Best Youth SUP Paddle

YOUTH SUP PADDLES COMPARISON

BEST YOUTH SUP PADDLE REVIEWS

Honu Element Jr Adjustable

Best Top-Tier Lightweight Youth SUP Paddle

PROS: – Great value for the price. – Provide smooth strokes. – Lightweight and durable. – Packable. – Easy assembly.

CONS: – I didn’t found one.

YVLEEN Kids 3-Piece Adjustable Paddle

Best Cheap Youth Adjustable SUP Paddle

PROS: – The most affordable SUP paddle on the list – Easy to assemble – Lightweight – Floatable – Sturdy

CONS: – Accidentally sink for one owner. Attaching a swim noodle to the shaft can solve this issue.

Red Paddle Co Kiddy Alloy Adjustable 3-Piece

Best Reputable-Brand Youth SUP Paddle

PROS: – EVA foam makes the shaft comfortable in your hand. – Reputable brand. – Correct shaft flex that makes it gentle on your kid’s body. – Fit well in the SUP board bag. – Blade and shaft made out of durable materials.

CONS: – High price.

Level Six Kid’s Adjustable Paddle

Best Durable Blade and Shaft

PROS: – Shaft and blade made out of durable materials. – Super lightweight. – Easier for youths to use it than an adult paddle.

CONS: – One owner mentioned that the paddle handle started rotating. – The aluminum shafts know to be easy to sink.

Werner Kids Flash 85 Adjustable

Best Easy Adjustment Youth SUP Paddle

PROS: – Easy to use adjustment locking system – Blade shape offer gentle strokes – Blade dihedral makes it less likely to bang against the side of your paddleboard – Grow with your child – Made in the USA

CONS: – The pricey one on the list.

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR YOUTH SUP PADDLE

YOUTH PADDLE BOARD PADDLE ANATOMY

YOUTH SUP PADDLE CORRECT LENGTH

Because youths are less likely to practice SUP surfing or SUP racing, the correct length of his SUP paddle is mainly linked to his body height.

The correct length of your kid’s SUP paddle should be his body height + 2” to 6”.

You are free to play with this length range till he tells you he feels comfortable.

SHAFT FLEX

Paddle shafts that flex are gentle on the paddler body by not transfering all of his power to the water.

MATERIAL

When you are looking for the best SUP paddle for your kid, the shaft and blade material is very important factor to consider when buying because it affect hugely the paddle durability, weight, and price.

• NYLON PLASTIC:

Nylon plastic, used in the blade, is known to make durable and affordable SUP paddles.

Nylon plastic is less used in adults SUP paddles because its heavy and flex a lot.

• ALUMINUM:

Aluminum, which is used in youth paddle shafts, is not that sturdy and has a poor flex properties.

Unfotunately, it make the paddle less able to float when accidentaly drop in water by your kid.

• CARBON FIBER:

Carbon fiber is the lightest material in the paddle market. Unfortunately, its not common between youth SUP paddles.

Even if carbon fiber makes lightweight SUP paddles, they remain incredibly strong.

• FIBERGLASS:

Fiberglass offer a great value for its price because its more affordable than carbon fiber without being too much heavier.

Its also liked by many people because its flex enough to be gentle on the paddler body.

FLOATABILITY

I see that all youth SUP paddles in the market should be capable of floating. Because, as we all know, kids are not cautious as we are adult paddlers.

Unfortunately, even some youth SUP paddle that is claimed to be floatable can sometimes sink and physically this can happen because of other factors like how the paddle dropped, how stable the water body is, etc

In order to raise the chances of your kid’s SUP paddle staying afloat and not losing it, you can attach a swim noodle to the shaft that makes it more floatable and less harmful if your kid falls on it.

ADJUSTABLE VS FIXED LENGTH SUP PADDLE

ADJUSTABLE PADDLES	FIXED PADDLES
– Can be useb by different height paddlers. – Easy to store or travel with. – Transport Adjust to different SUP activities.	– Fewer chances of failing. – Tend to be lighter. – Performe better. – Few components let it be affordable.
– Adjustements mechanisms makes them heavier. – More likely to break down. – Flex more.	– Requires you to know your exact paddle length.

BLADE SHAPE

The blade shape affects slightly its performance.

Even if the blade shape plays a small role in your paddling performance, its still something that you should be aware of.

• RECTANGULAR KIDS BLADES:

These paddles have fewer surface area have a gentle stroke for your body making them idealfor SUP racing.

• TEAR-DROP KIDS BLADES:

The large blade area results in powerful strokes.

The added surface area at the bottom makes these paddle ideal for SUP touring.

DIHEDRAL VS FLAT

Paddle blades with a dihedral at the center help your paddle to not rotate during strokes.

The downside of this design is that its makes your strokes less powerfull by making water flow to the sides of the blade.

GRIP DESIGN

Even though palm grips are more comfortable, I recommend T-grip handles because they let your kid have better control over the paddle by fully wrapping his hand over it.

BLADE ANGLE

Some youth SUP paddles comes with blades that have an angle between 6% and 12% from the shaft.

BLADE ANGLE RECOMMENDATIONS:

	7° Blade Angle	10° Blade Angle	12° Blade Angle
Best for :	SUP surfing	All-around SUP paddling	SUP racing

I prefer angled paddle blades because they help drain water from the paddle at the end of strokes and help your SUP board glide by not dipping its nose into water.

Moreover, it makes you also reach further when your are about to put the blade into the water for added stroke power.

BLADE SIZE

Generally speaking, the more fit you are the larger your paddle blade can be, but the blade size remains a preference that you get it with experience.

LARGE PADDLE BLADES VS SMALL BLADES:

LARGE BLADES	SMALL BLADES
– High control. – Have powerfull strokes. – You get fatigue quickly. – Moves slowly underwater.	– Easy to get out of the water. – Needs less effort to paddle with. – Better acceleration. – Less effort per stroke, making you preserve energy. – Requires you to have a higher cadence.

WHAT IS THE RIGHT BLADE SIZE BASED ON WEIGHT:

	80–90 sq. in.	90–100 sq. in	100–120 sq. in.
Ideal for:	– Unfit beginner SUP paddlers. – Small and medium paddlers	– Speed – SUP racing – Medium and large paddlers	– Big waves – Strong paddlers – Large and extra-large paddlers

Updated on January 18, 2022 by Ben