It is still a common topic for stand-up paddle aficionados to discuss what exactly is the best SUP board for a novice. For anyone who is about to join the adventures of stand up paddle boarding, this mostly boils down to a single thing – being able to stay on the board. If you are a beginner and you cannot keep yourself stable on the board, it is highly likely that you will quickly lose interest in this great hobby.
The important features
There are some factors that greatly contribute to the overall stability. We will go into greater detail into them, but keep in mind that there is not a single, uniform answer as to what is the perfect board for a novice. There is a large number of important details, besides stability, that should be taken into consideration when planning to purchase your very first stand up paddling board, like maneuverability, length, weight, etc.
Generally speaking, you can choose pretty much any medium-sized or larger SUP and have a great time. But, in order to get that perfect experience and feeling, you should put in some effort into finding a board that provides comprehensive features and characteristics.
Let’s start with the stability
Stability is, basically, a function that refers to the amount of rocking and side-to-side motion you are experiencing, when standing upright on the board. It also encompasses the amount of flotation a SUP board has with your total body weight balanced right onto it. Key characteristics that play a part in this are thickness, width, and length.
Thickness, width, length and volume
In mathematical terms, thickness x width x length = volume. The better volume a SUP board provides, the better and more stable your experience will be. However, the volume is not the only vital component. A wider SUP board will most likely carry significantly more surface area across the water and will be much less likely to turn and fall over. Additionally, the same can also be said for any stand-up paddle board that is longer than standard models.
Maneuverability
There is also more that goes into the length. Many paddling fans think that they will be perfectly fine, by simply buying the biggest board available on the market. This is true to a certain degree because it covers only the aspect of stability. However, this doesn’t cover the maneuverability. It is almost as important as stability, and longer and bigger boards are usually much more difficult to maneuver. Therefore, it is extremely important to strike a perfect balance between stability and maneuverability, when thinking about the board model and its length. To get a much better insight into this, you can check out some useful SUP board reviews and see what boards offer the best combination.
The length of the paddle board for a novice should be mostly determined by the person’s body weight, rather than his/her skill level and experience. The lighter a person is, the shorter the board he/she should use.
Last, but not least, check out the size and the weight of the boards, so as to buy the one that will perfectly fit into your vehicle. If you cannot afford or accommodate bigger boards, you can always go with smaller or inflatable ones, which can perfectly fit in almost any car or some other transport vehicle.