In the paddle boarding process, the paddleboard and the paddle are the crucial determinants on how experienced you are. Making the right selection of the SUP paddle is a daunting job. SUP paddles can be classified into 4 categories depending on the material that is used to make them.
They include those made from aluminium, carbon, fiberglass and wood. Those that are made from aluminum are considered to have a heavy weight but are relatively cheap as compared to the rest. On the other hand, fiber glass SUP glassfibre are abit light and their price is average. SUP paddles of carbon and wood are considered to be the lightest and their prices are expensive as compared to the rest. Kids have special SUP paddles that have special characteristics that will favor their age.
Top 5 SUP Paddles
The material that makes them affects their weight, strength and the price too. In addition, the performance of the SUP paddles is affected by the ability to adjust and the material. The following is the best SUP paddled according to their specific categories:
Best aluminum SUP paddle
Aluminum SUP paddle are affordable and durable. This makes it a great category of paddles for the lake house on a place where many people use paddles. The only downside with it is that they are heavy that all the other categories. Aluminium SUP paddles which are the best provide a perfect combination on the strength and the lightness for an excellent manipulation.
Bullet proof surf adjustable allay SUP paddle
This is the best aluminum SUP paddle that was an award winner at one time. It is a product which is sturdy. Its sturdiness is achieved by its nylon blade and aluminum shaft. In addition, it has a long length range.Moreover; it has a friendly budget that many people can afford. Its blade cover is the most amazing thing. It is adjustable and can go quickly and easily up to 1,800mm to 2130 mm.It has a length that is a perfect and comfortable for any paddler according to its stature. It is the best aluminum SUP paddle that can be used by the beginners as well as the paddlers who are advanced. Many reviewers love it because of its durability that is provided by the aluminum shaft.
Best carbon fiber SUP paddle
These are SUP paddles that are of the best quality. They are on demand since they offers the greatest performance. Carbon fiber SUP paddles are slightly light and marketable. Most of them have features which are advanced. Others have contoured blades and curves. This enables them to offer a perfect and powerful control through the water. This is the best category for long distance and best for your money
Bullet proof surf adjustable carbon fiber ‘’slider’’ SUP paddle
This is the best carbon fiber paddle that has an excellent performance. It is made up of carbon fiber shaft that is adjustable. In addition it has a handle which is made of smooth carbon fibre.It is a blade which is made of a nylon composite and a fibre glass.Moreover,it comes with a free paddle bag that protects it from damage and scratches. Many of the paddlers love it because of its adjustable nature. It takes a few seconds in setting the preferred length. Reviewers of this product say that the composite blade is a nice one since it does not get chipped easily. It is also designed in a unique way in which they are forgiving when in contact with another paddling SUP.
Best fiber glass SUP paddle
These are SUP paddles which are average. They are in the midst between the aluminum and the carbon paddles. They are a choice which is appealing for those who need a middle range paddle. They are excellently designed for longest adventures with the paddleboard.Fibreglass SUP paddles are the best since they do not tire your arms. This can make you to stay in the water for long.
Bullet Prof Surf ultra lite 100% fiberglass shaft adjustable SUP paddle
It is the best fiberglass SUP paddle that is designed to offer a good paddling experience with its light weight paddle. It has approximately 26 ounce. This is a perfect light weight for embracing the paddles and it costs twice or thrice. In addition, it is user friendly. The most amazing thing with this fiber glass shaft adjustable is that of the adjustable paddles. It also has a guarantee. This is where it can be replaced or refunded within duration of 12 months. It also contains a slider mechanism that allows the paddlers adjust the length easily. It has the greatest ability of floating in both salty and fresh water.
Best wooden SUP paddle
As the world of wooden Rowling is changing with time, SUP paddles have been created. They are the lightest version in the market. Wood is combined with the other materials to make it the perfect choice. In addition, they have distinctive flexibility characteristics. They have shock absorbers and the wooden material cannot be duplicated.
Red paddle co. Glass and bamboo adjustable SUP paddle
This is a SUP paddle with a 3 fiber glass and a bamboo. Its bamboo shaft has fiberglass blades that are curved. This aids it to provide an extra pefomance.In addition it is dynamic and has a natural flex that will put extra energy and spring into the paddle stroke. The most lovable thing about this wooden SUP paddle is that it can be broken into 3 pieces hence making it ideal for travelling. It is a version which is the best since it has new blades whose stability is advanced.
Best kids paddle
Kids have not been left out in the paddle boarding. Due the ability of being adjusted; SUP paddles can be made to suit the kids. Kids SUP paddles allow the children to enjoy paddle boarding comfortably. Teaching your kids on how to SUP is the greatest way of instilling the love of the water to your children. Kids SUP paddles are designed to have special characteristics-their size ranges from 8-9 ft.They also have an ample stability that can favor the youngsters.
Cannon paddle kid’s booster SUP
These are the best kids paddle for the kids since they have starter paddles that are perfect. In addition, they are heat treated and have an aluminum shaft that the aircraft anodized. Moreover, it has a small blade and a grip. This makes it ideal and best for the kids many customers like all its features and they say that it is worth their money.
How to choose an Adjustable SUP Paddle
If you happen to be an avid surfer, then you most probably own a SUP board. For those who do not yet have an idea about SUP boards, they are basically Stand Up Paddle boards that make use of a paddle in order to propel themselves through water. SUP surfing is not just a sport, but is done as a fitness routine, for sightseeing, fishing and even yoga (done mostly in calmer waters). While most of the professional surfers and surfer lovers may already have purchased a SUP board, it is very important to choose the right kind of SUP paddle to go along with it.
The SUP paddle is broadly divided into two categories, adjustable and fixed. While obvious that the fixed SUP paddle will not allow any adjustment to be made to it, it also falls short on its advantages when compared to the adjustable SUP paddle.
When purchasing one of them, you need to understand how the different elements of the adjustable SUP paddle that will affect the way you surf. This article explores the most important factors to bear in mind when buying an adjustable SUP paddle.
Length: While deciding on the length of your paddle, you will need to take into consideration your height as well as the water conditions or the reason why you want to go stand up paddling. The length of the paddle should be 6 inches to 12 inches above your height. A paddle too short would require you to bend way too much and exert a lot of energy. A longer than required paddle would need you to stretch your arms up high, leading to discomfort and strain. If your into surfing then a shorter paddle length would serve you better, while a longer length works best for water cruising or yoga.
Blade: Blades can be either of lower quality or high quality. Mostly, the SUP boards are sold along with the SUP paddles as a package. The SUP paddles that are sold in this way are generally of a lower quality. Lower quality blades would be much weaker which would require you to exert more force while paddling and result in an exhausting and tiring experience. So remember to keep away from them as you can easily purchase a SUP board and paddle separately based on your choice. A higher quality blade is sturdy and allows you to utilize minimum energy while paddling through the water. Besides the quality of the blade, the size of the blade matter as well. A smaller blade would allow easy maneuverability, especially for those who are new to paddling and surfing in general. While the larger blade is best used by experienced surfers as it requires more strength to handle it while permitting the surfer to gain a higher speed.
Blade Material: Beside the quality of the blade and its size, it is important to know the material with which the blade is made as it is the blade material that determines the weight of the blade and the cost of it.
The material used for the SUP paddles can be classified into the below three types –
- Aluminum – This material cost the least among the three but is also the heaviest. An aluminum blade is durable and will last you a long time without any issue. However since it is heavy, a lot of strength and effort is required to use blades made of this material.
- Carbon Fiber – Carbon Fiber is just the opposite of aluminum in terms of the price and weight. Carbon fiber blades are the lightest but the most expensive of the three. These blades are recommended for professionals as it is easy to maneuver around in rough waters.
- Fiberglass – This material combines the best of both, aluminum and carbon. Fiberglass weighs more in comparison to aluminum, but that is only comparatively. By itself it isn’t too heavy and the best part is that it is affordability and quality (not as expensive as carbon fiber blades and stronger than the aluminum ones).
Adjust and Lock Device: This is the best part about the adjustable SUP paddles. It allows you to customize the paddle to suit your height and the SUP activity (surfing or touring etcetera) you are interested in. This includes three types of ‘adjust and lock’ devices.
- Lever-lock – By simply pulling up the lever, the tension is released thereby allowing you to easily adjust the length by moving the handle upward or downwards. Once adjusted, you need to align the blade with the handle grip for which markings are made on the paddle for your convenience.
- Twist – Twist is just what you need to do to adjust the length for this device. It is easy to use but you need to remember to late align the handle and blade correctly.
- Collar-Clamp – You can adjust the length here by pulling the collar pin which in turn releases the adjustment pin. Unlike the lever-lock and twist devices, there is no need for alignment after the adjustment is made.
Palm Grip: This refers to the kind of palm grip in the paddles handle area. Any paddle generally has a palm shaped standard grip. However, in case you desire a little extra support and security while surfing or paddling in rough waters, you can go in for a T grip that allows you to wrap your fingers around it with ease. Also available is the ball shaped grip that in reality provides no special benefit. It is used by paddlers or surfers that just prefer the feel of it.
So if you are thinking about getting an adjustable SUP paddle for yourself, the above mentioned factors will help you arrive at a clear decision. While you now understand the pros of owning an adjustable SUP paddle, you may be wondering about the cons. Well the only con here is the possibility of the clamp wearing out due to the increase in weight caused by the adjustment systems. That being said, the adjustable SUP paddle is a more viable and flexible option.
About the author: Chris loves the outdoors and has developed a love of gadgets and inflatable toys, from kayaking and paddle boarding to relaxing in his hot tub at home. The founder of WhichInflatable and has been the editor for 7 years.
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