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SUP Inflatables (Any Good?)

Rougebladez

Hi People

I have been looking at a few SUP boards and was attracted to the Inflatables due to their portability and storage as compared to their rigid counterparts.

I know once I get lessons that the instructor will recommend the proper board etc.

But just wondering are they a gimmick or are they worth getting?

Also which would be the best inflatable as there are so many brands out there between Gekko, Red Paddle etc.

I'd prefer if you speak from your own experience and not to pimp your brands if you are a shop owner/rep etc.

That said any info iwill be a great help.

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cornbb

Haven't had first-hand experience but I've talked to people who have who said they are "surprisingly good".

LifesaverNiall

if you find any good cheap ones throw up a link there

Rougebladez

The cheapest I've seen online, is one on ebay called a GEKKO 11 ft for 399 sterling, but they say on ebay and on their own site that they dont ship outside the UK.

If you contact them personally you might twist their arm, but again I stress, I am only looking for one myself and dont have a clue about these boards yet, so this type might be crap.

I'd find out from someone if these sup boards are any good before splashing out several hundred blips on one only to discover they are crap.Thus the reason I started this thread.

Best of luck with whatever you do and let me know how you get on.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Gekko-11-Inflatable-Stand-Up-Paddle-Board-SUP-/330554316752?pt=UK_Surfing&hash=item4cf69297d0

LifesaverNiall

yea ive seen that pure magic in clontarf have started doing lessons, they started last thursday.. my birthday

so i couldnt go..
but im going to wait and see how much their lessons are and see if i like it first before i decide anything!
thanks though!

Rougebladez

Ya Niall I only recently have gotten interested and for the life of me couldn't find anywhere in cork that does lessons on em.

Then I saw several places in Dublin incl PureM and Surfdock and was doin my nut ,but since then I was pointed towards a place in cork but have to wait till next month.

Japer

The inflatable ones are said to be a bit floppy, not great. Certainly anyone in to SUPing seems to have a hard board. I had a go on one on holidays once, great fun even in little waves. I saw an epoxy NSP one with a nice soft deck pad all over the deck, in a shop in Sligo ( Sunset ) a few weeks ago, think it was about 700 euro. I'm getting one when I win the lotto.

Rougebladez

Ive no doubt that hardboards would be better but theres no way I could store one or transport it, so Im afraid its a floppy for me as far as I can see at the moment.

Rougebladez

Since my last post Ive taken a lesson and got the bitten by the bug.

So much so I bought a second hand Red Paddle 11 foot inflatable that came with an extendable paddle for about 450 from a guy in Dublin.

Im delighted with it and the whole -roll it up and stuff it in a bag when ur finished- is the TITS.

Again...Ive no doubt that a rigid would be better but I couldnt bear dragging one around.

stevire

Rougebladez wrote: »

Since my last post Ive taken a lesson and got the bitten by the bug.

So much so I bought a second hand Red Paddle 11 foot inflatable that came with an extendable paddle for about 450 from a guy in Dublin.

Im delighted with it and the whole -roll it up and stuff it in a bag when ur finished- is the TITS.

Again...Ive no doubt that a rigid would be better but I couldnt bear dragging one around.

Where did you get the lesson? Brittas Bay Surf School are renting them out for 20e all day, cheapest around at that price - going to give it a go soon see what its like.

450 for the Red Air sounds like a bargain!

Rougebladez

20 blips for the day is a steal.

I think they rent them in Garretstown surf school only on certain days for 20 for 2 hrs.Lessons for 40 I think.Worth getting the lessons......one at least.

Yeah 450 was a steal for the board and paddle and pump and bag. The new ones are Funkier but I think around 670 for the board bag and puimp.

Veery happy babby here...

Ronnie Beck

I'd imagine there fine for flat water. Probably be a bit limp when it comes to surfing a decent wave. Never used an inflatable SUP but I had a bic minmal years ago that creased right across the middle. It worked fine until you made a sharp turn and it just bent and slowed right down.

Rougebladez

Dont get me wrong....I'm no Surf Guru.

But the red paddle I have can be pumped up very hard with the pump to 15-20psi. I normally use it at 15 cos I couldnt be arsed pumping it up more for what I use it for on rivers and I'm 15ish+ stone.

Used it before in small waves and rode in waves. My biggest problem was the nose diving and falling off due to me being ****e.
Im sure a more experienced surfer would make it motor.

cornbb

Picked up a Red Air inflatable myself a while back and first got a chance to use it yesterday. Have a fairly good impression of it overall.

Bad bits: The flex is a bit noticeable while on the water, and I reckon the plastic moulded fins are a bit useless. Certainly they don't inspire confidence. Quite heavy, getting it from the car to the edge of the water took a bit of work.

Good bits: Deck is rock hard once you get enough air into it. Seems bulletproof. Will catch pretty much any crab's fart of a wave. Will get you out on the water for an enjoyable spin even in total absence of waves. Portability is fantastic, can't wait to chuck this into the belly of a plane for my summer holidays without stressing that it will get smashed.

The flop factor is noticeable but not really a huge turnoff, no-one should expect such a product to be a high-performance machine. Also I found it almost impossible to turn once I got riding waves on it but I guess that will come with experience. I'll be picking up a cheap 3-piece paddle for portability. Glad I got it anyway, I can see myself taking it out on many summer evenings.

blackiebest

cornbb wrote: »

Picked up a Red Air inflatable myself a while back and first got a chance to use it yesterday. Have a fairly good impression of it overall.

Bad bits: The flex is a bit noticeable while on the water, and I reckon the plastic moulded fins are a bit useless. Certainly they don't inspire confidence. Quite heavy, getting it from the car to the edge of the water took a bit of work.

Good bits: Deck is rock hard once you get enough air into it. Seems bulletproof. Will catch pretty much any crab's fart of a wave. Will get you out on the water for an enjoyable spin even in total absence of waves. Portability is fantastic, can't wait to chuck this into the belly of a plane for my summer holidays without stressing that it will get smashed.

The flop factor is noticeable but not really a huge turnoff, no-one should expect such a product to be a high-performance machine. Also I found it almost impossible to turn once I got riding waves on it but I guess that will come with experience. I'll be picking up a cheap 3-piece paddle for portability. Glad I got it anyway, I can see myself taking it out on many summer evenings.

Hi Cornbb, any chance you will tell me how much you paid and did you get it here in Éire?

Rougebladez

Ya...how much?

cornbb

Got it from here: http://www.bigsurf.ie/shop/stand-up-paddle/inflatable-sups-yepthey-blow-up/red-air-inflatable-sup-ultimate-practicality/76-229-312

Didn't get as good a bargain as Rougebladez

ryank3nny

I brought an ULI SUP over from the US a few years ago, and I have to say it's ideal for what I wanted it for - pick up the sport and get out a couple of times a year without the hassle of having to deal with 11 or 12 feet of fiberglass. As has been mentioned, once you get them up to 15+ psi they tend to be more than rigid enough to surf reasonably well, especially if you're only learning, and they'll catch pretty much anything so you get plenty of practice.

Having said that, you will certainly notice a difference between how it rides and how a real board would (particularly if you already surf). Inflatables can't really have proper rails or a decent rocker shape, so once you get past the point where you're happy to just cruise down the line and want to see if you can move the thing around a bit, you'll find it a lot harder than you would on a regular board. On a balance though, if you're looking to get into SUP, aren't planning on expecting too high performance from the thing, and are worried about portability then I certainly recommend getting your hands on one. Afraid I can't give you any tips about brands though, AFAIK ULI only ship in the US.

Rougebladez

If u take a look at the new "Funkier" redpaddle boards (the electric blue colour) the rocker(the curve on the bottom of the board which would make it rock from toe to tail if on a straight surface) looks a lot more defined.
I have the older(fawn colour) but got it at a steal.
And yes ULI only ship to the US and Red seem to have cornered the market in Europe AFAIK.

ir555

PM me for more details.

My dad is selling two Inflatable Red Airs (1st Generation) in perfect nic..

You can demo them at Rusheen Bay and they also have the dealership for them.

D

Rougebladez

If they are the same as mine I'd recommend you get one.

Another reason I got it was the kids an use it on the beach as well (you dont have to worry about the kids hitting others as its rubber). And I can use it on rivers or reservoir. I have used it for surfing small surf without the paddle and used it as a canoe in the kneeling or sitting position at lunchtime at work.

And cos its inflatable and so tough theres no fear of it getting damaged unless someone takes a stanley knife to it. With a Fibreglass sup youll be worried about it hitting rocks and getting scraped.

One thing though, I would recommend getting the redair pump to make it way easier to pump it up to a decent psi.(the redair pump can be adjusted to only inflate on the downward stroke therefore allowing you to use your bodyweight for the downstroke)

I intend bringing it to france on hols this year end give my 9 yo a blast on it.

SUPing

I just got a whole fleet of Saturn Inflatable sup's from i-canoe.com in Dublin. Ive used afew Inflatables and Solid Boards. Not a huge huge difference in performance on the flat water when starting out!
It was the storage factor with the inflatables that got me hooked on them!!!

Paddy

mrcheez

Sorry to bump an old thread, but just found out about these inflatable SUPs. Would it be possible to wear the backpack while out on the board, or are the contents too bulky (or problematic if wet)?

Just thinking it would be cool to walk to the beach and head off without having to worry about somebody snatching the bag on land if you are going solo.

SUPing

The only think left in tbe bag would be the pump. I know rafts carry the pump on the water with them but sometimes in a drybag. Small srybag for the pump snd yhen on your back or the front of the board would work!!!

mrcheez

Can all SUPs double as kayaks (attach a seat) like this one or do you lose some of the aerodynamics (hydrodynamics?) to make it a good controllable non-bulky SUP?

Rougebladez

No, not all SUPs can convert to kayaks. I have seen some which can have a seat attached but they seem to try and be everything at once.

I have used mine to sit on and kind of used it as a kayak but if you were to use it like that you would need a kayak paddle which is completely different to a SUP paddle.

You can use them for short periods like kayaks but constantly switching the paddle (which is considerably longer than a kayak paddle) becomes cumbersome.

I did bring mine on holidays and taught my 9 year old how to SUP in 20 mins. On pretty flat water.

For the previous poster, yes you can stow the bag and some gear in a bungee net at the front of the SUP but only a few boards have these attachments and anything over a few kilos weight or anything bulky won't work too well.

mrcheez

Rougebladez wrote: »

No, not all SUPs can convert to kayaks. I have seen some which can have a seat attached but they seem to try and be everything at once.

...

For the previous poster, yes you can stow the bag and some gear in a bungee net at the front of the SUP but only a few boards have these attachments and anything over a few kilos weight or anything bulky won't work too well.

Both posts are mine

I was looking at the Red 10'8 Mega which seems to have bungee attachments. Would this be a good board to ride ferry waves at Dollymount, plus double as a kayak if I wanted (with a kayak paddle)?

How would a smaller board differ? Is longer board faster going straight, but slower to turn?

I guess the main things I'd want to do are ride straight lines down small waves and just generally paddle out when water is calm.

Cheers!

Rougebladez

TBH I'm not the guy to answer that as I normally use it on flat water on rivers and on the beach.

I'm sure over time you'd become proficient enough to do whatever you want on one.

I saw one of the new "rainbow" coloured red boards on hols and these seemed to have a reinforcing batons that slip into pockets on the rails to make them even more rigid.

I was teaching my little one to surf on it aswell. And she kept a straight line on it so that might answer part of ur question.

youngblood

Wondering if bumping this thread might be useful

Currently looking at a few options and wondering if anyone here might have any recommendations or where I might get some honest reviews on what's on offer here in Ireland

Have been looking at these one -

https://www.micksgarage.com/d/all-sup-boards/products/3510994/aqua-marina-atlas-2021-sup-paddle-board

https://www.decathlon.ie/inflatable-stand-up-paddle/308887-71234-stand-up-paddleboard-inflatable-surf-shortboard-500-9-160l.html#/demodelsize-254no_size/demodelcolor-8549148?queryID=cdd7e1e2213a0026d8197f35c0f5372d&objectID=2769549

https://nordicprostore.com/products/sup-board-set-kayak-pro?gclid=CjwKCAjwtdeFBhBAEiwAKOIy5wjzfFQQnrwX1peXViY8SKs7OLJOYtrE1SlDndJyylZHplkfy13SHBoC7sUQAvD_BwE

Would be great to get feedback from anyone who has purchased lately?

mrcheez

youngblood wrote: »

Wondering if bumping this thread might be useful

Currently looking at a few options and wondering if anyone here might have any recommendations or where I might get some honest reviews on what's on offer here in Ireland

Have been looking at these one -

https://www.micksgarage.com/d/all-sup-boards/products/3510994/aqua-marina-atlas-2021-sup-paddle-board

https://www.decathlon.ie/inflatable-stand-up-paddle/308887-71234-stand-up-paddleboard-inflatable-surf-shortboard-500-9-160l.html#/demodelsize-254no_size/demodelcolor-8549148?queryID=cdd7e1e2213a0026d8197f35c0f5372d&objectID=2769549

https://nordicprostore.com/products/sup-board-set-kayak-pro?gclid=CjwKCAjwtdeFBhBAEiwAKOIy5wjzfFQQnrwX1peXViY8SKs7OLJOYtrE1SlDndJyylZHplkfy13SHBoC7sUQAvD_BwE

Would be great to get feedback from anyone who has purchased lately?

First one appears to be out of stock.

The second one seems to be shaped more for wave riding, rather than standard SUP?

Go for the 3rd one, seems good from the specs. See if you can find online video reviews.

ted1

mrcheez wrote: »

First one appears to be out of stock.

The second one seems to be shaped more for wave riding, rather than standard SUP?
Go for the 3rd one, seems good from the specs. See if you can find online video reviews.

Decathlon have lots more that are similar shape to the 3rd one, OP where do you plan to use it?
https://www.decathlon.ie/4322-bestsellers?prod_en%5Bquery%5D=stand%20up%20paddle%20board

There’s a shop in Ireland that stock Aqua marine.
https://www.adventure-marine.com/shop-aqua-marina