Touring paddle boards, or SUP Touring, is a growing discipline within the broader range of all SUP boards and activities. A Touring Paddle Board is designed for the SUP enthusiasts who want the ability to travel longer and further on more of an expedition-style paddle. Whether your route takes you near or far, you'll be confident in a Touring Board's storage capacity, stability, and tracking.With the right gear, proper training and safety equipment you can paddle a long distance on a lake, river or the ocean.
Factors to Consider When Buying a Touring Paddle Board
1. What types of water do you plan to use on your SUP tour?
Different water types present different challenges, so you may need different hull types, lengths, and even SUP materials. A wider tail or wider will be more stable, but a narrower will be faster and have a straighter track, so it depends on your performance style. Hull shapes make a big difference in tracking, speed, and how the board responds to waves.
2. Are you planning to travel overnight?
If so, be sure to check the storage capacity on the SUP. Find a sufficient number of D-rings, tie-downs or bungee systems to securely hold your gear
3. How far will you ship the SUP?
If you are within driving distance, you can take anything. But if you're hopping on a plane or train, you might want to opt for an inflatable travel board.
4.Try before you buy.
Research is key, but nothing beats surfing on the water. Talk to a friend, borrow a circuit board, and contact your local retailer for a demo.
Typical Characteristics of a Touring Paddle Board
>>Longer length board - Touring boards typically are 11' and longer
>>Narrower width - designed to improve the speed and efficiency of the board
>>Hull shape - In general, touring boards will have a displacement hull that allows the board to cut through the water with its pointed nose. This is in contract to a planing hull, which is wider and more arched, is designed to ride and float the waves.
>>Gear storage, tie downs
How much should you expect to pay for a Touring Paddle Board?
This year, you can generally expect to pay anywhere from $820 to $1999 for a touring paddle board with your most common price points being around $1275. You can absolutely find them for more or less, but that gives you a pretty good baseline as you shop. The graph below shows the percentage of Touring SUPs that fall into each price range:
What is a good length for a Touring Paddle Board?
You'll find the length of touring paddle boards generally ranging from 10'4" to 14'0"with an average length of 12'0". Each length offers different trade offs and benefits, so the right length varies between stand up paddlers and your experience level, performance needs, and types of water you paddle. The graph below shows the percentage of Touring SUPs that fall into each length range:
How much does a Touring Paddle Board typically weigh?
Generally speaking, most touring paddle boards weigh between 22-34 pounds with an average weight around 27 pounds . Weight will be determined largely by material, size, and features. The graph below shows the percentage of Touring SUPs that fall into each weight range: