I always liked this video discussing the differences between a hard board and an inflatable. It’s hard to find a good discussion about this issue that isn’t marketing.
Bottom line: hard boards have better response and speed than inflatables. Inflatables have the advantage of transportation and durability. If you get an inflatable, make sure you get one from a reputable company that will back it up with service.
This is probably the most popular question that people ask when starting standup paddling. “What’s the best beginner board?” or “What’s the best board for me to start on.” There’s a lot of conflicting information on this, but I want to give beginners a guide to what I think is the best way to start….
I didn’t think I could spend 30 minutes talking about paddles. It’s funny how that happens. But I decided to take a fairly deep dive into what makes a paddle a paddle and the different materials. I didn’t even start to go into paddle blade shape or any of those advanced topics. This is just…
Just took my first paddle on my new SIC Okeanos 12’6” Air. I had a lot of interesting impressions, and I’ll be posting my review, but I was struck by one part of the paddling experience: the speed and how it moves through the water. I’ve spent a lot of time on all-around boards. These…
One of my favorite things to do on the Hudson is to find little creeks and streams and go up them as far as I can go. I used to call it exploring, but now, thanks to fellow paddler Davis Janowski, it has a great name: gunkholing. I can’t think of a better reason to…
Pretty much everybody starts their paddleboard career with an adjustable paddle. These are especially common in “package deals”, where you purchase a board, leash, and paddle together. Adjustable paddles have a lot of advantages. They can be sold to most paddlers, not matter what their height. As a new paddler, you can also experiment with…
Lots of boards out there. Lots. And when you’re trying to find a new (or used) paddleboard for yourself, the first question everyone asks is, “Is this a good board?” So let’s talk a little bit about what makes a board “good” or “bad”. First thing is, most boards you will buy will be fine….