13 Best Paddle Boards in 2023 (we’ve reviewed all)

Hi, I’m Max. I’ve been testing paddle boards since 2016. The best paddle Board 2023 is the Bluefin Cruise.

I was convinced by the very good workmanship and the high-quality accessories.

About us

We have already presented hundreds of paddle boards, published dozens of detailed test reports and closely examined many paddle boarding accessories on our German site.

Our website now has over a million visitors a year, on YouTube we already have several thousand subscribers. More and more community members are catching up on paddle boarding news, offers and our latest test reports in the stand-up-paddling.org newsletter.

The only paddle board review you need to read.

Max – stand-up-paddling.org

We have tested all the following boards ourselves, as you will see in the detailed board reviews.

Best Paddle Boards of 2023

1. Bluefin Cruise (Best value for money & optimal for beginners)
   
2. Cala Ikatere (Best touring board for advanced users)
   
3. Bluefin Sprint Carbon (Best race board for advanced users and professionals)

We regularly revise our recommendations, as there are always new paddle boards on the market, and we don’t want to recommend products that won’t be available for a long time.

Beginner – Price-Performance Winner: Bluefin Cruise 10’8

If you’re simply looking for a paddle board that lasts a long time, is of great quality, comes with all the accessories (even a kayak seat is included), looks cool, and is good value for money, you’ll be well advised to go with the price-performance winner Bluefin Cruise. Find out more in the Bluefin Cruise review.

Advanced – Best Touring Board: Cala Ikatere

The Cala Ikatere is a high-quality and very chic touring board that offers great glide as well as sufficient stability. The areas of application are various. We especially like the stiffness of the 11’6 (3.51 m) board and the use of the Thermo-Fusion process, which makes the boards particularly stiff, durable and light at the same time. The Cala Ikatere is also well suited for heavier paddlers. For more details, check out the review of the Cala Ikatere.

Pros – Best Race Board: Bluefin Sprint Carbon

For speed fans, the Bluefin Sprint Carbon race board is the right choice. The 427 cm (14′) long board with a width of 77 cm (30″) is still relatively stable in comparison to narrower race boards. With its extreme length, insane stiffness and lots of additional features, the Bluefin Sprint Carbon offers a great package. Find out more about the board and its handling characteristics in the review of the Bluefin Sprint Carbon.

Best Paddle Board – Recommendations From stand-up-paddling.org

In the course of the article it turns out even more often that there is not the one best paddle board.

Too many requirements meet too many boards.

Below is an overview of the best paddle boards we have tested over the last few years.

For this purpose, we have divided the boards into models for beginners, advanced and professionals, as the boards for these groups are fundamentally different.

We present the best from each paddle board test category in more detail. Detailed information about the other boards can be found in their reviews linked below.

Beginner (Bluefin Cruise 10’8)

The Bluefin Cruise 10’8 is one of the most sold paddle boards. The chic looking board can shine with a very robust and stiff construction, which ensures great riding characteristics. As a cruising boards (a mixture of all-rounder and touring board), the Bluefin Cruise is best suited for beginners and sporty newcomers.

As one of the few paddle boards, the scope of delivery of the Bluefin Cruise also includes a kayak set. The included accessories already include a kayak seat and the paddle can be converted to a kayak paddle with another paddle blade (also included). Also, the scope of delivery is also very extensive and the accessory quality is very good.

We were very impressed with the build quality of the Bluefin Cruise. The robust construction makes the board durable.

Check out the Bluefin Cruise Review

Other Great Beginner Models

• Bluefin Cruise 10’8 (price-performance winner)
• MOAI 11′ (high quality fusion board with good accessories)
• Aqua Marina Beast (popular with beginners for robust construction, but accessories are not as good)
• Thurso Surf Waterwalker (very robust paddle board, good for trips with a lot of luggage)
• Aqua Marina Fusion (quite cheap, popular beginner board with unfortunately poor accessories)
• WOWSEA Bionics B1 (cheap complete set for beginners with acceptable quality)
• Decathlon Itiwit X100 11′ (best paddle board under 350 £, but hardly any accessories included)

Advanced (Cala Ikatere)

With the paddle boarding brand Cala, the eye-catching look is part of the image. Instead of a classic blue and white design, the Cala Ikatere relies on a wooden design in the “Bob Marley” look with a lion’s head and palm trees.

If you want to stand out from the crowd of paddle boarders with a design that is close to nature, this board is a good choice.

The touring board measures 11’6 (approx. 350 cm) in length and is manufactured using a fusion process. The modern manufacturing process makes the board stiff, durable and long-lasting.

Up to a load of about 120 kilograms (265 lbs), the board gives a good performance in the water. Also, the board can therefore be used for tours with a dog, a child or just a lot of luggage.

Weighing only 9.5 kilograms (20 lbs), the board is comparatively light for the size, which makes it easier to transport.

The front luggage net is attached to six D-rings. A lot of luggage fits down here. In addition, of course, the luggage net impresses with the strong-looking lion’s head.

On our test boards, there were a few minor flaws in the form of glue residue and other optical defects. With the otherwise very good workmanship and since it is still a young company, this is acceptable for us.

The scope of delivery is very extensive and also of great quality. Especially positive is that the scope of delivery includes a really good carbon paddle, weighing only 775 grams.

Check out the Cala Ikatere Review

Other Great Advanced Models

• Cala Ikatere (chic wood-look touring board)
• Cala Kanaloa (cool-looking high-quality touring SUP)
• Bluefin Cruise 12′ (stiff, robust crusing board with high quality accessories)
• Decathlon Iiwit X500 13′ (top touring board with innovative board features)

Pros (Bluefin Sprint Carbon)

The extremely long construction of 427 cm to its slim 76 cm width makes the Bluefin Sprint Carbon suitable for competition and paddling on very high speeds.

With a weight of about 16 kilograms (35 lbs) of net weight, it’s not a lightweight paddleboard. However, the Bluefin Sprint Carbon is as close as you can get to a race-sized Hardboard.

With the super durable and stiff material, the extra Carbon-rails and its two-chamber built, the Bluefin Sprint Carbon is the stiffest inflatable race board we’ve seen.

It’s great to paddle in the water, builds up speed very nicely and due to the length of 14′ keeps track like a charm.

Additionally, the board comes with lots of additional gear. Even a waterproof phone case is included.

The Bluefin Sprint Carbon offers many features such as extra D-Rings, a paddle holder, additional carry straps, two baggage nets and a kick pad.

For a racing paddleboard, the Bluefin Sprint Carbon got a relatively wide shape. At a width of 30 inches (77 cm), the board is the slimmest. Therefore, it’s quite easy to control in the water.

Even when you aren’t currently propelling yourself forward, the boards provides a lot of stability.

The maximum load capacity of 420 lbs (190 kg) makes the Sprint Carbon suitable for all kinds of paddlers.

When testing on the Sprint Carbon, we even did some paddling tours with two adults on this board, and this worked great as well.

Check out the Bluefin Sprint Carbon Review

Other Great Pro Models

• Bluefin Sprint (very robust, stiff, very stable 14′ touring board with lots of accessories, but quite heavy)

Picking the Right Paddle Board

The large selection of available paddle boards and all the specifications in the product descriptions make it difficult, especially for beginners, to decide on a specific board.

For this reason, we will go into detail about the individual features that distinguish the boards from each other in this guide. The criteria were also the basis for our paddle board best list.

Starting with the different construction methods and how they affect the driving style to the accessories included in the scope of delivery to the individual board classes and additional features, everything important is covered here.

Board Price

Of course, cost always plays a role. However, it is important to note that inflatable paddle boards (iSUPs) now make up the majority of all paddle boards sold. The exact share of sales is not known, but is already between 95 and 98% according to different estimates.

The advantage is that inflatable boards are much cheaper to manufacture and transport than classic fixed boards. The compact dimensions and lower material costs have a direct impact on the price.

Thus, most inflatable boards cost less than 1000 £ although there are also some cheap paddle boards that cost less than 500 £. At first glance, this still sounds like a lot of money, but the boards will last quite a while in return. If you buy an inflatable board, it’s not uncommon to ride it for five or more years – provided you invest in good quality.

If you don’t want to spend that much money, you should stay away from water sports magazines. These papers only talk about the “branded boards” of the really big water sports brands (like Fanatic, Naish and Red Paddle) anyway, and their boards usually cost higher three-figure or four-figure amounts.

However, a paddle board is an investment and should be considered as such. Again, quality has its price.

You shouldn’t save too much on the boards. Most impressively, this was shown to us during a conversation with a manufacturer of very inexpensive paddle boards.

Length

The riding characteristics of a paddle board depend very much on the length. Length is always a trade-off between tracking, speed and maneuverability. For this reason, paddle boards are divided into different board classes.

The exact boundaries between the different board types are always debated. Therefore, consider the following numbers as guidelines:

Beginners are best to reach for an all-rounder. These boards are versatile and well suited for trips over lakes, canals, slow-flowing rivers and coastal waters (with small waves). Allround boards offer a high degree of tipping stability, making it easy to balance, especially for beginners.

All-round boards are not so long and have a round nose (board tip) and a rounded tail.

In our paddle board test, many of the beginner boards are all-rounders or slightly sportier boards.

If you’re sporty, plan on longer trips from the start, or already have experience with paddle boarding, you’re better off with a touring board. These boards are longer and often have a narrower build. Touring boards also have a sportier shape with a tapered nose. This design reduces water resistance and that makes for faster speeds.

Touring boards are built longer and narrower. In addition, the nose (board tip) is much more pointed and the tail is either also tapered or the board has a hard breakaway edge.

On the downside, touring boards are a little harder to maneuver and offer less tipping stability. When riding touring boards, however, the same principle applies as when riding a bicycle. The first meters are still a bit wobbly, but once speed is built up, the board is also much more stable in the water. The whole thing is also called “running stability”.

The biggest strength of the touring boards is the good straight running. You don’t have to change the paddle side so often, which is particularly noticeable on longer tours.

Among our favorites for advanced paddle boarders, almost all models are touring boards.

Conclusion on the Paddle Board Length

For many newcomers, however, all-round boards remain the better choice. The wider width ensures that these boards are very safe in the water. Especially in the beginning, keeping your balance is not always easy.

However, if you are planning longer tours, it is better to choose a good touring board. The sporty tourers are simply the better choice for longer trips.

With cruising boards there is also a mixture of all-rounders and touring boards. These boards are similar in width, but have a sportier shape. For sportier beginners, cruisers are often a good choice.

Cruising boards like the Bluefin Cruise combine elements of all-rounders (the width & tipping stability) and tourers (sporty shape & good glide).

Width

The width determines how stable a paddle board or an inflatable board is in the water. Beginners should choose a wider board for this reason. A good board for beginners measures at least 77 cm in width. However, the ratio to the length is also crucial. If the board is only three meters long, a width of 76 cm is also sufficient for a high degree of tipping stability.

On the other hand, water resistance is lower with narrower boards, which makes the board faster. This is also the reason touring and especially race boards are built very long and at the same time very narrow. At competitions, boards with a length of 4.27 m (14″) or more are mostly used, which are narrower than the much shorter entry-level boards.

An Inflatable paddle board is usually a bit wider, as the inflatable boards cannot be built in a form that is too narrow. However, this is not an obstacle for beginners. The difference in width only becomes noticeable in long distance and racing.

Thickness

The thickness has a significant impact on the robustness of a paddle board and also determines its carrying capacity. Around the topic of the optimal thickness of paddle boards, there have been many and will always continue to be discussions. Over time, however, a trend can be well observed.

When inflatable boards became more popular in the early 2010s, most of these boards were only 10 cm ( 4 inches) thick. On the water, it then quickly became apparent that the inflatables were sagging badly in the middle.

The manufacturers reacted to this problem with two measures. First, the thickness of the iSUPs was increased to today’s standard of 15 cm (6 inch) and secondly, the producers developed better manufacturing techniques that provided more robustness.

Recently, however, it can be seen again that some brands are again experimenting with narrower boards. The assumption is that these boards have better riding characteristics because they offer less water resistance.

However, these boards, which mostly measure 5 inches (12.5 cm) in thickness, are in the minority. The majority of all current models continue to be 15 cm in thickness.

Especially with very cheap models with a thickness of less than 15 cm, great caution applies. Often these boards are very unstable and bend strongly. In our paddle board tests, these boards have performed very poorly.

Paddleboard Accessories

Especially for paddle boarding beginners, the accessories are an important thing. In fact, many inflatable boards come in complete sets or at least with a number of accessory items. Especially for newcomers who still lack the equipment, this is a great thing.

Compared to other water sports, stand up paddling doesn’t require much at all. Essentially, a board, a paddle, a leash, an air pump (for inflatable boards) and a backpack for transport are completely sufficient.

However, the leash is not always included with inexpensive paddle boards and must therefore be purchased additionally.

The scope of delivery of the various models is quite different. For beginners, it is of great advantage if the basic equipment (paddle, air pump, leash and backpack) is already included.

Some paddle boards are missing parts of the equipment (e.g. Decathlon boards). For others, like here with the Bluefin Cruise, more is included (kayak seat & waterproof cell phone case).

In our iSUP test, we of course noted positively when a paddle board already comes in a set with all kinds of accessories. Ideally, beginners don’t need to buy any equipment at all in addition to the included accessories.

We have listed which accessories are included in the scope of delivery in the individual test reports.

Accessories are one of the most important criteria in paddle board testing.

After all:

• Without a great pump, inflating likes to take twice as long and is correspondingly more strenuous.
  
• Without a great board bag, transporting the paddle board becomes a pain.
  
• Without a great SUP paddle, paddling in the water is much more strenuous, and you progress much slower.

Bottom line: great accessories pay huge dividends to a paddleboarder’s quality of life.

Check out the best accessories for paddle boarders

Leash

A leash is important. The leash is attached with one end to the ankle or under the knee and with the other to the board.

If you fall into the water, the board cannot float away because of the leash. Due to wind, waves and currents, the board can become quite fast. For this reason, a leash is part of the standard equipment of paddle boarders.

The leash is a stretchable tether that is attached to the board and ankle. In case of a fall into the water, the leash prevents the board from floating away.

Coiled leashes (as shown) with a coiled line are today’s standard. Only in the event of a fall do they expand to their full length, usually 3 meters or 10 feet.

It is important to note that this is a coiled leash. This type of leash does not stretch to its full length until it falls into the water.

Unlike simple lines, coiled leashes do not snag on rocks and underwater plants. This could lead to nasty falls and injuries.

It is also important to note that Ankle or Knee leashes should not be used in flowing water. If the board gets caught on an obstacle, it can be life-threatening. With the pushing waters, it can be difficult to reach the leash at the ankle.

Unfortunately, several paddlers have died this way. In flowing waters, it is better to use leashes for the hip for this reason.

Check out the best leashes

Paddle

Qualitatively, the accessories that come with a paddle board often can’t compete with material purchased separately.

For the first tours, the equipment from the scope of delivery is perfectly adequate, but especially the included paddle many paddlers replace at a later stage.

It is usually a height-adjustable model, which is made of aluminum. The paddles made of aluminum are all very heavy. This is also the reason why many manufacturers do not specify the weight of the paddle in the first place.

Carbon paddles have become popular with advanced and professional users. With the lightweight paddles, you can move much faster than with heavy models made of aluminum.

In paddle boarding, the paddle movement is performed thousands of times during each tour. Here, every gram is noticeable. In practice, models made of the (much lighter) materials fiberglass and carbon are particularly convincing.

Some high-quality paddle boarding boards already come with a lightweight fiberglass or carbon paddle. If you buy such a set right away, you save yourself the purchase of a better paddle later on. The quality of the paddle is therefore also an important criterion in an iSUP test.

Check out the best SUP paddles

Air Pump

The scope of delivery of inflatable paddle boards also includes an air pump, with which the board is inflated – depending on the use of force – in 3 to 10 minutes.

There are two different types of air pumps: single stroke pumps and double stroke pumps. Meanwhile, there is also a third category: triple action pumps.

The former are the classic models that are used, for example, to pump up an air mattress. Unlike these models, double stroke pumps pump air into the board when pushing down and when pulling up.

This can significantly reduce the time it takes for the paddle board to be ready for use.

While the time can’t be cut in half, the following procedure will make the inflation time much shorter:

1. Switch to double stroke mode.
   
2. Pump up to 8 to 10 PSI.
   
3. Switch to single stroke mode.
   
4. Pump to desired air pressure. (Most often this is 12 to 15 PSI).

Check out the best pumps for paddle boards

An alternative to this are electric pumps, which are powered either by an external battery or by the car battery. Electric air pumps fill the board with air on their own. Great models take about fifteen minutes to bring an average paddle board up to 15 PSI of air pressure.

Check out the best electric pumps for paddle boards

Backpack

Inflatable paddle boards are easy to transport. After a tour, simply deflate, roll up the boar and stow it in a backpack. The backpacks are also large enough to store the paddle (disassembled into its parts), provisions, sportswear and additional equipment.

A suitable SUP backpack should be at least 5 to 10 cm larger than the board is wide. This ensures that the rolled up board will fit loosely inside. One of the most important features to look for in backpacks is comfort.

A suitable backpack is about 10 – 15 cm larger than the width of the board to be transported. Usually, a suitable backpack is delivered together with the board. However, the differences in quality are sometimes significant.

In our great paddle board test above, it became clear that individual manufacturers save on the padding of the shoulder straps. This sounds like a small thing at first, but with a backpack loaded with 10 to 20 kilograms (22-44 lbs), the shoulder straps cut painfully into the shoulders without good padding.

A good padding of the shoulder straps is enormously important if the backpack is to be worn over long distances.

In additional compartments and pockets, small items and other equipment can be stowed and sorted. For boards with removable fins, especially an extra compartment for the fins proves to be enormously practical.

Check out the best paddle board bags

Paddle Board Equipment

The accessories and dimensions of the board are very important. Most boards still have a certain equipment. We will now go into these features in more detail:

• Luggage net: most boards are equipped with a luggage net. This net consists of a bungee cord that is tightened to four or six D-rings. It can be used to transport a water bottle, drybag or other equipment.
  
• Nose/tail rocker: For beginners, this feature is not too important. Nose and tail rocker refers to the high bend of the tip and tail, respectively. Many inflatable boards feature a slight nose rocker. The high-bend board tip ensures that the board glides better over the water and doesn’t dive into every little wave.
  
• Carrying handles: There is usually a carrying handle in the center of the board. Some boards have additional handles on the sides or front & back of the board. This makes it easier to carry with two paddlers.
  
• Deckpad: An EVA deckpad is also part of the paddle board. The non-slip coating provides good grip even when wet.
  
• Actioncam mount: Some boards are also equipped with a mount for action cameras. For paddlers who want to record videos of their own trips, an action cam mount is a great thing.

Paddle Board Bestsellers: Which Boards Are Bought the Most?

Some of the brands with the highest sales figures in Europe are Aqua Marina, Decathlon’s own brand Itiwit, Bluefin, F2, Miweba and Bestway. Worldwide, brands such as iRocker and FunWater also still play a major role.

Also the respective boards made by Lidl, Aldi, Bauhaus & co make up a decent portion of the paddle boards sold.

We are rather not convinced of these discounter boards. Since it is strongly saved on quality, the boards are often already replaced after one season.

However, with the sheer number, discount boards like this year’s Lidl Mistral paddle board are definitely among the paddle board bestsellers.

Among the most popular models in 2021 are the following. Many of these boards can also be found on our bestseller lists.

Paddle Board Bestsellers: The Most Sold Boards in 2021:

1. Bluefin Cruise
   
2. Decathlon Itiwit X100
   
3. Aqua Marina Fusion
   
4. Aqua Marina Beast
   
5. Tigerxbang

Our Paddle Board Reviews in the last few Years

In recent years, the top 3 of our best lists looked a bit different. For the sake of transparency:

Paddle Board Review 2021

1. Beginner: Bluefin Cruise
   
2. Intermediate: Cala Ikatere
   
3. Pro: Bluefin Sprint

Paddle Board Review 2020

1. Bluefin Cruise
   
2. Penguin Lancer
   
3. Decathlon Itiwit X100

Paddle Board Review 2019

1. Bluefin Cruise
   
2. WOWSEA Trophy T1
   
3. Aqua Marina Beast

Paddle Board Review 2018

1. Bluefin Cruise
   
2. Aqua Marina Beast

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