Looking for a paddle board for the missus. Something good, simple to use and good value. Ideally with all the parts, pumps, bags etc. Any recommendations?

No idea where to start. It feels like starting mountain biking and going to the supermarket and getting a BSO.

Has she done it before?

Go to the local place that does lessons to make sure she actually enjoys it and see what type of board she enjoys using.

I have a cheap one for Intersport, i live in France. It was about 200 euros.
I use a lot on locals river and lakes.
Not as easy on the sea, Med.

Before we got it we rented a few and the more rigid thé better and the more expensive.

Worth hiring or borrowing some to make sure she enjoys it.

We borrowed one from friends last summer and enjoyed it so much we bought our own. It’s a Gul and seems very good. Only caveat is that we haven’t tried many others so don’t have a lot to compare it with.

Borrow.

Then buy the Decathlon / Itiwit one and a decent paddle.

You can’t go far wrong with Aquaplanet.
Great value and come with everything you could need.

I have the Rockit which was my first board. Came with paddle, pump, bag, leash and kayak seat for about £350.

Brilliant board. They do a few different models with different lengths etc to suit.

I’ve since bought a Jobe Duna, as it’s longer for touring but still keep the Aquaplanet.

But yes, trying first is a good idea, although you may find that places that hire them out will tend to have more expensive models that may be more than you want to spend. You’ll get an idea of the effect of length, width and thickness though.

Yeah, they are great fun (4 of them in our house) but make sure she enjoys it before splashing the cash. Some people just do not have the balance.

Budget for a decent paddle. The basic fibreglass ones you tend to get in kits at the cheaper end are shit.

Personally I think I would probably find myself happy with an ok general purpose board + a good lightweight paddle.

One benefit of the spendier boards is that they ar lighter and pack down smaller when deflated. This is important I’d you have plans to move them around

I looked at the following brands

– Aqua Marina
– Aqua Planet
– Bluefin
– Itiwit (seems to get great reviews)
– IRocker

ended up going for a Hatha in the end and spending more than I wanted…

Most boards I believe are around 10’6″ / 32″…since I play with my board in the sea and I’m tall, I got a 34″

Other things you might want to take into consideration

– Bungee cords are really useful for strapping stuff to the board…most times I end up strapping all my gear in a waterproof bag (inc. pump)
– Tail fin setup (usually 1 or 3 fins…can vary the stabililty I guess)
– Tail fin type (FCS US box is pretty standard, which means it’s easy to swap out or replace fins)
– Paddle (lighter ones are nicer…)
– Some boards come with a seat (such as the one from Bluefin)…might be useful/fun at times
– Touring boards are longer/thinner/more-straps-to-tie-stuff on ..but probably not ideal for beginners…good for cutting through the water, but probably not as stable

Accessory wise, I just got a variety of waterproof bags, and some cheap beach/water shoes from Amazon, which are a really good idea. There’s a few options around buoyancy aids which might be a good idea if you end up playing the sea (vest vs waist types).

There’s also some good phone apps such as Magicseaweed for checking out tides, wind etc.

The decathlon itiwit boards are the best value for money IMO. Quality is not far off the red board we’ve got that was twice the price. As someone says above, it’s worth getting a decent paddle.

I’ve got an aquapaddle pace.

Works with me and Jnr on it.

Recently upgraded from the stock paddle after a rock interface on a river….

Got a funcy expensive carbon paddle because everyone as above said it makes a massive difference having a lighter paddle…. Only thing noticeably different is the weight of my wallet so I’d save my money next time.

Pump works well , bag is useful and has lasted well and board is considerably more stable than the coolsurf one my mate has.

What decent paddles are people using? Mrs Kilo keeps talking about upgrading hers to cf.

I went straight to the Decathlon/Itwit 12’6” touring board – glides so much better than a shorter/wider board and barely imperceptible difference between that and a Red board costing twice as much.

Have an itiwit decathlon all round thing – it’s been great. Used regularly and the paddle, board, pump, bag etc all standing up well to use.

Recently got an Aquamarina board for daughter – it’s also nice. It has some really cool little design touches but in general the pump, bag, paddle ect feel less durable than the itiwit stuff I have around a similar price. Long term jury is out but definitely seem decent enough.

Don’t think you can go far wrong with any of the all purpose ones tbh.

We jumped in on the lockdown vibe and got the larger itiwit one from decathlon as above to try it, really good quality for the money, wife liked it so much she got a 10’6 bluefin one with the seat and convertible paddle deal. both have been used a lot, however only my wife and kids can stand up…. I’m still working on my balance, its my age/height/attitude aparently!

IMO the decathlon one is slightly better made but the bluefin is a slightly better shape although cost was about the same, paddle that came with the bluefin i don’t think is that great although carbon, the alu one with the decathlon is much better. Fins on the decathlon one also better/easier to install seems they are made with better tolerances/interfaces?

Stock paddle with our Cressi one is light and fairly stiff, it seems highly doubtful that a £200 carbon fibre paddle would make much odds.
I do fancy a surf specific SUP though.

I’ve got a McConks that I’ve had for a couple of years and just got an aquaplanet max for the kids to mess about on. The Aquaplanet was a fair bit cheaper but is much lighter and a bit flexier if I’m paddling it. Accessories like bag and paddle are noticeably different quality between the 2. Aquaplanet is doing £50 off a spend over £300 right now. I would budget for a better paddle at some point though.

Re paddles, I got my daughter a Fanatic carbon pure 2 piece paddle to replace the crap alu one that came with her board. At £85 it’s been a good upgrade, much lighter and stiffer and having a non carbon blade its much more durable than my full carbon Starboard one.

Genuine question – what enjoyment do you guys get out of it, or is it just a form of exercise? It looks really dull and boring to my eyes, but then I’ve not actually tried it

If you’re looking for excitement or adrenalin that you might get from mountain biking then you need a different mindset (unless you get into surf or whitewater) It’s more about being outside in the great outdoors, being totally silent and feeling at one with the board and the water. Think of it as a water based walk but without the walk.

traveling down the river lets you see the world from a different perspective also.

some folk enjoy sitting in the pub drinking and watching the football …. i find that really dull.

Horses for courses.

Genuine question – what enjoyment do you guys get out of it, or is it just a form of exercise? It looks really dull and boring to my eyes, but then I’ve not actually tried it

I had a few trips last year paddleboarding with one of my daughters. We enjoy it in a non-adrenalin, water based walk but without the walk* way. We went surfing last weekend. She didn’t manage to stand but announced that surfing is far better the paddleboarding. She doesn’t want to stop doing it though. 😀

*nice description, from above.

The different perspective compared to being in a kayak is nice – higher up you can see more of the scenery and also much more in the water. We usually go out with one of each and swap half way.
Not an adrenaline sports obvs…more about peace and quiet and wildlife.

Genuine question – what enjoyment do you guys get out of it, or is it just a form of exercise? It looks really dull and boring to my eyes, but then I’ve not actually tried it

I kitesurf for my adrenaline rush, paddle boarding is a much more chilled affair and a nice way to spend a couple of hours on the water when there’s no wind.

I’ve explored a few lovely places around the coast of Scotland and the Outer Hebrides and paddling across Loch Ba to Rannoch to catch the train back was a fun day out last year.

I’m just in from kiting and there were a couple of people out trying to get on a sup in 25+kt winds, I think they were trying to make it exciting!

Where do you Kitesurf? Planning to be in Scotland during Summer and take my Kitesurf gear. I’m sure there are endless places to explore.

@andylc Come to Troon – kitesurf capital of Scotland (maybe) and we have a great crowd here. Anything from S to NW works well at either Barassie or South Beach.

St Andrews for Easterlies is great.

Luce Bay / Sandhead / New England bay can all be good.

Nairn looks ace but I still haven’t made it up there.

Where abouts are you heading? Have a look here if you’re coming up this way https://www.facebook.com/groups/867568169930749

Not sure yet – we have a camper and tend to not plan too much, other than to avoid being where other people are. Have done Luce Bay once and love that area as loads of mountain biking too. I’ll have a sneaky look, when I’m with the family I have to pretend I didn’t plan it too much!

Plan a trip to Arran and stop off here on the way 😉

There’s a motorhome overnight parking trial in Troon this summer too (and also a couple of other places).

Another one for decathlon here – bonus is being able to go back to bricks and mortar shop if you have any issues.

Also been looking at getting a board and overwhelmed by the choice. Does anyone have any views on the “body glove performer 11”. It is on offer at Costco until Sunday and seems to be a decent starter package.

Get a couple of lessons. Hire for a while, use the opportunity to try different brands and style and size of board.

Find what fits, just like you would with a bike. You wouldn’t just buy one based on the fact it’s a bike shape, likelihood is you’d at least sit on it first, make sure the size is right and that you could ride it.

It will give a much better idea.

Then have a look at second hand. Lots of groups out there where you can find some good stuff come up, more for your money where you might get a better paddle or buy separate. Also saves on waste

Find what fits, just like you would with a bike. You wouldn’t just buy one based on the fact it’s a bike shape

* blushes slightly…

I have to be honest – unless you’re barely able to stand unaided and have no common sense there really is zero need for SUP lessons. Pump it up, float it, kneel on it then stand. Hold the paddle the right way round. The end. Oh and wear a buoyancy aid or PFD.
I use a Restube which I would recommend – I leave it attached to my Kitesurf harness but can also use it for wild swimming or kayaking / SUP. It inflates when a toggle is pulled and provides equal flotation to a standard jacket. I like the fact that it could one day be useful for me, but I could also use it to help someone else. I use the extreme version which is less likely to activate accidentally if you’re doing active sports.

Find what fits, just like you would with a bike. You wouldn’t just buy one based on the fact it’s a bike shape, likelihood is you’d at least sit on it first, make sure the size is right and that you could ride it.

I read the board specs same way I can read a geometry chart.

I have to be honest – unless you’re barely able to stand unaided and have no common sense there really is zero need for SUP lessons.

Whilst I tend to agree that you shouldn’t need lessons it has become very popular & accessible in the last couple of years. Looking on a couple of the FB groups I’ve joined there are a surprising amount of people that clearly don’t have a clue and those that cannot get themselves back on to a board if they fall in – that’s a recurring subject.

The number of times I have to go out in a lifeboat to pick people up also suggests a few more people should take lessons. Even just for the part of the lesson where they tell what an offshore wind is and how to check a forecast. It can look lovely and calm until your 50m off shore and can’t paddle back in against the wind.

My “favourite” shout was a mum and child who fell off the board in 20kt winds and couldn’t get themselves back on to the board or in to the beach. It was just after Christmas and they were wearing a tracksuit in Scotland, no wetsuit. They got helicoptered to hospital.

Well yes given somepeople can’t read instructions.

Saw someone paddling round on a part inflated board at the local sports loch a couple weeks back.

Turns out they had no idea what to inflate it to….

Is that the equivalent of having your forks on back to front ?

There’s not much hope for someone who doesn’t realise that taking an inflatable craft out in 20 knot winds is a bad idea, or anybody that fails to consider what will happen if they fall in.

Their safety is an interesting phenomena. Like many here I came to sups from a background of a lifetime in other watercraft and general ‘outdoors stuff’. Their pitfalls and potential hazards are so obvious to me that’s hard to conceive that they would need teaching to anyone. But something about them is so non-threatening and accessible looking that clearly they also attract a demographic so utterly terrified of pretty much everything ‘outdoorsy’ that they come to them with zero prior experience and astonishingly naïve. I suppose generally a new pastime that feels that accessible is a good thing, but you do need to remind yourself some folk will need a quick crash course in common sense/ life to use them effectively and safely.

It’s the people you see drifting around on them for hours without attempting to get beyond their knees I can’t fathom. If that’s where your comfort zone lies you might have been better off with an inflatable sit on top.

I think the walk analogy further up is a good one. You can obviously add some adrenaline with a spot of surf or moving water or turn it into a workout with a touring/race board and a destination in mind; but for most it’s a great way to go for the equivalent of a walk on water. Sliding along on a flat calm sea, watching out for seals or dolphins or going exploring cliffs and caves with a coffee or beer under your bungees ready for sunset is quite the evening out.

I love pootling about on the water on mine. I’ve become a bit of a twitcher and love spotting all kinds of feathered wildlife. There’s a kingfisher on one of the stretches I paddle locally which always makes me smile.

Was watching a YouTube recently that claimed that now 80% of RNLI shouts are now paddleboards.
Not sure if that’s true or not but sadly I suspect it’s quite high whatever the percentage.

They are very accessible which is both a good and a bad thing.

Mentioned up above, Mrs Kilo bought a Point 65n modular kayak. We end up using hire cars in Ireland and roof racks would be problematic so is this the answer.
Ordering was easy, delivery very slow, especially as it was to an eu state.
Turned up in two big boxes. Seems very well made.

Snapping it together was very easy, only moderate married couple swearing involved. Mrs K is currently out on a lake with it so will report back with a user review. Pretty much fills the back of a roomster so might be tight in a small hire car but easier than a full sized kayak!