What to look for when buying a Stand up paddle board (SUP)

Stand up paddle boarding on the sunshine coast offers something for everyone. You can head out for a relaxing paddle on a calm lake/river or adventure out and catch waves in the ocean.

Or maybe you’d like to do SUP yoga on a still day in Noosa or go for a fast-paced paddle to get a workout between Coolum and Mooloolaba. Whatever your ambitions, having the right board is the key to your enjoyment.

When finding the right stand up paddle board for you, consider how and where you're going to use it, how it will fit your body and how you want it to handle in the water. Here are the key decision points:

• Hull type: Your three main choices are a concave hull, planing hull and a displacement hull; the type you choose will be based on the type of paddling you plan to do.

• Flat water, Surf or Tour: Where you use the board can have a big influence on what is the best board to use and in what conditions if you are looking to mainly stay on flat water then a longer rounder board will suit or if you want the fun of the surf then a shorter board with a thruster style fin shape would be best. A tour board is often a longer board and has a displacement hull to carve through waves. Some times its hard to decide so an all rounder is what you need 

• Volume and weight capacity: You want to pick a board with the volume and weight capacity that’s right for your height and weight to ensure good stability and paddling performance.

• Length, width and thickness: The dimensions of a SUP play a big role in determining how it handles on the water.

From there, you’ll consider a board’s fins and any extras or accessories that work for you. 

"From the Ocean for the Ocean"