UKH

Evening

looking to buy a paddle board for my partners Birthday in one weeks time, it seems the Uk has hardly any stock right now, i was going to get a Red 10.6 as it seems the popular go to board , but no uk stock, so iv seen a company Bluefin, they  sell a 10.8 carbon cruise, not heard of this company but have stock, any advice, she’s only done a one day beginner course but really enjoyed it, and we live in the Lakes so plenty of opportunity to use.

do I panic buy or wait for a Red 10.6...

cheers

I ended up buying one of these, which - having compared it to a friend's Red board - looks ridiculously similar, to the extent that it made me wonder whether or not they'd been made in the same factory.

Given that the price difference is £329 vs. £859 – £999 I really couldn't see a single reason to buy the Red board unless you were buying it for the brand.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bestway-Hydro-Force-Journey-Inflatable-Paddle/dp/B...

Decathlon own brand boards are great, but no idea if they currently have any in stock.

Panic buy. Quite frankly it's the only sort of buying that is acceptable in this decade. 

Alternatively, you could consider a 10.7 as a compromise.

I know hardly anything about paddle boards other than they're more fun if you're a bit pissed. Saying that, I also know they've got a load at half price on Sports Pursuit.

https://www.sportpursuit.com/sales/jbay-jun20

I’ll include a bootle of Gin into the package, I’m just not sure these ones on sale will be good long term, most paddle board hire places use the Red rides , so they must be well made, but expensive..

I don't have a Bluefin (Mine is an Aloha which is O'Shea's budget line), but the Bluefins are highly regarded and a popular buy. Reds are the Rolls Royce of paddleboards and seem to be a cut above virtually anything else, but as you say, there's a national shortage of paddleboards atm. I think in your shoes I'd go for the Bluefin or risk losing too much summer paddling.

Yes, most are pre order for mid August/September so going to get the Bluefin 10 footer, well that’s the only size in stock there too, but about 100 quid cheaper than the Red, plus has a carbon paddle,Mmm

T

Sand banks style. Superb value for money. They have elites in stock which are very good boards.

Not sure where you intend to use your SUP but can you make sure you are familiar with any marine or river regs before heading out on the water. There has been an explosion in the number of SUPs on the river near me and there sadly has been a corresponding rise in accidents and near miss incidents as it is clearly evident a lot of folk have zero idea with regards to circulation patterns, navigation and general on the water awareness. Sorry to sound miserable on this but it is a real problem near me. Stay safe. 

Dimensions on the Amazon one a bit odd - short and dumpy?

My mistake, I linked to the wrong one. That said, the one I meant to link to looks like it’s gone up in price a lot - no doubt because it’s been selling well recently. 

Just to reiterate, I am in no way an expert when it comes to paddleboards - it was more just a comment based upon like for like comparison with a model that cost twice as much and literally looked identical.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B074T1Z3ZM/ref=emc_b_5_mob_t

+ 1 for the decathlon boards. I have one and they are just as good as the boards that are double the price. I would avoid amazon stuff as they tend to not be thick enough and hence dont hold your weight, unless you are a child! 

From the money you save buying a decathlon board, spend the extra cash on a decent carbon or half carbon paddle and one of those monster triple pumps - your back will thank you in the future!

I’m no expert either, although feel as though I should be, trawling the internet looking at all the paddle boards that aren’t in stock!   That looks a (faster) touring type rather than an all rounder (10 6). The Red board equivalent is, I think, thinner as better construction, and looks as though about 30% lighter.

Looking at the selected boards above the 9/10 foot boards are very short for a SUP (surfboard territory). Id be looking at a 12' for general use depending on your weight.

My default is a 14' hard board and a 12' for playing in small surf, but have been looking in to an inflatable for chucking in the car. 

RRD do a nice inflatable and the new Naish are getting good reviews.

For a cheaper option check out SUP boards for sale on F***b**k, there are a lot of good second hand inflatables for sale. 

Have a look at the McConks paddleboards. I have used a number of different boards over the years and the difference between some of the cheaper boards and the more expensive ones can be minimal with first appearance - a bit like climbing shoes. Often the difference is in the internal workings of the boards - drop stitching for instance, the number of stitches per specific area being the major difference.