🏄♂️ How to Buy a Used SUP & How to Choose the Right SUP for You
🛍️ SHOPPING THE COMPANY
Before you buy a board, take a moment to look at the company behind it.
Is it a SUP company, or just a company that makes SUPs? Generally, the more products a company sells, the less focus each one gets. A brand dedicated to SUP (or SUP + surf) will usually offer better design and quality.
Check the warranty length and terms. A longer warranty often means the company stands behind its product. But read the fine print—if there are too many exceptions, the warranty may not be worth much. For hard boards, warranties usually only cover defects before use, so inspect carefully upon arrival.
Test their customer service. Reach out with a question before you buy. See how fast and helpful they respond. Also look for patterns in customer reviews—one bad review isn't a big deal, but many saying the same thing is a red flag.
🛒 BUYING USED
Buying a used SUP, either inflatable or hard, can be a great way to get a high quality board at a significantly reduced price. The biggest caveat to consider is that warranties do not typically transfer to a new owner, but that will vary from company to company.
🪵 How to Buy a Used Hard Board
After determining what board style, size, shape, brand, etc. that you want, once you find a used board for sale that matches your needs do the following when inspecting the board in person:
🔍 Visual Inspection
Step back and look for any large deformities in the board. Check the top, bottom, nose, tail, and rails.
💧 Water Damage Check
Look for signs of water damage. Especially if there is a layer of wood, water damage can be very easy to spot, but it's not necessarily a deal killer.
⚖️ Balance Test
Pick the board up and check it's balance in your hand. It should be relatively balanced front to back and left to right from the center handle.
📦 Weight Check
Bring a luggage scale and piece of rope if you can - the board should weigh roughly what the manufacturer states. A board that is very unbalanced or weighs way more than it should is an indication of waterlogged foam that may or may not be fixable.
🧩 Cracks, Dings & Dents
Look and feel for cracks, dings, and dents. look across the board from multiple angles and run your hand/fingers along the board to feel for any damage. small cracks and dings can be easily repaired. Large sections of damage can be repaired by those who are handy/like to DIY or professional shops. Aside from catastrophic damage, most things can be fixed (and make great bargaining points).
🫧 Soft Spots & Delamination
Feel for soft spots/delamination. Hard boards shouldn't be "squishy" so feel and press around, especially on any dings/dents. minor delamination can be fixed fairly easily, major delamination can be fixed, but may not be worth the cost.
🔧 Fin Box Inspection
Inspect the fin boxes for damage. Look for damage around the fin box. Insert fins into each of the fin boxes to make sure they fit well. Give the fins a little pull/push to make sure the fins fit securely and the fin boxes aren't loose in the board.
✅ Final Verdict
If all of that checks out, the board is likely in great shape (buy it!). If there are some minor problems, determine if it's something you can fix yourself (see the "Repairs" section below) or if it will need professional work (or is not fixable).
🎈 How to Buy a Used Inflatable Board
Checking a used inflatable board is a pretty straight forward task. Before you head out the check it, grab a spray bottle with some water and a bit of dish soap in it, and a towel.
🧼 Pre-Inflation Check
While deflated, check the board for any obvious signs of damage or any previous repairs (like patches).
💨 Pump Test
Inflate the board to about 5-10psi with the hand pump. The hand pump should operate smoothly without any grinding sensations. Some pumps can be user-serviced, but others cannot.
👂 Listen for Leaks
While pumping, listen for any air leaks coming from the pump or hose. Listen for any major air leaks in the board.
🌀 Visual Check (Inflated)
Step back and look for any major deformities in the board. Problems like twists in the board or large bubbles cannot be fixed.
🧴 Soapy Water Leak Test
Look for leaks with soapy water. Starting at the nose, spray a generous amount of the soapy water your brought along the seams of the board and on any scratches/scuffs on the deck. If there is a leak you will see (and possibly hear) a continuous stream of bubbles forming from a specific spot. If you aren't sure, wipe the area with your towel and spray it again. Small pinholes are easily repaired.
⚠️ High-Risk Areas
Pay special attention to any corners or anywhere where seams overlap, any previous patches, and any large scuffed areas where it appears the board may have been dragged.
🔩 Fin Box Check
Check the fin box(es) and fins to make sure they fit and are secure.
📌 Final Thoughts
If that all checks out then it's likely in great shape. Minor pinholes are easy to fix (see the "Repairs" section below) and make great bargaining points. Larger leaks may or may not be easy to repair. Leaks in corners are harder to repair than on flat areas.
🦺 SUP Safety
Now that you've picked up your board it's time to get out there and have some fun. Below are some tips on how to paddle safely.
🌊 General Safety Guidelines
Here are some general safety guidelines everyone should follow when paddling (SUP, Kayak, Canoe, whatever):
Wear a properly fitting and appropriate PFD and Leash (See the "Leashes" section below)
Don't Paddle Alone
Check the weather before you go, and keep an eye out
Check the tides before you go, and keep an eye out
Dress for the water and weather
Know your local navigational and right-of-way rules
Stay visible and vigilant
Carry reliable communication: Phone, VHF, and/or PLB depending on location
Don't paddle beyond your skills (build your skills in a safe environment with instructors)
💨 One more thing about iSUPs: they need air.
If you go the inflatable route, you'll also need a pump. A decent manual pump can get a 10.6ft iSUP to 15PSI in about 7–12 minutes — which is a solid arm workout, but not exactly a quick start to your day on the water.
⚡ That's where an electric SUP pump comes in.
With 22PSI of pressure, the AIRSPIRIT SUP Pump can fill the same 10.6ft board in minutes — and one full charge is enough to inflate three 10.6ft boards to 15PSI. So whether you're paddling solo or with friends, you spend less time pumping and more time floating.
👉 If you're looking for a faster, easier way to inflate your iSUP, check out the [AIRSPIRIT 22PSI SUP Pump]
🧯 PFDs
Personal Flotation Devices, or PFDs/Buoyancy Aids/BA/Life Jackets, are a critical piece of safety equipment every paddler should wear. Laws vary from place to place on whether or not a paddler is required to wear one. The easiest thing to do is to always wear one, and you'll never have to worry about if they are required or not! For this Blog I will be using US Coast Guard (USCG) standards. We can certainly update it with standards for other agencies as well.
👶 Children
Children should always be wearing child-size PFDs, never an adult PFD. The sizing information is based on body weight and is printed on the inside of one of the PFD panels.
🧩 Types of PFDs
PFDs come in many different shapes and sizes depending on what activity they are for. For the majority of SUP paddlers there are two Types of PFDs to consider. USCG Type III and Type V.
Type III PFDs
Type III PFDs are designed for specific activities and have a minimum of 15.5lb of flotation aid. These PFDs are designed for near-shore and near-rescue usage only and are not designed to flip an unconscious person face-up (like a Type II or Type I will do). Inherently buoyant Type III PFDs have foam panels that are cut to best match the intended activity. Type III PFDs intended for paddling will have large arm holes and narrow shoulder straps to allow for freedom of movement in your shoulders. A properly fitted Type III inherently buoyant PFD will not interfere with your paddling, and you will not notice wearing it after a few minutes.
Inflatable PFDs
If you are 16 years old or older (USCG Standard) you may opt for an Inflatable PFD. These are sometimes Type III and sometimes Type V. Automatic inflating PFDs are always Type V. Inflatable PFDs come in two forms - belt packs or horseshoe harnesses. If you want your PFD to be out of your way, then a manually-triggered inflatable belt pack is the right choice for you. They provide 22.5lb of flotation and are triggered by pulling a ripcord that hangs out of the belt pack. They contain a small canister of CO2 that inflates the PFD when activated and they have a mouthpiece for additional inflation if needed. After being triggered, you will need to purchase a new "arming" kit with CO2 canister and plastic tab in order to reset your PFD. Automatic inflatable PFDs inflate when they become wet. While this may seem like a great feature, it's not always desired in a sport where you are likely to fall off into the water regularly!
Type V PFDs
Type V PFDs are for "Special Use." This can be a variety of different things, but the most common are automatic inflating PFDs and "Rescue" PFDs. If you are a whitewater paddler with Swiftwater Rescue training, a Rescue PFD can be a fantastic piece of equipment. Proper training is required to use them appropriately.
Click Here for more information on PFD Types.
🔗 Leashes
Leashes do not replace a PFD, but they can be a valuable safety tool. When on open water, especially in windy or wavy conditions, if you are not leashed to your board and you fall off, you may not ever be able to reach your board again. In these conditions it is vital to wear a leash. On small, flat bodies of water in low-wind conditions, they are not as critical, but still provide a measure of safety in addition to your PFD.
⚠️ Leashes on Rivers and Moving Bodies of Water
Calf and ankle leashes can become deadly entrapment hazards on rivers and moving bodies of water.
Never wear an ankle or calf leash when on these bodies of water. Instead either go leashless if the conditions/environment allow for it, or use only a quick-release leash that is attached at your torso which you can reach with either hand. Before using a quick release leash, spend time practicing with it in the water and with your eyes closed.
Moving water is incredibly powerful. If you are wearing an ankle or calf leash while in moving water and the leash or board becomes entangled during/after a fall, the pressure of the water will force you down under the water with your feet pointing upstream. You will not have the strength to fight the body of water to reach your ankle or calf to release the leash. This is a deadly situation and should not be taken lightly. It's not just a concern in whitewater, either. Any moving body of water that is large enough for you to SUP on has enough power to do this.
Again, it does not need to be whitewater to have the same effect.
👕 What to Wear Paddleboarding
In the summertime, or in generally warm climates, a swimsuit and rash guard may be just fine! As the temperatures get colder (especially the water temperature) you'll want to start adding layers and changing the materials you wear.
Deciding what to wear while paddling can be challenging for the new paddler, or the paddler looking to expand their paddling season into colder weather. The true answer of "what to wear" is going to come down to the exact water temperature, weather, conditions, and the individual paddler.
🌡️ Dress for the Water Temperature
The most important thing to remember is to dress for the water temperature. Your body loses heat 25x faster in water than in air. No matter how good of a paddler you are, we are all between swims.
It is significantly easier to cool yourself down when paddling than it is to warm up. You can either remove layers or cool yourself by splashing water on your legs/body/head, or even take a quick dip in the water (depending on conditions).
🚫 Avoid Cotton
Second to dressing for the water temperature, is do not wear cotton clothing (especially jeans). Cotton does not insulate when it is wet and it also becomes heavy and uncomfortable.
🎥 Video Guide
Here is a video explaining some different options for cold-weather paddling clothing.
🦶 Footwear
Footwear while paddling is another item to consider. When it's warmer or the environment is generally foot-friendly (like sandy beaches) barefeet on your board is not only comfortable, but really allows you to connect your body to the board. When it's colder, or you're in less foot-friendly environments wetsuit booties or paddling shoes can be really helpful without separating you too far from your board. In Cold weather, thicker neoprene booties or paddling shoes over a dry suit are the way to go to protect your feet and keep them warm.
🏓 Paddles
Beginners will often find the paddle that comes with a SUP kit is sufficient for most of their use. As paddlers grow in skill and begin to diversify into different niches of the sport, a paddle upgrade is often high on the list of recommendations.
🔧 HOW TO PICK A NEW PADDLE
📏 Length
First, you'll want to decide if you want a fixed length paddle, adjustable paddle, or travel paddle. Fixed length paddles will be the lightest option, but offer no room for change once you select/cut the length. Two piece adjustable paddles strike a nice balance between weight and adjustability, but are essentially as difficult to store and transport as a fixed-length paddle. Travel paddles break down into 3, 4, or 5 pieces and may or may not be adjustable in length (but usually are).
🔹 Blade Shape - Outline
One your length is decided, the next thing you'll want to pick is your blade size and shape. Blade sizes will vary from 75sqin to 105sqin in surface area. Larger paddle blades provide a lot of power and torque, but require a strong body to use them, take a toll on your body, and usually need a slower cadence. Smaller paddle blades provide less power per stroke, but are easier to paddle with a faster cadence and are usually easier on your body. Most people will find a happy medium somewhere between 80-95sqin. The blade size should be matched to your body size (smaller blades for smaller paddlers, larger blades for larger paddlers), and paddling style (smaller blades for high cadence, larger blades for low cadence).
Paddle blades come in a variety of shapes. They fall on a spectrum between low-aspect blades that look like teardrops and high-aspect blades that look like rectangles. low-aspect blades provide a lot of initial power at the front of the stroke, but have an inconsistent feel as the blade sinks into the water. They are best for lower-cadence casual applications or paddlers who need short bursts of lots of energy (like catching a wave). High-aspect blades have a smooth, consistent feel as they enter the water and provide a more even stroke that is more conducive to higher cadences.
And of course paddle blades run the gamut between the two extremes, so you can find a blade with a slight teardrop or slight rectangular shape to best suit your own needs.
🔸 Blade Shape - Face
The next thing to decide is what shape and features do you want on the power face of the paddle blade. Most entry-level paddles have a pretty noticeable "scoop" or "spoon" shape to them. This shape does two things: 1) it tells the paddler which way to hold the paddle and 2) it puts out a lot of force with each stroke. However that same spoon shape typically doesn't work well for advanced paddlers for a variety of reasons: 1) it creates cavitation during the catch phase of the stroke 2) it can introduce flutter 3) it does a poor job of bracing and 4) it has a sloppy/grabby release.
Flat-blades are far more common in intermediate and advanced paddles. These flat faces are typically paired with a Rake angle. This is the angle the blade departs from the long-axis of the paddle shaft. Having a rake angle does several things: 1) allows the paddler to transfer weight to the paddle during the catch 2) keeps the paddle blade vertical longer during the power phase of the stroke 3) provides a usable angle for bracing with the paddle blade. The flat blade also gives a clean release at the end of the paddle stroke without grabbing water on the way out. SUP paddles will have anywhere from 0° to 12° of rake angle depending on their intended use and the paddler's needs. Typically 7°-10° of rake angle is most common on touring and racing paddles. Surf and whitewater paddles may have less of a rake angle, and pure racing paddles may have more.
Lastly, blades may have either a totally flat face, a single dihedral, or a double dihedral on the face. A dihedral is small rise in the power face of the paddle that helps direct water off the sides of the paddle. By directing water off of the paddle blade a dihedral reduces any flutter caused by forcing the paddle blade through the water. Single Dihedrals are right down the middle of the blade to equally shed water left and right, while double dihedrals will start together near the top of the blade before moving to either side creating two ridges with a "pocket" in the middle. The pocket, when implemented properly, can help add power to a smaller blade while still directing water off each side for a flutter-free paddle stroke.
🧱 Paddle Materials
Once you have decided on what length, size, and shape you want for your paddle, it's time to pick the paddle materials.
Aluminum paddles are heavy, but cheap. Low-cost SUP kits will usually include an aluminum paddle with a nylon blade. These work fine for beginners, but are heavy and the blades typically have a scooped shape and the blade itself is soft and deflects in the water. Unless you are an outfitter looking to buy dozens of paddles at a time for rentals, skip aluminum as a paddle material.
Fiberglass offers a great mid-range material. It's significantly lighter and stronger than aluminum, it has a small amount of flex in the shaft for comfort, and can be equipped with either a cost-saving and durable nylon blade, or a lighter weight and stiffer fiberglass blade. Fiberglass is also cost-friendly.
Carbon Fiber comes in many different forms, weaves, and layups and is known for being very strong and light weight. Not all carbon fiber is created equally. In fact, a low-end carbon fiber paddle is likely to be heavier than a medium-to-high end fiberglass paddle. Carbon fiber can create an amazing light and strong paddle, but is also very stiff. Over long periods of time, a full carbon fiber paddle may become very fatiguing because of it's stiffness. Carbon fiber is also typically more expensive, with high-end paddles reaching into the $600 range.
Carbon Fiber and fiberglass (and other composite materials) can be used together to save weight, money, and create the ideal stiffness profile. Other exotic materials, like aluminized fiberglass (aka "Texalium" or "silver carbon fiber") provide different properties manufacturers can utilize.
Nylon/Plastic is often used as a coating on paddle blades to increase durability. It also greatly increases the weight of the paddle Plastic should never be the primary material for a paddle shaft as it will either be too weak to stand up to the torque applied to it, or too heavy to be useful.
Wooden Paddles can be not only wonderfully functional, but also pieces of art in their own. Wood is not a particularly light material, but species selection and combination with other materials (like a carbon fiber shaft) can keep the weight very reasonable.
✋ Handle Shape and Shaft Diameters
Finally, don't forget about the smaller details of your new paddle. Paddle handles come in various shapes and sizes. T-Grips are great for maximum grip for whitewater or racing, Palm grips are more comfortable than T-grips, but don't allow as much ability to tightly wrap your fingers.
Paddle shafts can also come in a standard diameter (roughly 1.125") a small diameter for paddlers with smaller hands (roughly 1"), or they can be "indexed" with an oval shape that is more ergonomic and helps identify where your hand should be.
🐟 Fins
SUP Fins come in a huge variety of not only shapes and sizes, but also mounting systems and arrangements.
🔧 FIN SETUPS
2+1
A 2+1 fin system is a single large center fin and two smaller side fins (sometimes called side-bites). This is a versatile arrangement that can also be used as either a Single Fin or a Double Fin (though not great as a Twin if the side fins are heavily toed in). This arrangement comes from a surfing background. It provides great tracking on flat water and the smaller side fins provide for a high degree of control on a wave face without sacrificing too much speed to drag. The additional side fins also help with stability by providing more resistance to the board "rolling" on it's long axis. With iSUPs, sometimes the side fins are permanently attached. These are typically very small (1.5") and are made of a softer material. This arrangement is not quite as useful as a proper 2+1 setup, but still works well. A 2+1 system can also be used with the same size fin in all three spots for a "Thruster" setup for surfing.
Center Fin
A single center fin is the next most common setup on SUPs. Here a single large fin does all the work. It tracks well and is slightly faster (all other things equal) than a 2+1. The main benefit with this setup is speed and simplicity.
Twin Fin
Twin fin systems use two large fin boxes that are set parallel to the center of the board (0 Toe angle). This setup is less common on SUPs, but is available on some compact boards that are designed to be folded in half before rolling. It provides for high quality tracking, but also increases drag by adding a second fin. Since the fin boxes are not toed in, it's also not idea to use with shorter fins for surfing.
Fixed Thruster
Some SUPs come with three smaller flexible fins arranged in a Thruster setup. They are all the same size and are typically shorter (4-6"). This setup takes all of the guesswork out of remembering the right screws/keys/nuts/fins for your setup, but also takes away any ability to customize your setup. While they still track well, they don't track quite as well as a 2+1 can with a longer fin. If the side fin boxes are toed in, it may be beneficial for surfing, but again forces you to use only those fins.
Surf SUPs may come with Quad or even 5-fin setups as well, but those are more specialized for surfing and adapting to specific surf conditions with the same board.
📐 FIN SIZE AND SHAPE
Fins also come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The general rule of thumb is that the larger the fin, the better it will help track your board. More surface area and more depth provide more resistance to turning (yaw) and help with stability (roll). Below are some common shapes, descriptions, and general characteristics for tracking and ease of turning.
Common fin shapes for SUPs include:
- Flex/Dolphin fins - long fins with a large curved rake and narrower body. Medium Tracking, Medium Turning
- Hatchet/Pivot fins - long fins with a medium rake and wide body. High Tracking, Medium Turning
- D-Fins - Medium length Fins with very wide base and wide tip. Medium Tracking, Medium Turning
- Grass Fins - short length, but very large swept back surface area. Medium Tracking, Low Turning
- Stubby fins - very short length, very small surface area. Low Tracking, High Turning
Lastly, some fins will also have a foil shape like an airplane wing. Center fins with a foil shape will have an equal amount of foil on each side. Side fins with foil will often be most similar to an airplane wing - flat (or even concave) on one side and curved on the other. Make sure to put the correct fin on the correct side if you have asymmetrically foiled fins (flat face to the inside).
Changing your fin can make a big difference in how your board paddles. When looking to buy a board, make sure to take note of what style fin box it has and what kinds of fins are available for it. US Fin Box and FCS fin boxes offer the largest variety of fins on the market.