How to Choose a Stand Up Paddleboard

We have enjoyed sharing our SUPs with a lot of first-timers, and it is so exciting to see people tackling their own balance issues and enjoying the tranquility found in standing on top of a board and looking deeply into the waters and seeing more natural habitat than can be seen from a kayak. We love our #kayaks also, but the SUPs and the kayaks each have their own purposes, weather, conditions, and enjoyment. If you are looking to get your own #SUP, this article from BackCountry is a good intro to the details involved in choosing a Stand Up Paddleboard.

Here is the article from Backcountry on How to Choose a SUP:

http://www.backcountry.com/explore/how-to-choose-a-stand-up-paddleboard

One of the things I have enjoyed the most about our boards is the flexibility during warm weather to get into and out of the water to swim and play and then just as quickly hop back up onto the board for some more #paddling.

If you are new to paddling a board, don’t be alarmed if your feet begin to tingle, get a bit numb, or hurt afterwards! You are using tiny little muscle and tendon connections that you seldom, if ever, use in our modern shoe-encased lifestyle.

Depending on the length and the buoyancy of the board, you may experience some difficulty maintaining a straight tracking line (a direct straight-forward path) through the water. One of the tricks I have learned is that a slight bending of the opposite knee from the side where the stroke is being applied will help maintain a straighter path than just a solid, stiff-legged forward-facing paddling stroke. Just that little bit of “unweighting” from the side opposite of the stroke makes a big difference.

Don’t hesitate to try out a variety of boards before you find the one that works best for you! We like wider, longer boards that also allow us to enjoy a variety of movements, rather than a long narrow board that is strictly for racing.

The SUPs are all seasons! Well, at least until the ice covers the water! lol! One thing to keep in mind if you are considering paddling during the months of November through April IS the temperature of the water. Many states have PFD rules that require personal flotation devices, but I would also recommend that you look into DRY SUITS for the colder months rather than WET SUITS. We use DRY SUITS when the water and air temperatures, and our goal is to STAY dry and out of the water; and we use WET SUITS when we are planning on full-water immersion, no matter the temperatures. But keep in mind just how those work and function – a wet suit is not designed to keep you warm and dry if you are outside of the water. Many people get this confused. We are going to do a quick video on the differences during Thanksgiving break in a few weeks when we will be back in the Outer Banks for the holiday.

For me, whether I choose a kayak or SUP depends upon the weather and the type of water, and how I want to experience the water that day. If the day is windy, I know that I will have a better experience on the water that day if I choose a kayak. If the day is calm, and I just want to relax and maybe swim a little bit, I would choose a SUP. If I am at the lake or the #ocean, and the waves are up, and I want to surf, I can go either with a SUP or a big-water kayak and enjoy some crazy #surfing!

I hope the attached article helps you sort out the differences in the styles of SUPs and issues to consider. We have had a lot of fun with our boards and many people have tried them out before purchasing their own.

Paddle on!

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