The (real) Differences Between a $300 & $1,000 SUP board

 

The difference in performance, durability, and ultimately paddle boarding fun is most varied in the inflatable board segment. The difference in price from low-end department store boards to the more reputable brands is large. And so too is the difference in quality. But the reality is that for the most part, the differences can't be easily seen.

 

How can you cut through the marketing and know what you're getting? Luckily, some differences are easily spotted once you know what you're looking for, so let's run through them. 

 

Before getting into the details of what to look for and expect at each price range, let's discuss the concept of quality Vs cost in more general terms as this applies not only to paddleboards, but bags, pumps, paddles, houses and cars. Any product you can think of. 

 

Two factors directly impact the cost of any product. That's right... just two. 

1. Materials
2. Production time 

When thinking about materials, at one end of the spectrum, you have generic, mass-produced material that can be used for many purposes. In the paddleboard world, this is your 6" knitted drop stitch material used for paddleboards, gymnastic mats, boat pontoons, and even chairs. At the other end, you have specially made material that is made to order, has a single purpose and for that reason, has superior performance qualities for its intended purpose. 

 

Note: The material used for Honu boards is custom-ordered and takes 12 weeks to be delivered. 

 

 

This same material concept plays out at every level in every product, whether that be a paddleboard, the bag it goes in, the pump that pumps it up or the shaft on the paddle. 

With materials now understood, let's discuss production time. Different production methods, complexity and attention to detail all impact the time necessary to make a product. This is a huge topic and so to keep things sucinct let's just discuss the range of production times found in paddleboards. 

 

At the generic end of the scale, you can expect a paddleboard to spend just one day in production. From cutting the material to printing and fitting all the deck accessories. After this, the board is pumped up over night and checked for leaks (hopefully) before being packed the next day. 

 

Our understanding is that Honu's production times are in line with the other high-end brands, which is five days. Each board will spend at least five days on the production line and pass three dedicated stages (areas) of quality checks. 

 

So as you can appreciate, when a product takes five times as long as another, the production costs are much higher. At least five times... It takes the same amount of space and labor, but has five times less throughput.

 

With a universal understanding of the two factors that impact price, now let's take a look at what you can expect and what to look out for at each price point. 

 

ENTRY LEVEL SUP

Entry-level boards will typically sell for $250-400. With these boards, you're looking for a lack of information more than specifics. Meaning that the actual material and construction descriptions will be quite generic and not really tell you anything. Something like "advanced" Vinyl Drop-stitch. But what you will be getting is a single layer PVC board, and here is how to tell. 

 

Lower pressures are the giveaway!
In general, you can expect the pressure rating to be around 12-15PSI. 

 

Lower pressures have an enormous impact on the board's stiffness and tracking in the water. But even if you could pump them up to higher pressures, the single-layer boards don't perform well due to the amount of flex you get with them. 

What you should also expect at the budget end of options is poorer-quality accessories, especially the pump. The pumps are poor quality and often struggle to get the boards up to pressure without enormous effort. 

 

Note: This budget board/pump combo is why you will hear many complaints about inflatable boards. 

Lastly, you will find the warranty short and quite limited. 

 

MID LEVEL SUP

Mid-level boards have several improvements for which you can expect to pay somewhere between $600 and $1,000. 

 

You can now expect a Double Layer board, which should be MSL or some other fused layering technology (no glue). This will be specified, as the material itself is more expensive, durable, and high performing. These boards will be ~30% stiffer than an equivalent single-layer board. Board pressures in this category should be higher; this is partly because of the material and partly because of the detailed construction methods. But you can expect to see boards rated in the 16-18 PSI range. 

 

 

At this level you can expect better accessories, in particular, you should be looking for a high-quality pump. This is crucial because there is little point in having a higher pressure board if it's too much work getting it pumped up! In most instances, you're looking for a double-action pump that is rated to 25PSI or more. 

One thing to lookout for at this price point is generic plastic center fins. They tend to be poor quality and break easily. Worse still, they can be hard to find spares for. Most boards at this mid-level will use a US Fin box or high-quality branded systems such as GRI or Bravo.

 

Side Note: For some reason, it has become customary for paddle boards to have three fins: one center and two side fins. But side fins only work when turning a board on its rail, as you do when on a wave. For straight, flatwater paddling, a single large fin is the best choice. 

 

Fins are the topic of an entirely different post, but be aware that low and mid level boards (sometimes) have fin combinations that don't have any performance benefits.  

 

 

HIGH-END SUP

Boards in this category are easy to spot. They will often look like they have been made with care and attention and will come with high-quality accessories top to bottom. Even the bag they come in will be much higher quality and long-lasting. 

You can expect to pay upwards of $1,000 here. 

The material now will be, at least MSL or other double layer fusion technology with a stringer system for added performance. You can also expect more advanced rail constructions that allow for even higher pressure again with 18-20 PSI normal at this level.

 

 

The most advance drop-stitch material available now is Woven drop-stitch. This material is different in the way that the vinyl reinforcing threads run through the PVC. The woven pattern is similar to how carbon fiber is woven together versus the traditional knitted style threads. The result is a material that is stiffer while also being lighter. Brands using this material include Starboard, Fanatic, Naish.... and Honu :) 

 

Beyond advanced materials and construction methods, you can also expect more extended warranties. Warranties that cover not just the board, but all the accessories as well. In general, you can expect the brands to stand behind the quality of their products and to get many seasons of paddling enjoyment without drama. 

 

 

ENTRY LEVEL

• Single layer vinyl
• Alloy paddle
• Plastic clip-in fin boxes
• Poor quality bag & accessories 
• Low pressures 10-12 PSI
• Limited life and durability
• Limited warranty

 

MID LEVEL

• Double layer construction
• Alloy or Composite paddle
• Plastic clip-in fin boxes
• Double action pump
• Higher pressures  16-18 PSI
• Longer lasting
• 2 year warranty

 

HIGH END

• Double layer fusion material 
• Advanced rail construction
• US Fin box or similar
• Composite paddle
• Heavy duty board bags
• Pressures 18-20+ PSI
• Branded pumps
• 2 years+ Warranty

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

Hopefully, you now understand the main differences between the low, mid and high-end paddle boards and how this contributes to the price... No it isn't just branding :)

 

While we would never go so far as to say that low-cost boards don't have their place, but... we really dislike how quickly these can end up in landfill. Our advice would be to aim for a mid-level board, even for your first paddle board. Not only will it last longer, but it will also perform better, which will make the paddle boarding experience far more enjoyable. Lastly; and to answer an obvious question: Are high-end stand-up paddle boards worth the money? We would say yes. Like just about anything in life, you get what you pay for. High-end boards perform better, for longer and are backed with the best after-sales support. And if you do decide you no longer want it, there will be lots of people wanting to buy it from you second hand.