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Selection of inflatable paddle boards: our 2024 comparison
Are you looking for an inflatable paddle board for the summer to sail at sea or in lakes?
The inflatable paddle board really has a lot of advantages and it really allows you to have fun with the minimum of bulk, with good performance and with excellent solidity and durability if and only if you choose the right paddle for you.
In this article, we will compare different inflatable paddle boards for beginners, for running, surfing or hiking. We will give you a review of each paddle and you can compare at a glance to make the right choice.
Take five minutes to study the best inflatable paddle board on the market and choose your next purchase.
Our comparison of inflatable paddle boards on the market
To start, we recommend stable paddles with a little less length to increase manoeuvrability. Stability is a function of the board width. A wide board will be more stable. A beginner’s paddle will be very oriented for the ride.
What will make the difference between the brands is the construction:
- A paddle board that is more reinforced and therefore more durable over time will be a little heavier because it will have a few more layers of PVC.
- A very light paddle board will be less solid. There is a difference of 1kg.
The more reinforced the paddle, the stiffer and more stable it will be. So it’s important to look at the number of layers that can help you differentiate the builds.
1. The Top 5 Cheap Paddle Boards
A cheap paddle board is an easy-to-use paddle board at a very reasonable price. It will allow you to discover the paddle activity and to make your first steps.
Generally, a cheap paddle board is a cheap paddle board. To make it more economical, we reduce the number of PVC layers, we simplify the design and construction in order to have a very attractive price. Depending on the brand, the strength and stability can be greatly different.
We have made a ranking that will allow you to better understand all the models and make your choice. Our main criteria were: the construction, the quality of the materials, the width of the board for maximum stability and the price.
Quelle marque choisir pour un paddle de qualité? |  |  |  |  |  |
Notes | 16/20 | 15/20 | 14,8/ 20 | 15,1/20 | 12/20 |
Modèle | Ocean Walker 10'4x32 | Awesafe 10x31x6 | Bestway Hydro-Force | ECD Germany paddle | Caroma paddle. |
Prix pack et/ ou Unité | 199 € 359€ | 499 € | 311,50 € | 499 € | 199 € |
Couleur | blanc et bleu | blanc vert | Bleu, blanc, | bleu et blanc | blanc et vert jaune |
Dimensions | 10'4'x32x6 | 10x31x6 | 10x31x6 | 10,6x32x6 | 10 x 27 x 15 |
Poids | 8 | 7,9 | 10 | 9,5 | 9,7 |
Type de matériaux | PVC renforcé (type bateau semi rigide) | PVC | PVC | PVC | PVC |
Nombre de couche de PVC pont/carène | 1 dessus / dessous | 1 dessus / dessous | 1 dessus / dessous | 1 dessus / dessous | 1 dessus / dessous |
Nombre de couche de PVC sur les rails | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Epaisseur | 15 cm | 15 cm | 15 cm | 15 cm | 15 cm |
Groupe d'utilisateur | Adultes / enfant/ débrouillé. | Adultes / enfant / débrouillé | Adultes / enfant / débrouillé | Adultes / enfant / débrouillé | Adultes légers / enfant |
Adapté à | Lac - rivière - mer | Lac - rivière - mer | Lac - rivière - mer | Lac - rivière - mer | Lac - rivière |
Particuliarités | Solide - très stable - meilleur rapport qualité prix / bonne glisse | Très stable, bonne glisse glisse | stable, et intéressant pour glisse apprendre à glisser. | un peu moins stable, mais avec une bonne glisse | Largeur faible donc moins stable, peut convenir aux petits gabarits. |
Où le trouver |
2. The top 5 paddle boards to start with
To start, we recommend stable paddles with a little less length to increase manoeuvrability. Stability is a function of the board width. A wide board will be more stable. A paddle board for beginners will be very Oriented for family walks. What will make the difference between the different brands is the construction and quality of the pvc and glues used as well as the general shape of the inflatable paddle that will determine the glide. A more reinforced paddle and therefore more durable over time will be a little heavier because it will have a few more layers of PVC. A very light paddle board will be less solid. There is a difference of 1kg between the two options. The more reinforced the paddle, the stiffer and more stable it will be. So it’s important to look at the number of layers that can help you differentiate the builds. Finally, some shapes will allow you to glide better and others will be more stable. Choose according to your needs and abilities.
Quelle marque choisir pour un paddle de qualité? | |  | | | |
Notes | 16/20 | 17,5/20 | 14,8/ 20 | 15,1/20 | 12/20 |
Modèle | Ocean Walker 10'4x32 | Easy 10 | Bestway Hydro-Force | ECD Germany paddle | Caroma paddle. |
Prix pack et/ ou Unité | 199 € 359€ | 240 € 410€ | 311,50 € | 499 € | 199 € |
Couleur | blanc et bleu | blanc et vert | Bleu, blanc, | bleu et blanc | blanc et vert jaune |
Dimensions | 10'4'x32x6 | 10x31x5 | 10x31x6 | 10,6x32x6 | 10 x 27 x 15 |
Poids | 8 | 8,1 | 10 | 9,5 | 9,7 |
Type de matériaux | PVC renforcé (type bateau semi rigide) | PVC renforcé (type bateau semi rigide) | PVC | PVC | PVC |
Nombre de couche de PVC pont/carène | 1 dessus / dessous | 1,5 dessus / dessous | 1 dessus / dessous | 1 dessus / dessous | 1 dessus / dessous |
Nombre de couche de PVC sur les rails | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Epaisseur | 15 cm | 12 cm | 15 cm | 15 cm | 15 cm |
Groupe d'utilisateur | Adultes / enfant/ débrouillé. | Adultes / enfant / débrouillé / confirmé | Adultes / enfant / débrouillé | Adultes / enfant / débrouillé | Adultes légers / enfant |
Adapté à | Lac - rivière - mer | Lac - rivière - mer | Lac - rivière - mer | Lac - rivière - mer | Lac - rivière |
Particuliarités | Solide - très stable - meilleur rapport qualité prix / bonne glisse | La plus rigide des 5 modèles. Plus stable car moins haut sur l'eau, bonne glisse | stable, et intéressant pour glisse apprendre à glisser. | un peu moins stable, mais avec une bonne glisse | Largeur faible donc moins stable, peut convenir aux petits gabarits. |
Où le trouver |
3. The Top 4 Racing Paddles
A paddle boardis necessarily long and narrow. The longer and narrower it is, the more efficient it will be, with the trade-off of being less stable. So you have to master the paddle to fully use this type of stand up paddle.
A racing paddle board oscillates between 12’6 and 14 feet. The width will be less than 28′ wide. Again, one of the keys to performance is stiffness, which is why many competitors opt for rigid boards. But more and more competitors, for reasons of simplicity, are using inflatable paddles.
We deliberately didn’t give any scores, because the race race is very difficult to evaluate. There are so many factors that come into play that it’s hard to be objective. 80% of the performance is the competitor and the rower on the board. So cardio, physical strength, explosiveness are such important criteria that they can distort a test.
Quelle marque choisir pour un paddle de qualité? |  |  |  |  |
Notes | - | - | - | - |
Modèle | Alpha 14 x27 | Itiwit | Fun box race | 14' Elite |
Prix pack et/ ou Unité | 625 € | 650 € | 569 € | 1581 € |
Couleur | Bleu et orange | Gris et blanc | Bleu gris, blanc, | Blanc |
Dimensions | 14 x27 x 6 | 14 x27 x 6 | 14 x27 x 6 | 14 x26 x 6 |
Poids | 9,6 | 11 | 9,7 | 9,96 |
Type de matériaux | PVC renforcé (type bateau semi rigide) | PVC | PVC | PVC |
Nombre de couche de PVC pont/carène | 2 dessus / dessous | 1,5 dessus / dessous | 2 dessus / dessous | 2 dessus / dessous |
Nombre de couche de PVC sur les rails | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Epaisseur | 15 cm | 15 cm | 15 cm | 15 cm |
Groupe d'utilisateur | Adultes / débrouillé à confirmé. Expert | Adultes / débrouillé à confirmé. Expert | Adultes / débrouillé à confirmé. Expert | Adultes / confirmé à Expert |
Adapté à | Lac - rivière - mer - course | Lac - rivière - mer - course | Lac - rivière - mer - course | Lac - rivière - mer - course |
Particuliarités | Solide - très rigide avec une excellente glisse | Bonne glisse mais un peu lourd en raison du nez en plastique. | Bonne glisse | Bonne glisse mais un peu encombrant avec la barre en métal. |
Où le trouver | itiwit | redwood paddle | Red paddle |
4. The Top 4 Surf Paddles
To surf on an inflatable paddle, you have to choose your paddle carefully.
The shape is different as well as its thickness:
- The outline of the board should be fairly round, with a narrowing at the front and back of the board to facilitate turns and prevent the nose from planking into the wave.
- A thickness of 5′ or 12 cm is recommended in order to be able to press better on the rails and thus turn the board more easily.
- Similarly, the position and angle of the fins will influence the maneuverability of the paddle.
- Finally, stiffness is a fundamental criterion to hope to make real turns. If the board is made too lightly, it will bounce off the water with a significant loss of energy.
So take the time to compare constructions, it’s fundamental. It’s better to invest in a good paddle board to get into the waves.
At SROKA, we offer two models that could potentially meet the needs of paddle surfing.
- There is the Wave 9’5 which will be mainly oriented towards paddle surfing but you can still walk around with it.
- And the second is the Malibu 10, which will be oriented 70% for walking and 30% for waves.
Our main criteria to evaluate these 4 paddles were: the shape of the board (which determines the maneuverability of the board), the width, thickness, length of the board, as well as the construction of the paddles and the materials used.
Quelle marque choisir pour un paddle de qualité? |  |  |  |  |
Notes | 18,5/20 | 17,5/20 | 15/ 20 | 16/20 |
Modèle | Wave 9'5 | Malibu 10 | Itiwit | Funbox 9'6 Pro Wide |
Prix pack et/ ou Unité | 468 € | 480 € | 450 | 499 € |
Couleur | blanc et bleu | blanc et vert | Bleu, blanc, | Blanc -vert |
Dimensions | 9'5'x31'5x5 | 10x31x5 | 10x31x3 | 9,6x35x5 |
Poids | 8,5 | 8,7 | 9 | 8 |
Type de matériaux | PVC renforcé (type bateau semi rigide) | PVC renforcé (type bateau semi rigide) | PVC | PVC |
Nombre de couche de PVC pont/carène | 2 dessus / dessous | 2 dessus / dessous | 1,5 dessus / dessous | 2 dessus / dessous |
Nombre de couche de PVC sur les rails | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Epaisseur | 12 cm | 12 cm | 10 cm | 12 cm |
Groupe d'utilisateur | Adultes / enfant / débrouillé / confirmé | Adultes / enfant / débrouillé / confirmé | Adultes / enfant / débrouillé | Adultes / enfant / débrouillé |
Adapté à | surf - balade | Balade - surf | Balade - surf | Balade - surf- rivière |
Particuliarités | Solide - très stable - parfait pour surfer. 70% surf et 30 % balade | Ultra stable idéal pour un mixte balade 70% et 30 % surf | stable, intéressant pour apprendre à glisser sur une vague. Manque de rigidité de part l'épaisseur et un peu long pour une planche spéficique | Très stable par la largeur, mais un peu moins manoeuvrant sur les vagues. initation sup surf. |
Où le trouver |
5. The top 5 touring paddle boards
Going on a paddle hike is like going on an adventure with family or friends. Technically, all paddles allow you to do this but:
- If you want to optimize the glide and your hike, we advise you to take boards with pointed noses to glide better.
- If you’re looking for stability, opt for a paddle with a pointed nose and a wide enough back to maximize your stability.
- If you’re looking to maximize glide, opt for a long, thin board with a thin tail. This will allow you to go faster. This type of board will provide excellent glide and allow you to cover more distance with less effort.
Our main criteria were the solidity, the general shape that will determine the glide and stability, the quality and quantity of the materials used, the price.
Quelle marque choisir pour un paddle de qualité? |  |  |  |  |  |
Notes | 19/20 | 17,2/20 | 16/ 20 | 18/20 | 13/20 |
Modèle | Alpha 12'6x31 | Fanatic Ray 12'6 | Red paddle 12'6 MSL | Funbox pro 12'6x 31 | Bluefin cruiser |
Prix pack et/ ou Unité | 485 € | 938 € | 1546 € | 599 € | 693 € |
Couleur | Vert ou bleu | Vert | Bleu, blanc, rouge | bleu et blanc | Vert, Gris, blanc |
Dimensions | 12'6x31x6 | 12'6x32x6 | 12'6x30x6 | 12'6 x 31 x 6 | 12 x 32 x 6 |
Poids | 9 | 9,2 | 9,6 | 9,5 | 10 |
Type de matériaux | PVC renforcé (type bateau semi rigide) | PVC | PVC | PVC | PVC |
Nombre de couche de PVC pont/carène | 2 dessus / dessous | 2 dessus / dessous | 2 dessus / dessous | 2 dessus / dessous | 1 dessus / dessous |
Nombre de couche de PVC sur les rails | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Epaisseur | 15 cm | 15 cm | 15 cm | 15 cm | 15 |
Groupe d'utilisateur | Adultes / adulte+enfant/ sportifs- profesionnelles | Adultes / adulte+enfant/ sportifs- profesionnelles | Adultes / adulte+enfant/ sportifs- profesionnelles | Adultes / adulte+enfant/ sportifs- profesionnelles | Adultes / adulte+enfant/ sportifs- profesionnelles |
Adapté à | Lac - rivière - mer | Lac - rivière - mer | Lac - rivière - mer | Lac - rivière - mer | Lac - rivière - mer |
Particuliarités | Ultra solide - très stable - excellent rapport qualité prix / excellent glisse | Solide / stable, excellente glisse mais cher. | stable, Solide excellente glisse mais trop cher. | bonne glisse, mais moins stable du fait d'un tail plus fin. Bonne glisse | Bonne stablilité mais la largeur pénalise la glisse |
Où le trouver | - |
What is an inflatable paddle board?
Inflatable paddle boarding is a water sport that is practiced in the sea, lake or river. With the help of a paddle, the paddler standing on a board moves with the help of his paddle. Inflatable paddle boarding, stand up paddle boarding or SUP are all the same sport.
Paddle refers to the board accompanied by one or more fins, a pump, a leash and a carrying bag. Sometimes the paddles are sold separately (without paddle or leash) and sometimes it is sold with it. You can still find rigid boards but you can mostly find inflatable boards for reasons of simplicity, ease and solidity.
Who can practice stand up paddleboarding?
The inflatable paddle board is intended for a very wide and general public. From beginner to expert, you will be able to find what you are looking for. There are no age limits. This type of practice is particularly suitable for people who want to relax on the water and get away from the crowds for a bit.
There are different types of inflatable paddle boards. The shape, length, number of different fins to meet different needs. In the same way, construction is very important in the responsiveness, rigidity and stability of your paddle.
So before investing in a paddle board, analyze your desires and needs in order to choose the right model
Depending on your activity, the choice of paddle will be decisive to really adapt to what you want to do on the water. If you want to go hiking, running, paddle surfing or initiation, you will have to choose a different paddle. The paddle to do everything will be only a compromise and will do everything but nothing good. So think about where you are, your level, your desires, your size, the choice of paddle will be different.
We try to show you different products that can meet all your needs. Our main criteria were: the price of the paddle, the construction of the paddle, the width, the shape of the paddle, the accessories if there are any.
If you still have questions about this, or for any other request, please do not hesitate to contact us !
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