Inflatable SUP Board - Stiff enough for paddling?
Pack up, drive off, inflate and go!
After a short drive, we reach the turquoise Fuschlsee, which enchants us every time with its fantastic location and crystal-clear water. In the late afternoon sun, we inflate our boards, pack a few cool drinks in our dry bag and paddle to the secluded bay, which is only accessible by water. Every day could end like this...
Inflatable SUP Boards: The Advantages
Inflatable SUP boards have a decisive advantage over hardboards: they are easier to transport and store. Very few people have premises where a stand-up paddleboard over three meters long can be permanently stored. An inflatable SUP board, which is only 70 to 80 centimeters when folded in the matching backpack, can be stored and transported almost anywhere. You can easily take your inflatable SUP board in your backpack to the next SUP spot in your car or even on public transport.
Many people who have not yet dealt with stand-up paddling are surprised that there are inflatable SUP boards, and the first question is usually something like: "Are inflatable SUP boards even stiff enough for paddling, and doesn't the board bend?"
We can clearly answer this with a resounding YES!
SUP hardboards are still ahead in only one discipline, and that is wave SUPing, i.e., stand-up paddling in the waves. You can compare this discipline with surfing, and you need to use the edge of the board to ride the waves properly.
In all other disciplines, inflatable quality SUP boards are equivalent to SUP hardboards. We want to clearly focus on quality here, because there are still cheap SUP boards from discounters or hardware stores that bend like a banana and have nothing in common with quality products.
High-quality inflatable SUP boards are stiff enough to compete in both touring and racing.
Buying an inflatable SUP board: what you need to look out for!
- It's all about the thickness! Inflatable SUP boards should be five to six inches thick to be stiff enough for sporty paddling. The thickness also offers another advantage: your feet won't be in the water. Many hardboards are thinner than inflatable SUP boards because they don't need the thickness for stiffness, but water easily splashes onto the board and your feet get wet. It doesn't sound that dramatic, but if the water is only 10 to 15 degrees, it can be uncomfortable in the long run.
- Inflate your inflatable SUP board correctly! On the board or on the SUP backpack, you will find the PSI recommended by the manufacturer, which you should use to inflate the SUP to achieve maximum stiffness. Even if it is very strenuous, you should never fall below this value. Electric SUP pumps take this work off your hands.
The conclusion on the stiffness of inflatable SUP boards
Yes, inflatable SUP boards are stiff enough for sporty paddling and also have many other advantages such as high impact resistance and easy transport. Race SUP boards over 4 meters in length can only be transported with difficulty if you don't have a suitable car!
