Stand up paddleboarding is on the rise across the UK with more and more Brits finding pleasure and peace out on the water. 'SUPing' is not only a great low-impact, full-body workout, but it also allows access to all kinds of water activities. From touring your local rivers, lakes and waterways to fishing, surfing, kayaking or simply for kids to float around on, the potential for SUPing fun is only just being scratched.
Inflatable SUP's have become the standard for anyone looking to get into the sport. The convenience of deflating your 10ft+ paddleboard and rolling it up into a backpack allows everyone to get involved. This guide helps beginners and experienced SUPers choose a board for their budget and reviews the best options from Nixy, Roc, Bestway and more.
Quick List - Top Stand Up Paddle Boards
Roc
A Quality SUP That Will Have Everyone Wanting One More Paddle
Itiwit
The Optimal Touring SUP for Adventuring Further Afield
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SUP's are typically 9-12 ft in length, with a lot of all-purpose boards being 10-11 ft. Anything smaller than 10 ft will better suit children or experienced SUPers who are looking for manoeuvrability over stability. These smaller SUP's are ideal for surfing or exploring tight rivers and waterways where turning to avoid trees, sandbanks and rocks could be necessary.
The longer boards at 11 ft+ will be very sturdy, enabling multiple people to stand or sit and glide along the water's surface. While they are perfect for family fun, they will be slower to turn, which will hinder performance if you're wanting to surf and improve at SUPing's other elements.
If you're SUPing with kids, you'll want to get them a good children's life jacket
The thickness of a SUP says a lot about its performance capabilities and how floatable it will be. Trying to use a SUP that's too thin will be like trying to stand on a sinking piece of driftwood, while you will lose out on control and manoeuvrability with a SUP that is too thick.
Inflatable SUP's are mostly 5-6 inches thick, with 6 inches being the preferred thickness for beginner-intermediate SUPers. When starting out, you really want it to float above all else, otherwise, you'll be struggling to stay upright. Paddling alone will seem an impossible task, let alone attempting to have some fun.
Another factor to consider is width, as this affects the stability and how easily it's going to move through water. Most inflatable boards are 30-34 inches wide; aiming for the higher end will be great for gaining confidence in standing up and initial paddling. However, be aware that it can hinder your potential paddling and turning efficiency down the line.
On the other hand, if you buy a SUP that is less than 30" wide and 10 ft+ in length, you'll find it will bend in the middle when standing on it. The resulting effect will be loss of paddling power, and you'll end up fighting against the give in the board.
Choosing a board with the correct width really comes down to who will be using it the most and whether it'll be used as a cruiser or with progression and performance in mind.
SUPing with friends and family can be such a fun way to spend a summer's day. Having confidence in your SUP's ability to float multiple people is, therefore, super important to avoid a potential sinking ship scenario.
Inflatable SUP's benefit from extra volume and buoyancy, so their maximum load weight is usually high. In fact, many quality models can take 120 kg while still floating and paddling with ease.
Ordinarily, if you have more than the recommended weight on a good quality, stable SUP, it won't suddenly burst or sink. It will, however, become sluggish to paddle, resulting in it becoming more of a docking bay for the whole family to jump off and sunbathe on.
Heading for a group day out? You'll need a dry bag for everyone's food and valuables
A SUP's internal pressure capacity is a telling sign of how strong the drop stitch and PVC construction will be. This pressure is measured in terms of PSI (pound per square inch or, more accurately, pound-force per square inch).
Beginner budget SUP's usually have a maximum capacity of 10 PSI, while the crème de la crème can reach 30 PSI, although these advanced SUP's will set you back in the vicinity of £1,000. 15 PSI is a respectable amount for a good quality, entry-level SUP that will feel firm underfoot and is a telling sign its material should last.
Without a full kit in tow, SUP's lose their purpose pretty quickly. Knowing which are necessities and which are additional luxuries is paramount in choosing the best package for your needs.
At the least, all SUP's should come with a paddle, leash, fins, carry bag and a pump. Being down at the water's edge without any one of these integral parts could spell SUPing disaster and end your day before it's even started.
Some brands include additional products in their kits that you may be interested in, such as a kayak seat, repair kits or dry bags, or even a waterproof phone case. The kayak conversion is actually really something – with a convertible SUP to kayak paddle and quick seat installation, you'll be able to tour in comfort exploring all the natural beauty your part of the country offers.
Like the thought of a seated board? You might want to consider a beginner's kayak too
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Gladiator Origin 10'6" 2022 | ![]() | A Fantastic All-Rounder That Packs a Punch on Quality | |
2 | Roc Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board With Premium Accessories | ![]() | A Quality SUP That Will Have Everyone Wanting One More Paddle | |
3 | Bluefin Cruise SUP Package | ![]() | A Seriously Stable Cruiser That Converts Into a Kayak | |
4 | Itiwit Touring Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board | ![]() | The Optimal Touring SUP for Adventuring Further Afield | |
5 | Aquamarina FUSION Inflatable SUP Package | ![]() | Very Sturdy and Perfect for All-Day Cruising | |
6 | Bestway Hydro-Force Oceana 10 SUP | ![]() | A Popular Convertible SUP That's Built to Last | |
7 | DAMA Nature Stand Up Paddle Board | ![]() | A Lighter Board Offering Easier Control for Kids or Smaller Adults | |
8 | FBSport Stand Up Paddle Board | ![]() | Great Versatility With a Reassuring High Weight Limit | |
9 | Leader Accessories Inflatable Stand Up Board With Fin | ![]() | A Stable Beginners SUP for Everyone to Benefit From When Learning | |
10 | SereneLife Thunderwave Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board | ![]() | A Budget Entry-Level SUP for the Whole Family |
This SUP from Gladiator really is one to impress. Able to reach a maximum of 26 PSI, it will be very rigid thus enabling all levels of SUPers a stable platform to enhance their prowess with. This rigidity will give the feeling of paddling a much larger SUP, but at 10'6" it will allow for good motion.
It is a similar length to other boards on our list, but with the extra thickness and high PSI, you won't be disadvantaged riding this smaller board, even as a beginner. It's also amazingly priced for the quality, especially considering it has a fibreglass paddle – which is a highly recommended material for weight and strength.
Roc's offering is a hugely popular SUP for the whole family that boasts premium-quality accessories. And at 10'5" long, 32 inches wide and 6 inches thick, it's certainly going to keep you from getting the dreaded wobbly knees.
It has a high-quality dry bag and a super comfortable backpack to store all the bits and carry in comfort, and at 15 PSI it will also be rigid and easy to glide through the water. This is a quality board at the perfect size for anyone to jump on, feel at ease and have a lot of fun with.
The Cruise model from Bluefin is a seriously stable piece of kit. At 12ft in length and 33 inches wide, you won't be getting bumped off this board in a hurry. Multiple people will be able to float and cruise, as the name suggests, whole using the camera mount to snap or record the adventure.
The best part about the Cruise, however, is that it can be transformed into a kayak with an included seat and paddle. This makes it a comfortable choice for anyone looking to go the distance exploring their part of the world.
This adventure touring SUP from Itiwit has to be the best touring SUP out there. The streamlined design gives the board good forward momentum (for its size), aimed at slicing through the water while you put the miles behind you exploring all the best bits of your local waterways.
The max PSI of 17 will give you an extremely firm platform, too. The only hitch is this SUP doesn't come with a paddle. However, don't be discouraged by this as the spec of the board 100% warrants the price, and this gives you a good excuse to buy a fibreglass paddle and still be quids in!
The Fusion from Aquamotion is a real contender for the perfect SUP to find your feet on and enhance your SUPing abilities from the first session. It boasts a max weight of 150 kg and a thickness of 6 inches, enabling a stable ride.
Getting the board nice and rigid at 15 PSI will allow for some seriously smooth SUPing as you traverse your local waters in style for miles. The bright orange design will also mean the whole family can spot you living your best SUPing life from the shore.
Next up, is a popular board from Bestway with solid, strong composition and thoughtful extras like a non-slip pad and footrest. It's also convertible, coming with a seat and kayak paddle as well as several other essential accessories.
It is the ideal board to learn the ways of SUPing and then begin to focus on practising turns and wave catching, as it's not too wide or long. However, its thickness will still give it stability when starting out. A good all-around board, indeed.
This SUP from DAMA is a reasonably priced option for kids and lighter adults to get into SUPing. It comes with loads of accessories including an additional phone case, camera mount, dry bag and repair kit.
The real difference with this board is its thickness. At 6 inches it won't have the same volume or floating capacity as the other SUP's on the list, but this is good for the kids as they will be able to control, paddle and steer this board a lot more easily than they would with a thicker board.
This is the board that has everyone excited for its versatility through stability. Plus, due to its impressive maximum weight load of 130 kg, it certainly won't be sinking anyone in a hurry, either.
Another perfectly sized board for learning and accomplishing your own SUPing goals, this offering comes with all the standard accessories but unfortunately no repair kit or dry bag. This is just something to keep in mind as having a repair kit is always recommended.
Here's another great first SUP at 10'6" – the ideal length for young and old to get on board with and enjoy. It comes highly recommended on Amazon for its stability through a good amount of width and thickness.
The max pressure capacity of 15 PSI is a pretty standard amount for entry-level SUP's and will enable a firm inflatable while remaining kind to the back pocket. This option comes with all the standard accessories plus a repair kit. Again, this entry-level SUP will get you paddling but will ultimately have its limitations on longevity and quality.
This board from SereneLife is the perfect first SUP for the entire family. At 10 ft in length and 32 inches wide, it will be stable enough to get everyone learning while also maintaining a respectable level of manoeuvrability.
With a max weight of 136 kg, it will easily hold two people wanting to explore or simply sit back and chat. The board comes with all the right accessories in addition to a repair kit. It's a budget option that's great as a first SUP, but obviously, at this price, the quality won't be at the same level as the higher-rated models.
No. 1: Gladiator|Origin 10'6" 2022
No. 2: Roc|Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board With Premium Accessories
No. 3: Bluefin|Cruise SUP Package
No. 4: Itiwit|Touring Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board
No. 5: Aquamarina|FUSION Inflatable SUP Package
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