A Little Buying Guide
Knowledge Is Power Useful
The beginning of the spring season is on its way, which means a lot of peeps will be on the look out for a new board to either start their paddle boarding journey, or further it with upgrades. Either way, a little knowledge goes a long way.
With so many channels open to investigate, there can often be so much information, it becomes very noisy and intimidating.
We've put together a board owner created 'guide' on buying a board.
Buying a board is a BIG investment and shouldn't be rushed into, but it's not rocket science.
One piece of advice we offer that isn't on the guide is - do your best to stay away from Facebook forums. They are full of people with opinion, and it's usually from paddling 1 board from 1 brand. They will want to impart that information, but, there are also many others that won't agree and your simple question of "what board should I buy" will soon become a giant thread.
Even though the majority of messages are well intentioned, it can become an oppressive experience.
If you want to sound people out, choose 3 boards that you like and get opinions on these. But choose the board you like.
Our Advice
Below is a buying guide that has been made by FatStick, but it works for ANY BRAND and has been created by asking people what their number 1 top tip is when buying.
6 Simple Steps
An inflatable stand up paddle board can set you back up to or over £1000, but do you need to actually spend that kind of money. The simple answer is 100% no.
Some of the big players won't provide some of the basic safety equipment that the smaller, well established brands give for free. So price shouldn't be the sole indicator. Expensive doesn't guarantee 'the best' and crazy cheap doesn't guarantee 'good value'.
There's a biiiiiiig middle ground to shop in.
Explore. Ask Questions. Be bold and put the brands on the spot. After all, they're taking your hard earned cash, you have the right to ask as many questions as you need.
Here goes;
- Research - check out different brands on the web and once you've found a few you like - start asking questions.
- Don't focus on the price. You don't need to sell organs to fund your purchase, but cheap doesn't usually give you quality. Aim for 'affordable'.
- Check the equipment that comes with the board as standard. Do you get all the correct safety equipment. Your board should come with a Quick Release belt as standard - if it doesn't ask why. It's just as important as your leash.
- Try before you buy. Even if it's not the correct brand - as long as it's the same construction, shape and size, you will get the idea if it's right. Too big, too small, too narrow, too wide - you get the idea.
- Check out the back story of the brand. How engaging are they. What do they stand for? Do they help you along your paddling journey? Are they invested in your post purchase safety?
- Lastly, we believe that you'll just know. Whether it's a FatStick or another brand, as long as you've followed the steps above, you should be stood on the right board for you. Enjoy it.
Here's a little video of Andy explaining the buzz words used for Paddle Boards and here's a link to a previous blog that explains it too...
*no sales backlinks added to this article as it's not an advertising tool. This has been created to help, not sell.
