5 Tips to Buying a SUP for Your Family

Purchasing a stand up paddle board for your family can be a daunting experience. Paddle boards are expensive, and many people are afraid to make the wrong decision when buying a SUP. Keep these five tips in mind during your shopping process to help you make the right purchase decision.
 
Consider the Size and Age of Your Family
 
Who is going to be riding your new SUP? Are your children still growing rapidly, or are they pretty much done? By asking yourself these questions, you are gathering baseline information that will guide you to the right size of paddle board you should be considering.
 
Obtain the weights of each rider. If you have growing children, predict their approximate weights five years from now. Now that you know how much each family member weighs, it’s time to look for a good, stable SUP. Remember this rule; the more displacement a paddle board has, the more stable it will be. Also, lighter weight riders will find any SUP more stable than heavier riders of the same ability.
 
Look for boards that have a stable displacement for the heaviest rider of your family. Lighter riders will find the board to be very stable, and the heaviest rider won’t become frustrated by having to ride a board that is less stable than his or her abilities would prefer.
 
Paddle board displacement is measured in Liters. Beginners up to 200 lbs will find paddle boards with 190L of displacement quite stable. Other beginner Weight/Displacement Ratios includes 225lbs/215L, 250lbs/235L.

Are your kids still growing?

Get everyone's weight.

Get a Durable Board
 
Stand up paddle boards are expensive and children don’t always take care of things the way they should. Polyurethane shelled paddleboards are strong, tough and take a beating, but they are heavy. Weights of 40 lbs+ are common for polyurethane SUPs.  Fiberglass boards which make up the bulk of the market are much lighter then polyurethane ones, but they aren’t as durable. Better yet are bamboo stand up paddle boards. These boards utilize the strengths of fiberglass with the added advantages of bamboo.

Bamboo paddle boards are durable and beautiful.

Get a Board That is Easy to Carry
 
I can speak from personal experience that having to carry the board to the water and out every time a family member wants to go for a paddle quickly becomes tiresome. When shopping for a SUP, you need to consider its weight. The 42 lb polyurethane unit seems like a good idea, but if your teenage daughter can’t carry it, you’re in trouble. Look for boards that weigh 25 lbs or less for easy carrying by the whole family.
 
Another factor in easy carrying is the type of sup handle the board has. Inflatable paddle boards have a strap attached to the deck to help you grab hold. Traditional hard paddle boards will have either an embedded hand grip, or a SUP handle that extends out from the board to provide a 1-2” extended handle. Having used both, I highly recommend the embedded handle. It’s a natural fit that makes carrying a SUP very easy. I find the extended handle makes my fingers sore when I carry a board.

Embedded SUP Handle

Extended SUP Handle

Consider Your Activity Location
 
Where do you plan on doing most of your paddling? Are you mainly going to be on lakes, or do you want to take up surfing on the ocean as well? If the majority of your paddling are going to be on inland lakes, get a nice all around board with a bit of a square tail. This will keep the board nice and stable on the flat water. If you plan on doing some surfing, look at getting a pin tail. It will help you with your carving.
 
Feel Secure in Your Purchase
 
As you already know, stand up paddle boards are expensive. Even the cheapest inflatable boards are several hundred dollars. Most paddle boards are $1000+, so you should feel secure with your purchase. While security means different things to different people, there are two factors that should help all people feel secure; warranty and quality of construction.
 
What sort of warranty is provided by the manufacturer or seller? Many paddle board brands only offer a thirty day warranty while some offer 1 year. What does each warranty include and exclude? Look for brands that offer as long a warranty as possible. I know I would be pissed if the SUP I spent $1500 on had an issue two months after I bought it and I had no warranty coverage. (Not saying that will happen).
 
How was the board made? Does the manufacturer show pride in the technology and materials that go into their product, or do they just sell based on price. As with anything, better quality materials and a better construction method leads to a better made product. Ask questions to determine what went into the making of the SUP you are considering.
 
By keeping these five tips in mind during your shopping process, I’m confident that you’ll buy the right stand up paddle board for your family. Take your time, shop around, and examine each brand through the lenses of these tips. If you have any questions regarding a prospective purchase, give me a call at 1-844- Go-Wappa (469-2772) and I will be glad to help.