Best Stand Up Paddle Boards for 2016
By: Anna Ross (sup boards review)
So what is new in 2016? Paddle boarding is exploding! There used to be a hand full of brands and choices where as simple as vanilla or chocolate. Now it is more, vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, or these 200 other flavors. It can get real confusing in a big hurry.
When things get too confusing, I lean on Bic Boards as my go to. Kind of like Sony used to be for electronics or Nike for shoes. You know what you are going to get (and it is a great product) so you aren’t risking anything.
Now if you like to be a little adventurous as most board sport people do, then lets take a look at some of the new and emerging brands in the market.
#1 Boardworks Kraken
Boardworks has a new paddle board called the Kraken. It comes in 2 lengths 10′ 3″ for your everyday paddling and 9′ 3″ specific for surf paddle boarding. It has a 34″ wide platform for great stability and my favorite part is the looks. This board goes more for a surfboard look and style with the squash tail and more pointed nose to help pierce through surf. The stand pad covers 3/4 of the board and adds a little wood look at the nose for some style. Instead of the usual large single fin, it has 3 like a performance shortboard. It also has narrower rails and a slight rocker to help in the surf. Truly a performance board and not your run of the mill Costco board. Priced around $1,300 and available on Amazon.
#2 Hobie Sportsman
I wanted to cover an array of boards for all likings and SUP fishing is getting bigger by the day, so Hobie decided to come out with the Sportsman series. This is a 10′ 9″ inflatable SUP boards specifically designed for fishing. It is 38″ wide for stability and holds 300 liters of air volume. You can comfortably land a 20 Lb Striper on this board. It has multiple D ring tie downs to help hold gear or a cooler (for fish obviously). I’m not sure why it is camo though as water is typically blue? Maybe we should write them and let them know 🙂 Blue camo would look pretty cool I would think. Either way, this has been voted the best sport fishing SUP for 2016. If that happens to change by the end of the year, I will come back and update this for you. Hobie tends to know their stuff when it comes to fishing gear in general.
#3 Sevylor River Runner
Whitewater SUPing is a new trend and pro skier Andy Mahre has designed this inflatable 9′ 6″ paddle board for just that reason. It takes about 12 minutes to reach 15 psi with the included pump for this board. It has a few inches or rocker built into it and weighs about 21 lbs when folded up for backpack travel. If you are a newbie to whitewater boarding, there is a longer version of this that is recommended.
There are plenty of other boards on the market, but these really stood out this year. If you would like more information on any stand-up paddle boarding gear as well as reviews, please visit my home site at supboardsreview.com. I’d like to thank Paddle news for having me and writing for them.
