to mean on open water.

For rivers inflatables are choice for whitewater.

Yeah, my suggestion was for offshore use.

**Dr. Adirondack** · 07-11-2022, 05:21 PM

10 years ago, if you had bet me $1000 that SUPs would be relegated to the dustbin of sporting goods history in short order, I would have taken that bet without hesitation. Didn't get them then, still don't get them now. Maybe if they were $150 or $200 each it would make a modicum of sense to me.

But glad you all are enjoying them. I'll be the old guy in his canoe, kayak or scull.

**Buzzworthy** · 07-11-2022, 05:54 PM

Originally Posted by Dr. Adirondack

10 years ago, if you had bet me $1000 that SUPs would be relegated to the dustbin of sporting goods history in short order, I would have taken that bet without hesitation. Didn't get them then, still don't get them now. Maybe if they were $150 or $200 each it would make a modicum of sense to me.

But glad you all are enjoying them. I'll be the old guy in his canoe, kayak or scull.

5 posts in and this is what you decide is a good idea to share? Jfc