What is the Difference Between a Paddle Board and SUP?

What is the Difference Between a Paddle Board and SUP?

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.

SCOUT TOURING 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.