Other boards on the list, like the Bluefin and Aquaplanet, can hold up to 17 PSI whereas the Wave Tourer can only go up to a maximum 12 PSI. Going to a higher pressure normally means more rigidity, stability and performance, so the Wave Tourer does feel a little bit soft on the water. Surfing is booming around the UK. It’s estimated that 300,000 Brits take to the brisk waters of this island each year What’s great about Decathlon is you can guarantee their customer support will help you if something goes wrong with the board, which comes with a 2-year warranty. Construction is a key consideration, but usually an easily resolved one. The days of stand-up paddle boards being mainly solid fibreglass or expanded foam have long gone. If you have a campervan or live next to the water, then a solid construction will make sense, as these are almost indestructible and perform much better in the water. But if that's not the case (which it won't be for most), then you'll want one of the new breeds of inflatable SUPs.

verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ Below you’ll find our list of the top budget paddle boards with their descriptions and unique features. Similar to most boards on this list, the design is well-suited for beginners who just want to have fun on the water. At 32 inches wide it will be stable enough and the 300 litre volume will have enough buoyancy for the bigger adult to float and feel secure. For me, a warranty means the manufacturer has confidence that what they are producing is high quality and will outlast the warranty period. They have confidence in their workmanship and the materials they use. We’re Wave, an independent water sports company born in a city by the beach called Newcastle. We’re proud of where we’re from – an area known for being tough and having a sense of fun and adventure.The North Sea is cold and wild, which makes it the perfect place for testing our products – if they work there, they work anywhere. We are only including well known, reputable brands and most on this list are inflatables, which generally cost less to manufacture, store and sell. They are much more manoeuvrable and generally have less volume allowing the board to be more responsive to foot pressure when turning.

As seen in this list, many of the cheaper paddle boards come with warranties that are equal to or better than more expensive boards. This seriously reduces the risk of buying ‘cheap’, and should give you the confidence you are buying a well made board that will last a good amount of time. The board only has a 1 year warranty, so that gives you an idea of how much confidence Aquaplant has in the board construction. I think it’s worth bearing that in mind when you’re weighing up your options.SL stands for superlight, and coming in at just 8.4 kgs it’s the lightest board on this list and one of the lightest boards around. So if you’re small or struggle to carry your paddleboard to water, then the SL might just be the board for you.

Wider boards are more stable but slower in the water; longer boards are less manoeuvrable but more buoyant. The overall shape ranges from bulbous to slim and shark-like. The slimmer and sharkier the board, the more suitable it is for racing and surf-style activities, but these are fairly advanced operations, so choose based on stability rather than flashiness, to begin with. To start out, you'll be looking for either an all-rounder or a touring-style SUP if you plan to travel longer distances, but either should be relatively stable and tractable to learn the basics on. Another paddle board company born and bred in the UK, Aquaplanet is a well-established, well-known brand. They claim to be the UK’s no.1 top-selling paddleboard, whilst I’m not sure if that claim is true, they are certainly very popular and they could claim to be the most popular budget paddle board brand in the UK. It's stable, beginner-friendly and comes with everything you need to get on the water, and its neat cargo system means that it's easy to take all your stuff with you too. The only real downside (apart from the steep price) is that while it's a delight in the water, it's a lot less fun to manoeuvre on dry land; however, Red has done all it can to make this as painless as possible. If tandem paddling feels like your thing, this is definitely the way to do it.Decathlon Forclaz Trek MT900 10°C Sleeping Bag review: well-designed camping cocoon for summer sleepouts