My wife and I are talking about getting a pair of paddle boards. We've been a couple times on borrowed boards and enjoyed ourselves so we figure we should get our own. Problem is, we don't know anything about paddle boards. This is where you people come in. We want inflatable ones and don't plan for much more than paddling on flat water. It'll be a pretty casual thing. I'm a solid 6', ~215 lbs., and she's 5'10", ~160 lbs.
What brands/places to buy would y'all recommend?
What accessories should we get?
What else do we need to know?
Did... Did I find the second thing GRM doesn't know about?
We bought the Body Glove one from Costco. It was cheap-er enough to justify the price of a Costco membership.
We don't own one (yet) but my wife loves to get out in the water on one any chance she can. Having used many rentals and borrowed boards, the thing that stands out to me from the inflatable ones is that they were effected by wind more than a solid/lower profile board. They also felt to me like the lighter weight made them want to wander more. Maybe Woody can weigh in on those impressions.
tuna55
MegaDork
5/13/21 7:43 a.m.
I want to DIY the wooden kits you can buy. I have not yet done so.
We have two of the Costco versions (not sure the brand). They are obviously not as quick as a solid board and will bend a bit for heavier people (215 should be fine). They will wander (flat bottom) a bit more and will be much worse on a windy day. Also, probably very marginal for any surfing (have not tried though). Much more of a lake then an ocean board.
The best thing about the is they are very portable. Compacted they are about the size of a large duffel bag and probably weigh 30 lbs. Inflation / deflation is quick (see below). Make sure to put the fins on before full inflation. They are very durable and we have not had any issues with punctures / leaks.
One big improvement that you want is one of those rechargeable inflators (e.g. for air beds). It's a LOT of work to pump one up from deflated, but using an inflator you can get it full and use the hand pump to bring it up to pressure, The inflator is also very useful for getting all the air out.
A better, lighter, paddle is a nice upgrade, but the one you get is fine.
Remember, paddle with you whole body (squat a bit and "dig"), not just your arms.
We tried the inflatables and went for some rigid ones built like surfboards with a hard skin. The inflatables were a PITA to pump up and felt like you were paddling a dock by comparison. Obviously, transport is a little more difficult but I spent years dragging windsurfers around so this is not an issue to me.
I really enjoyed the hard board I rented in Oahu. Tons of fun in the ocean surf! My inflatable is just fine for lake duty on a non windy day, and no dog on board.
