You should not buy a cheap inflatable stand up paddle board. Better invest lightly more money in all-inclusive paddle board set, great built-quality and a board better suited for doing paddle tours.
Paddleboarding is getting more popular. It’s fun, it’s easy to do, and it is a great way to stay healthy.
However, not all paddleboards are created equally. There are some great paddleboards which come at higher prices.
If you are new to paddleboarding, this can be disappointing. You don’t want to spend a fortune on your first board only to find out you don’t like it. That’s why more affordable paddleboards are very popular.
A cheap inflatable paddle board may seem like a good choice for beginners or occasional use. However, should you really buy a cheap inflatable stand up paddle board?
Let’s take a look.
By the way, here you can find some decent paddleboards for little money, which we’ve reviewed.
We do not recommend buying a cheap inflatable paddle board. There are a few reasons for that.
Cheap paddleboards are, often, not well-built and not very durable. Cheaper boards are at a greater risk of leaking, having damage or other problems. Most issues will just show up one or two seasons after buying the board.
Also, cheap paddleboards come with little or low-quality accessory products. Many cheap boards only come with a heavy paddle, a small hand pump, an uncomfortable backpack and, most of the time, a simple leash is included.
If you want to buy a quality paddle and backpack, your overall expenses will go much higher. Great backpacks cost up to £100. High-quality, lightweight carbon paddles go from anywhere between £50 and £300.
Features are another important factor. While there are some really advanced boards, many cheap inflatable paddleboards lack board features which makes using your SUP more comfortable and more fun.
Even cheap inflatable paddle boards come with a deck pad (to increase grip) and a carry grip in the center (to transport your paddleboard). But most miss other cool features like a luggage net (to transport gear on a paddle tour), extra d-rings (to attach more gear like a kayak seat) or a paddle holder (to securely attach your paddle to the board)
Also, there is not much choice in terms of different paddleboard shapes. If you have decided on an inflatable, the main choices are between buying an all-round board with a length of between 9 feet and 11 feet. There are no other options in this lower price range.
To sum it up, buying a cheap paddleboard is not the best choice because you will have to invest more money in accessories, which are not always included, and repairs (as cheaper boards come with shorter or no warranties).
Also, you won’t have as much fun due to the limitations in offered board features and different paddleboard shapes.
Sure, some paddleboards just are more expensive (often, even more expensive than kayaks) and people are right to wonder why paddleboards are so expensive.
However, if you invest some money (and it doesn’t have to be much more), you will get yourself a way better paddleboard set.
Better invest a bit more money to get an all-inclusive paddle board set, great built-quality and a board better suited for doing paddle tours.
We’ve reviewed 50+ affordable paddleboards, compared them and create this list here. At the moment, those are the best affordable paddleboards on the market.
