Stand Up Paddle Boarding is fast becoming one of the most popular ways to get out and exercise on the open water. People drive hundreds of kilometers to certain locations for the opportunity to whip out the inflatable stand up paddle board and go for a paddle on some of the most beautiful waters just about anywhere in the world.

One of the best things about owning a stand up paddle board (SUP), is the fact that you can make the exercise itself as vigorous or as relaxing as you want- you can take stand up paddle boarding as easy as you want for a super relaxing day out of crystal clear waters, or you can push yourself to the limit on your stand up paddle board for an insane full body workout to really get the heart pumping.

Stand Up Paddle Boarding makes for an incredible way to work out if you are big into your fitness because you get an awesome core workout while targeting all the muscle groups in your back, arms and even your legs. It has to be one of the most fun ways out there to get a 6 pack- and no, I’m not talking about the type of 6 pack you’d pick up from the local bottle shop!

There are 2 main types of stand up paddle boards out there- Solid/ Standard Stand Up Paddle Boards & Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Boards. Both of them have benefits as well as drawbacks. So let’s go over some of the benefits and drawbacks of each one and hopefully you’ll get a better idea of which style of stand up paddle board will suit you and your needs perfectly!

Solid Stand Up Paddle Boards:
Solid Stand Up Paddle Boards typically have a foam core which is wrapped in fiberglass and epoxy or wood (bamboo) and some stand up paddleboards are wrapped in carbon fiber- carbon fiber stand up paddleboards are usually VERY expensive, so for that reason they are far less common.  
One of the main benefits of a solid stand up paddle board is the fact that they are a bit more stable on the water and require less balance compared to the much lighter inflatable stand up paddle board. Rigid Stand Up Paddleboards can also be a bit more rigid comparted to an inflatable stand up paddle board which means they are generally easier to perform tricks on.

All of these benefits of a solid stand up paddleboard come at a cost, though! Solid Stand Up Paddle Boards are in general a fair bit heavier than the inflatable stand up paddle boards (which is part of the reason why they can generally be more stable on the water compared to an inflatable SUP), but with that weight comes more hassle. Large and heavy solid stand up paddle boards can be quite cumbersome when it comes to transporting, storing and carrying your stand up paddle board down to the water.

In able to transport your stand up paddle board, you essentially NEED a set of crossbars or some sort of roofrack on your car, van or 4wd. Solid Stand Up Paddle Boards tend to be a real pain when it comes to loading them up on your roof- especially if you are vertically challenged and the wind suddenly decides to pickup! I have personally seen a young woman get knocked off her feet while trying to load her solid stand up paddle board onto her roof. Thankfully she was all okay and she found it just as funny as I did and was extremely grateful when I offered to help her out.

Carrying a solid stand up paddle board down to the water from the carpark can also be a bit of a hassle- especially when you want to take other gear down like a beach cart, ice box or other bits of beach gear. Not to mention the fact that both arms are completely occupied because in one hand you have the stand up paddle board and in the other, you would have the sup paddle.

To store your solid stand up paddle board, you’d need a decent shed with heaps of space or a spare room big enough to hang the sucker up. Most people store their solid stand up paddleboards up in the rafters of their shed to keep it out of the way, but others might have to make up a holding frame of some sort- more hassle.

Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Boards:
The Kings Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Boards is made out of insanely tough PVC with a 6 inch drop stitch deign which makes it incredibly tough and durable. They are so tough in fact, that we decided to drive a 3+ Ton 4wd over the top of it while it was fully inflated and when we were done, there was barely a mark on the inflatable stand up paddle board.

Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Boards are typically far more affordable than solid stand up paddle boards– especially when you shop at Adventure Kings!

Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Boards (ISUP)are generally a lot lighter than solid stand up paddle boards which makes them a little less stable on open water. But, in saying that, this can help you improve your balancing skills dramatically and again, give you a killer core workout!

The Kings Inflatable Stand up Paddle Boards can be deflated, rolled up and stored inside of the included carry bag- this means they are incredibly easy to store, transport and carry. This is a god send when it comes to carry more gear down to the water because you have both arms free to carry whatever you need!

The beauty of an Inflatable Stand up Paddle Board is the fact that they can be stored just about anywhere- taking up about the same amount of space as a hiking backpack.

When you purchase a Kings Inflatable Stand up Paddle Board, you get a choice of either a single action pump to get your paddle board ready for action in a flash and a triple action pump for insanely quick and easy inflation.

So there you go, these are the main benefits and drawbacks of both types of stand up paddle boards. For my money- it’s gotta be a Kings Inflatable Stand up Paddle Board. Insane value for money and features you’re bound to absolutely love, you really cant go wrong!