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Paddleboard advice

W

Wondering Star

Messages
379
Location
Cambridgeshire
Vehicle
T6 Beach 150
Not sure if anyone on the forum has any knowledge of paddleboards.
Looking to buy an inflatable board for the family, two adults two kids for messing about on the Norfolk broads this summer.
Have done a little boarding before but hired in the past looking for any advise you can give.
Thanks.
 
O’Shea make good boards that won’t break the bank. We bought a secondhand one years ago and its still going strong:

SUP's

O'Shea is a truly rider owned & operated company, building only high-end, high quality surfing, SUP, inflatable SUP, windsurf and wetsuit products, with staff who stand by their product 100%. Our inflatable SUP range is considered one of the best in the world in terms of durability and quality...
www.osheasurf.com www.osheasurf.com
 
We found aquamarina to be a popular choice in mainland Europe last year so bought one when we returned. Good price & good quality bit of kit
 
This is a bit like asking for advice on bikes, it depends on budget, how you will use them, skill and ability levels of the different users.

All the brands mentioned so far are great but dearer. If there are 4 of you chances are you will want more than one. It's possible to double up on a bigger board but not really the same as having your own.

The width of the board affects stability, the length the speed and directional stability, the height/board thickness the weight a board can take.

Decathlon do cheaper/fun/ occasional use ones that some recommend. You can also get even cheaper Chinese made ones that are ok, if you are just wanting lighter occasional use, less stable boards suitable for kids/ more agile users. We picked couple of these from Carrefour last trip to Brittany. At under €200 each they are fun/ easy to pack toys for the odd trip, complementing a much more expensive inflatable kayak we usually take when not wanting to take our normal boats/roofrack.
 
Wondering Star said:
Not sure if anyone on the forum has any knowledge of paddleboards.
Looking to buy an inflatable board for the family, two adults two kids for messing about on the Norfolk broads this summer.
Have done a little boarding before but hired in the past looking for any advise you can give.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Try sportspursuit.com for a couple of quality bargains. I’ve paid £700+ and bought cheap ones off eBay. They all do the same thing. Great fun - we take ours away every summer to Europe.
 
I am a fan of rigid boards myself but Gong Galaxy have a good reputation.
 
We have 2 Decathlon boards. One 10ft, one 11ft. They are great for just messing about as they are quite wide so give you a nice stable platform. I’d only recommend the 11ft if you are 100kg + or will have multiple people onboard.
 
11ft decathlon Board is the best in my view for a balance of price and quality. Unless you want a red paddle board which are better but double cost. I’m not a pro SUPer !!! but have tried quite a lot of different ones. Unless for small kids or very light adults only avoid anything sub 11ft and make sure 6in depth. 350 quid decathlon much superior to others in price range. If you google ‘SUP review Indepentent’ there is a quite good article reviewing them in that newspaper. Hard to find many reviews that are not sponsored !!! Enjoy. SUP is great fun. And buy a descent pump!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
few more reviews...

standuppaddlemag.co.uk

Inflatable SUP reviews – SUP Mag UK

O’Shea’s GTR HPx 12’6 inflatable SUP landed just as the September 2023 heatwave arrived in the UK. With flat water in effect, it was the perfect chance to explore the brand’s hybrid race/touring paddle board and its performance. As with all O’Shea inflatables, the manufacturing and quality are...
standuppaddlemag.co.uk standuppaddlemag.co.uk
 
good thread - i need a beginners all round solid board, any recommendations?
OP i hope you have your answer, sorry to kinda hijack :)
 
Volkywagen said:
good thread - i need a beginners all round solid board, any recommendations?
OP i hope you have your answer, sorry to kinda hijack :)
Click to expand...

Below both make good quality boards; Its more a case of buying what you can hold of at the moment as bit of a backlog at the factories.

www.neptunesups.com

Top quality Allrounder SUPs board

This All Rounder SUP board with its 3 layers of quality glass and bamboo veneer top and bottom will be the envy of others regardless of wether your on a lake or riding waves.
www.neptunesups.com
sbsboards.com

SUP NAVIGATOR, Navigator Stand Up Paddle Board - Sbsboards.com

SUP NAVIGATOR. Sup is our all-around Stand Up Paddleboard for flat water and small waves really popular with family’s beginners and wave surfers.
sbsboards.com
 
We use a couple of boards from Sandbanks SUP Style, excellent build quality. Lots of info on their site...good luck.
 
Hi there, to be a bit more specific. If your a beginner and want something that you can get on with aim for at least 30 to 32in wide and 10’6 to 12’6 long. If it’s 6in thick that would be good especially if you want to put a kid on the front. I’d aim for a decent brand (Starboard do good kit see link below or Decathlon as there pretty decent. Your on the water so I wouldn’t go to cheap and make sure they throw a leash in and that it gets used. A 3 piece paddle is also handy for transportability. The following link to SUP North Devon looks a decent board as a starting point and maybe a keeper for a family. They also do other sizes.

https://www.supnorthdevon.co.uk/product-page/starboard-igo-11-2-x-31-zenlite-package

I’ve been SUPing since the days when people looked at you like the second coming, so my comments are made with a degree of experience.
 
Wondering Star said:
Not sure if anyone on the forum has any knowledge of paddleboards.
Looking to buy an inflatable board for the family, two adults two kids for messing about on the Norfolk broads this summer.
Have done a little boarding before but hired in the past looking for any advise you can give.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

We have 2 RED paddle boards, they might be a bit pricey but they are bombproof.
Before I bought ours I witnessed a guy who hires them actually drive his transporter over one !!!!
I’ll take 2 please ;)
 
We have a Red and a Two Bare Feet. Both 10ft6. When paddling with others with longer boards, my shorter boards are notably a tiny bit slower (so I have to paddle harder to keep up). The TBF was 25% of the price of the Red. And just a little bit less stable. But also lighter, so if I am cycling to the river (10 mins with SUP in backpack) I take the TBF.
 
A 10-11 x 30-32 inflatable board is a great all around choice for beginners and family. I dont think there is a fundamental difference between the boards mentioned I would just stick with a known brand. The real mistake you can make is getting bit by the sup bug which leads naturally and quickly to more specialised boards either in the touring/race or surf categories. These boards allow you to take advantage of your newfound skills and are generally narrower which vastly improves speed and manoeuvrability. So if you do get bitten by the bug, factor in the cost of another board(s) down the line!
 
Wondering Star said:
Not sure if anyone on the forum has any knowledge of paddleboards.
Looking to buy an inflatable board for the family, two adults two kids for messing about on the Norfolk broads this summer.
Have done a little boarding before but hired in the past looking for any advise you can give.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Get one with two compartments if you are doing anything serious as the cheaper ones if they spring a leak anywhere on the board will sink. Also floating paddles are a good idea. Hope that helps. Lots of good reviews online at SUP mag or windsurf mag
 
Whichever one you buy, make
Bazabailey said:
Get one with two compartments if you are doing anything serious as the cheaper ones if they spring a leak anywhere on the board will sink. Also floating paddles are a good idea. Hope that helps. Lots of good reviews online at SUP mag or windsurf mag
Click to expand...

+ a Buoyancy aid that fits you properly.
 
Hi All
Now ordered two boards from Sandbanks SUP Style (thanks Bubblebus).
Spoke to the owner who was excellent, gave us plenty of advise.
Small company, Father and Son team.
Would recommend.
 
I'm an avid surfer and would definitely recommend Red Paddle Co or a good Gong if you want to sup in any sea or ocean. Gong doens't offer the best quality but is always good and the best value for money. Shops will sayy it's rubbish becasue they don't sell it, it's internet only. https://www.gong-galaxy.com/
 
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