Stand-up paddleboarding is fast becoming a global phenomenon, but what exactly is it and where did it all begin. For a start Stand up paddleboarding is most commonly abbreviated to SUP or SUPing. Earlier than 2,000 B.C data has been shown to see the earliest forms of Stand up paddleboarding spanning over various provinces such as China, Peru and Italy. SUPing is when you stand on top of a floating platform and use a stick or paddle to drive yourself in a forward’s motion. Basically, it is similar to if you were to stand up in a kayak. The form of modern day stand up paddleboards was derived in the 1900s in Hawaii.

Until recently SUP’s have been constructed from fiberglass this is great for those who live locally to the beach and have a very short distance to travel their Stand up paddleboard. But for those who have to travel large distances or place their SUP in a vehicle the fiberglass construction is less than ideal. Some companies stated to make smaller Stand up paddleboards for more effective travel especially when trying to fit them into a vehicle. Although this a good solution a smaller SUP is much harder to ride as it is less buoyant. You may be thinking this only applies to unskilled Stand up paddleboard riders this is not the case. Yes you may be able to stand and paddle on a smaller SUP but it will limit your ability to perform activities. On a larger stand up paddleboard  due to the rigidity and stability you can perform task such as fishing or even yoga. The modern day solution to this problem is inflatable stand up paddle boards. Modern technology and materials have allowed companies to design inflatable SUPs that once inflated are almost just as rigid and durable as a fiberglass one. The benefit of this is the ability to have a large study stand up paddle board that packs up into a extremely portable and manageable size.

An excellent example of a quality inflatable stand up paddle board is the adventure King’s 10 foot 6 inch inflatable stand-up paddleboard. The King’s SUP is extremely good quality and affordable value compared to other inflatable paddleboards on the market today. There are many features that you should look for when choosing a SUP and also multiple  features that set this particular stand up paddleboard apart from the competition. First of all this SUP has been designed to be incredibly easy to use even for first timers the 10 foot 6 inch size and 830 mil width give it a massive 150 kilo weight rating the huge size means it’s stable super buoyant and thus such an easy stand up paddleboard to learn on. When decided on a SUP to purchase look for a brand like kings that designs their inflatable stand-up paddleboard with an innovative six-inch drop stitch core.
The benefit of this design is it gives the SUP incredible amounts of rigidity when the board is inflated. Another benefit is it makes the stand-up paddleboard incredible tough which is particular important when dealing with an inflatable SUP. This is because people want to use their stand-up paddleboards on the river at the beach on the dam and places where it’ll get grazed up against rocks oyster shells. That is why you should also look for a brand that’s stand up paddleboard is constructed from a ultra tough pvc so it will handle just about anything you can throw at it. Adventure Kings put their SUP toughness to the test and drove a 4WD over a fully inflated stand up paddleboard and it didn’t break.

Now that we have discussed quality and toughness when searching for a SUP to purchase, the next selling point to look for is value. To get best value from your stand up paddleboard ensure it comes with a paddle included. However not just any old paddle make sure it’s a quality paddle. Telescopic SUP paddles are particularly useful when it comes to transporting your inflatable stand up paddleboard. Another helpful feature are paddles that are reinforced with a plastic base that actually float if you drop it. Both a removable sensor fin and a quality coiled leg rope are also two features your SUP should come with. An easily overlooked but incredible useful feature for an inflatable stand up paddleboard is a storage bag, some come with a backpack design to make walking it to you destination a breeze.

 This is what really sets inflatable stand up paddleboard apart from to traditional fiberglass v. As when you’re all set and done with your stand up paddleboard simply deflate it roll it up and pack it into the storage backpack. This not only like mentioned before does away with the problems involved with traditional fiberglass stand up paddleboards as they are both heavy and thus hard to carry around, but they are also large and require huge amounts of storage space. Another advantage of inflatable stand up paddleboard ability to pack into a manageable size is that it also prevents damage.

When selecting an inflatable stand up paddleboard you also have to consider what type of pump you’ll use to inflate your SUP.  There are many options on the market the more affordable option is a single action pump they are simple and reliable, and they get the job done. However, if you want to hit the water faster go out and grab yourself a triple action stand up paddleboard pump these will inflate you SUP much faster with minimal effort.

You can probably now see why stand up paddleboarding is fast becoming a global phenomenon. Hopefully this article has helped highlight the benefits of an inflatable stand up paddleboard and the key features to look out for when purchasing one of your own.