Paddleboard Quick Tips Buyers Guide

Check the brand is offering a 4.7 or 5 inch thick all-round board in their range.

Check that the rider weight limit is at least 90kg (preferably 100kg+) and question the brand sales person if they are choosing to place you on a 6 inch thick all-round board if you are under 13 stone.

Check the board can be inflated up to 20psi.

If the brand is suggesting they can offer a stiff board at 15 psi or less, this is an exaggeration and the board will bend under a normal rider weight of 10 stone and above. The inflation of 15psi and under also suggests the brand's confidence in their gluing technology is low.

The shape is just as important as inflation pressure and dropstitch quality.

If the widest point of the board is not next to the middle handle (where your feet will be positioned) and is in front (or behind) this means the board will lose stability and will not go in a straight line as easily. We prefer all-round boards NOT to have a pointed nose as this takes the straight rail shape out of the board and often forces an odd design shape whereby the widest point is in front of the feet.

Rider height dictates the recommended board width.

Getting the right width of board for your height is really important to allow riders to gain a straight down paddle stroke which in turn stops 'over reach', which in turn allows a board to go in a straight line and creates stability. This becomes more critical for shorter riders who also really struggle if a board is too wide as they just can't carry it as they don't have enough arm length and the board is shoved too far into their armpit.

On all-round and performance all-round boards:

• Riders under 5'5 should be on boards 31 inches wide and less.
• Riders over 5'5 and up to 6ft+ should be on 32 inch wide boards.
• Riders over 6ft (and heavy riders) should be on 34 inch wide boards.

On touring boards:

• Riders under 5'5 should be on boards 30 inchs wide and less.
• Riders over 5'5 and 6ft+ should be on 30 or 32 inch wide boards (depending on cargo, kids and dogs).
• Riders over 6ft+ also have an option of 34 inch wide boards if they feel they need extra stability to compensate for their height. 34 inch wide boards are also a great option for heavier riders that feel they need extra stability over speed or for riders that are using their board for camping trips and are expecting to load the board up with serious amounts of kit.

Rider weight dictates the recommended board thickness.

It's super important that a rider under 13 stone is on a 4.7 or 5 inch thick board in the all-round shapes. On touring shapes this does alter a bit but as most riders are entering into the sport with the desire for an easy to manoeuvre, all-round family board, let's stick to discussing this first.

Ideally, At SUP inflatables we would have most riders entering the sport on the classic 10'6 x 32 x 4.7 (5 inch) thick board. The reason? This is the optimum thickness, it allows the rider to have enough buoyancy in the board to be in the waterline but not so much thickness that the board bobs around like a cork, which causes instability when the wind picks up. This is especially important for riders under 12 stone. The 32 inch width is optimal for most riders to allow stability through the width of the whole board and not so wide that they can't get a straight down paddle stroke. The 10'6 length allows a straight rail without being too short or too long for too much or too little manoeuvrability. In short, the 10'6 x 32 x 4.7 / 5 inch thick board is perfect for most people and allows the consumer confidence in the brand as this shape consistently points to premium brands who are building high-quality boards.