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Myself and Mrs D are looking at buying paddleboard.
Had a few shots last year at various places but looking now to buy our own.
Wee bit of scottish loch exploration some sea paddling.
Anyone got any buying advice?
Cheers
There's so much going on in the paddleboard world at the moment. Wave Sup, Inflatable, Windsup, foils, wings (yes, wings) that I'd have a look at Boardwise. They're in Cannock but they know a lot about it and will give you great advice over the phone.
I just know one thing about it - I can't do it. I just fall in. Which came as a bit of a surprise to me as I'm a pretty good windsurfer, OK snowboarder and went to Costa Rica specifically to learn!
Something big and floaty if it's on a loch.
Try an inflatable.
Yeh, looking at inflatable, ease of transportation etc.
I'm a keen paddleboarder, Starboard is my preferred brand but i bought this last year as wanted an inflatable and it's been great. I recommend this to all my mates looking to get a board
That Amazon one linked above is practically the same as the one I got from Lidl!!
It's great for non serious paddling, and packs away pretty small, but it does get caught by the wind a bit, which I think is an inherent problem of inflatable ones.
If I didn't need to pack it away and didnt mind spending the money, I'd get a rigid one.
I have two red paddle 10'6". Over a number of years I tried various boards on holiday and found them ok, until I tried a red paddle. With a little effort you can inflate them until they genuinely feel like a rigid board. They are truly awesome, though a bit spendy. I wanted inflatable for ease of transport, carrying cross country etc. The newer 10'6 are significantly smaller and lighter when packed, wish I had an excuse to upgrade. Also red paddle pump is the Dogs B's.
wiggle are now doing a paddle board. Anybody knowledgeable enough to know if thats a decentish quality bit of kit and a fair price?
I'm very much a beginner but having used Red boards on holiday have I been spoilt by starting on the "best".
It looks ok, but at 10'2" x 32", it is on the small side, so personally wouldn't work for me.
What are the inflatable ones like in the slightest bit of wind? Are they heavier than a lilo?
Also if I was on inland water, especially on the lochs in Scotland, I'd wear a wetsuit. The water can be really cold. I think Loch Ness is 6 deg all year round, you could get into real trouble if you fell in wearing shorts and a t-shirt.
Paddleboarding in general is shit bordering on dangerous in any kinds of decent wind. An inflatable board adds a bit but you need to be strong and capable to manage any kind of wind and waves. We're near the beach so I sometimes go out in a strong onshore breeze just for the sport but basically it's flat out effort to go nowhere.
I have the Decathlon allround iSUP. It's good, paddles well and is suited to loch touring. It works Ok in small surf. I did manage to break the fin box through using it surfing but Decathlon replaced the board no questions asked so good backup IME. I think if you just want an all round beginners board the Decathlon ones are good option, you can't really go wrong with them.
I did manage to break the fin box through using it surfing but Decathlon replaced the board no questions asked so good backup IME.
did you crash/run it into the beach, or did it just break by being in the turbulence in the wave?
Scudded it into the beach repeatedly. I don't think it was any fault of the board I gave it a hard time. Quality seems good, the carry rucksack is robust as well.
you need to be strong and capable to manage any kind of wind and waves.
The first paddle boarding I saw was about 12 years ago on the north east coast of New Zealand in some decent sized waves. It was couple of local Maori guys and they were awesome at it.
Therefore when I started seeing people standing up and paddling about in dead calm, flat water, I didn't really get it...
Yeah it's a right good laugh in waves, just very intense with the potential to go wrong quickly if wind and tide aren't with you. Funnily I find it's my feet / legs that cramp up first because they work really hard in those conditions.
It really gives me the fear when I see folk getting in at the beach, holding the paddle at 45degs and doing single alternate strokes. You just known the slightest fart of wind and it's next stop Norway. Our local RNLI lifeguards actually give pre-launch "advice" to paddleboarders because they're becoming top customers.
Cruising along on flat calm lake is a joy as well, just a brilliant feeling once you get the knack.
I bought a Decathlon Itwit 12'6" touring board last summer - I've paddled the same size Red board and there was no difference as far as I could tell - OK the Red has 2 chamber construction, but it's twice the price. The extra length means it glides a lot better than a 10ft6" board. I've not taken it on the sea and expect it would be fine in flat calm, but even with a slight chop and wind I think I'd be looking at a rigid board based on my experiences of sea kayaking. One minute it's OK and the next you're really battering the conditions to make progress upwind - OK for a strong paddler, but not for a beginner. For the OP I'd hire a few boards and try them out in the places you expect to paddle before buying.
Our local RNLI lifeguards actually give pre-launch “advice” to paddleboarders because they’re becoming top customers.
I picked up 4 paddleboarders a few weeks ago as they were having trouble getting back to the beach against the tide and slight breeze - their next stop would have been Ireland!!
So I load them - two ladies, an 8 year old girl and a guy - and the boards into my boat and I take them back to were they launched. The mother of the 8 year old is nice, chatty, very grateful and rather embarrassed - which is not surprising seeing as it turns out her husband is on the lifeboat crew!
🤦🏻♂️
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2020/0813/1158928-galway/
Quite sobering re sea SUPing. Mrs kilo has one of the blue fin sups above for use in lakes and loughs in Ireland hasn’t bothered with much sea on it. Says it’s very good, she also has one of these for using in them UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bestway-Hydro-Force-Journey-Inflatable-Paddle/dp/B07FKG9WC6/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=sup&qid=1598355069&sr=8-5
Seems a good beginner’s board and much cheaper but the pump is crack.
Budget for life preservers, decent kit and dry bag for phone