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Dick - 10/19/2019

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bwallace - 7/4/2019

Hi, Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) is a fast growing sport.I see many boats now have one on the side decks. I have been Supping for about 6 years, and l enjoy getting about on the board most days. Weather permitting.As the popularity of the sport grows, the choice on the market is also growing. On a boat, an inflatable board is the way to go. They roll up to the size of an average sail, and can be stowed in a locker when on passage.Now having decided that you fancy one which do you buy?Price for an average board vary tremendously a few hundred to over a thousand pound or similar in Euros now.You do get what you pay for, and there are quite a few sites that can give you advise on what to buy, sadly they nearly all have a commercial element to their sites, but for a reasonable guide have a look at https://www.kingofwatersports.com/stand-up-paddle-boarding-buying-guide.This gives various sizes, paddle guidance and safety information.One of the main points I want to make is that if you are a reasonably keen person wanting to get a bit more out of the sport, than tootling lazily around the boat, be careful what you select. The best type of board for average weight and height would be between 10.3 and 11.6 feet length average width 32 inches. The critical factor is the thickness of the board when inflated.Cheaper boards tend to be between 5, but mostly 6 inches. This is because they of the way they are constructed for a price to appeal. If you want a board that will track well and be stiffer, look for one that is about 4.75 inches thick. The construction of these board is different. They are much stiffer consequently perform much much better. But as with everything there is a difference in price.I have not mentioned brands, I just wanted to open members minds as to what is available. Nearly all are PVC not Hypalon, and when left inflated on deck in hot temperatures it is wise to let a bit of air out to save the board exploding. A cover is useful to stop fading and offer some protection to the colour loss.Paddles come in various quality, the lower priced are fine for tootling about, but you can get fibreglass for a small extra amount, the ultimate is carbon fibre, and recommended for keen paddlers.Paddles come in one piece two piece or three piece which are great for travelling or stowing in a locker.Safety is important, you should always wear a leash, again many different ones on the market, but consider a coiled one so it is compact when using it but it will stretch when you do fall off.Life jackets are available and obviously recommended. I wear one when conditions dictate, but it is inflatable and sits around my waist in a bum bag type of thing and can be deployed quickly..All boards need a skeg to help you track, these can either be fixed on the board during construction, or separately and fit in a skeg box. Both work well, the fixed type are very forgiving and can be run up to beach with care. Most boards these days have a netting or bungee on the deck to carry a bit of kit such as fins and snorkel, water etc. A dry bag is useful if you are going on a trip.Some have optional seats so you can paddle like a kayak. As with everything you have to make your choice. Nearly all come with carry bags sometimes in ruck sack style with wheels as well for those traipses though airports etc.Now to inflate the board, they usually come with a vertical type of pump. Some are single cylinder , the better ones are double cylinder pumps so they inflate the board rapidly, and you just release valve on the pump to get the final pressure up to recommended PSI. You can get electric pumps, but isn’t that cheating when the idea is to get some physical exercise? ,!We use our board for those quick trips ashore for the bread, or to ferry Sue and I ashore rather than launch the dinghy.Last week .i used it to exchange a 13kg butane gas bottle in the quay side shop, That was interesting, but accomplished successfully!So hopefully this has given you some pointers so KEEP ON SUPPING!Brian S/V DarramySupping in in the Peloponnisos

Hi Brian,
A truly excellent product report that could be a model for all such reports.
As an aside, I have no problem with actual products being named, either pro or con with perhaps the con being the most important, especially when one is provided with the details necessary for independent appraisal, as you have so nicely done. I actually think there is too much reticence at naming products that have disappointed and giving the details.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

Hi all,
In elaboration to my aside in a previous post, I find there is a reticence in naming actual products/manufacturers when sharing experiences that I consider understandable but unwarranted. In addition to hearing the details of making a product assessment, I am also very interested in hearing details of the outliers: products that have proved very successful in one’s use of them and products that have disappointed.
I would rely on our Forum’s participant’s integrity to share pertinent information when endorsing a product (ownership of the company would be an obvious example) or in sharing poor performance reports.
In any case, Brian’s report was a great example of reporting the relevant parameters helpful to making an personal informed decision. My aside was merely to kick off his report in order to make a more general comment about Forum posts and was in no way or manner meant as criticism.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

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bwallace - 7/4/2019

Hi, Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) is a fast growing sport.I see many boats now have one on the side decks. I have been Supping for about 6 years, and l enjoy getting about on the board most days. Weather permitting.As the popularity of the sport grows, the choice on the market is also growing. On a boat, an inflatable board is the way to go. They roll up to the size of an average sail, and can be stowed in a locker when on passage.Now having decided that you fancy one which do you buy?Price for an average board vary tremendously a few hundred to over a thousand pound or similar in Euros now.You do get what you pay for, and there are quite a few sites that can give you advise on what to buy, sadly they nearly all have a commercial element to their sites, but for a reasonable guide have a look at https://www.kingofwatersports.com/stand-up-paddle-boarding-buying-guide.This gives various sizes, paddle guidance and safety information.One of the main points I want to make is that if you are a reasonably keen person wanting to get a bit more out of the sport, than tootling lazily around the boat, be careful what you select. The best type of board for average weight and height would be between 10.3 and 11.6 feet length average width 32 inches. The critical factor is the thickness of the board when inflated.Cheaper boards tend to be between 5, but mostly 6 inches. This is because they of the way they are constructed for a price to appeal. If you want a board that will track well and be stiffer, look for one that is about 4.75 inches thick. The construction of these board is different. They are much stiffer consequently perform much much better. But as with everything there is a difference in price.I have not mentioned brands, I just wanted to open members minds as to what is available. Nearly all are PVC not Hypalon, and when left inflated on deck in hot temperatures it is wise to let a bit of air out to save the board exploding. A cover is useful to stop fading and offer some protection to the colour loss.Paddles come in various quality, the lower priced are fine for tootling about, but you can get fibreglass for a small extra amount, the ultimate is carbon fibre, and recommended for keen paddlers.Paddles come in one piece two piece or three piece which are great for travelling or stowing in a locker.Safety is important, you should always wear a leash, again many different ones on the market, but consider a coiled one so it is compact when using it but it will stretch when you do fall off.Life jackets are available and obviously recommended. I wear one when conditions dictate, but it is inflatable and sits around my waist in a bum bag type of thing and can be deployed quickly..All boards need a skeg to help you track, these can either be fixed on the board during construction, or separately and fit in a skeg box. Both work well, the fixed type are very forgiving and can be run up to beach with care. Most boards these days have a netting or bungee on the deck to carry a bit of kit such as fins and snorkel, water etc. A dry bag is useful if you are going on a trip.Some have optional seats so you can paddle like a kayak. As with everything you have to make your choice. Nearly all come with carry bags sometimes in ruck sack style with wheels as well for those traipses though airports etc.Now to inflate the board, they usually come with a vertical type of pump. Some are single cylinder , the better ones are double cylinder pumps so they inflate the board rapidly, and you just release valve on the pump to get the final pressure up to recommended PSI. You can get electric pumps, but isn’t that cheating when the idea is to get some physical exercise? ,!We use our board for those quick trips ashore for the bread, or to ferry Sue and I ashore rather than launch the dinghy.Last week .i used it to exchange a 13kg butane gas bottle in the quay side shop, That was interesting, but accomplished successfully!So hopefully this has given you some pointers so KEEP ON SUPPING!Brian S/V DarramySupping in in the Peloponnisos

Hi Brian,
A truly excellent product report that could be a model for all such reports.
As an aside, I have no problem with actual products being named, either pro or con with perhaps the con being the most important, especially when one is provided with the details necessary for independent appraisal, as you have so nicely done. I actually think there is too much reticence at naming products that have disappointed and giving the details.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

We have an inflatable we bought at Decathlon in Monaco 4 years ago. The one time our electric air pump did not work in Montenegro a couple of years later, it was a real pain to manually inflate it to the 1 bar / 15 psi it requires.

A SUP can be a valuable tool if for some reason your dinghy becomes unavailable, or if you are not allowed to leave your dinghy on the dock nor on the beach, as it is the case on the S side of Porto Cervo (Golfo Pevero side): you tow your SUP with the dinghy, waltz up to the dock, drop your crew and friends, tie the dinghy 10 meters offshore on the buoys provided for the super yacht tenders, paddle to the beach, and then hang the SUP discreetly behind the trees.

Cheers,

Hi,
Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) is a fast growing sport.
I see many boats now have one on the side decks. I have been Supping for about 6 years, and l enjoy getting about on the board most days. Weather permitting.

As the popularity of the sport grows, the choice on the market is also growing. On a boat, an inflatable board is the way to go. They roll up to the size of an average sail, and can be stowed in a locker when on passage.
Now having decided that you fancy one which do you buy?
Price for an average board vary tremendously a few hundred to over a thousand pound or similar in Euros now.

You do get what you pay for, and there are quite a few sites that can give you advise on what to buy, sadly they nearly all have a commercial element to their sites, but for a reasonable guide have a look at https://www.kingofwatersports.com/stand-up-paddle-boarding-buying-guide.

This gives various sizes, paddle guidance and safety information.

One of the main points I want to make is that if you are a reasonably keen person wanting to get a bit more out of the sport, than tootling lazily around the boat, be careful what you select. The best type of board for average weight and height would be between 10.3 and 11.6 feet length average width 32 inches. The critical factor is the thickness of the board when inflated.
Cheaper boards tend to be between 5, but mostly 6 inches. This is because they of the way they are constructed for a price to appeal. If you want a board that will track well and be stiffer, look for one that is about 4.75 inches thick. The construction of these board is different. They are much stiffer consequently perform much much better. But as with everything there is a difference in price.

I have not mentioned brands, I just wanted to open members minds as to what is available. Nearly all are PVC not Hypalon, and when left inflated on deck in hot temperatures it is wise to let a bit of air out to save the board exploding. A cover is useful to stop fading and offer some protection to the colour loss.

Paddles come in various quality, the lower priced are fine for tootling about, but you can get fibreglass for a small extra amount, the ultimate is carbon fibre, and recommended for keen paddlers.
Paddles come in one piece two piece or three piece which are great for travelling or stowing in a locker.

Safety is important, you should always wear a leash, again many different ones on the market, but consider a coiled one so it is compact when using it but it will stretch when you do fall off.

Life jackets are available and obviously recommended. I wear one when conditions dictate, but it is inflatable and sits around my waist in a bum bag type of thing and can be deployed quickly..

All boards need a skeg to help you track, these can either be fixed on the board during construction, or separately and fit in a skeg box. Both work well, the fixed type are very forgiving and can be run up to beach with care.

Most boards these days have a netting or bungee on the deck to carry a bit of kit such as fins and snorkel, water etc. A dry bag is useful if you are going on a trip.

Some have optional seats so you can paddle like a kayak. As with everything you have to make your choice.

Nearly all come with carry bags sometimes in ruck sack style with wheels as well for those traipses though airports etc.

Now to inflate the board, they usually come with a vertical type of pump. Some are single cylinder , the better ones are double cylinder pumps so they inflate the board rapidly, and you just release valve on the pump to get the final pressure up to recommended PSI. You can get electric pumps, but isn’t that cheating when the idea is to get some physical exercise? ,!

We use our board for those quick trips ashore for the bread, or to ferry Sue and I ashore rather than launch the dinghy.
Last week .i used it to exchange a 13kg butane gas bottle in the quay side shop, That was interesting, but accomplished successfully!

So hopefully this has given you some pointers so KEEP ON SUPPING!

Brian S/V Darramy
Supping in in the Peloponnisos