Best Paddle Board for Beginning Paddlers

By: James | Last update: 24 October 2022

You’re not here by accident. Now that you’ve started taking an interest in SUP boarding and are doing your research about the best paddle board for beginning paddlers, you’ve come to the right website! Not only do we have the best lineup of best paddle board for beginners, but we’ve also gathered all the necessary information to give you a jumpstart in this board sport. When it comes to stand-up paddle boarding, SUP Planet is your reliable one-stop site for the best-picked SUP boards and more!

Aqua Marina Fusion

Moai 10’6″

Aqua Marina breeze

Welcome to SUP Planet! I’m James and together with a team of SUP experts I help you discover the best Paddle Board. Although we started SUP Planet as a hobby, it has grown into the #1 SUP website of the world!

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How to Choose the Best Paddle Board for Beginning Paddlers?

To tell you the truth, there is no absolute “best paddle board” that fits everyone. Stand up paddle boarding is a sport where universal sizes are, and sometimes, off the picture. The best SUP board is always determined by how it specifically fits your BMI, skill level, recreational lifestyle, and preference. From dimensions and board type, to fin setups and hulls, each board is specially and uniquely crafted for a purpose.

Did you know that there are different types of stand up paddle boards? Yes, this water board sport is not your ordinary recreational activity. As a matter of fact, it quickly grew popular over the years, and tens of thousands of SUP boards are being offered in the vast online market today. To give you an idea, here are some brief descriptions of each SUP board type.

Different Stand Up Paddle Board Types

Touring: This paddle board is made for easy SUP riding–a sport that fits those who love discovering new water paths and places. Designed and crafted primarily for flatwater and sea paddling, these paddle boards are noticeably longer than all round paddle boards. For downwinders, a touring paddle board is ideal for SUP boarding for leisure and even short tours. The board’s nose is designed long for a flawless glide on the water. However, this feature affects stability at a considerable level.
Race: A race paddle board is typically a bit similar to a touring board when it comes to shape. The only difference is that race SUP boards are intentionally made for speed because SUP races are fun! While race SUP boards are built narrower than touring SUP boards, both boards have long noses for a speedy and seamless glide on the water.
All Round – This, we think, is the best paddle board beginning paddlers. Everything about this SUP board is designed to cater to every SUP newbie’s skills. On a standard size, most all round paddle boards are thick with longer noses and tails. The online market is thriving with all around SUP boards, so you must be careful in picking the best SUP board for you.
Surf – Eventually, you will find your niche in the world of stand up paddle boarding. And if you will get to love riding on playful waves, a surf SUP board might just be the one for you. Generally, surf SUP boards are shorter than other types of boards. A surf paddle board has higher mobility compared with others. However, there’s always a little catch: this type of SUP board can be challenging to use on flat waters.

Best Paddle Board for Beginning Paddlers: What You Need to Know

The best paddle board for beginning paddlers is not hard to find, but don’t take SUP board hunting lightly. Because a lot of buyers often fall for marketing hooks that cause them splurging money for a bad quality product. That is why our website has gathered the best line-up of paddle boards for beginners. On top of that, here are some of the things to consider when buying your very first stand up paddle board:

Dimensions
- Length
- Width
- Volume
Type
- Inflatable
- Hard/Rigid
Fin Setup
Hull
- Displacement
- Planing
Other Parts and Accessories

Stability

Stability 100%

Speed

Speed 80%

Manoeuvrability

Manoeuvrability 95%

Common Buying Traps: Hasting on Buying the Best Paddle Board for Beginning Paddlers

Did you know that impulsive buying usually doesn’t do any good? When it comes to purchases, a buyer who is well-equipped with product knowledge has a higher chance of preventing poor buying decisions. You’d want to take time doing research than getting carried away by enticing ads. Here at SUP Planet, we don’t just educate our visitors, but we also make sure that our roster of SUP boards will not disappoint. That is why we’ve provided you a good list of the best paddle board for beginning paddlers to save you time from long reads. To further give you buying tips, here are some common buying traps that you need to avoid:

Buying cheap SUP boards

We’d like to stick by our belief that there’s always a reason why a product is cheap. Never fall for a huge price slash-off, unless you’re looking at a credible brand. A cheaper paddle board doesn’t mean you’ve saved a lot. Sometimes, it also means you’ve shelled out cash for a run-of-the-mill product that wouldn’t last very long. Eventually, that doubles your purchase, doesn’t it? And no one wants to shell out money for nothing.

Forgetting those gold seals

Some buyers are taken by good marketing hooks that they even forget about proofs of quality. Did you know that good-quality paddle boards have quality seals that you can also look for? These are additional markers of credibility that you should not miss. On the other hand, some brands don’t have these seals, but are as equally good. Look for legitimate reviews, too.

Not taking note of real reviews from buyers

One way to avoid a buying mistake is to read the buyers’ rants and raves about the product. Be patient in scrolling down, skimming and scanning, and taking note of each review. This way, you will get to know which products are good and which are bad.

Research Factors for the Best Paddle Board for Beginning Paddlers

We know that you’re almost ready in purchasing your beginner’s SUP board. In line with this, we’d like to assure you that the following details are the research factors that we’ve considered in coming up with our product line-up in this page.

Dimensions for the Best Paddle Board for Beginning Paddlers

SUP Planet Ⓒ

Just a rule of thumb, keep in mind that your SUP board must fit perfectly for your size and weight. Because if it doesn’t have the right buoyancy or displacement of the amount of water for your BMI, riding it will feel unstable. In choosing SUP board dimensions, volume and weight capacity are two critical factors because these two affect the board’s stability and how it glides through the water. When it comes to weight capacity, the factors that affect it are weight, thickness, and length. When these three factors are combined perfectly, they determine the board’s performance and buoyancy. We have provided a Standard Paddle Board Size and Weight Chart below.

Type

Currently, you will find two kinds of stand up paddle boards available in the market today: The classic hard type and the inflatable type. The perfect board for you depends on your lifestyle and SUP activity. Both are great, but we honestly think that as a beginner, the inflatable type will work for you.

Inflatable

Crafted with a durable PVC material and drop-stitch layers, an inflatable SUP board is light-weight, yet can give you the best SUP beginner experience. An inflatable SUP boards are easy and comfortable to use. This is perfect for any newbie who wants bruises from falls at a minimal rate.

SUP Board Type: Which Team Are You?

Hardboard

A rigid or hard SUP board is ideal, but not for beginners. It is our best bet for surfing and racing activities. While it performs on the waters impressively for pros, newbies my find it challenging to use a hard board SUP board. For one thing, it needs extra room when taking the board from one place to another.

Fin Setup

Fins are essential in determining the board’s performance. Without it, there is no way that a board will glide any farther! When it comes to fin setups, always go for the most common setup called the 2+1 fin setup. This default balance arrangement is ideal for a beginner paddler. Of course a 1 fin setup is also an option but do note that it can be a bit harder to learn Stand Up Paddling with a 1 fin setup.

Great Fins, Great Glide

Hull

The hull is the bottom shape of the paddle board. This is an essential part of the board as it also affects the board’s performance. Currently, there are two kinds of SUP board hulls:

Displacement

This hull type is rounded, like a downwards letter “D”. The concave shape of the hull creates a “low ride”, something like plowing through the waters. With the help of a SUP board’s extensive nose, a displacement hull can slice through the water swiftly. Even better, this hull can give you lesser paddling effort. The only catch we found is it affects maneuverability, especially when doing quick turns.

SUP Board Type: Which Team Are You?

Planing

A planing hull has a pointed bottom shape. The shape is designed speed paddling. Because of this, planing hulls can ride high on waves especially when at full speed.

Fin Setup

Waterproof bags for extra storage
D-Rings for frills attachments, hooks, and grip
Traction Pads for a non-slip paddling experience
Kayak Seat for a more comfortable paddling/touring experience

Other Parts and Accessories

Onze merken

Conclusion

We’d like to congratulate you for choosing stand up paddle boarding as your new sport. We guarantee that you will definitely enjoy paddling, as long as you find the best paddle board for beginning paddlers! With the information in the page, you’re good to go with your very first purchase. Take time to browse our best-picked SUP boards that will definitely meet your standards and budget! Study more about stand up paddle boarding by checking different articles from our site.