So you want to start a SUP business or are you just looking to buy a board that will last you forever? Here's a brief guide to our top picks for indestructible paddleboards on the market and the perfect fit for many SUP rental fleets throughout the country. The cool part about these boards is that most of them are born in the USA.
The Pros- Lifetime warranty? Well each of these boards probably could be, but no one has in the industry has claimed to make this a statement yet. For SUP rental companies especially these boards are literally a "gamechanger" because you will save thousands in ding repair expense not to mention a better re-sale value. Great for the consumer who wants something that he or she can drag across the ground like a kayak and not worry. Most of these boards are made in the USA.
The Cons- Slightly heavier and more expensive than your typical SUP. Harder to surf on and not recommended. Not a lot of sizes to choose from; most of these manufacturers have one indestructible board in their lineup at an average size of 10'6. Lack of graphics: the indestructible material on these boards make it impossible to also have an aesthetically great looking board; so while they are an easy sell for a sup rental company, they are a harder sell to the average consumer.
Surftech B1- The board that started it all thanks to Surftech SUP. Originally designed as a river board, the 10'6 B1 was designed to withstand the harsh conditions of Whitewater SUP that was starting to grow in popularity in throughout the US (Colorado, Virginia, California and Oregon states especially). Still today Surftech's most popular boards include their Universal Series boards that are very durable compared to other standard EPS/Epoxy boards on the market.
Glide SUP- Born in the USA in Salt Lake City to be exact. Glide SUP was one of the first to create an ultra durable board thanks to its unique manufacturing process. Today they have even created a series of videos called "Will it Break Wednesday" where you can really see how durable these boards are and how much of a beating they can take.
Bounce SUP- The Surftech B1 is now available in 3 different shapes and sizes thanks to the original B1 manufacturers, now Bounce SUP, out of Oceanside, California. Introducing Bounce SUP, the manufacturers of the original B1, and what we called "The Future of Board Technology" not too long ago.
SUP ATX Adventure XL- Take the idea of durability, a full deck pad great for yoga, and a Lift SUP handle so you can lock your board and combine that with one of the best selling boards of all time and wahlah ... you get the SUP ATX Adventure XL model. And yep you can even wakesurf with 3 of your other friends (photo from yogaboarder.com). This is a must have for rental fleets because of it's versatility, yoga, etc. It's a great board for the average dude beginner (175-275 lbs) because it is 12 feet in length and equally thick and buoyant.
Tahoe SUP- The Tahoe SUP Rubicon Series is another plastic molded line of boards that will last you a life time. ThermoSUP technology with its Honeytech Core. At 12' feet long, like the SUP ATX Adventure, this is a bigger board with a touring shape and one of the only touring indestructible models on the market.
Photo from Tahoesup.com
Yolo Board Hammerhead Series- One of America's most popular flatwater boards, Yolo Board, has introduced its new fleet of boards for SUP rentals for its dealers. Take a hammer to it ... literally and see what happens. Now available in 10'6, 11' and 12' sizes and several different color combinations; at $785 retail this is the friendliest cost for a board that will last a lifetime.