How Much Should You Spend on a Paddle Board? (In UK)

We recommend beginners to spend at least £250, on a paddle board. If you are looking for an all-inclusive paddle board set, great built-quality and a board better suited for doing paddle tours, you will be looking at a price range of £400 to £750.

As you’ve most certainly read already, paddleboarding is fast becoming one of the most popular water sports in the UK. There are many benefits to the sport, and it’s surprising how soon you get hooked!

With new people interesting in trying out paddleboarding for themselves, one of the most common questions is: How much should I spend on a paddle board?

It’s a valid question and utmost important to know if you want to find out which one is the best paddle board for you.

For our blog, we’ve reviewed hundreds of paddleboards and have a pretty good overview about what’s going on with many of the brands and sellers.

We found that there isn’t much information available online about the cost of paddle boards or how much you should be spending.

Especially, for the UK area, there haven’t been many up-to-date resources to refer people to.

So here’s our take on this topic.

If you are short on time, click here to jump to our post about the very best paddleboards available.

Different Price Levels of Paddle Boards

There are different price levels of paddle boards and paddle board sets.

When it comes to paddleboards, the built quality as well as included gear will play a huge role in determining how much a paddleboard costs.

You need to consider what you want to do with the paddleboard to see how much your paddleboard should cost in the UK.

In this article, we’ll discuss some factors that determine your budget for a new stand-up paddle board, and hopefully we’ll help you find the best paddleboard for your needs and budget.

Let’s get started!

Affordable Paddleboards £250 to £400

The casual paddler should be looking at boards in the range £250 to £400. Most boards in this price range will be above average but won’t likely last very long (only a few seasons) if used regularly.

The good news is that there are several reputable brands in this price range which will offer something solid, for an affordable price.

You’ll have to compromise on some things, but usually the gear included with these boards is okay and, the boards will offer some features.

In this price range, you should expect a few minor flaws, gear which is far from being the best available, and you’ll have trouble finding a paddleboard which isn’t an all-rounders in this range.

Mid-Price Paddleboards £400 to £750

Paddlers who want to go on paddle tours should be looking at boards in the range £400 to £750. Most boards in this price range will be great quality, include various pieces of higher-quality gear (which is great for beginners), and will be quite versatile.

It’s possible to get a full paddle set for this price range, including board, paddle, backpack, repair kit, leash and even additional gear such as a waterproof phone case or a dry bag.

There are also many touring paddleboards available in this price level. If you are into mid-range or longer paddle tours, you shouldn’t get an all-round paddleboard as those got a very wide shape which slows you down and doesn’t track that well.

Premium Paddleboards £750 to £1,500

Paddlers who want to do the most, go the furthest and have a great experience should be looking at boards in the range £750 to £1,500. Paddle boards in this price range will be high-quality beyond belief and incredibly versatile.

In this price level you’ll find all kinds of paddleboards from casual to touring to surfing.

There’s so much choice in this price range that it might become quite tricky to find the right one – but overall, you should expect excellent built quality, high-quality gear, and a very versatile paddleboard.

Most of the most well-known brands in the world of water spots are selling their paddle boards for such prices. E.g. can get great brands like Naish, Starboard or Red Paddle in this price range (and more).

Premium SUP gear is very high-quality. For casual paddlers, this may not matter all that much – if you don’t go out on the water often enough, a premium paddle board will be too expensive to own.

Should You Purchase a Paddleboard for £200, or Even Less Than That?

No, we don’t recommend purchasing a paddleboard for £200 or less. Most brands selling such cheap paddleboards overpromise and under deliver in terms of weight capacity, ships their product with no, faulty or low-quality gear and the boards just aren’t very durable.

This is the price range where you’ll get stuck with a model that (1) promises way too much in terms of weight capacity. You will find many paddle boards in this price range with exaggerated weight capacity claims.

There are brands claiming their cheap paddle board can carry up to 100 (220 lbs), 120 (265 lbs) or even 150 kilograms (330 lbs) heavy paddlers. But in reality, those boards bend like crazy with any weight over 80 kilograms.

A giant problems are boards which are just 4 inches (10 cm) thick. Those very thin boards bend at any weights above 60 kilograms and are absolutely not an option for (most) adults.

With a paddle board, there always is gear included. Cheap paddle boards often (2) ship with no, faulty or low-quality gear.

This is a huge issue for all paddlers who get stuck with a paddle that’s too heavy, a backpack which is super uncomfortable to carry, an air pump which is noisy or with which it’s way too physically demanding to inflate the board.

Also, many paddle boards in this price range (3) just aren’t very durable. This is mainly due to poor-quality materials, which are used for the construction of the paddle boards.

The most common problem is that cheap boards just break too quickly. And, quite regularly, after only a one or two of seasons of casual usage.

Those are all the reasons why we’ve created this list of the best affordable paddle boards.

There, you can find a great selection of casual paddle boards which you can use for many years without wasting any money.

Check out our affordable paddle board reviews to find the best piece of gear for your needs.

Which One Is the Best Mid-Price Paddleboard to Buy?

This is a great question, and we can’t give you a single answer.

There are many very good mid-range paddle boards out there, and often it comes down to personal preference on which board one prefers.

Maybe you like a certain design or shape, and we can give you some boards we’ve worked with and loved.

Also, we can’t just determine which size of paddleboard you require. There just are some more factors which go into choosing the right paddle board.

Check out our post about the best paddle boards out there.

Which One Is the Best Premium Paddleboard to Buy?

For many casual paddlers, the mid-range gear by major brands is more than enough. And, for those, buying an expensive paddle board is just not worth it.

However, if you are a very serious or professional user of your paddleboard, consider making the investment into a paddleboard that’s at the premium level. These boards have an amazing build quality, are made with top-notch materials and come with the best gear you can imagine.

If you are interested in the very best paddle boards money can get you, check out our article of the best paddleboards, where we also feature some very nice models.