🌊What is Stand Up Paddleboarding & How to Choose Your First Board

The purpose of this Wiki is to provide some basic information about Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) for the AIRSPIRIT Customers and visitors. It's not meant to be all-encompassing with details, and will not include board reviews or direct recommendations as equipment constantly changes from year to year. If you have additional questions please ask the online Chatbot!

🏄 What is Stand Up Paddleboarding?

Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) is one of the fastest growing watersports today, but standing while paddling has been around for thousands of years. The style we are most familiar with, and the image that comes to mind when we hear the words "Stand Up Paddleboarding," is a take on Hawaiian style of recreational paddling that began in the 18th century.

SUP as a recreational activity today was first popularized by legendary surfer Laird Hamilton in the early 1990's. Since then the sport has taken on a huge variety of styles and techniques and is practiced world-wide.

In its simplest form, Stand Up Paddleboarding today is a recreational activity where an individual (or sometimes multiple people) ride on a large board made of either wood, foam and composites, or inflatable PVC (called Inflatable Stand Up Paddleboards, or iSUPs) using a single-bladed paddle to propel the board across a body of water.

🎯 SUP Styles

Stand Up Paddleboarding is a diverse sport that encompasses many different styles. Most people are familiar with Cruising - casually paddling around a body of water for the enjoyment of being outdoors - but there is so much more that can be done on a SUP (if you want to)!

Some basic styles of SUP include:

🏝️ Cruising/All-Around
💪 Fitness
🗺️ Touring/Expedition
🧳 Travel/Compact
🌊 Surfing
⚡ Racing
🧘 Yoga
🎣 Fishing
🌪️ Whitewater
👥 Tandem/Group

Each of these styles have different techniques and equipment with which to specialize, but the basic principles of SUP all remain the same. You can practice Yoga on a Racing SUP, and you can take an All-Around board on an Expedition. The differences in equipment for these different styles are designed to make it easier to accomplish that style's end goal. There will be some general information on the differences between boards based on style in the "Specs and Shapes" portion of the "Buying a SUP" section below.

💰 Buying a SUP

Buying a SUP can be daunting. There are nearly as many options available to consumers today as there are bodies of water (okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea). It's also one of the most commonly asked questions about SUP. Below are some tips on how to shop for a SUP or iSUP.

💵 SETTING A BUDGET

The first thing to do is to set a budget. This is how much you are willing to spend on all components needed to get started in Stand Up Paddleboarding. Depending on what style of SUP you are interested in, prices can range wildly over an entire order of magnitude. Keep in mind that you can typically expect to purchase a used board or kit, in good shape, normally in the next price-tier down (so you can often get a mid-budget board at the cost of a low-budget board, etc).

Below are some general categories of prices and what you may expect at each level. Prices below are in USD.

🦺 PFD - $80-300

PFDs, or Personal Flotation Devices (aka Buoyancy Aids (BA), Life Jackets, etc), are a critical piece of equipment that every paddler should have and wear. The author of this wiki has never seen a PFD included in a SUP kit. Please make sure to include this purchase in your budget. For more on PFDs, please see the "Safety" section below.

⚠️ Fly-by-Night: <$400

SUPs at this budget level (usually found on Amazon/Ali Express/etc) are usually not recommended for purchase, with very few exceptions. Sellers must cut significant corners in order to produce an inflatable SUP and accessory kit at this price point. There is typically no, or very little, warranty or other customer-service protection offered by the manufacturers and quality and longevity will be suspect out of the box.

When shopping in this price range it is generally recommended to either rent from a local outfitter (if only paddling a few times a year) or purchase a used kit from the Low Budget or Mid Budget tiers. Inflatables in this price range are usually single-layer, glued construction.

✅ Low Budget: $400-700

At this budget level one can expect to find a quality, entry-level All-Around style iSUP. These boards will be made with basic materials and construction techniques and will come with very limited warranties (1 year is common). The included accessories will be usable, but lower quality.

Typically boards in this price range are sold as "Kits" that include the board, a pump, fins, leash, repair kit and paddle. Boards in this tier are normally limited in size, shape, and lack any specialized features, but will be built reasonably well with reasonably high quality control. Most inflatables in this range are double-layer, glued construction. Some plastic (thermoformed) hard boards are available in this price range, but typically offer worse performance and higher weight than the available iSUPs.

👍 Mid Budget: $700-1,000

Mid Budget tier boards include All-Around style iSUPs, some more iSUPs with more specialization, a larger variety of sizes and shapes, higher quality materials and construction, and entry-level hard SUPs in all-around and surfing shapes.

Here you will find more advanced materials that have trickled down from previous-years' high-end models, a variety of on-board accessories (like Scotty mounts for fishing accessories), and better constructions allowing you to use higher-pressures in your inflatable for a stiffer ride. You'll also begin to see an increase in the quality of accessories - particularly paddles.

Typical warranties for boards in this budget range from 2-5 years. Hard boards in this price range will be made with standard construction (foam core with 3 layers of fiberglass) and usually do not include any accessories other than fins (and sometimes no fins). Hard boards typically do not include any warranty (besides manufacturing defects).

🔥 High Budget: $1,000-1,500

In the high-budget tier you will find not only the best materials and constructions available, but a huge variety of shapes and sizes for everything from elite racing iSUPs to fishing behemoths and more. These boards will offer amazing performance for discerning paddlers of experience.

Warranties are typically 2-5 years for inflatables. Included accessories are usually better, however some iSUPs in this price range do not include paddles at all. Hard boards in this price range explode in the range of sizes and shapes available. You will also begin to see other construction types utilizing more exotic materials like integrated plastics, carbon fiber, aramid (Kevlar) , etc. for specific purposes.

💎 Top-Tier: $1,500-2,500+

In this highest-cost tier you will find the most performance-oriented boards possible in both inflatable and solid constructions. Manufacturers will use more advanced materials and distinct shapes for even more specific purposes, and you can even get custom-built boards to fit you and your needs exactly.

Like the High Budget boards, these may or may not come with accessories as manufacturers expect paddlers at this tier to be the most discerning and picky about fitting everything to them personally. Standard warranties apply.

🆚 Inflatable vs Hard

After you have set your budget the next step will be to determine if you want a hard board or an inflatable.

In the earlier days of SUP inflatable boards were just... bad. They were floppy, limited in shape and size, limited in what they could do well, and generally looked down on. But that was a long time ago. Inflatable technology has advanced dramatically since then to the point where inflatables are just as good as hard boards in many conditions. There are now very few instances where the go-to recommendation today is "absolutely get a hard board," but they do still offer some advantages over inflatables.

*There are now some inflatable boards that are implementing advanced dropstitch designs to create a proper displacement hull, but it is not commonly available and are in the Top-Tier budget category.

📏 BOARD SIZE

The correct size and shape SUP for you will depend on two key factors:

1. 🎯 The style of paddling you will be doing
2. 📊 Your height and weight (including all cargo and passengers)

Below are some general sizes for different styles of paddling. These are just guidelines rather than hard-and-fast rules. Just like you can take a mountain bike on the road, you can race on a fishing SUP or do Yoga on a whitewater board.

*Thickness has been excluded from the descriptions below. Most iSUPs are 5-6" thick (there are some thinner and thicker boards available), and hard board thickness will be dependent on the volume of the board and its suggested use and rider weight.*

🏝️ All-Around Boards

Jack of All Trades, Master of None, but still provides an extremely high degree of versatility and usefulness.

📏 Length: 10' - 11'6"
📏 Width: 30" - 34"

💪 Fitness/Touring/Expedition

Depending on your exact use, these style boards will fall somewhere in the spectrum below.

📏 Length: 12'6" - 14'+
📏 Width: 28" - 32"

🧳 Travel/Compact

Typically thinner all-around style iSUPs made with lighter weight constructions to meet airline luggage requirements.

📏 Length: 9'6" - 11'
📏 Width: 30" - 32"

🌊 Surfing

Surf SUPs have some of the widest range of sizes and shapes available to match your local break. Typically low-volume to promote edge control.

📏 Length: 6'6" - 10'6"
📏 Width: 24" - 30"

⚡ Racing

Racing SUPs are available in three size categories: Junior (12'6" max length), Open (14' max length), and Unlimited (21'+ Max Length) depending on the race.

📏 Length: 12'6" - 14'+
📏 Width: 22" - 28"

🧘 Yoga

SUPs designed specifically with Yoga in mind will generally be the same size as an All-Around SUP, but may be a bit wider and should have a longer or full-length deck-pad and parallel shape.

📏 Length: 10'6" - 11'6"
📏 Width: 32" - 36"

🎣 Fishing

SUPs designed specifically with fishing in mind will generally be a little larger than All-Around SUPs for extra stability, and will usually have fishing-specific on-board accessories.

📏 Length: 11' - 12'6"
📏 Width: 34" - 36"

🌪️ Whitewater

Whitewater SUPs will be wide for stability and short with lots of rocker for maneuverability.

📏 Length: 9'6" - 10'6"
📏 Width: 34" - 36"

👥 Tandem/Group SUPs

Tandem and Group SUPs will range widely in size and shape depending on the intended use and number of passengers, and will be difficult (if not nearly impossible) to paddle alone. Often they will be up to 8" thick to support the extra weight and size.

📏 Length: 12' - 18'
📏 Width: 40" - 60"

🧍 Paddler Size

For the sake of this wiki, we'll group paddlers into 3 "sizes": small, average, and large.

 Small paddlers are those under 5'4" in height. Smaller paddlers will benefit from having a board on the narrower end of the size range. As boards become wider, the paddler must reach farther to keep their paddle in the correct position to paddle with good and safe technique. Narrower boards help facilitate this for shorter paddlers.

 Average paddlers are those under 6'2" and/or under 220lb. Average paddlers will likely be comfortable anywhere on the size range for their style board, maybe a little less on the smaller end of things.

 Large paddlers are those 6'2" or taller and/or over 220lb (including all cargo/passengers). Larger paddlers will want to err their board size to the larger widths and lengths for their style of paddling. The additional width and volume will provide more stability and better performance.

💨 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]

🧠 Paddler Size (continued)

All paddlers should also consider their skill level when choosing the size of their board. More advanced paddlers can paddle boards that would be normally considered too small, while beginners may want the additional stability provided by a board that might be a touch wider or longer.

The overall length of a board compared to paddler size should be looked at from a perspective of getting the appropriate volume. Many people think that a longer board is harder for a smaller paddler to maneuver. The reality is that if the board is appropriately sized in both length and width, a smaller paddler will have no problem in maneuvering a long board when using proper paddling technique.

📊 Hard Board Volume

While hard boards should absolutely still match the correct length and width for the paddling style and paddler size, they also vary significantly in thickness and shape. This makes the Volume measurement of a hard SUP a critical measure when choosing your next board.

The volume of your board should be determined by your weight, experience level, and paddling style.

Blue Planet Surf has an excellent chart on how much volume your hard board should have depending on your skill and weight.

Essentially, your board volume in Liters (L) should be your body weight in Kilograms (lb × 2.2) times:

📐 BOARD SHAPE

SUPs come in a variety of shapes to match how you want to paddle. Instead of going through all possible combinations, here are a few key characteristics to look for and what they do.

🏄 Planing Hull

A planing hull is a flat bottom of a vessel that is designed to ride on top of the water and pass over waves/chop rather than going through the water. The flat bottom also provides a very stable platform for standing.

🔹 Almost all iSUPs and most hard SUPs have a planing hull
🔹 A planing hull will have at least some amount of nose rocker

🚀 Displacement Hull

A displacement hull is a rounded bottom of a vessel that is designed to cut through the water and any waves/chop rather than riding on top or over. A displacement hull typically has very little rocker in the nose.

🔹 Displacement hulls are rarely found on iSUPs
🔹 Typically only found on touring and racing boards
🔹 All SUPs with a displacement hull will have the hull flatten out just before the standing area and continue to the tail (otherwise balance would become nearly impossible)

📈 Rocker

Rocker is how much the nose and tail of the board lift up from the surface.

🔹 More rocker = allows the board to ride up and over waves and chop, but shortens waterline making it easier to turn (and slower)
🔹 Less rocker = better for straight-line speed and tracking
🔹 Surf and Whitewater boards: significant rocker
🔹 Touring and race boards: little to none

Outline

The shape of the board when viewed from directly above or below is its outline. The two extremes are Parallel and Double-Tapered.

🔹 More parallel sides = higher volume, more stable, higher weight capacity
🔹 More tapered = better glide and speed, less stability

When choosing a SUP, look at the outline to determine how it may behave when standing in the middle, carrying cargo, or when stepping forward/backward on the board.

 Tail Shape

The tail of a board will also impact its stability.

🔹 Wide square tails = more stability
🔹 Narrow pin tails = more maneuverability and less wake
🔹 Tail shape also impacts how water releases from the board (impacting glide)

 Nose Shape

Nose shape and rocker are very inter-related.

🔹 A rounded nose does not necessarily mean a slower board compared to one with a more pointed nose (especially with iSUPs that have more nose rocker)
🔹 The cross section of the board that the water first encounters will impact how the board feels when paddling
🔹 Boards that present a larger cross section will typically feel more sluggish

🔧 BOARD CONSTRUCTION

🎈 Inflatable SUP Construction

iSUPs have two core construction components: Dropstitch Tarpaulin with a PVC Coating(s), and Seams.

🧵 Dropstitch Tarpaulin

This is two layers of a fabric sheet (typically nylon) connected by space yarns of a set length.

🔹 The space yarn length determines the thickness of the board
🔹 The yarns keep the board's flat shape for the deck and hull
🔹 Without these yarns, the SUP would inflate in a round shape making it impossible to stand on
🔹 When yarns fail, the board develops a large bubble (rare without extreme physical damage)

Two types of fabric:

The fabric layers are then coated in a flexible PVC plastic to make the material air tight.

🧱 Additional PVC Layers

Different brands may add additional layers of PVC to increase stiffness and durability:

🔹 Glued – lower-cost boards
🔹 Fused (heat) – higher-cost boards
🔹 Liquid PVC – least common

🔗 Seams

The tops, bottoms and sides (rails) of an iSUP all meet at a Seam.

🔹 Glued seams – most common
🔹 Heat welded seams – typically considered stronger

Lower-cost boards may use inferior glues and/or have inferior quality control.

⚡ Advanced Construction

Common construction techniques involve:

🔹 Adding additional layers of PVC to the rails for durability and stiffness
🔹 Integrating sheets of carbon fiber into the rails (not stiffened with resin, so don't confuse with hard board carbon fiber)

📏 Thickness & Pressure

Rule of thumb: Any iSUP purchased today should be able to inflate to at least 15PSI.

🪵 Hard Board Construction

Most hard SUPs are made in a similar fashion to surfboards:

1. Start with a foam core (sometimes with wooden stringers)
2. Shaped by hand or CNC machine
3. Layered with fiberglass cloth and epoxy/polyester resin (usually 3 times)
4. May substitute with carbon fiber, aramid (Kevlar) , or other exotic composites
5. Final "hot coat" of resin with UV inhibitors

🌿 Other Hard Board Types

💨 Ventilation Valve

All hard SUPs have a ventilation valve (manual or automatic) to equalize air pressure inside the board.

⚠️ If you forget to open your manual valve (or if an automatic valve fails), the board may delaminate or crack when heated in sunlight or transported to higher elevation.

🧰 ACCESSORIES

When looking to buy a board, don't overlook the included accessories (or those not included).

Most entry-to-mid level SUPs will come as a kit. The basic accessory kit for an iSUP includes:

👜 Bag
💨 Pump and hose
🔧 Fin(s)
🏄 Paddle
🦮 Leash
🛠️ Repair kit

⚠️ SUP kits do NOT include a PFD. Please make sure to include the purchase of a PFD in your budget!

🔷 Fin Types

⚠️ Some slidelock fins have square ends vs rounded ends – they are not cross-compatible without modification.

🩹 Repair Kits

iSUP repair kits typically include:

🔹 PVC patches
🔹 AquaSeal adhesive
🔹 Valve wrench

⚠️ All iSUP repairs take time for adhesives to cure – difficult to do beach-side. If you haven't used your board in a while, inflate it at home and check for problems before heading out.

Keep exploring fearlessly! 🌊

Have more questions? Ask our online Chatbot!

Stay tuned for our next article: How to Choose the Right SUP for You.