Home > How to Choose a Stand Up Paddle Board
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How to Choose A Stand Up Paddle Board
What is your main SUP objective (besides having fun): Flatwater, Surf or Both?
Flat Water: This would be considered anywhere you intend to paddle board while not trying to catch and ride waves such as rivers, lakes and bays. Typical board sizes range from 10'-12' in length for recreational paddlers and 12'6 to 14' for long distance or speed oriented paddlers. The typical shape of a recreational SUP board for flat water is very similar to a surfboard longboard; round nose, wide outline and a square tail. The longer the board the more surface area on the water and the better it will glide over the water for faster overall paddle speed. You may prefer to sacrifice some of the speed for a shorter board to make it easier to handle in and out of the water. Because the Glider ,Classic and Tava boards still have a nice longboard shape they can also be surfed in waves but would be considered high volume boards and less maneuverable than other surf models. The Race and Touring boards are not meant to be surfed in waves. The Inflatable SUP boards are a great option for anyone with no space for storage or transport.
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Surf: Your primary focus is to paddle in and out of the surf zone catching and riding as many waves as possible. Like in regular prone surfing there are a lot of different shapes and sizes of boards for different styles of surfing. The smaller and less volume of board the more maneuverable the board will be allowing for more aggressive surfing. A true surf model SUP will be in the 8'0 – 10'6 size range with shapes mimicking those of surfboards from short boards with pointed noses to longboards. Typically the less volume to the board the more maneuverable, responsive and performance oriented the board will be. Of course it still needs to float you while paddling standing up.
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Flat Water and Surf: This is the person looking to paddle for fun or exercise in flat water but would also like to have it be small enough and maneuverable enough to perform well in the surf. Because Flat water and surf SUPs are on opposite ends of the size spectrum, we suggest something in the middle of both. For more experienced surfers the size range would be from 9'6 to 10'6 and for non-surfers or small wave days only the size range would be 10' 6 – 12'. Rule of thumb is the longer the better for flat water and the shorter the better for surfing so you will need to decide what you will be doing most often and lean that way.
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What Size Board is Right For You?
You want to choose a paddle board that has enough volume (buoyancy) based on your Weight and Experience level to properly float you. We have created a chart of every SUP model we offer and the characteristics, suggested weights and volumes for each board. You cannot be too light for a board so as long as your weight is at or below the suggested weight limit you should be fine.
View Our Size & Weight SUP Model Comparison Chart
A Word about Fin Set ups
When your just getting started as long as your paddle board has a fin in it your fine. However there are some common fin setups you should be familiar with.
Single Fin: Many paddle boards will have one large fin directly in the back center of the board near the tail. This large fin which can range anywhere from 8-10" in length helps to track the board on the flatwater or face of the wave while surfing.
2 Plus 1: This is a very common type and usually includes a large single fin 8-10" tall in the center and 2 small side fins 3-4" in tall on the left and right. The side bites help the board track better thru turns while surfing on the face of the wave and help the tail hold the wave face.
Quad Fins: Quad fins are 4 fins total with a large and small fin mounted along the rail on both sides of the tail. Quad fins help the board drive in slow spots due to the lack of drag from a center fin and also help the board grip and track on hollow waves since the fins are situated along the rail line.
Other: Above are just a few of the most common types of fin setups. However there are infinite configuration possibilities.
 About the Author - Marc Miller is the founding partner of Isle Surf & SUP an online retailer of paddle boards & surfboards. He has been involved in board manufacturing, product development and website management for Isle since its inception in 2004. He also writes the Isle Surf & SUP Blog. An avid surfer and paddler for the past 2 decades when hes not in the office he can be found on foreign shores searching for waves and fun.
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