Most beginners should get a paddleboard which is more than 31.5 inches (80 cm) wide. Those boards provide more stability, which is much needed when just starting out.
For beginners, it is always best to start with a wider paddleboard because it will provide you with more stability and help you learn how to stand-up paddle board.
More wide paddleboards do not tilt so easily in the water. Therefore, it is easier to stand on such a paddleboard.
Once you advance in your SUP skills, it might be time for you to go for a more narrow and longer board, but only once you master the basics.
Most beginners start out with an all-round paddleboard with the size of 10’6” x 31.5” x 6” (3.2 meters x 80 cm x 15 cm). 80 centimeters (31.5 inches) happens to be the average width of most beginner paddle boards.
The standard all-rounder is best suited for paddlers weighing up to 80 to 90 kilograms. If you weigh more than that or want to bring your kid or dog along on a tour, you should get a larger (longer and/or wider) model instead.
Also, for doing paddleboard yoga or fitness workouts on a paddleboard a wider and, therefore, more stable paddleboard comes in handy. For doing fitness or yoga on a SUP, getting the most out of the paddleboard in terms of stability is really crucial.
If you opt for doing paddle tours instead, you might want to pick up a board which is a bit more narrow. More narrow boards are faster, but also less stable. For beginners, it might be challenging to handle a touring board.
Paddleboarding pros even ride race boards measuring just slightly more than 25 inch (63 cm) in width. If you want to compete in a paddleboarding race, you should definitely buy a narrower SUP.
It’s not easy to choose your first paddleboard. But make sure to always consider the different paddleboard sizes when picking a board.
Another choice is what type of board to get. There are rigid and inflatable paddleboards available. However, we strongly recommend getting an inflatable one to start with. You can read more about that in our post about why inflatable paddleboards are better for beginners.
To find some great models for beginners, check out this article about the best paddleboards for beginners.
