I just don’t get the attraction, so maybe I’m missing something. I’d rather canoe or kayak, and those modes of paddling seem to have several advantages over SUP. Kayaks/Canoes are roomier, carry more things, seem more stable (are they?), able to handle a variety of water conditions. So why would I choose a SUP? I don’t see any practical reasons for choosing them rather than a canoe or kayak?
I’m sure there are non-practical, or specialized reasons…but given a choice for a boat to paddle, I just don’t see any real advantage to a SUP? Are they faster? is it more comfortable? etc.
I enjoy it as something different. But I agree with you that kayaking or canoeing is more fun and more practical (and more stable too, though I was surprised by how stable the paddle board actually was). For any purpose other than mixing it up I’d take the seated boat.
They’re totally different things. You’re sort of asking “Why would I walk on a path when I could ride a bike & go faster & carry more stuff?”
I have a kayak, and just about every summer I seriously think about buying a SUP. The only reason I don’t is that I barely have time to kayak, much less have yet another outdoor hobby to try to fit time in for.
Paddling around on a SUP is like taking a slow stroll. You have this great vantage point to see pretty far, and (if you’re lucky enough to do it on a clear lake) you can look down into the water and see a whole lotta stuff you won’t see from a kayak or canoe. They also are much slower than a kayak or canoe, and overall feel much less complex than either of those two activities.
And, as jnglmassiv points out, it’s much easier to jump into the water from a SUP than it is from a kayak or canoe.
Canoes and kayaks developed as practical forms of transportation and that’s what they are. SUPs developed as recreational toys and that’s what they are. I can’t really think of many practical advantages to a SUP other than you can get in and out of the water more easily and that you can show off more of your body to bystanders if you happen to have an attractive body, so they make better Instagram posts. I’ll ride them from time to time, but a canoe is my paddled transportation of choice.
I see a lot of SUPs out on the river when I’m kayaking and I think it looks pretty fun, but I bet I’d get tired of it quickly. And I suspect the water would have to be pretty darn calm for me to stay upright.
If you are near the ocean, I see people getting into the surf with them. Looks like another way to enjoy the waves there.
On our local lake they are fairly popular, and I think people who are intimidated for some reason by kayaks or canoes can more easily get comfortable with SUP. I also think they may be easier to carry and load from/to a vehicle by one person compared to other personal watercraft. Also, the sport is relatively new so may be somewhat a fad at the moment. Just speculating - I have never done it since we have a couple of kayaks for the lake (altho, I have been wanting to give it a try).
I’ve never seen anyone using a stand up paddle board in anything other than calm water. None of them were ever using them in an attempt to travel, fish, move items etc. They always appear to be doing it for fun.
It’s like asking why someone would do Tai Chi when they could drive. The two don’t really have anything to do with each other.
My preference is to canoe. But I was at a family reunion last weekend where they had 2 SUPs in a lake. And I previously used one at my sister’s house in FL on a bay.
They are strictly for calm water. Waves/wind make it a bitch. My sister and BIL say they haven’t used it much this year as the bay has been pretty choppy. Different boards are much more stable vs maneuverable than others.
It is basically a pleasant way to get exercise out on the water, and to see things from a different viewpoint. In FL, I had a better field of vision under the water than I would have in a kayak. The effort to stand up gives a good workout to the legs and core.
Some of the younger folk were doing headstands on them and going pretty quickly. But for me and the other old folks, we didn’t go anywhere fast.
I always think they look kinda strange, because from a distance, the paddler sorta looks like they are simply standing on the water.
We have one. It’s just really fun, good exercise, and adaptable. You really don’t have to always stand up on it. You can use it sitting, or in our case even have the dog ride around on it. It’s simple, easy to use, and fun.
They are NOT hard to use; I am a clumsy oaf and figured it out pretty quickly. Once you get moving they’re quite stable; it’s like being on a bicycle.
I spent my teenage years on a skateboard and around 18 years old I started snowboarding. As a result, I just cannot stay balanced on a SUP. Granted, the only time I tried was in Hawaii in the ocean but my wife (a skier) was SUP’ing circles around me as I fell off constantly. I am also challenged with kayaks. We have a place on Lake Huran and every summer I drag out a kayak and can never go far without flipping the damn thing. I think I am just conditioned now to balance on a different axis than needed for a kayak or SUP.
Nah. Unless your balance is atrocious, you’ll be fine. At least with a beginner one. SUPS are pretty big and wide and stable.
I take 'em out on the ocean, and I’m fine in a couple of feet of swell as long as the wavelength is at least twice the boardlength. Better to hit the waves head on, but going sideways is fine too as long as you’re expecting it.
I can see them getting boring on a river, but on the ocean they’re lots of fun.
When I was paddling whitewater one of my best paddling buds was a stand up paddler. He didn’t use a board but an inflatable kayak modified for that purpose and a very long kayak paddle. It’s called “striding” He liked the much better view of rapids, for one thing. He ran a lot of tough stuff.
The people running whitewater seem to do it as a step up from canoeing or kayaking. It’s either more of a challenge or the stern pivots are even more fun than in a boat.