SUP Board Guide

Learning to Stand up paddle board involves patience and balance, you don't need to be really strong or fit, you just need to choose the right conditions and the best board for you!

There are a couple of questions you should ask yourself so that you can purchase the best and correct board for your needs.

• How much do you weigh? - bigger boards for heavier paddlers
• How tall are you?
• Where will you be doing most of your stand up paddling?
• Do you want to use it for long distance paddling or are you more interested in stand up surfing?
• Do you want a really stable board or would you prefer more maneuverability?

 We have tried to explain in the simplest format below the different elements of the Stand up paddle board, if you are a little confused don't worry you can call us to discuss anything SUP related! 

 BOARDS

All Stand up paddle boards have the same characteristic elements which make them a board such as ;  nose , tail, deck, bottom, rails and fins. Measurements for the length and width of boards is usually in Feet (ft) and inches ('') These elements can be different for each individual board and therefore some boards will be better in certain paddleboarding conditions than others.The volume of a board loosely determines a board’s flotation and this can be related to both the rider’s weight and skill-level helping determine the most suitable equipment for that rider and where he will use it. 

The board's width is also related to its shape , the wider the board the more stable it will paddle, as an example - a 28" inch wide board will be less stable than a 32" wide board for an average 12st beginner paddler.

 

 

There are 3 main categories where you can use a Stand up paddle board and these sometimes cross over into one another.

FLAT WATER SUP

If you live inland near a river, lake or in a protected coastal area the idea of flatwater paddling might appeal to you. Most Flat water SUP boards are designed to be very stable in a flat water environment and are usually between 30-34 " inches wide , 10ft+ in length and have plenty of volume.

Volume has a key role to play in choosing the type of paddling you aspire to do, the greater the volume of a board  = the easier and more comfortable it will be to stand on. The volume of a flat water SUP board will relate to the paddlers weight and skill level.

You can use this formula below to work out how much Volume you should be looking at in your board.

Beginners -  your weight in (kg) x 2 (ie 90kg x 2 = 180 litres

Intermediates - your weight in (kg) x 1.7

Advanced - your weight in (kg) x 1.3

Boards with a more streamlined and pointier outline shape will be faster but not necessarily as stable as they might have less width, so the board you choose for flat water paddling will depend on how heavy you are. The pointier shape boards may crossover into a Racing SUP  style board which are usually made with a lighter composite or carbon and enable you to compete in competition racing or touring if you wish.

Team Moana on the Matai River Nelson

 

Flat water SUP boards usually have single or 3  fin configurations so that you can choose depending on what paddling your taking part in. For example Imagine cruising down a stretch of coastline on your stable flatwater SUP and discovering a clean little wave breaking, a flatwater styled Stand up paddle board will catch waves with ease but it may not perform like a surf SUP would!

 

SURF SUP

Riding waves has to be the main pull for most who want to get into Stand up paddle surfing.There are however lots and lots of boards on the market which may confuse you and not meet your requirements or level.

As a common rule in SUP surfing the more Volume a stand up paddle board has, the easier and more stable it will be to paddle. Volume (usually in litres) accounts to the amount of water displaced by the boards buoyancy as discussed earlier. Boards with more volume sit higher on the water's surface and are easier to paddle than a board with less. SUP boards with lots of tail volume will be more stable than a board with less tail volume. The boards shape and volume can play an important role especially in Paddle surfing. 

Boards with less volume will be hard work to stand on for long periods but perform better on waves, volume has a key role to play in choosing the type of surfing you aspire to do. 

Longer boards with more volume and width will have better paddling glide, speed and also catch waves easier than shorter boards.

Longboard style SUP boards are geared towards catching waves early and enable the rider to cruise and perform classic longboard style maneuvers such as 'walking the nose' and noseriding 'Hang fives'. These boards will usually have a full and rounded nose to them and either have single , 3 or multiple fin configurations.

Young surfer catching a wave on the Tumeke 9'6

Shortboard style SUP boards look very similar to the classic pointier surfboard shape and will be better at more radical slashy and vertical style surfing. These boards are usually narrower in width making them  perform turns easier on waves than wider more stable boards. They too will have  3 / multiple fin configurations which will change the boards performance.

RACE SUP

If competition racing or paddling as fast as you can from point to point is your idea of fun then a dedicated racing paddle board is what you need. Racing SUP's can be split into flatwater and downwind style boards.The majority of Racing SUP's on the market today have some sort of displacement hull from the nose of the board, meaning that they slice through flat or choppy water like a boats hull and offer great glide to the user. Race or distance boards usually come with single fin configurations lessening drag and enabling the paddler to pick fins for racing or recreational tour paddling (usually bigger)

Racing SUP boards made for flat and glassy conditions can be narrow making them very fast but possibly too tippy and unstable for a beginner paddler. Therefore manufacturers usually have the same model in different widths making the board more stable for paddlers not too fussed about speed versus stability.

 

Trying out the Taniwha race board

 

What you will find with Racing stand up paddle boards is that their increased length will usually mean increased weight unless they are manufactured in carbon.

Boards made from carbon mean a lighter, stiffer construction making them more dynamic in racing.  

There is a element to racing called 'down winders' meaning you paddle with the wind blowing in your back taking you downwind of your starting point. This is usually done on longer boards of 14 foot plus length , these boards are long and fast,  and enough speed can be gained to catch ocean running swell with the wind behind you , and 'glides' of 50 -100metres are not uncommon in the best conditions, therefore another cross-over is created with surf SUP. 

 

We hope you found this guide useful and are now better informed to make a decision on the perfect stand up paddle board for your needs. 

Don't forget the most important part which is to get our there and have some fun.

If you're still confused - get in touch and we can talk you through it over the phone or by e mail.