Best All Around Paddle Board (My Nº1 All Around SUP)

BEST ALL-AROUND SUP BOARD REVIEWS

Red Paddle Co Sport 11’3

BEST: All-Around Inflatable SUP

PROS: – Feels more stable than Bote Aero Breeze with its lower center of gravity – Tracks really well – Fast – Lightweight – Very comfortable – Very stable

CONS: – Big and heavy pump – Pressure gauge only registers on the downstroke – Pricey – No included paddle

Surftech Bark + prAna Aleka Tuflite

BEST: Solid All-Around SUP

PROS: – Lightweight – Stable – Easily maneuvrable – Glides nicely on the water – Easy to carry and load on your car – Reasonably priced – Eco-friendly construction – Gorgeous aesthetics

CONS: – Fragile front end – Easy to scratch

Thurso Surf Waterwalker 132 11’

BEST: All-Around SUP for Flat and Surf

PROS: – Reasonably priced – Stylish design – Quality pump – Speed, glide, and tracking exceeded all-around expectations – Easily maneuvered – Stiff – Great customer support

CONS: – No action mount on the rear end – The paddle sunk in the 3rd time it fell apart for a user – Bag started to fall apart 6 months for more than one buyer

iRocker All-Around 10′

BEST: Maneuverable All-Around SUP

PROS: Tracks nicely – Maneuverable – Enough room for gear – Materials are very durable – Can handle a bit of choppy water and slightly windy conditions – Comes with everything you need to get on the water except the life jacket – Does everything very well while still be functional for beginners – Easy to carry even for a 4’11 paddler – Comes with the best available hand pump – Very easy to inflate and deflate – All 3 fins are detachable, which makes packing much easier – Great customer service

CONS: – Pumping it up is a bit of a workout but very doable – Not the absolute fastest or most maneuverable out there, and it’s not supposed to be – White pad is a little hard to keep clean – One user has air leaking seams just after the first use – Another user said there is excess glue around a bunch of the padding

iRocker Cruiser 10’6

BEST: All-Around SUP for Stability

PROS: – Easy to balance on – Really stable – Tracks well in flat water – Durable – Glides through the water better and turns easier – Good looking graphics – All fins are removable making folding it easier – Lightweight and easy to use the paddle – High-quality bag – More than one owner get themself a second iRocker Cruiser – Great customer support

CONS: – Maybe a bit slow – Paint chipped off the paddle after it came in contact with the sandy bottom One owner said that the pretty weak shaft cracked by the river and the paddle came off and sank – iRocker support said that the paddle is not covered under the warranty after 90 days – Manufacturer defects happen and you should check it as soon as you receive it

Nautical 10’6

BEST: Entry-level All-Around Stand Up Paddle Board

PROS: – Very stable – Easy to maneuver – Feels very sturdy – Lightweight for carrying – Rock-solid on the water – Convenient transport – Rides very smoothly – Easy setup – Nice for the money – Lots of loops to attach things to – Takes about 10 minutes to inflate it manually – Multiple owners said they will get a second Nautical 10’6 – Amazing customer service

CONS: – One user complained that the seam tape started peeling up on both boards after the first day out – Another used complained that glue is showing on the handle and two places on deck

Nixy Newport All-Around G4 SUP 10’6

BEST: All-Around BeginnersSUP

PROS: – Good value for the money – Stable – Solid feeling – Sturdy – Lightweight enough to be carried by a 61yo – Easy to steer – Track well in flat water – Easy to assemble – Can carry 2 people and a dog all around the lake – Excellent craftsmanship – Takes about 5-6 min to pump up with the included pump – Backpack is top-notch – Great customer service

CONS: – Pumping it up is a workout in itself – A buyer on Amazon received a used one to check it as soon as you receive it

Glide O2 Retro 10’6

BEST: All-Around SUP for Big Paddlers

PROS: – Stable – Incredible quality – Glides and maneuvers well – Easy to paddle – Super durable – Stiff – Tracks nicely – Lightweight – excellent customer service

CONS: – If you weigh more than 300lbs this board will be a challenge – Limited gear storage – Listed max PSI rating of 25 is too high

Gili Adventure 11’

BEST: Gili All-Around SUP

PROS: – High quality – Lightweight, making it easy to carry – Easy to use – Tracks straight – Stable – Maneuver on land and in water, even for a small lady – Stable enough to paddle with kids – Super convenient backpack – Easy and quick to install fins – Good at doing other things beyond touring like fishing – Donates a percentage of profit to protect the ocean

CONS: – The deck pad traction could be improved

Bluefin Cruise 10’8

BEST: Affordable All-Around SUP

PROS: – Very stable – Reliable – Great value for the price – Super tough and rigid – Comes with a kayak seat – Grippy deck pad with a kick-tail for quick turns – Ergonomic shaft – Great customer service

CONS: – A little bit heavier, making it harder to carry to the water – Carry bag has no wheels – Fin box is not universal

Nixy Huntington Compact G4 9’6

BEST: Compact All-Around SUP

PROS: – Lightweight and Ultra-Compact when deflated, making it awesome for backpacking – Best suited for those who want to travel light – Fun to paddle on lakes, rivers, and in light surf – Easy to maneuver even in wind and chop – Tracks straight – Glides fairly well – The included hand pump is the best of its type – Inflating it manually takes less than 7 minutes – Comes with everything your need except the

CONS: – The hand pump is a little heavy

Honu Byron 10’6

BEST: Ultralight All-Around Paddle Boards

PROS: – Strong durable construction – Lightweight – Very stable despite its thickness – Turns very easily – Fun even in light ocean surf – 1% of all sales are donated to protect the ocean

CONS: – Not designed for speed – Doesn’t take much effort to paddle – Requires your attention to stay stable in waves and chop – The included hand pump is not dual-chamber

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST ALL-AROUND SUP

INFLATABLE ALL-AROUND SUP VS A SOLID ALL-AROUND

The inflatable paddle niche has skyrocketed around the year 2014, due to the development of technologies like drop-stitch that makes them more rigid.

Personally, I prefer the inflatable type, especially with all-around SUPs, because solid SUPs are only good if you are looking for the very high-performance available, which is not your case if you are looking for an all-around SUP.

INFLATABLES SUPs

PROS

• Fitting into its backpack when deflated makes transport possible even on a motorcycle.
• Lightweight compared to similarly-shaped solid SUPs, making it easier to carry from shore to water.
• Can support more weight compared to similarly-shaped solid SUP.
• Instead of getting dinged, they bounce if they hit a rock.
• More chances to found an affordable quality inflatable SUP than a solid one.
• Are more stable than a solid board of the same size and type.
• Comfortable and falling on it are painful.
• Not taking space when deflated makes storing easier for people living in small houses.
• Can be accepted as luggage in airports.

CONS

• Even they are durable with rocks, they are still get punctured if they hit a very sharp rock edge.
• Needs to be fully dry before storing to prevent mold, especially with long-term storage.
• Require inflation effort and time before use (electric pumps make thins less of an issue).
• Less performance than solid SUP boards.
• Staying afloat instead of cutting through the water as solid ones makes them slower.

SOLID SUPs

Solid all-around SUPs have an EPS foam core that’s wrapped with fiberglass, carbon fiber, plastic, or made purely from wood.

PROS

• Solid SUP still performs much better in SUP racing and surfing because they are faster, smoother, and with less effort.
• Available in a larger variety of sizes, and can be fine-tuned to perfectly fit you.
• They feel stabler, especially in wavy water, because they are solid and ride lower in the water.
• Not inflating is needed, making it always ready to ride once on the shore.

CONS

• Expensive, especially ones made with carbon or bamboo.
• Loading a solid SUP on top of a car rack isn’t that easy.
• Storing it requires enough space.
• More sensitive to holes, dings, and board breakage.
• Requires buying additional tools like a car roof rack, cart with wheels, or straps if you don’t have them.

LENGTH

SUP boards come in three ranges of length:

• SHORT (<10’): Short All-around SUPs are good for kids/youth, adults on the smaller side, and SUP surfing. They are easy to turn, maneuverable but less stable but don’t stay in a straight line when you paddle.
• MEDIUM (10’ to 12’): This length range is common in all-around SUPs. Usually, they are flat and wide bottom, with a rounded upward nose to handle most water conditions. Get something at least 10′6″ long, if you are on the heavier side.
• LONG (>12’): Boards longer than 12’ are for touring and racing because they have the ability to stay straight when you paddle, be faster than the previous categories but are less maneuverable.

Other factors to consider when you are choosing the board length is your size, the total weight on the board, your ability to balance on a SUP, what you will carry with you, the size of your car, and where you will storage place.

WIDTH

Width plays a huge role in the board’s stability. The wider boards are more stable than the narrower ones.

• NARROW(<32″): The narrow width makes the board faster. They are ideal for lightweight or advanced paddlers because they require you to compensate for weak stability.
• WIDE (32″ to 36″): This width range is common between adult paddlers, it let you ride with a kid or a dog.
• EXTREME WIDE (>36″): SUP boards wider than 36″ are good only if you are experienced and you know what you are asking for because if the SUP is wider for you, it will force your paddle to be uncomfortable to reach the water and away from the centerline of the board, making it turn with each paddle stroke.

THICKNESS

The thicker the SUP board the more rigid, the more weight it can support, more stable, and easier to paddle. But at the same time, the board should not be extremely thick because your center of gravity will be higher, meaning feeling less stable.

Some cheap brands make their boards more stable by making them thicker instead of using higher quality materials.

For adults looking for an inflatable all-around SUP, 6″ in board thickness is the lowest they can go.

The thickness sweet spot for paddlers over 225 lbs is 6″, and 5″ if they are smaller.

CONSTRUCTION

INFLATABLES

All-around inflatable paddle boards are made with PVC because it’s lightweight enough, and at the same time durable to be even used by the military.

Layers in inflatable are what hold the compressed air inside, and more chambers mean the ability to be more rigid.

What makes inflatable paddle boards popular after around 2014 was the drop-stitch technology that uses thin threads between the PVC layers that let them stay flat when inflated.

SOLID

Solid all-around SUPs have an EPS foam core that’s wrapped with fiberglass, carbon fiber, plastic, or made purely from wood.

Fiberglass and/or epoxy wrapping is fairly lightweight, durable, and affordable.

Carbon fibers wrapping are more lightweight, durable but expensive.

Plastic wrapping is the most affordable but not as maneuverable or high-performing because it’s very heavy.

WEIGHT

You should consider the board weight because it’s what you will be carrying from and to the water.

Fortunately, most boards listed above are below 25 lbs, so it’s easy for most because it’s like carrying a little baby using your hands.

WEIGHT CAPACITY

Weight capacity is simply the total weight that your SUP board can handle before it loses a lot of its performance or starts sinking.

If your total weight is close to your board weight capacity, I recommend you to get another bigger one to avoid being uncomfortable in your ride.

If you are looking for a SUP board for fishing, don’t forget to count for the weight of your catch.

HULL TYPE

The paddleboard hull is the shape of the underside, and it affects how the board performs in the water. The main two shapes for SUPs are displacement and planing.

The hull type is chosen based on the SUP activity and not on the paddler level.

• PLANING HULL

The planing hull is flat and wide, with a rounded upward nose making the SUP board ride on top of the water.

SUPs with a planing hull are also maneuverable and keeps balance in small waves, this is why it’s good for recreational paddling, surfing, yoga, and whitewater.

• DISPLACEMENT HULL

SUP boards with a displacement hull have a pointed front end that cuts through the water that pushes it to the sides making the SUP travel faster and smoothly but less maneuverable at the same time.

SUP boards with displacement hulls travel long distances and are faster, this is why touring and racing SUPs have this shape.

ROCKER

SUP board rocker is how the front end is upwards.

Low or a small rocker is good for flat and calm water like in lakes and rivers.

High or a large SUP board rocker is good for rough water and higher waves like in the ocean.

SHAPE

Since some cheap brands try to use less material in order to lower the cost of their products, be careful because all-around standup paddleboards with a long and narrow nose or a narrow tail because they are unstable.

The typical all-around SUP has a rounded or rounded square at the rear in order to provide a good balance. For the front end, it should be a simple rounded nose to have enough space for a kid, pet, or fishing equipment.

FINS

Fins are responsible for keeping your SUP stable and tracks well when it’s moving.

The bigger the fin the more stability it provides but less maneuverable it becomes and vice versa.

I prefer removable fins because they let me play a little bit with the board performance.

SUP boards fins setups are three:

• Single fin: Ideal to be faster on water conditions like in lakes because it has minimal drag. Solid SUP boards usually have a removable single fin.
• 3-fin setup: This setup gives control over the board, this is why surf SUPs have it, but does not let you adapt the board according to the type of activity because the fins are not removable.
• 2+1 setup: The ability to remove the center fin is differentiate it from the previous fins setup. The side non-removable fins are usually small and flexible enough to be durable and easy at rolling.

DECK PAD

Your all-around SUP deck pad should be large enough for what you will use your SUP board for because it’s what is supposed for your feet to be on all the time.

My best material of deck pads at the time of writing this line is the EVA foam because it is grippy and conformable for your feet and hands.

Look for high-density foam because it is more comfortable and lasts more.

A little feature to look at is to see if it is textured because texture helps drains out water to avoid slipping.

Another good little deck pad feature to have is a raised part (kick tail) in the rear of it because it keeps your back foot from sliding off the board, lets you know that’s is the rear end without looking, and helps when you apply pressure with quick turning technique.

HANDLE

You should look at the board handles because they are what you use to carry your SUP from and into the water.

For material, look for ones made of neoprene lining because it feels comfortable in the hands.

The center handle should be flat or one with a removable cushioned grip to be comfortable on your board especially when you are laying on it.

Don’t underestimate the existence of the rear handle because it’s what lets you carry your board when you are alone (by pulling it) without damaging the fins.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES TO LOOK AT

• PADDLE

Most inflatable SUP packages include a paddle.

If you are getting your all-around SUP online, look closely at what is included because online shops list it under the main product name as an optional item, and some may mistake it for what is included.

Plastic or aluminum paddles are common among the paddles that come included because they are cheaper and durable but they are heavy.

Carbon fibers and fiberglass paddles are lightweight options making you paddle more before feeling tired, but they are expensive and easy to break than plastic ones.

The length of your SUP paddle should be 4 to 7 inches taller than you when you stand up straight.

• PUMP

Manual hand pumps are also common among the included items you receive with inflatable paddleboards.

The best available manual SUP pumps in the market right now are the dual-chamber triple-action with a pressure gauge, they are faster and tries to be less tiring for you.

Inflating your board with a dual-chamber triple-action hand pump usually take around 5 to 10 minutes, and around 12 to 15 minutes if you do it with a simple single-chamber hand pump.

When most electric pumps need to rest after inflating two SUPs, OutdoorMaster Shark II SUP Electric Air Pump can inflate three SUPs in a row and this is why I recommending it.

• LEASH

The leash is another item that some brands do not include in order to keep its prices competitive.

The leash is what keeps your SUP board close to you if you fall from it. Other than not losing it, he also saves your life by keeping afloat object near you that can help you stay afloat.

The best SUP leash for me is one with a coiled cord, dual swivel, and a soft cuff.

• D-RINGS AND ATTACHMENT POINTS:

D-rings are what let you attach things to your board without worrying about losing them.

If a bungee cord is mounted to a set of d-rings, that means it’s a storage area for your cloth and gear inside a dry bag.

If your SUP comes with no D-ring or you are simply needing more, you can always glue new ones where you want them to be.

YOUR BUDGET

The common price range for all-around SUPs in the market at the time of writing this line is $900 – $1000 and the second price range is $800 – $900.

Even with that, you can still easily found quality all-around SUPs for under $800.

WARRANTY

We all agree on having a warranty on products we bought is always a good thing.

All the paddleboards online shops warranty pages I’ve seen are readable and explain things in clear detail. So read them to know what to expect.

SUP boards warranty should be at least one year long. SUP boards with a warranty of half a year or no warranty are something to avoid buying because if the manufacturer does not trust its products how can I.

OPTIONAL UPGRADES

• ELECTRIC PUMP

The SUP pump is the first thing I recommend looking at when you want to upgrade your SUP because it makes a big difference in your SUP paddling experience.

If the best available hand pump takes 10 to 15 minutes to get your inflatable all-around SUP ready, the electric pump gets this time range to 3 to 5 minutes. All this without any significant effort.

When most electric pumps need to rest after inflating two SUPs, I definitely recommend  OutdoorMaster Shark II SUP Electric Air Pump because it can inflate 3 SUPs in a row.

• LESS-TIRING PADDLE

Most inflatable all-around SUP packages include a paddle, but they are not the best available SUP paddles on the market.

Because the paddle is what you are using all day to move with your SUP, it should be something that is helping you. This is why you should get something lighter to travel more with your SUP before start feeling tired.

To feel comfortable, get a paddle with a smooth molded carbon handle.

Fiberglass or all carbon fiber are lightweight options that you can treat yourself with.

The ability for the paddle to float is also a favorable one to have because it can save your investment from sinking.

For length, it should be 4 to 7 inches taller than you when standing straight.

• PFD AND LIFE JACKET

PFD or a personal flotation device is something that helps surfers get to the top of the fast-moving whitewater when they fall in big waves.

Don’t underestimate this device because you SUP paddling in a calm water lake, because every year people still drown in lakes

Like the PFD, the life jacket is also something that does not come included and you should get it for yourself.

The life jacket helps to keep you afloat and visible for help when you are in the water.

Just buying these two accessories is not enough, wearing them is what makes them work.

• PROPER CLOTHING

Drysuits and wetsuits are the proper clothing for SUP paddling to avoid hypothermia in the very cold water.

If the water is not very cold, something that lets you move freely and dries quickly is favorable.

REI has some good clothing options for paddling.

• CAR ROOF RACK

Like I said before if you are getting a solid all-around SUP, transporting your car requires you to have a car roof rack with straps.

A wheeled cart is also a helpful thing that helps you haul your board from the water to the car.

ALL-AROUND PADDLE BOARD BRANDS

One thing related I want to clarify before jumping to the brand’s list. Personally, I don’t rate products quality based on their brands, I examine each product by itself because sometimes major brands make mistakes even when they are at the top.

• TAHE (Former BIC Sport)(1945): Yes, the pen and lighter manufacturer BIC unionized with Tahe Outdoors brand to make paddleboards.
• NRS (1972): In 2014, this brand became 100% employee-owned
• ISLE (2004): Specializes in quality products.
• BOTE (2009): Both founders have always been surrounded by water.
• Tower (2010): Backed by the investor Mark Cuban.
• iRocker (2016): High-quality products for affordable prices is what distinguishes this brand.
• Thurso Surf (2016): Inflatable paddle boards it what specialize in.

FAQ

WHAT IS THE BEST ALL-AROUND PADDLE BOARD?

My best all-around paddleboard is Thurso Surf Waterwalker 132 (review). For only $849, you get a speed, gliding, and tracking that exceed expectations and while being stable and easily maneuvered.

Accessories are also above average, you get a high-quality triple-action pump that most competitors do not offer in this price range.

If you are looking for an affordable, value-packed all-around with a beautiful design and versatile enough to do a bit of everything, I highly recommend you Thurso Surf Waterwalker 132.

HOW MUCH DOES AN ALL-AROUND SUP TYPICALLY WEIGH?

Around 40% of all-around paddleboards are in the weight range of 22 – 27 lbs at the time of writing this line.

And the average weight is around 26 lbs.

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR ALL-AROUND PADDLEBOARD?

Taking care of your paddleboard helps it last longer.

Some of my tips for you are:

• Rinse it with clean water when you use it in saltwater.
• Dry it before storing it, especially when it’s stored for a long time, to prevent mold and water from getting inside.
• Avoid keeping it exposed to the UV-rays for an extended time to not damage the PVC outer shell.
• Repair your SUP if it gets damaged to avoid getting water inside of it.

Updated on January 18, 2022 by Ben