Anybody have experience with inflatable stand up paddle boards ? The wife and I are debating on buying two since we don’t have room to store or vehicle capacity to transport kayaks. There seem to be a lot of options in the 350-600$ range and not sure if it’s worth it to spend the extra money or if it’s just paying for a fancy “name/brand”. For use on local lakes and rivers.
Inflatable stand up paddle boards
- Thread starter MikeZ37
- Start date
I’ve only owned a foam board which I like, but I do have a couple friends who liked the inflatables just as much. I think it depends if you want to use it once in a while for short periods and are not trying to go pro, or if you need something that’s going to track well and spend a day on it then you might want to get a more rigid material board.
Glassman
Glass Gars Guns Garden
Hmm, I know this is an awful reply considering your storage and transport scenario.. But just curious,
Have you looked at the hybrid SOT kayaks / Paddle Board?
For some reason I just don't "get" the paddle board thing, but I know a lot of people like them. First time I saw one, I thought someone lost the sail to their windsurfing board...
Alright...finally getting a moment.
I had a 10’ x 32” x 4.5”, maybe it was 6”, I don’t remember, inflatable paddle board.
Here’s my complaints:
They don’t handle the chop - they just don’t have the stability of a solid body board, even if it has less volume.
They’re a pain in the ass to pump up to 15-17 PSI (optimum pressure). You’ll be tired by the time you’ve got them inflated, LOL. The first 10-12 lbs. isn’t bad but when you start hitting the resistance it’s a full body workout.
They’re a pain in the ass to clean and take care of. You have to rinse them, dry them off, deflate them, and roll it back up to put back into the bag you’ll get with it for “storage”.
Finally, any of the “good” ones will definitely be $500+. As often said, you get what you pay for. Even though they’re great for storage and portability, they’re terrible on the water.
Not sure of your storage situation, but I used to hang my solid body board from the ceiling of a garage, and it was 10’ x 34”.
They make wall racks for the board to slide right into, if you’re in a condo / townhouse type environment.
Finally, you can always get soft racks for the top of your Acura, along with a good pair of straps, for $40 bucks, give or take, and that’ll make traveling with a solid body board a bit easier (but even then, you gotta put the rack up, take it down, etc.).
Hope this helped! Good luck!
I had a 10’ x 32” x 4.5”, maybe it was 6”, I don’t remember, inflatable paddle board.
Here’s my complaints:
They don’t handle the chop - they just don’t have the stability of a solid body board, even if it has less volume.
They’re a pain in the ass to pump up to 15-17 PSI (optimum pressure). You’ll be tired by the time you’ve got them inflated, LOL. The first 10-12 lbs. isn’t bad but when you start hitting the resistance it’s a full body workout.
They’re a pain in the ass to clean and take care of. You have to rinse them, dry them off, deflate them, and roll it back up to put back into the bag you’ll get with it for “storage”.
Finally, any of the “good” ones will definitely be $500+. As often said, you get what you pay for. Even though they’re great for storage and portability, they’re terrible on the water.
Not sure of your storage situation, but I used to hang my solid body board from the ceiling of a garage, and it was 10’ x 34”.
They make wall racks for the board to slide right into, if you’re in a condo / townhouse type environment.
Finally, you can always get soft racks for the top of your Acura, along with a good pair of straps, for $40 bucks, give or take, and that’ll make traveling with a solid body board a bit easier (but even then, you gotta put the rack up, take it down, etc.).
Hope this helped! Good luck!
Even the sot kayaks are too big. I’ve had inflatable kayaks that I had a ton of fun in but they were super cheap and very easy to puncture and a hassle getting in and out of. Everywhere I’ve looked online says the inflatable paddle boards are remarkably durable and just as stable as the fiberglass ones. Drift makes a sweet looking inflatable fishing paddle board that come with a cooler/seat and rod holders.Hmm, I know this is an awful reply considering your storage and transport scenario.. But just curious,
Have you looked at the hybrid SOT kayaks / Paddle Board?
For some reason I just don't "get" the paddle board thing, but I know a lot of people like them. First time I saw one, I thought someone lost the sail to their windsurfing board...
Glassman
Glass Gars Guns Garden
Interesting. Our inflatable kayak is super stable, but a bear to try to paddle.
I just remember seeing some kind of hybrid between a paddle board and SOT, but yeah, similar size.
Durable and stable as the solid body boards?
Never.
They’re quite durable, I’ll give them that. You can bump them on things and they won’t puncture. And they’re very stable considering what they are, but they’re definifely not as stable as a solid body.
If you don’t expect to see any chop with them, they might be alright, but they don’t handle the bumpiness of water worth a shit.
Damn you people and your real world experience. I think we’re going to check out a local lake that rents sups and see how we feel about the solid boards and if we feel like saving the money and space and sacrificing stability or not.
Fantastic idea. I know some places rent both inflatables and solid bodies - rent one of each and make an informed decision based on your experiences.
Make sure you go with a thicker inflatable for the additional “volume” and you’ll get better buoyancy and less “rock”.