Hard SUPs however are generally built from different types of materials such as foam, fibreglass, Kevlar, plastic or wood and are often protected with coats of epoxy resin. The layers of Kevlar, fibreglass or bamboo veneer create durability and rigidity, with the foam providing buoyancy and the epoxy resin making sure everything is watertight. The main disadvantage to making such a rigid board is the fact that it becomes much harder to store and transport them.

However, there are advantages to having a hard paddle board, with many agreeing that they can outperform inflatable SUPs in surf and downwind. Hard paddle board materials are much more rigid which allows the manufacturers to get a more precise design and shape, allowing for enhanced performance. Alternatively, Inflatables are the much-preferred option for white-water paddling, ease of use, travelling and convenience.

Now that we have taken a closer look at both sides of the argument and have clearly laid out the benefits and constraints of each, it becomes easier for our customers to make an educated decision on which type of paddle board is the most effective. Inflatable boards excel in almost all areas when directly compared to hard boards, with the former trumping hard boards in durability, safety, transportation, convenience and performance on some occasions. The numerous pros for inflatable paddle boards do go a long way in convincing us that these are the paddle boards of the future, however, if performance and speed is your end goal, there is still something to be said for hard boards.

Even considering these points, performance is variable from board to board, and you could easily find an inflatable SUP that outperforms a hard SUP and vice versa, the real differentiator would always depend on the individual requirements of the consumer. For example, if ease of use and convenience when travelling were to be the only debatable factors between both inflatables and hard boards then inflatable SUPs would always come out on top, then who wouldn’t want to take their paddle board with them on holiday?

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Despite hard boards having some undeniable technical advantages, there are still people who use inflatable SUPs to race competitively because the gap between both products has reduced dramatically in recent years as the inflatable product range now allows consumers the ability to participate in out-of-town events and competitions, Here at Sukuma, we believe the future of paddle boards is firmly in the hands of inflatable SUPs, which is why countless hours are being spent on designing high-quality inflatable paddle boards at an ever reduced retail price.

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Please visit the Sukuma Social pages today to see a range of our paddle boards in action!