Stand up paddle board dimensions: only part of the picture.

When you’re in the market for a new stand up paddle board the first thing you’ll probably be looking at are dimensions: length, width and volume being the main identifiers. The problem, however, is that you may get hung up on the numbers too much when actually it’s answering a few simple questions in your own head that may better determine what style of board you should plump for.

• ‘Do I want to cover distance?’
• ‘Am I looking to SUP surf?’
• ‘Is recreational stand up paddle boarding my thing?’

And so on…

SUP board dimensions only tell part of the story. In some brand cases – particularly the cheaper end of the spectrum – dimensions won’t mean a thing. With quality control out the window you can bet your bottom Dollar that upon taking a measuring tool to these products the dims will be way off what’s quoted. (In McConks’ case we check all our wares and have a good working relationship with our suppliers that helps guarantee what we print on the box is indeed what you get. This means we can monitor, check and make sure everything’s as it should be).

Overall shape of a stand up paddle board, as well as tail, rail, hull contours (if it’s a hard board) and nose type will dictate what you experience on the water much more than numbers alone. Some sub-9′ SUPs, for instance, will track and glide much better than a bigger 10’8. There may be less overall volume but a 9′ could be better over distance. So, if you’re talking surf SUPs, and there’s a bit of jaunt to get out to the actual peak, you may be better off with the shorter paddle board.

Stability can also be a factor. Your chosen iSUP could have more width than your neighbour’s inflatable yet his/hers feels more planted. This could be because of a wider tail – square versus rounded – or a reduced thickness – 5″ versus 6″. The 5″ thick board will sit lower in the water which actually increases stability.

The above examples are just a couple of what you may come across during the SUP buying process. The only real way to assess a board’s performance is get the right advice – such as speaking to us here at McConks about our products – or demoing/trying the board in question (something else you can do with a McConks SUP. As the old age saying goes; ‘you can’t judge a book by its cover’ so why should you assess a SUP by its dimensions alone?

If you need a hand choosing what McConks stand up paddle board fits your needs best then give us a shout.