Some surfing paddle boards have a very narrow tail to make the board more responsive to foot pressure when turning. The factors that make these boards work well for surfing - short length, low volume, reduced thickness, and narrow tails - also make them less suitable for other types of paddling where more length and volume are needed.
All-around SUP boards, if chosen correctly, can double very nicely as a surfing SUP while still being an ideal board for everyday paddling. The key to choosing a versatile board that will do well for you in the surf is to find the sweet spot of length, width, and thickness that checks off all the boxes for you.
Go with a length at the short end of your recommended range, a width in the middle range, and a thickness that gives you enough buoyancy to glide efficiently on flat water.
Paddlers over lb who benefit from more flotation should consider a 5 inch or 6-inch thick board of 10 feet or longer depending on the type of waves you want to ride. Riders with surfing experience can go with smaller and shorter boards than beginning surfers and will usually have a pretty good idea of the shape they require. This, as a general rule, will get you closer to a surfing 'feel', but choosing a larger board is also OK if you want something to use in other water environments.
It will just handle a little differently and be more challenging as the waves get bigger. Another option in up to knee high surf can be a touring board, which you would control like a longboard but mostly staying in a straight line. You are not going to whip turns on it, but a reasonably stable touring board can be a lot of fun in surf for riding small waves and can provide a great option for pushing through the break and confidently exploring the deeper water behind it.
While the dimensions and shape of a board are the first factors to consider when choosing a board, the fin setup can let you tune - and sometimes really transform - the performance of the board. The most basic fin setup for a surfing SUP is a single long center fin. Having just one fin in the center creates the least drag and works well on boards that are optimized for surfing, hard boards in particular.
On inflatable paddle boards, the rails are more rounded and contribute less to carving performance than the narrower rails of a hardboard, so some additional assistance from the fins is crucial. For this reason, we recommend a board that lets you add side fins when you need the extra traction, but has the flexibility of being used with a single center fin when speed is your priority. A permanent three-fin setup will also get the job done, but with a little less flexibility in terms of tuning your ride.
Pure surfing is a thrill and obsession, and when the conditions are right we will rack up a surfboard and see you in the lineup. Generally larger center fins have more hold, shorter center fins create a looser feel. The other key factor is your SUP level. Like surfboards, paddleboards get more buoyancy as they go faster. Skilled riders are able to ride very small SUP boards once they get into the waves.
In between waves, these experienced riders are also able to generate enough momentum and speed through their efficient paddling to stand on their 6-foot something, 55 L SUP. As they paddle, their board is typically submerged with water up to their knees.
Their skills allow them is to stand and balance quickly and start paddling hard enough to generate speed before the board tilts and throws them off. For these reasons, advanced SUPers are also capable of paddleboarding on a surfboard with decent volume — though they generally prefer small SUPs.
Pro riders can ride SUPs with as little as 55L. Pro riders typically go for a number lower than their weight e. Besides volume and floatability, another aspect that typically gets in the way of using a surfboard or longboard for paddleboarding is construction. A SUP board is generally much stronger than a regular surfboard or longboard because the top deck is reinforced at the spots in the area where the rider stands. Without reinforcement, the top deck would quickly collapse under the feet due to rider weight — even with reinforcement, many lightweight custom SUPs will initially cave in a little before stabilizing.
Surfboards are generally designed to be as lightweight as possible to facilitate fast turns in the wave, therefore they are typically much more vulnerable to foot or knee pressure. Rocker is another major difference between paddleboards and surfboards, and also contributes to making using a surfboard for paddleboarding more challenging. Regular surfboards typically have more rocker to create drive on the wave. Paddleboards, on the other hand, tend to have a long flat rocker for gliding and tracking.
Stand up paddling on a surfboard on flat between waves will be even harder due to the extra rocker. Is it easier to SUP on than a regular shortboard? Longboards are the type of surfboards which are the closest to SUP boards.
However, a longboard will typically have a max width of about So can you SUP on a longboard? SUP is often easier to learn than surfing. At those prices it would be tempting to use an old surfboard, especially before deciding to purchase a SUP board.
Can surfboards be used as paddle boards? Paddle boards and surfboards are built with different dimensions, and a surfboard has less flotation and stability. This can result in the board being more likely to tip while paddle boarding. Surfboards are designed to be flotation devices that people spend much of their time sitting or lying on waiting to catch the next wave. The time spent standing is minimal and often involves moving with the board and the waves to maintain balance. Paddle boards are designed to float with people standing on them or kneeling for long periods of time, creating a different set of balance and flotation needs.
Get all the details about the differences between paddleboards and surfboards by clicking here. Both surfboards and paddleboards use foam volume to keep the rider afloat. Both boards have different goals in mind in their relationship to float. Surfboards are built smaller to be maneuverable, while paddle boards need to be more stable to allow for the increased difficulty of standing, balancing, and paddling at the same time.
To get this increased stability, paddleboards are typically wider and thicker compared to a surfboard of the same length. The larger surface area increases stability and balance, making a paddleboard less likely to tip. The increased stability of a paddleboard allows riders to do more than just paddle. Paddleboards can be used for fishing, riding the waves, and even yoga.
Paddleboards are built with slightly different shapes and decking to accommodate these activities, making them more multipurpose than a surfboard.
Surfboards and paddleboards definitely share some similarities in construction. Most of the reasons given why a surfboard is not recommended for paddle boarding have been based on a shortboard. Because SUPS are larger, less responsive and less maneuverable it can be hazardous surfing in areas with big crowds.
How do I try surfing or SUP? Ready to give either — or both! Rent equipment or take a surf lesson to learn more about either sport!
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