Picking a Stand Up Paddleboard, need SUP Help!

[skifishbum]

ive got a good hundred days on a boardworks badfish with the majority being flat water sight fishin the carps
and the rest rivers

good solid board i dig the 3 chambers as it keeps your stuffs drier

if your fishin solo sups way easier to launch ,displaces less water, easier to manuver and why wouldnt cha wanna stand up and fish like a man
the sup chicas are way better to share the water with than throttle junkies waver runners and jetskiers
or those obnoxious asshats with loud as fuck 2 strokes propellers flying parafucktards skimming the water

as fer rollerblades
shitty fishing platform
aint gonna get it as a sleeping pad

and useless dead weight on a ladore or any river float
where as the sups blast

[summit]

thanks I am going to pass through Anchorage and this looked like an easy buy. I think I will do some research might be a good idea for first board to be stable.

Depends on your balance, some people think 31/32 are wide. Race boards are 25-26. I like my 35" board.

[Name Redacted]

If you are going to be on freezing ass cold water, and are just getting into SUP, I'd recommend wider and thicker. Also, don't be too macho to wear a leash, especially on flat water. Wind can really fuck you over on mountain lakes.

[Tye 1on]

Anybody familiar with the C4 Waterman 12'6" Switchblade? Have a line on one for $400 w/o paddle. Will be 60%+ Class I river (Teton), 30% lake 10% other rivers. Beginner on an sup but a former hack ww kayaker...

[Core Shot]

Width is your friend

Length is irrelevant unless you distance ride.

I have a 10 footer that is way more stable than 11 and 12 footers

[Core Shot]

Anybody familiar with the C4 Waterman 12'6" Switchblade? Have a line on one for $400 w/o paddle. Will be 60%+ Class I river (Teton), 30% lake 10% other rivers. Beginner on an sup but a former hack ww kayaker...

28” is narrow. That is an older board. They have gotten fatter, just like skis.
Know nothing about river Sup, but I assume width is key to balance there.

The only thing narrow these days are race or long distance boards.

[Tye 1on]

Great info, thanks.

[Name Redacted]

Anybody familiar with the C4 Waterman 12'6" Switchblade? Have a line on one for $400 w/o paddle. Will be 60%+ Class I river (Teton), 30% lake 10% other rivers. Beginner on an sup but a former hack ww kayaker...

I googled that board. From what I saw it has one 10" fin. Might be too long for river paddling. Multiple short fins > one long fin. I would also prefer inflatable for rivers, they can take a hit better.

Look for a used Hala or Badfish.

[Core Shot]

Just to clarify, 28” works fine if you have cat balance or are lightweight.

For a normal person 30” is not too wide.
It also depends on the rail thickness and bottom design.

I have an old fanatic allwave 9’10” that’s as stable than my 12 footer. And I use it for lake cruising more often since it’s easier to move and store it. 33” wide.
http://www.fanatic.com/product/2012-...ctDetailsTabs1

Point being fat and short can be stable, is easier to store and transport, and works fine for most uses. I have paddled miles, and yes a touring rocker and length would have more glide, but it’s a pia. Had a Naish distance board. Super fast, but long and tippy. Sold it.

SUP is a great workout, and slightly more strokes is not the end of the world.

FYI, anyone that gets into Sup should watch videos of the stroke. It’s a core crunch, stacking large muscles. If you look like a Venice gondolier, you are doing it wrong.

[Core Shot]

Dave Kalama has great tips.
There is a Hawaiian and Tahitian stroke.

Reach is key. The stroke ends at your feet. There is no power behind you, only in front

http://www.davidkalama.com/paddle-te...s-the-catch-2/

[Marshall Tucker]

So I've read this thread but that's about all I know. Seriously in the market for something; probably even-split between Ocean/surfing (smaller waves <3ft) and some flat river paddling. Gonna be hauling it in the car a good bit. New to this but appreciate a good workout. So I don't want to spend a ton / entry level. I'm thinking to just search ebay etc. for something used, inflatable, 10-12ish long minimum 32 inch wide? additional recco's? I'm 6-2 175; might have a golden retriever with me on it from time to time.

[SkiBall]

I can and only will recommend Hala at this point. So not the cheapest, but quality and support have been great.
Take a look around website, but this one may be what you are looking for in their line:
https://halagear.com/collections/boa...ts/rival-playa

[XXX-er]

most damage happens when you drop it in transit

in which case an inflatable can take the hits

I went with a redpaddle board, at 160lb I had a 9'8" but i fell off it alot cuz more tippy/less floatation

ended up with the 10'6' which was way more stable IME

[I've seen black diamonds!]

Bump. My wife wants one. Nothing fancy. Pretty sure inflatable would work best. What should I get her? Anyone selling?

[schindlerpiste]

RED......

[XXX-er]

this red paddle product looks very wife proof,

they used to just toss it off a building & run over it with a tractor but the torture test is now a little more involved

https://redpaddleco.com/en-ca/paddle...e-tough-stuff/

I got the 10'6" I deflate it, roll it up and store in the front room of the mancave during the winter

[M_R]

Sorry haven’t read entire thread but here is my purchase/research experience from last year

Red is the Cadillac of the inflatables ( top of the line accessories, build in stringers to improve board stiffness, higher psi rating etc)

Inflatables are likely the better way to go unless you are ok lifting and transporting heavier solid boards, which obviously are better if you are going to be competing, doing 5 k + paddles each outing or heading out into the ocean or larger bodies of water where hull design plays a significant role in performance, which can’t really be replicated in an inflatable.

Now wrt inflatables, I bought a middle of the line one, loved it so much we ended getting a second cheap amazon one (both were less than a 1/3 of the cost of a R.E.D. Board) and both are excellent, in fact, the cheaper one is lighter and does not seam any less durable.

The cheap boards do come with cheap al and plastic paddles,so that would be a worthy additional investment, ( I bent the al paddle on my first outing, and then dumped $250 on a carbon paddle which was more than half the cost of the board and a worthwhile investment)

Cheap boards them self’s are generally good and of similar quality from the sample group I’ve seen , it’s the pump, paddle and backpack where you see largest variation of cost cutting.

On thing to note, this is not a good year to be buying one new as I’m pretty sure they are all made in China and Production due to corona has been affected, Amazon does not have inventory in half of the boards I looked at last year.

[Name Redacted]

I've had a few Hala's for a few years and they have been great. I think a little cheaper than RED, good quality, good design. They come with a nice roller storage bag too.

X2 on getting a good paddle. I've got a 3 section carbon paddle that fits in the bag. Had an older rental one and it sucked.

[XXX-er]

IMO a hard board also needs a bag to protect it during storage & travel

Red is the Cadillac of the inflatables ( top of the line accessories, build in stringers to improve board stiffness, higher psi rating etc)

Inflatables are likely the better way to go unless you are ok lifting and transporting heavier solid boards, which obviously are better if you are going to be competing, doing 5 k + paddles each outing or heading out into the ocean or larger bodies of water where hull design plays a significant role in performance, which can’t really be replicated in an inflatable.

Now wrt inflatables, I bought a middle of the line one, loved it so much we ended getting a second cheap amazon one (both were less than a 1/3 of the cost of a R.E.D. Board) and both are excellent, in fact, the cheaper one is lighter and does not seam any less durable.

The cheap boards do come with cheap al and plastic paddles,so that would be a worthy additional investment, ( I bent the al paddle on my first outing, and then dumped $250 on a carbon paddle which was more than half the cost of the board and a worthwhile investment)

Cheap boards them self’s are generally good and of similar quality from the sample group I’ve seen , it’s the pump, paddle and backpack where you see largest variation of cost cutting.

On thing to note, this is not a good year to be buying one new as I’m pretty sure they are all made in China and Production due to corona has been affected, Amazon does not have inventory in half of the boards I looked at last year.

I think the construction of the red may be able to handle higher pressures which make them stiffer, at least thats the spiel dealer made, I know not all models of red have the stiffner batons, my 9'8" did but my 10'6" doesnt not, IME the 10' 6" is way more stable due to extra length & thickness

red have the nice wheeled luggage and the 2 stage pump, i havent taken mine anywhere but one could fly with it, the local dealer takes his to mexico

i think they are made in england which is why they are mo expensive ?

[206]

If it’s just for recreation I would just pick up a well reviewed board on amazon. I bought one for my wife on there and it is fine for tooling around in lakes and mellow rivers. It probably comes out of the same chinese factory as the “name” brands. Drop stitch tech is so good these days that stiffness should not be a problem.

A nicer paddle would be worthwhile as would an electric pump unless you can store and transport inflated. Pumping up every time will discourage quick uses.

[adrenalated]

Bump. My wife wants one. Nothing fancy. Pretty sure inflatable would work best. What should I get her? Anyone selling?

We bought High Society ones because they had (and still have) a BOGO deal so they were cheap. Got the ZG because it was cheapest and from the descriptions can't tell the difference between it and the more expensive models. They work absolutely fine for casual use, I have no complaints, although definitely buy an electric pump so that you can drink beer while they inflate.

[Name Redacted]

Electric pump X10, with its weight in gold.

[XXX-er]

One year I left it under a snow bank all winter at -20 and it didnt lose air but usually it gets blown up once in spring and stays up all season till its too cold to paddle without a drysuit

I bought the red 5 years ago somewhat on impulse to chase a woman so I probably paid too much, I imagine all the brands have since got pretty good,

Red did give me a new board on warranty so that was pretty handy to have the dealer service

[Buzzworthy]

Bump. My wife wants one. Nothing fancy. Pretty sure inflatable would work best. What should I get her? Anyone selling?

Isle makes a super awesome inflatable. I’ve had an Explorer for 4 years now. Taken it to Mexico, Seattle and all around Utah and Idaho. It’s been beaten up in use and transportation. And you could never tell.

The customer service is beyond any expectation. Lost a fin, called em to order a new one and they were out of stock for a good while. They sent me to a competitor that used the same fin and I got one from them.

https://www.islesurfandsup.com

[phattypowpow]

A couple years ago, I was a huge SUP skeptic when the GF bought one. Now I'm a big fan. We can fit two inflatables in their wheelie storage bags the roof box for trips but mostly we just leave them inflated in the garage. They are so light that it takes the two of us less than 5 min to get them on the car roof and tied down. We go for dawn patrol paddles on glass smooth lakes (mostly Jenny) and also down the Snake for a little more excitement. You can carry tons of stuff if you want to go camping (skis work, too - try that on a kayak!) and it's a good low-impact, full body workout once you learn the technique. We've gone camping on them in fjords in Norway and take them pretty much everywhere. I also like the fact that it's a platform. If you get hot just jump off and climb back on. Stand, sit, kneel, lounge, nap, whatever. It's so damn easy.

But I digress... back to models. GF bought a fancy Starboard (32" Blend, I think) for more than $1k which I thought was crazy. It is nice, though, and very comparable in quality to the Reds that we used in Norway. So I thought all SUPs must be the same. Wrong! I bought a board (Thurso Surf) which was half the cost with similar dimensions and included a paddle. First, it weighs way more than the Starboard. Not sure about actual poundage but it's more than a little. It's also less rigid and, despite similar dimensions, far slower on flat water. Not sure why but I'm working my ass off to kept up with the Starboard which is just cruising along. Bottom line: the good SUPs really are much better and definitely more fun. If you don't plan on using it that often, maybe you don't need a nicer board but don't make the mistake of trying a Red or Starboard if you bought something cheaper. You may end up second guessing your choice like I did. After 4 years of frequent use, the Starboard looks brand new while the Thurso is already starting to look a bit scuffed up after 1 year.

YMMV