Are there people who still haven’t heard of SUP boards? If yes, then we specify: we are talking about sports equipment that allows you to swim on the surface of the water, stand on a special board and move forward with the help of an oar.
Expert Sportmaster PRO
How to choose the right stand-up board to start practicing this sport in the fastest and most efficient way possible? We discuss board options, tokens, pricing, and savings opportunities.
What is important to decide first?
To correctly choose your first SUP board, you should look not only and not so much at the appearance of the board, the color, the shape or its price. First is worth:
correctly determine the purposes for which you buy it (more on this later); study the technical characteristics of the SUP board (length, width and thickness, as well as the load capacity of the board) and compare them with your physical parameters; look at the complete set of the board (they are different) and understand which of the additional options you need; collect information about the brand and study user reviews, not only in terms of workmanship, but also in terms of operational characteristics .
Photo: www.istockphoto.com
Sup-boarding is very common nowadays. It is generally considered by many to be the most popular type of surfing, which is why there are many types of kickboards. Walking, touring, sup-wind-boards, tandems, SUP boards for children, sports, surfboards, fishing boards, yoga boards, and this is just the beginning.
In this article we will try to focus on beginners – those who are only interested in sports and want to choose their first personal board. Therefore, we will dwell in detail only on the main types. What types of boards are there and how to find your own option?
SUP boards for walking, they are also Travel
This is the most popular and versatile type of board. It is for beginners. Perfect for mastering the sport, it will help you learn to row, turn, etc.
Medium sizes: 10’6 to 12’6 ft (320–381 cm), thickness 10 to 15 cm, width 80 cm. The shape is usually oval and the equipment is quite rich. What are we talking about? Here with a complete board they often come with: a carry bag, a pump, a paddle (folding or one piece), a fin, a safety leash and even a seat.
Photo: www.istockphoto.com
Please read the specifications carefully before purchasing. If your height is above average, then the board should be longer and wider. What else should you pay attention to when choosing? By load capacity. Often a board is purchased to ride with the whole family. Therefore, count not only on your weight, consider those who can travel with you. Also, don’t forget things. You also have to take your weight into account.
Depending on the make and model, ride boards come with one, two, or three removable fins.
Reading for inspiration:
How did a skateboard help an athlete learn to surf? Personal history
touring SUP boards
This board is perfect for those who are familiar with paddle sports. His nose is pointy. Plus, it’s harder than walking. This shape of the board greatly increases speed and allows you to ride long distances with less effort.
Approximate length: 11′ to 13’2 ft (335-405 cm), width 73-76 cm (up to 81 cm for heavier riders). Touring boards, due to their characteristics, are more difficult for a novice athlete to master. They, among other things, are somewhat inferior to those who walk in stability. But, as mentioned above, they gain in speed. The fin is usually one, but large, for better directional stability.
sport surfboards
These racing shells are designed for high speed alloys. They are longer and narrower than their counterparts: 12’6 to 14′ feet long (381 to 427 cm) and 60 to 73 cm wide.
The specificity of the boards is clear from the name. These boards are very fast, have good maneuverability, but have noticeably less stability. They are usually chosen by athletes to participate in competitions.
Photo: www.istockphoto.com
sup boards for yoga
These boards are similar in shape to walking boards, but are noticeably wider and have a special coating along their entire length. In fact, it mimics the yoga mat familiar to everyone. In addition, these yoga boards have a special accessory to fix the paddle while the athlete trains and is distracted from rowing.
tandem stand up surfing
In fact, these are just elongated boards designed for comfortable riding by a company of two or three people. In addition, they can be seen by large athletes: weighing from 120 kg and growing from 190 cm.
So what conclusion can be drawn here? If we are talking about the first stand up board and you don’t quite understand how and where you plan to use it, a walking board will suffice. Although it is better to buy it. If the training will be long, and there is a skiing ability, then you can pay attention to touring SUP boards.
Photo: www.istockphoto.com
What to look for when choosing?
Another extremely important parameter in the selection is the design. There are hard and inflatable boards. Let’s take a look at the advantages of each type.
The undisputed leader, of course, are inflatable boards. Its advantages:
have high compactness and mobility; maintainable; they cost less than rigid analogues; safe: the platform and sides are smoother.
hard boards made of carbon fiber. Light, reliable, but expensive models are obtained. Its advantages:
have better glide, move more smoothly, provide higher speed, stable and stable.
The disadvantages of hard options are obvious. These tables need storage space and a car to move. Also, compared to inflatables, the price of them is usually higher.
So, rigid or inflatable? It is up to you to decide, taking into account all the pros and cons described above. In any case, do not forget to take a good look at the characteristics of the board. Regardless of the purpose, it must suit you in terms of length, width, carrying capacity and configuration.
Sap under the arm, and voila!
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What should the team be?
It is better for beginners when they choose to pay attention to boards with a fairly rich set. It allows you to solve most of the problems and issues related to the operation.
The approximate equipment for an inflatable SUP looks like this:
the table itself; a removable flap (from one to three, depending on the model; today, options with three flaps are mostly considered obsolete due to inconvenience); bag-backpack for storage and transportation; pump (required with air flush feature); oar (can be two-piece); a seat (together with a two-piece paddle makes the SUP a variant of a small boat); leash: a safety cable that minimizes the possibility of falling off the board and helps to catch up with the floating SUP; sometimes a sail that allows you to convert the SUP board into a windsurf board.
And, of course, choose those boards that you like visually. It is always a pleasure to ride not only a good SUP board, but also one that is easy on the eyes.
top 3 boards
What specific boards are worth considering? I offer three compromise options.
1.Aventum 10.6 – an inexpensive inflatable version of a walking SUP with a good package.
Inflatable SUP Board Adventum 10’6″ Teal 2022, 29,200 rubles / sup-club.ru
Photo: sup-club.ru
2. Gladiator PRO 12.6T — stiff, maneuverable, high-speed touring board with extensive kit.
Inflatable SUP Gladiator PRO 12.6T, 50 900 rub. / gladiator.ru
Photo: gladiator.ru
3. HIPER mini cover — Nicely designed inflatable touring board.
Inflatable SUP HIPER Deck Mini 355x75x15 cm, 23 800 rubles. /Sportmaster
Photo: Sportmaster
important additions
To make driving as comfortable as possible, you need to take care of additional accessories. First of all, don’t forget about the whiteboards. They should be easy to remove and put on when going ashore. Of course, when we are on the beach and it is hot, this is not so critical. You can do without shoes. But the SUP is an option that goes beyond a vacation on the beach. Earth, grass, asphalt – the coast can be different.
Photo: Non-compliant, Sportpoint, Sportmaster
1. Peak 4500 rub sports shoes. /Not conforming
2. Reebok pantolet, 3399 rubles. / sports point
3. Kappa Goldie women’s sneakers, 1519 rubles. /Sportmaster
Secondly, do not forget about the support of the water-salt balance. We take a bottle of water with us. It is desirable that it be warm. A small thermos will help you. Also remember the need to protect yourself from the scorching sun. A hat and sunscreen is something you should definitely take care of. Baseball cap, panama bandana or multifunctional buff: you choose. Specialty options are usually made of materials that dry quickly and are resistant to UV radiation.
Let SUP-surfing bring you only joy and benefits!
Photo: Lamoda, Trial-Sport, Sportmaster, Ozon, Sup-shop
1. Panama The North Face, 4199 rubles. / Fashion
2. Cap Starboard, 2950 rubles. / sup-store
3. HAD multifunctional scarf, 1710 rubles. / Trial-Sport
4. KETTLER water bottle, 1199 rubles. /Sportmaster
5. Sports bottle, 601 rubles. /Ozone
6. Thermos Gaiam, 643 rubles. / Trial-Sport
If you like to be on the crest of the fashion wave, another portion of recommendations:
What shades of green are in fashion and who suits them? 15 things: from a swimsuit to a pantsuit
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