We have tested dozens of SUP boards.
We also trudged through the manufacturer’s pages, product descriptions and PDFs with the technical details.
We’ve broken down the hundreds of different boards into a small and concise list of really good SUP boards.
Those who want the short answer:
The Bluefin Cruise is the best paddleboard!
The Bluefin Cruise 10'8 is one of the most popular boards. The very high-quality SUP board convinces with an extensive accessory set as well as a warranty of 5 years. In our test, Bluefin Cruise surprised us especially with its enormous stiffness. However, with the robust construction, the Bluefin Cruise is not the lightest SUP.
These boards could already convince in a SUP board test or otherwise in practice.
In addition, we have written a guide in which you can learn what to look for when choosing a stand up paddling board.
The following list is made to give you a wide choice between really different boards, all of which are among the best models for their purpose.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
- 1 The best SUP boards
- 2 Why is our SUP board test worthwhile?
- 3 SUP Board Test: Choose the Perfect Stand Up Paddling Board
- 4 3 reasons why you should do Stand Up Paddling
- 5 FAQ
- 5.1 How many different SUP boards are there?
- 5.2 How to choose a good SUP board?
- 5.3 How heavy is a Stand Up Paddling Board?
- 5.4 What is a SUP Board?
- 5.5 What material are inflatable SUP boards made of?
- 5.6 How long should a Stand Up Paddling board be?
- 5.7 Which is the best SUP board?
- 5.8 Is Stand Up Paddling also suitable for children?
- 5.9 Which is the best SUP board?
- 5.10 What does a good SUP board cost?
- 5.11 Which SUP boards are suitable for beginners?
- 5.12 Which SUP brand is the best?
- 6 Conclusion
The best SUP boards
#1 Bluefin Cruise
The Bluefin Cruise 10’8 is a 325 cm long all-round board that is 77 cm wide and 15 cm thick. The Cruise 10’8 is designed for a maximum payload of 130 kilograms.
The Bluefin Cruise 10’8 is delivered in a set consisting of the SUP, a mountable kayak seat, an air pump, a leash, a carrying bag and a double-sided fiberglass paddle.
Buyers praised the Bluefin Cruise 10’8 especially for its extensive and high-quality accessories. The processing of the board is also top. In direct comparison with other SUPs, it is also quickly noticed that the Cruise 10’8 is extremely stiff, which ensures a particularly secure stand.
Customers were also impressed by the good driving characteristics. The Cruise 10’8 2020 is true to track, offers good straight-line stability and is still maneuverable. Especially many customers also highlighted the lightweight paddle. Unlike other SUPs, the Bluefin Cruise comes with a fiberglass SUP paddle that weighs much less than typical aluminum paddles.
The Bluefin Cruise 10'8 is one of the most popular boards. The very high-quality SUP board convinces with an extensive accessory set as well as a warranty of 5 years. In our test, Bluefin Cruise surprised us especially with its enormous stiffness. However, with the robust construction, the Bluefin Cruise is not the lightest SUP.
#2 MOAI Allround 11′
The MOAI Allround 11′ is a good board because it is a mixture of all-round and touring board. The shape and features are chosen wisely and combine many advantages of both board types.
The MOAI Allround 11′ has a high quality finish. The accessories package is also of good quality. The fiberglass paddle is also much lighter and more powerful than aluminum paddles from other comparable sets.
The high load capacity and long length are good for tall and heavy people.
Overall, it is a fast and stable board because it is equipped with 2+1 fins. The Kickpad makes it easy to move around with a little practice.
The MOAI Allround 11' closes the gap between all-rounders and touring boards. The SUP board of the Dutch brand combines many advantages of both board types. The MOAI Allround 11' is very well built and comes with a whole accessory package (including a very high quality backpack and a lightweight fiberglass paddle).
#3 Goosehill Sailor
The Goosehill Sailor is a traditional all-around board that is great for beginners. The boards are adaptable and lie stable in the water.
The 320 cm long Allround SUP is stiff and powerful. It is not for nothing that the Goosehill Sailor has already collected many positive reviews.
Overall, this results in a good price-performance ratio. The manufacturer also offers a 3-year warranty, which is a good sign.
After all, only brands that are convinced of the durability of their own products give a guarantee.
The accessory pack is not the best in terms of quality, but it is sufficient for the beginning. Also it includes the complete basic equipment.
The Goosehill Sailor (and the similar model Goosehill Rainbow) are classic all-round boards that are well suited for beginners. Except for an overstated maximum load rating, the board is a very good choice. The stiffness is good and the ratings are top notch. Given the affordable price, both Goosehill SUPs are great boards for beginners.
#4 Aqua Marina Beast
The Aqua Marina Beast is an all-around board released in 2018. The Beast measures 320 cm x 81 cm x 15 cm and weighs 9.3 kilograms. The blue and yellow SUP is designed for a maximum load of 143 kilograms.
A narrow carrying handle facilitates transport, a GoPro can be mounted on the action cam mount, for example, and the luggage net is used for taking equipment on tours. The Beast is available in various sets, each containing different accessories.
Buyers of the Aqua Marina Beast are convinced of the stability with which the board lies in the water. The high stability also makes it easy for beginners to find their balance. Customers also report that the Beast is quickly ready for use. The price-performance ratio is probably the strongest argument in favor of the Aqua Marina Beast.
Customers increasingly note that it is basically a good SUP, but that top speeds cannot be achieved with it. Some buyers noticed a rubber smell after unpacking the board, which only gradually dissipated. At least one customer also had problems with the air pump and had to replace it.
The Aqua Marina Beast is a very solid all-around board and an excellent choice for the price. It has been on the market for years and still enjoys great popularity. The board is great for ambitious beginners, as it has a lot to offer with its great construction quality (including additional rail reinforcements), advanced features (great deckpad with kickpad) and high quality equipment.
#5 Bluefin Cruise Carbon 10’8
The Bluefin Cruise Carbon is beautiful all-round SUP board that is optimal for trips on lakes, rivers, canals with small waves. With its 325 cm in length and 82.5 cm in width, the SUP board is rather unsuitable for long tours. The Bluefin Cruise Caron 12 should rather be used for this purpose.
Due to the high thickness of 16 cm, the Bluefin Cruise Carbon is a wide SUP board, which has a high payload, more robustness and more buoyancy than other SUP boards. For both beginners and advanced users, the tip-resistant Bluefin Cruise Carbon is perfect for outings on the water.
Not only does it make practice sessions easier for beginners, but the non-slip deck pad ensures a secure footing, making it less likely to fall into the water.
Together with the smooth surface and high stiffness, even advanced users can show what they’ve got. The additional carbon layer strengthens the SUP board again a lot.
The Bluefin Cruise Carbon is one of the stiffest paddleboards in the world. It is more expensive than the normal Bluefin Cruise, but offers more in terms of stiffness, the included equipment and has more features. With its weight it is not the best model for transport, but on the water this inflatable SUP board is as close to a hardboard as you can get.
#6 Aqua Marina Fusion
The Aqua Marina Fusion shows itself as a typical all-rounder, which lies stable and firm on the water. With its dimensions, it can convince. In length, it measures 315 cm, in width 76 cm and in thickness 15 cm.
The length is typical for an all-rounder. Thus, the board is stable and long enough for beginners to practice on it. It glides nicely through the waves and offers a good stand.
The Aqua Marina Fusion is, as just mentioned, aimed at beginners who are on a SUP for the first time in their lives. The handling with the Aqua Marina Fusion is easy.
It does not tip away quickly and quickly provides a firm footing. Balancing is easy due to the wide and long dimensions, and so the center is quickly found to be able to move with the board.
The Aqua Marina Fusion is not only a beautiful all-rounder that does everything, but also a board that brings a great scope of delivery. Beginners can start immediately with the included accessories and do not have to go to the nearest store to buy the necessary accessories. Everything is included.
The Aqua Marina Fusion offers proven quality of the middle class, with little experimentation and a universally popular design. The equipment is good and the board could already convince with very many, good long-term experiences. The Aqua Marina Fusion is a pretty robust all-rounder for lighter paddlers, which comes in a total package with all the basic equipment.
Why is our SUP board test worthwhile?
At a speed rarely seen before, Stand Up Paddling has evolved from a small niche existence to one of the most popular water sports.
This rapid rise has put entrepreneurs on the map. Numerous new manufacturing companies were established, each launching their own model lines.
Today there are so many different SUP boards that even experienced paddlers have a hard time navigating through this jungle.
After all, who wants to spend their time poring through product spec sheets to work out the small (but crucial) differences between each board?
For all those who are new to Stand Up Paddling, this is the place to be.
In addition to the boards we present, there are of course many other models that we would like to have included in our list.
We also compare newly released models with the listed models and, if necessary, exchange an aging board for a new release.
SUP Board Test: Choose the Perfect Stand Up Paddling Board
Stand Up Paddling is a really cool sport. However, sometimes SUP is more strenuous than it appears to outsiders. Even before the SUP paddle, the board on which you ride is the most important piece of equipment.
We have analyzed all the crucial features of the boards in an extensive research and give you here a practical overview of all the aspects you should pay attention to when buying a SUP board.
At the end of the article we answer frequently asked questions in an extra section. All clear?
Well then: On your marks. Ready. Go!
Find the right SUP board
We have tailored our selection of Stand Up Paddling boards primarily for beginners and intermediate paddlers (with a maximum of two years experience).
The boards each have their own strengths and weaknesses, but are broadly similar. All the selected SUP boards are all-round boards with a length of around 305 to 320 cm.
The great advantage of all-rounders is that they can be used in a whole range of areas. Relaxed trips across neighboring lakes are just as possible as fitness-oriented touring paddling or surfing small waves.
For SUP veterans, the trend is often toward a second board, which is then more specialized in a particular aspect of SUP.
Special SUP yoga boards, for example, are better designed for practicing yoga exercises on the water, while wave SUPs have been optimized for maneuverability and you can prance between the waves with them accordingly.
Most beginners will get into Stand Up Paddling with an Allrounder. This way you can learn Stand Up Paddling and still have the right board to try different things.
With the next stand up paddling board you can then go more in the direction that you enjoy the most.
Another point that speaks for Allrounder as a beginner SUP board is the wide and particularly stable construction of the Allrounder boards. For beginners to the sport, Allround Board makes it easier to build up a sense of balance.
A crucial question when choosing a stand up paddling board is whether you want an inflatable SUP board or a fixed board. The main arguments against the fixed hardboards are the costly transport and the space-consuming storage.
An inflatable board sounds like a better air mattress at first. In fact, the boards are usually inflated to 1 bar and are rock hard when inflated.
Considering that inflatable boards are now estimated to account for 90 to 95% of boards sold, you can see that a lot of paddlers are sold on inflatable SUPs (iSUPs).
Our team is also united behind inflatable models. Only for people who do not have problems with transportation and storage, for example, because they live near the water, fixed SUP boards can be an interesting alternative.
On our list you will find only iSUPs. We are convinced that inflatable boards are the better choice for at least 19 out of 20 paddlers.
The design is another decisive factor. Long and narrow boards tend to be faster because they offer less resistance to the water.
If you want to put more emphasis on workouts, you should look at appropriately elongated boards such as the Bluefin Cruise. The tapered nose (tip of the board) of the Bluefin Cruise also ensures that the board cuts through the water.
Many boards include a comprehensive package with a lot of accessories. In our list you will find only SUP boards that include all parts of the basic equipment (paddle, pump, fins, etc.).
Board length
The board length is a decisive criterion. The different types of boards can be categorized by the length of the boards. Roughly speaking, we can distinguish between three different types of boards:
Short boards (shorter than 2.75 m): Especially good for fast maneuvers, often used for SUP surfing, slower.
Medium length boards (2.75 to 3.65 m): Best length for beginners, “sweet spot” of maneuverability, stability and speed, typically all-around boards, yoga boards or SUP fishing boards.
Long boards (longer than 3.65 m): The fastest boards, often racing or touring SUPs, poorer maneuverability and less stability.
Board width
The width of SUP boards determines the stability. The wider a board, the more stable the stand on it. With narrower boards you are faster for it.
Narrow boards (narrower than 75 cm): These narrow boards are faster, but offer less stability and riding them is often too challenging for beginners.
Wide boards (wider than 78 cm): Wider boards are ideal for beginners. Finding and maintaining balance is much easier on these boards.
3 reasons why you should do Stand Up Paddling
Stand Up Paddling has quickly risen from a fringe phenomenon to a popular sport. One reason is that SUP is just incredibly fun.
Just like other sports, you don’t have to go stand up paddling alone. A joint tour even makes a real mood.
The best reason why you should go stand up paddling is because the sport is an excellent full body workout that doesn’t feel like a workout at all.
The deep muscles in particular benefit from the mix of minimal balancing movements and the paddling motion itself. SUP is also a wonderful endurance workout that doesn’t require a whole arsenal of equipment.
In our opinion, the best sports are those that hardly feel like training because the focus is on having fun. We see that Stand Up Paddling falls into exactly this category.
Unlike many other sports, Stand Up Paddling has no negative impact on joints and ligaments.
Hard impact of the body on the ground, such as when jogging on asphalt or playing badminton, often does not exist in water sports. Just like swimming, stand up paddling is a great alternative for people who suffer from joint pain.
Besides, stand up paddling doesn’t require much equipment. A board, a paddle and a tether are perfectly adequate. With the numerous options nowadays, anyone can easily transport a SUP board.
It doesn’t even need a car. With the special bike trailer for SUP boards, the boards can be driven to the water in a very relaxed way.
A short intensive SUP tour in the morning will surely drive away sorrows and worries. SUP is fun alone, but the sport is even better in a group.
If you’ve ever been stand up paddling with family and friends, or even had the kids or dog on the board with you, you’ll know what we’re talking about.
FAQ
How many different SUP boards are there?
Very many. For each of the different uses (touring, racing, yoga, all-round, wave, etc.) there are a lot of boards. The respective boards differ in their riding characteristics. Especially the length, the ratio of length and width as well as the board shape have an influence on the riding characteristics and are decisive characteristics for the classification into the respective board classes.
How to choose a good SUP board?
There is no simple answer to this question. The right SUP board depends on what you want to use the board for. If you want to go stand up paddling together with your dog, you should look for a wide board that gives your dog room to walk back and forth and has a thick deck pad that gives your dog a stable stance as well as withstands dog claws.
How heavy is a Stand Up Paddling Board?
The weight of a Stand Up Paddling Board depends on the length, width and the mounted accessories. For most models, the weight is between 6 and 15 kilograms. A low weight of course facilitates transport, but is also a sign of less robust materials.
Many particularly stiff and durable SUP boards bring for this reason a slightly higher weight on the scale. Especially boards with carbon reinforced rails (= edges) weigh more, but also offer better riding characteristics due to the higher stiffness.
What is a SUP Board?
SUP Board stands for Stand Up Paddling Board. Outsiders also often use the term SUB Board. However, this one is not correct.
What material are inflatable SUP boards made of?
Inflatable SUP boards are made of a PVC. For the boards, material is used that, on the one hand, can be rolled up for transport and, on the other hand, can withstand collisions with stones.
How long should a Stand Up Paddling board be?
The length of the board depends on the planned use. For beginners, board that are between 2.75 and 3.65 m long are the best choice. Shorter boards are more maneuverable, while longer boards can achieve higher speeds.
Which is the best SUP board?
Finding the right SUP board for your needs is not that easy. All the offers on the market make this decision even more difficult. But a SUP board test is a good guide to find the best SUP boards for beginners.
Is Stand Up Paddling also suitable for children?
A SUP is comparable to a canoe because, by definition, it is a “muscle-powered small craft.” You don’t need a boating license for this and the SUP board doesn’t need to be registered either. This means that basically everyone can paddle.
However, this is not to say that it can be entirely harmless. The water rescue expert recommends playing it safe once more – especially when children are on board. The following two rules should be observed by parents or caregivers in any case:
Rule number 1: A SUP board is not a substitute for a life jacket.
If you are paddling with a child on a SUP board, be sure to put on a life jacket. For children who cannot swim yet, a swimmer should also be on board.
Rule number 2: Choose the right clothes.
Children quickly threaten to get hypothermia with it. Therefore, be sure to wear a wetsuit when the water is still cool. Since children often like to jump or fall into the water, a life jacket should also be worn. The experts recommend a solid vest, as this also cushions a fall onto the SUP board.
Which is the best SUP board?
The test winner in our SUP board test is the Bluefin Cruise. The board could convince with top accessories, a long warranty and a very robust construction. View SUP Board Test.
What does a good SUP board cost?
Good Stand Up Paddling Boards are already available from 300€. For beginners, the cheap SUP boards are completely sufficient. Advanced and professionals sometimes pay more than 800€ for a SUP board. View cheap SUP boards.
Which SUP boards are suitable for beginners?
Beginners should go for a wider built SUP board. The wider boards provide more stability. This is especially practical at the beginning. The Bluefin Cruise 10’8 as well as the Decathlon Itiwit X100 10′ are very good SUP boards for beginners.
Which SUP brand is the best?
Meanwhile, there are a large number of SUP brands. In our tests, especially the brands Bluefin, Penguin and Glory Boards performed well. Learn more about SUP brands here.
Conclusion
Stand Up Paddling is a unique sport that is currently taking the local lakes by storm. Once you’ve acquired a taste for it, you’ll soon find yourself on all sorts of waters.
Most exciting are the changes Stand Up Paddling is having on other water sports. Fishing from a paddleboard is on the rise, as is surfing on an inflatable board.
Windsurfing with inflatable material that can be transported in just one backpack is also no longer a dream, but already a reality.
As you can see, there is a world of possibilities behind Stand Up Paddling. But that is in the future.
With the SUP boards on our list and our reviews, you’ll lay a solid foundation from which to practice your paddleboard feel.
