Paddle boarding continues to grow year on year, as more people pick up the hobby and get into water sports.
As the participants have grown over the years, so too has the number of manufacturers and brands selling paddle boards.
With all these brands popping up and trying to muscle their way into a saturated market the disparity in price has grown out of control.
With some boards being sold for as little as $200 whilst other boards are selling for nearer the $2500 mark.
You can be left confused as to what price you actually expect to pay for a paddle board.
To best answer this question we first need to establish what type of board we are going to compare prices on.
Obviously specialist boards designed for SUP racing or SUP Surf boards will be priced differently to all-rounder boards that are targeted to recreational paddlers or new comers.
With that in mind for the sake of this article I am going to use examples from both inflatable and epoxy ranges.
However, I will only be looking at the prices of all-rounder SUPs.
The average cost of an inflatable paddle board is $709.49 with the prices ranging from $398.99 to $1170.00
The average cost on an epoxy hardtop paddle board is $1302.39 with the prices ranging from $845.00 to $1979.00
Below you can see a table containing the boards and their respective prices to see how I obtained these figures
|
Inflatable Paddle Boards |
|
|
Brand and Board |
Cost |
|
Redpaddle Co. Ride MSL |
$1170.00 |
|
Shark SUP All Round |
$752.00 |
|
Irocker Nautical |
$615.00 |
|
ROC Inflatable SUP |
$499.95 |
|
Serenelife Inflatable SUP |
$398.99 |
|
ISLE Pioneer |
$645.00 |
|
Fatstick AirStick |
$590.00 |
|
Fanatic Fly Air |
$650.00 |
|
Thurso Water Walker |
$724.00 |
| Starboard IGO Deluxe |
$1050.00 |
|
Epoxy Paddle Boards |
|
|
Brand and Board |
Cost |
|
ISLE Outpost |
$845.00 |
|
Aztron Jupit |
$1050.00 |
|
JP Australia Hybrid |
$1900.00 |
|
Fanatic Fly |
$1750.00 |
|
Fatstick Bamboo Bullet |
$1050.00 |
|
Starboard GO Starshot Wave |
$1750.00 |
|
Connelly Classic |
$1100.00 |
|
BIC Performer Tough |
$699.95 |
|
Naish Nalu |
$1979.00 |
|
SIC SURF ART |
$899.95 |
What Factors Impact The Cost of paddle Boards
Size
One factor that affects the overall cost of a paddle board is the size.
The larger the board the more material and labour time required to construct the board.
Although this can be a factor it surprisingly isn’t as big a factor as you may think.
If you need proof of this concept, it may surprise you that the boards above are all similarly sized.
The average board on the list above is 10’6” with a couple slightly shorter and a couple slightly longer.
Whilst size certainly can be a factor and should be taken into consideration, the main bulk in cost difference is not solely down to size.
Design and Purpose
Another factor that can greatly influence the cost of a paddle board is how it is designed and for what purpose.
What I mean by this is boards that are specifically designed for SUP racing will be more costly than boards that are designed for recreational paddling.
Again although this certainly is a factor that can affect cost disparity it still doesn’t explain why the boards noted above vary so much.
As stated at the start of the article all the boards chosen are all-rounder boards.
Board only or Package Deal
I think it goes without saying that you would expect to pay more for a board, pump, bag, leash, fin etc…
Lots of inflatable SUPs are sold as package deals whereas lots of Epoxy SUPs are sold individually.
If you were to purchase an Epoxy SUP and then purchase a leash, paddle, fin etc on top as a package deal, this would obviously push up the total price.
Although this can certainly be a factor again it doesn’t explain the cost discrepancies in the list above as I have tried to use comparable options when looking at the costs.
Materials
This is the first factor that really starts to explain the cost difference between our boards above.
Most paddle boards are constructed using similar materials and in a similar manner.
However, it is not uncommon for manufacturers to incorporate additional compounds or materials to strengthen, enhance and customise the way a board performs.
A good example of this is RedPaddle Co.’s Ride MSL.
RedPaddle use their exclusively-owned MSL fusion technology which makes for extreme stiffness and rigidity whilst cutting down on weight.
Couple this with their patented RSS Stiffening system makes their boards amongst the most durable on the market.
This is obviously reflected in the price.
A good rule of thumb with paddle boards is you get what you pay for.
Skimp on the price and you will most certainly be getting less quality material and technology.
Brand Reputation
The last factor isn’t something that is specific to the paddle board industry and its ripples are felt across all business.
Brand reputation does and always will play a huge part in determining cost variance amongst products.
A good example of this would be Apple with their Iphones.
They have remained relatively unchanged for years yet the price continued to rise as the brand grew in popularity and size.
The same is true with paddle boarding.
RedPaddle Co. are considered the market leaders in the inflatable SUP range which obviously means they are able to charge more for their products.
The same is true with Starboard who’s boards have won the SUP surf championships for the last 3 years running.
The main difference between a company like Apple and a paddle board brand like RedPaddle Co or Starboard is that generally speaking the paddle boarding products really are worth the extra money.
What To Expect From SUPs in Different Price Brackets
Now we know some of the different factors that impact the cost of SUPs. We can have a look at what you can expect to get for your money at each price point.
Inflatable Paddle boards
Inflatable Paddle Board Below $500
At this price point you will struggle to find any named brands.
You will most likely see the cheap budget models that litter the amazon marketplace.
Being cheaper or budget models doesn’t instantly make them bad but it does mean you should be cautious with which one you go for.
Being that they are budget models, they are usually constructed using single layer PVC which means they are susceptible to the seams splitting, becoming damaged or just outright sinking under heavier loads.
It also means they aren’t normally fitted with any additional features or clever nick nacks.
I would advise that you don’t generally look at boards at this price point but if you don’t have any other choice then I think the SereneLife is probably going to give you the most bang for your buck.
If you want to get your hands on your own Serenelife board, you can do so by clicking here
Inflatable Paddle Boards Between $500-$900
In this price bracket you will find the mid-tier options.
This is where you will find the entry level boards from most major brands.
As you can see from the summary at the top of the article the average price for an inflatable paddle board is $709.49 which is pretty much smack bang in the middle of this price point.
If you are a beginner or just a recreational paddler then I would strongly recommend that you look in this price bracket.
In this region you will get good quality materials with fairly decent technology and some nice useful extras.
Now I was going to do what I did with the budget model and give you my top pick from the list above.
The issue I have though, is that you honestly could take any board from the above list that falls in the price point and you would be getting an absolutely astonishing board.
Inflatable Paddle Boards Over $900
We now get to the top end boards.
The boards are sure to bring all the technology, all the gimmicks and nick nacks as well as being constructed using the finest materials available.
This combination ensures the board is durable, reliable, and most importantly enjoyable,
Now it is true that these boards are considerably more money expensive but as I said before.
You get what you pay for.
You will notice that in the list above there is two brands that have a board above in this price bracket.
These brands are RedPaddle Co. & Starboard.
Now if you are familiar with paddleboarding or you have been researching the space.
I can almost guarantee you will be aware of these two brands.
RedPaddle Co. is widely regarded as the industry leader for inflatable SUPs and whilst Starboards success isn’t in the inflatable range you certainly fault their accolades and credentials in the SUP space.
Starboard is the brand that has created the board that has won the SUP surf championships for the last 3 years running.
Whether you are just beginning or paddling with the best of them, if you can afford to get either of these fantastic boards you won’t be disappointed.
Epoxy Paddle Boards
You will notice that my list doesn’t contain any hot amazon listings but instead includes known brands only.
This is intentional.
Don’t buy no-name epoxy boards unless you personally know the shaper etc.
Stick to the known brands when deciding which epoxy board to buy.
Epoxy Paddle Boards Under $800
When looking at Epoxy boards under $800.00 not only will they be hard to come buy (as my list above proves) but they probably aren’t going to be very performance based.
BIC is a massive company in the water sports industry and they have fermented themselves as a company who provide fantastic, affordable boards to encourage and get as many people into watersports as possible.
Now it’s true BIC or any boards in this price bracket aren’t going to be performance monsters.
If however, you are a beginner or just found your passion for paddle boarding then going for something like the BIC Tough Performer is actually a fantastic option.
I actually learned to surf on a BIC minimal and it was great fun.
BIC have actually improved their board design alot in recent years meaning when selecting something like the Tough Performer you aren’t just getting a solid beginner board anymore.
You are actually getting a surprisingly good performer.
It is worth noting that not all boards in this price bracket will be good performers, so just ensure you do your due diligence before laying out any money.
At this price point you won’t find a great deal of tech incorporated into the board and the materials will often be cheap and cheerful.
For example the BIC tough performer is actually a foam soft top board and not a hardtop fiberglass board.
Epoxy Paddle Boards Between $800-$1400
Much unlike the inflatable range the average cost of an epoxy board does not fit smack bang in the middle of this bracket nor is it even close to the middle.
The average cost actually resides right at the top end of this bracket.
Epoxy boards are extremely divisive when it comes to cost as you will still find beginner level or entry level boards floating around at the low end of this price point.
But you will also find many established watersports brands throwing their hat in the rings within the price bracket.
An example would be a brand such as Connelly.
Connelly are a brand that have a great heritage with watersports having made water skis for many years.
Obviously paddle boarding is quite a different beast to water skiing but Connelly have certainly shown they belong with their Connelly Classic.
At this price point you can be sure you will be getting a good board that is made from top quality materials and will withstand the test of time.
At this price point looking specifically at the boards I have included in the list above I would actually encourage you to look at the lower end of this price point and check out the ISLE outpost.
Epoxy Paddle Boards Over $1400
We now get into the heavy hitters.
This price point is reserved for the best of the best, who have a firm footing in the paddle board industry and more often than not have some accolades to go along with it.
If you are willing to splash out for a board over the $1400.00 mark it not only shows you are serious about paddle boarding, but also that you are a person who wants the best materials, the best performance and ultimately the most fun.
At this price point you will probably recognise the 3 brands on my list.
These brands are Naish, Starboard and JP Australia.
If you are after an epoxy paddle board look no further than these three brands.
They dominate the epoxy board space and for good reason. Using only the best materials means your board will be shaped to perfection, light and more importantly offer all the performance you will need.
Purchasing either one of these boards will set you up nicely for a leisurely paddle round your local waterways or throw you head first down an overhead monster swell.
I appreciate that the costs of these boards are quite extreme but as all of these brands have a great reputation and are each extremely desirable it also means you will also be able to resell if you fancy a change of pace.
For my most up to date recommendations for boards, check out my recommended gear page.