At The SUP Company we have made finding the Stand Up Paddleboard that is best matched to your needs a slight easier task by seperating the hard and inflatable boards we stock into clear catagories that cover the most popular SUP disciplines - Allround, Touring, Surf, Race Touring, Race and Wind SUP. The paddleboards in these catergories have their own characteristics and depending on what you are looking for some will suit your needs better than others. You can also get an overview of the shapes and sizes available by using our SUP Board Guide below -

Allround SUP's are the most popular category at The SUP Company and as such are the choice for the majority of paddlers both new and old to the sport. Allround Stand Up Paddleboards come in different lengths and widths; generally ranging from 9'8" to 11'2" feet in length overall to 31" to 35" inches width. This broad range enables a very wide range of paddlers to find a paddleboard which offers a good amount of volume which allows them to paddle across a wide range of disciplines. As a rule Allround SUPs generally glide easily, offer good stability while remaining maneuverable and responsive to paddler input. As you would expect Allround SUP's are extremely versatile and cope with everything from flat-water, cruising, to surfing.

As a guide, novice paddlers looking for their first SUP should consider the following:

Some of the best examples of Allround hard board SUP's are the Starboard 10ft2 Wedge and the Fanatic Allwave 10ft5 and Jobe Ventura 10ft6. While superb examples of Allround inflatable SUP boards would be the Red Paddle Co 10ft6 RIDE and a Jobe Yarra 10ft6.

View all of the Allround SUPs here

80% of all stand up paddleboarding takes places on flat water and some paddlers know they are very unlikely to ever experience surf , so many opt for a SUP that is more orientated to exploring rivers, lakes or coast line. A Touring / Cruiser SUP offers a great on the water experience while being slightly more focused that an Allround SUP. Touring style paddleboards have a longer water line length and therefore have excellent glide yet remain wide enough to be very stable. The additional length and often square tail of these boards does stop the fun in smaller waves but they won't be as maneuverable as an Allround SUP board due to their longer length. The added advantage of this longer length is also improved tracking as it means few paddle changes and course corrections; more paddle strokes per side.

Novice paddlers buying their first Touring SUP, should consider the following:

As more people take to the water and enjoy SUP, touring and cruising is a growing category for both those new to the sport and experienced paddlers looking for that next or perhaps additional board which is more focused. A great example of a hard Touring / Cruiser SUP would be the SIC Okeanos while a superb example of an inflatable board would be the Red Paddle Co 12'6 Voyager.

View all of the Touring SUPs here

Surf SUPs are short and as a result very fast turning. Although a Wave / Surf SUPs low volume means that overall stability is not as good as longer boards, this lack of volume makes them extremely agile - perfect for responding quickly on a wave. These Stand Up Paddleboards are slowest to paddle in a straight line due to their short overall waterline length and are most definitely best suited to those paddlers who plan on spending the majority of their time in the surf.

While solid / composite Stand Up Paddleboards are often favored in surf, don't discount the ability of inflatable SUP's as a number of these boards now offer performance on a wave that many wouldn't have thought possible only a few years ago. Significant developments in both design and construction mean they are incredibly rigid and satisfy even the most experienced surfer without the hassles that go with owning and storing a hard paddleboard. Great examples of Surf SUP hard boards would be the Starboard 8'4 Hypernut or JP Australia 9'8 Fusion, while inflatable Surf SUP's would be the Red Paddle 8'10 Whip and the Fanatic Stubby.

View all of the Surf SUPs here

The Race Touring SUP category is that half way house between full blown race balancing carbon encrusted madness and having a SUP that you can cruise on while covering distances with ease. Just because a SUP is 12.6 long, doesn't mean it is instantly a race board and nor does a SUP board with a width of 29"-31" mean it is to wide to be racey.

Race Touring SUP is a much more accurate term for SUP's that have good stability with a waterline length that is fast for distance munching paddles. If you generally have good balance, know you are going to spend the majority of your time paddling in flat water and want a faster, more efficient than average touring SUP, a race inspired tourer SUP is for you. A good example of a hard race touring SUP would be the excellent Starboard 12'6 Touring Lite Tech, while a great inflatable option would the Fanatic 12'6 Falcon.

View all of the Race Touring SUPs here

Race Stand Up Paddleboards are as you would expect, the fastest of all SUP's. A Race SUP's speed comes primarily from their overall length and narrow width, meaning maximum glide from each paddle stroke with minimal resistance.Tracking is also arrow like, as the reduced width also means the paddling effort is nearer the centre line of the board; pulling it forwards rather than inducing any turning moment.

Race Stand Up Paddleboards are available in 12'6 and 14' lengths due to class rules, with 'Unlimited' paddleboards reaching around 17' in length. Just because a SUP falls into the 'Race' category, doesn't necessarily mean that it is uncompromising beast. Many Race Stand Up Paddleboards that have a width of around 27" to 28" are actually really easy to live with and make exceptional 'fast paced' tourers.

Great examples of this would be the Red Paddle Co 12'6 Elite at 28" wide and the Starboard Allstar 14'0 x 28".  While narrower examples such as the ONE Ocean Sports Edge, Fanatic Strike and SIC RS provide a very rewarding paddle.

View all of the Race SUPs here

WindSUP is no joke! Yes, there’s a lot of haters out there, but the truth is, it’s hard to ignore the benefits – and fun – that windsurfing in light wind on a Standup Paddle Board offers.Whether it is a solid SUP board or an inflatable SUP board, you will find that both types have Wind SUP variants. While many people can comprehend a solid / composite SUP fitted with a UJ mount for a windsurf rig, it is the technology and rigidity that is found in an inflatable Wind SUP that shocks many people - it simply does work and very well too!

If you are new to windsurfing and are wanting the set up to learn on, then a Wind SUP represents excellent value for money. After all you end up with a windsurfer that has a smaller (and therefore cheaper) rig to learn on, a larger board than normal to learn on and when the wind has gone - you are left with a SUP to paddle. A great example of an inflatable Wind SUP is the Red Paddle Co 10'7 WindSUP, while those looking for a hard board should consider pretty much anything from Fanatic or Jp Australia as they come with a UJ mount fitting.

View all of the WindSUPs here