A regular question for shoppers of family paddle boards is if you can you have two people on a paddle board? While technically possible, paddle boards are not designed for two people.
 
VOLUME IS KEY
A person’s ability to stand above the water on a paddle board is due to its volume. A paddle board’s volume is measured in Liters and the more volume a board has. the greater the weight is can displace.

Displacement occurs when an object (paddle board) enters water, it pushes out water to make room for itself. The object pushes out a volume of water that is equal to its own volume. As a result, a paddle board with a large amount of volume can support more weight.

In order for two people to be on a paddle board, the board’s volume must be able to support the combined weight of the riders. For families, it is possible to paddle with an adult and a child, however, two adults may be to much weight for most boards.

BALANCE AND GLIDE
Event though, it’s technically possible to take two people on a paddle board as long as the board’s volume can support you, it doesn’t mean that you should.

Paddle boards are shaped to support a single rider. All quality paddle board have a “sweet spot” on the board that maximizes rider balance and the board’s flow through the water. Usually, this is close to or just behind the centre of the board. When weight is displaced outside of the sweet spot, the board becomes less stable and performance suffers.

Having a second person sitting behind the paddler may cause the back portion of the board to submerge. Once a board begins to submerge, it will become more difficult to paddle distance due to increase water drag and reduce glide. The drag will also affect the paddlers’ ability to maintain the desired course.

Children or dogs sitting at the nose of the board will also affect the boards performance on choppy water. Many paddle board styles have a rocked nose to help the board move over water chop. The added weight along the front of the board, prevents the board from naturally rising and lifting over the chop. Plowing through water chop degrades performance and reduces the boards glide.

SAFETY
For safety, paddlers need to be tethered to their paddle board with a leash. The leash is the connection between the paddler and the board. The board provides SAFETY. It is a solid surface that will keep the paddler from drowning. Leash attachments ae located on the rear of all paddle boards. Unleashed riders sitting at the front of the board risk the chance of falling off and quickly becoming separated from the board. Being separated from the board can increase the risk of drowning.

People looking for a family paddle board should steer clear of trying to find a paddle board that fits two people. Paddle boards are not designed like canoes or tandem bicycles. In reality, they are designed for individual paddlers. If you really have your heart set on going for a paddle with your children, then get a wide paddle board like the Wappa Olas. The extra width provides added volume for the extra weight without negatively affecting the boards glide or performance. Better yet, get your children their own board so they can be safely leashed, and have fun paddling together.

Paddle boarding is a great way to stay active and enjoy the outdoors. It's also an effective way to burn calories and lose weight. But will you actually see results if you paddle board regularly? In this blog post, we'll explore the potential of paddle boarding for weight loss and how to maximize your results.

WHAT IS PADDLE BOARDING?
Paddle boarding is a water sport that involves standing on a wide, buoyant board and using a long paddle to propel yourself through the water. It's an excellent full-body workout that can help you build strength, balance, and endurance while enjoying the scenery around you.
 
MUSCLES WORKED WHILE PADDLE BOARDING
Paddle boarding is definitely a full-body workout! All areas of your body are exercised while paddling.
Upper Body: Pectorals, Deltoids
Back: Trapezius, Rhomboids and Lats.
Core: Abdominals, Obliques and Erector Spinae
Legs: Glutes, Hamstrings and Quadriceps

HOW MANY CALORIES DOES PADDLE BOARDING BURN?

The exact number of calories burned while paddle boarding depends on several factors such as your weight, intensity level, and duration of your session. Generally speaking, it's estimated that an hour of moderate-intensity paddle boarding can burn up to 500 calories for someone who weighs 150 pounds. That number increases if you increase the intensity or add in some additional exercises like squats or lunges while you're out on the water.

TIPS FOR MAXIMIZING WEIGHT LOSS WITH PADDLE BOARDING
If you're looking to maximize your weight loss with paddle boarding, there are a few tips that can help:

- Increase Your Intensity: To burn more calories during your session, try increasing your intensity by paddling faster or adding in some additional exercises like squats or lunges while you're out on the water.

- Change Up Your Routine: To keep things interesting and prevent boredom from setting in, try changing up your routine every once in awhile by doing different types of exercises or paddling in different directions.

- Make It Social: Invite friends or family members to join you for a paddle boarding session so that you can have fun together while getting fit!

- Track Your Progress: Tracking your progress is key when it comes to seeing results from any exercise routine. Keep track of how many calories you burn during each session as well as any changes in body composition (such as inches lost) so that you can stay motivated and on track with your goals.

Paddle boarding is an excellent way to stay active and enjoy the outdoors while burning calories and potentially losing weight over time. By increasing your intensity level, changing up your routine periodically, making it social with friends or family members, and tracking your progress along the way, you can maximize your results with paddle boarding for weight loss!

Is it possible to use a paddle board on the ocean? The quick answer is Yes! Stand up paddle boarding was developed on the ocean and it evolved from longboard surfing and outrigger canoeing. However, not every paddle board is suitable for the ocean, and paddlers should understand what makes a paddle board ocean ready.
 
USE A HARD PADDLE BOARD
When it comes to paddle boarding on the ocean, the best choice is to use a hard paddle board.

Hard boards such as bamboo paddleboards are superior to inflatable paddle boards in all ways and it is in the ocean environment where the differences between the two technologies are highlighted. Hard boards are naturally stiffer than inflatables which provides a better platform to handle the water chop of the ocean. The stiffness provides balance and helps the board flow through the rougher water with ease.

BE SAFE ON THE OCEAN
People who have spent their lives in lake water are often surprised about the power of the ocean upon their first experience. People who are able to walk many feet from the lakeshore are often surprised that the water can be over their head a few feet from shore in the ocean, and lake tide doesn’t compare to ocean swells and currents. It doesn’t take long for paddlers to quickly move away from shore on the ocean and before you know it, the beach could be out of sight.

For safety’s sake, you should use a hard paddle board on the ocean. There is a chance that inflatable paddle boards might suddenly lose air pressure and rapidly sink, increasing a drowning risk. In 2022, the governments of the United States and United Kingdom issued recall and safety warnings about inflatable paddle boards, because of the chance of sudden and rapid deflation.

Paddler’s finding themselves on a suddenly deflated inflatable paddle board far from shore, are at a serious risk of drowning. Even if connected to the inflatable by a leash, there will be nothing buoyant for the paddler to stand upon or hold onto. This safety risk does not exist with hard paddle boards. There is ZERO chance of a hard paddle board sinking in the ocean.

THE INFERIOR INFLATABLE FLAT BOTTOM
Many paddle boarders on lakes own an inflatable paddle board and are happy with them. Inflatable paddle boards are great for people who want to paddle close to the lakeshore on calm waters. In fact, this is the way that most people become introduced to the sport, paddling close to shore.

All inflatable paddle boards have flat bottoms. Flat bottoms are fast, and offer a good level of stability on calm water. However, once the water becomes a little choppy, the flat bottom becomes a liability. Stability is dramatically reduced and the paddler will feel less balanced.

Ocean water is rarely glassy outside of the early morning. Once the sun rises higher in the sky and the wind picks up, the morning ocean calm turns to chop.

As stated earlier, hard paddle boards are better in choppy water. Most hard boards do not have a flat bottom. Their bottoms are concaved. Like a catamaran, concaves allow a paddle board to be more stable on the choppy water. Water flows past the board more easily, enabling easier paddling and improving the feeling of balance.

Yes, it’s possible to use a paddle board on the ocean and it’s highly encouraged. Just remember that the ocean is not the lake or river. It is much stronger and needs to be respected. Always wear a leash when paddling on the ocean. You and your board may become quickly separated after a fall otherwise. For optimal safety and a better paddling experience, use a hard board in the ocean. You’ll experience better balance and their will be zero risk of drowning from sudden deflation. If you’re going to use an inflatable on the ocean, wear a PFD, only paddle in calm conditions and stay within a swimmable distance to the shore.

Let’s make things clear right from the get go. You are not too fat to paddle board!

The key for success is to get a board that can support your weight.

That’s why paddle boards come in various sizes. People also come in various sizes. A paddle board that works well for a 150 lb person won’t perform as well for a 250 lbs person.

To the heavier paddler, the smaller board will feel much less stable and will sit lower in the water creating more drag. When the lighter person is on a paddle board designed for heavier people, the board will be extremely stable, but it will take more strength to paddle and it will be harder to maneuver.

A person could submerge a paddle board if she is too heavy for the board’s design. This doesn’t mean the paddler is too fat to paddle board. All it means is that she is too heavy for THAT paddle board. In other words, the submerged paddle board simply didn’t have the volume to hold the paddler’s size.

WHAT IS VOLUME?
A paddle board’s volume is measured in Liters and it signifies how much water is displaced by the board when it enters the water.

Paddle board manufacturers create boards of different volumes to enable a better match between rider weight and the board’s function.  A perfect example of this is the Wappa CLASSIC and NOVA. Both boards have similar All-Around shapes, and are designed to do the same things. The biggest difference between them is their size. The Nova is 10 inches longer and has 25 more liters in volume (190L CLASSIC, 215L NOVA). This means, that a heavier person can ride the Nova and experience the same ride as a lighter person on the Classic.

THE PURPOSE OF VOLUME
A paddle board’s volume is determined by the size of the board. Generally, the longer and wider the board, the greater the volume.

Volume brings two things to a paddle board. Stability, and how much weight it can support before submerging. The greater the volume, the more stable the board and the greater the rider weight that can be supported.
However, as rider weight increases, a boards stability may decrease if the rider is close to the board’s maximum rider weight.

SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
As stated at the beginning, the key to paddle boarding success is to get a board that matches your weight. Generally, a smaller person will find a board with less than 200 liters in volume to be quite stable. For a heavier person to feel the same level of stability, they will need to purchase a board over 200 liters.

When shopping for a paddle board, be honest with yourself and your weight. Once you match your weight and experience level with a board of proportional size, you will have found a winner.

Avoid paddle boards that are advertised as “paddle boards for women”. This is nothing but a marketing ploy.

Success in paddle boarding is based upon matching a properly sized board to your weight and experience level. It doesn’t matter how big of a fatso you think you are. You are not too fat to paddle board! You just need a board to match your weight. Now find that board and have some fun!!

Some companies would have consumers believe that they build special paddle boards. These “special” boards are marketed as being specifically designed as paddle boards for women. The simple fact of the matter is, there is no such thing as a gender specific paddle board shape.

Women like men should purchase a paddle board based on their experience level, their weight and anticipated paddling activities. It doesn’t matter the gender of the paddler, if the board paddle board doesn’t fit properly.
 
SIZE NOT GENDER IS KEY
Getting a paddle board that is properly sized for your body is key to long term enjoyment. Women come in all different shapes and sizes; therefore, it doesn’t make sense that a single board claiming to be specially designed for women will work for all women. It won’t. It will only work well for the women whose weight fits into the board’s parameters. If you’re lighter or heavier than what the board is designed for, the board’s performance and your enjoyment will be less than it should.

So, let’s forget the idea that there are gender specific paddle boards and instead figure out how to find a paddle board that properly fits you.

MATCH BOARD VOLUME TO YOUR BODY
While paddle boards vary in shape, width, length and thickness, the most important measurement when purchasing your first SUP is volume. A paddle board’s volume which is measured in liters is the best variable in determining what size board is best for you. A board’s volume tells you how much water the board displaces when it’s placed in the water.  The higher the volume, the more weight a board can handle before performance diminishes.

Below are some examples of different Wappa paddle boards, their volume, and maximum rider weight the boards can handle.

As a general rule, the larger a paddle board’s volume, the more stable it will be. The heavier the person, the greater a board’s volume has to be to maintain an equal level of stability.

The key to selecting the right paddle board is getting one with the proper volume to give you the stability that is needed at the beginning without it being too big that your skills advance past it in a few months.  A good measuring stick for a first-time buyer is to compare your weight to the board’s volume.  If you weigh 25 lbs. less than the boards volume, you will not be getting a board that is too big for you. In fact, you will be pretty much in its sweet spot. 

If your weight is close to the volume of the board, it will be nice and stable.  If your weight is over the volume of the board, but below the maximum weight, it will still be a great board for the long term, but it will be a little less stable for you as a beginner.
As the above chart illustrates, longer SUPs have more volume and can carry more weight.  That doesn’t mean that if you’re 250 lbs. you should be getting a Wappa Scout just because you “fit it”. That board is big and long because it’s deigned to easily cut through water.  It’s also 2”- 4” narrower than the other Wappa boards.  When shopping, you will need to pay attention to the board’s function as well.

With a better understanding of how a paddle board’s volume and a paddler’s weight effect the board’s performance and your enjoyment level, it becomes clear that the idea that there are specially designed paddle boards for women is nothing but marketing hokum. A woman needs a paddle board that fits her properly and is designed for the activities she wants to pursue. A woman who purchases a paddle board because it was designed for here gender and not properly sized to her body is doing herself a disservice.

The question if you should get an All Around or Touring paddle board is a common among first time paddle board buyers.  In the spirit of helping people make the best decision, let’s get the answer.
 
FIRST BOARD
As a company that has sold hundreds of paddle boards, some of the first questions we ask is this will be the buyers first board, and what activities would they like to do?

Most people purchasing their first paddle board have decided to make the purchase after performing the activity on vacation, using a friend’s board at the cottage or after a couple of rentals. They like the activity enough to buy a board, but in reality, they have limited experience.

If this describes you, I would suggest purchasing an All-Around paddle board. All Around paddle boards are perfect for people just getting into the sport. They are well balanced, and you can do any type of SUP activity with one. Want to paddle 10 miles across the lake? An All Around can do that. Want to try paddle surfing and catch some waves the next day? An All Around can do that too.

An All-Around style is a great first board, because it performs well for all types of paddle boarding activities.

GENERAL PURPOSE VS SPECIALIZED
All Around paddle boards can be considered general purpose paddle boards. They can do virtually every type of paddling activity well, but it doesn’t shine at any single activity.

If you’re looking for a SUP that excels at one thing in particular, then you want to get a specialized board. Paddle boards styles vary for the activity. In addition to the general-purpose All-Around style, there are specialized categories known as Race, Touring, Surf/Wave and even Yoga.

Touring paddle boards are built to cut through the water and travel easily in a straight line. They will outperform an All-Around style in the 10-mile paddle across the lake, but it would be very hard to catch even the smallest wave with a Touring board.
Specialized style paddle boards are excellent, and are highly recommended as a second board. When you want to have a good cardio session, break out the Touring paddle board. When you want to play around closer to shore, the All Around will be more fun.

BENEFITS OF BOTH STYLES
There are benefits to both boards, and this is where the second question we ask customers comes into play; what activities would you like to do?

As previously explained, an All-Around paddle board enables paddlers to experience all the forms that paddle boarding has to offer. You can do it all with an All-Around paddle board!

In addition, All Around paddle boards are less expensive than their specialized counterparts, and they are also having better balance.

Touring paddle boards are far superior to All Arounds when it comes to traveling through the water with speed. Because of their shape, paddlers are capable are traveling further faster and with less effort than an All-Around style.
For paddlers wishing to travel long distances in a straight line, Touring paddle boards are the answer.
 
CONS OF BOTH STYLES
From the perspective of a first-time buyer, there is no downside to getting an All-Around style. Newer paddlers to the sport get to hone their skills on a stable platform that enables them to experience everything that paddle boarding has to offer.

A Touring paddle board will not be as user friendly for a newer paddler, Not only are paddlers limited from experiencing the variety of activities paddle boarding has to offer, Touring boards much narrower are often less stable than their All-Around cousins.

If you’re purchasing your first paddle board, the better decision is to go with an All-Around style. Experience everything that paddle boarding has to offer. After you’ve logged a couple of years with your All Around, get the speciality boards to meet your needs. Don’t start with one.

Stability is an important characteristic of almost all paddle boards, and especially so, for newer paddlers who are first time purchasers. A stable paddle board enables the inexperienced to gain experience and confidence quickly. Most importantly, stability provides enjoyment to all paddlers.

With two different paddle board technologies dominating the market, a common question of first-time buyers is if a hard paddle board is more stable than its inflatable counterparts?
 
PADDLE BOARD STABILITY EXPLAINED
Stability can be defined as the state or quality of being stable, or having a firmness in position.

In practical terms, a stable paddle board is one that provides good balance to the paddler on the water, so that the paddler can stand on the board in water chop while it’s moving slowly or not at all. A stable paddle board will provide a solid surface and be wide enough to allow the paddler to stand naturally balanced.

INFLATABLE PADDLE BOARD INSTABILITY
Shoppers looking for the most stable paddle board should not consider inflatables.

Inflatable paddle boards do not offer the same level of stability as hard paddle boards for two primary reasons. They support the rider with air, and they have flat bottoms.

Board stability is directly related to its rigidity. Inflatable paddle boards are essentially plastic bags that are held rigid with air pressure. If the pressure isn’t sufficient, an inflatable paddle board becomes less rigid and soft. A hard paddle board keeps its rigidity at all times. Standing on a hard paddle board is like standing on a sidewalk. Standing on an under pressured inflatable is like standing on a mattress.

Simply put, an underinflated paddle board will be less stable than a hard paddle board because it will be less stiff.

ADVANTAGES OF HARD PADDLE BOARDS
When it comes to stability, hard paddle boards have many advantages over inflatables.

Hard boards will always provide more solid footing and better balance than inflatables due to the fact that they are naturally HARD AND SOLID and will never get soft.

Hard paddle boards can also have their bottom shaped to provide better stability and flow through the water. This is something inflatables just can’t do.

Because they’re rigid, hard board bottoms can have a rocker and concaves similar to a catamaran which enables the water to flow easily past the board. Easy water flow improves glide and stability. Inflatable paddle board designers do not have the option to create rockers or contoured bottoms on their boards. The outward force of air pressure construction, makes it impossible to create concave shapes. Concave bottoms improve water flow and improve stability and perform better in choppy water.

The contoured and concaved bottoms on hard paddle boards offers better stability on choppy water and swells.  The flat bottoms on inflatables just don’t perform as well in these real-world conditions.

Simply put, the concave bottoms on hard paddle boards are more stable than the flat bottoms on inflatables.

To be fair to inflatables, flat bottoms are actually very stable in calm flat waters and do provide better stability than rockered and concaved hard boards. Outside of this perfect water condition, inflatable paddle boards offer inferior stability.

Shoppers looking for the most stable type of paddle board should purchase a hard paddle board. Being a solid surface, the rigid sensation felt through your feet naturally improves your balance. Hard paddle boards last for years and the natural stability of these boards will keep you loving the sport for just as long.

Answering the question about the difference between the terms “paddle board” and SUP” may seem like a silly topic, but it’s a common question for beginners learning about the sport.
 
WHAT IS “SUP”?
While most people understand what a paddle board is, the term SUP provides more confusion.
The term SUP can be used in three ways:

• As an activity
• As a descriptor
• As a verb

SUP AS AN ACTIVITY
SUP is an anacronym for Stand Up Paddleboarding, and is commonly used to describe the sport of paddle boarding.

• SUP is my favorite sport!
• Does this resort offer SUP?
• Let’s go SUP this weekend.

 
SUP AS A DESCRIPTOR
SUP can also be used interchangeably for the term “paddle board”.
This context best applies to the original question in the article’s title. In this case, there is absolutely no difference between a Paddle Board and a SUP. They are one and the same!

• I love your SUP!
• I want to buy a Wappa SUP this summer.
• Your inflatable SUP sucks compared to my hard SUP.

SUP AS A VERB
SUP can also be used as a verb. In this context, it is usually used in the infinitive but not always.

• I want to SUP across the lake next week.
• I’m SUPing to Jennifer’s after dinner.

 
As you can see, the term SUP can have many different uses depending on the context. However, to answer the question “What is the difference between a paddle board and a SUP?”, the simply answer is that there is no difference. SUP is shorthand for stand up paddle board. Therefore, Paddle boards and SUP are the same thing. 

Solid paddle boards offer better stability and glide than inflatables.

Solid board designers are able to shape and contour the bottoms of their boards to improve performance and to maximize stability. Solid paddle boards can be shaped to have concave and double concave hulls like a catamaran to provide stability while not losing speed and glide.

Inflatable paddle board designers do not have the option to create contoured bottoms on their boards. The outward force of air pressure construction, makes it impossible to create concave shapes. Concave bottoms improve water flow and improve stability and perform better in choppy water.

INFLATABLE PADDLE BOARD INSTABILITY
Shoppers looking for the most stable paddle board should not consider inflatables.

Inflatable paddle boards do not offer the same level of stability as hard paddle boards for two primary reasons. They support the rider with air, and they have flat bottoms.

Board stability is directly related to its rigidity. Inflatable paddle boards are essentially plastic bags that are held rigid with air pressure. If the pressure isn’t sufficient, an inflatable paddle board becomes less rigid and soft. A hard paddle board keeps its rigidity at all times. Standing on a hard paddle board is like standing on a sidewalk. Standing on an under pressured inflatable is like standing on a mattress.

A paddle board’s bottom also plays a role in its stability. Because they’re rigid, hard board bottoms can be shaped to have concaves similar to a catamaran which enables the water to flow easily past the board. Easy water flow improves glide and stability. Inflatable paddle boards are flat bottomed and can’t provide the stability of concave bottoms. Although, their flat bottoms do offer strong stability on calm flat water. Other than that environment, the stability of flat bottoms is inferior to concave shapes.

Shoppers looking for the most stable type of paddle board should purchase a solid paddle board. Make sure to size the paddle board to your weight and don’t get anything to large for the extra stability. As your paddling skills improve, your balance will too. Solid paddle boards last for years and the natural stability of these boards will keep you and your family happy just as long.

To ask the question “What size of a paddle board should a woman use?” suggests that women’s paddle boards are a specific shape, design or size. A properly sized paddle board for a woman has to consider the same criteria as sizing a paddle board for a man; the paddler’s weight, skill level and planned activities.

Let’s dispense with the myth that there is a special paddle board size for women. Instead, lets learn how to properly size a paddle board so you’ll get years of use from it.
 
YOUR BODYWEIGHT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR
Your weight will be a primary factor for the size of paddle board you need.

The ratio of bodyweight to board volume largely determines a paddle board’s stability. As a rider’s body weight approaches the board’s maximum rider weight, the less stable the SUP will be. The less a person weighs, the smaller the volume required to maintain an equal level of stability.

To learn more about matching your bodyweight to the size of paddle board, please read our article What Size SUP Do I Need for my Weight?.

SKILL LEVEL
Your skill level also needs to be considered when choosing a SUP size. If you have several hours of experience paddling under your belt, you may feel very comfortable on a paddle board with less volume and less stability. As paddlers gain experience, their balance improves, and their need to maximize the volume/weight ratio is not as important.

Select a board’s volume with the idea that your skill set will rapidly improve. What offers prefect stability today, might feel like an overly cumbersome yacht in a year or two.
 
SIZE VARIES ON ACTIVITY
Manufacturers create different paddle board sizes to do more than match rider weights. Paddle boards have different sizes depending on the activity they are designed to do. Surf style boards are much shorter than touring and racing SUPs. The need to be short and agile, while a touring board is several feet longer, making it easier to travel in a straight line. A racing board will be even longer so it can easily slice through the water.

If you plan on doing any particular type of activity, get a board to match your goals. Once you choose a style category, you then just have to match a board’s volume to your weight and you will have a good fit.

HOW PADDLE BOARDS ARE SIZED
Paddle boards are sized by their dimensions and their volume.

PADDLE BOARD DIMENSIONS
Almost every company will advertise the dimensions of a paddle board. A SUP’s length, width and thickness are measured in inches or centimeters. An example is 10’6” (L) x 32” (W) x 4.5” (T).

PADDLE BOARD VOLUME
Volume is the best variable in determining SUP size. Volume is measured in liters.  A board’s volume tells you how much water the board displaces when it’s placed in the water.  The higher the volume, the more weight a board can support before it will submerge.

Women’s paddle board are more than some pretty graphics or a marketing campaign. Women’s paddle boards can be any paddle board in the marketplace as long as the size matches her bodyweight, skill level and planned activities. A woman who finds a board meeting that criteria will have found the right size for her.