General Advice:

If you plan on using your SUP board primarily or exclusively on flat water, get a race/displacement board--but only after you have had some experience on a surf SUP board. We recommend that you learn on surfboard SUP because you will learn how to balance better. Planing or surf SUP boards have greater stability than displacement race boards. We recommend a board that is at least 30" in width if you are a beginner, and the board should not be shorter than 10'6". If you are planning on entering your first race, you can enter in the SURF division, so you can still compete in a recreational race. The surfboard will also give you the ability to ride in waves.

If at a later point, you want a touring board with speed, get the Weekend Warrior by Southern Sun Surf Company. It is a great board with stability and speed for the surf and flat water. Cabrinha also makes great touring boards.  If you are into surfing exclusively, get one of the Cabrinha or Southern Sun Surf SUP boards. If you would like a more intermediate/advanced board for racing, get the Slice. Most races now have hybrid races where a section of the race takes place on the surf. You'll need this type of board to win as you can't just win with sheer physical force and technique. I say this even though I was able to beat many individuals who were on race boards in the recreational race--even though it was my first race. The board is not everything--technique also plays an important role. One of the disadvantages of the race boards is that they are not designed for surfing waves. The Slice can work with waves as well, which is one of the advantages of this race/displacement board. However, only traditional planing boards give you that distinct surfboard feel.

The sport of SUP riding is growing exponentially. We recommend that you get a carbon fiber paddle (we sell some by NSI) if you are interested in racing.

Your paddle should be roughly 12" taller than you. Make sure that you calculate the added height of the handle when you cut your paddle to size. For the surf, you can have a shorter paddle if you like as this will make it easier for you to maneuver.

Race Tips:

 The advice we are giving is based on planing SUP boards designed for racing (slightly less width than beginner SUP boards). It is based on my experience preparing for the Carolina Cup in Wrightsville Beach (I received 2nd place in the Recreational Race Surf category, but failed to get my entry listed under SURF SUP, so I didn't get an award!).

* Planing boards are designed like surfboards and function best in chop and light waves. If you are racing in a contest with waves and flat water, the planing board will give you an advantage in the waves portion of the race, but in the flatwater arena, displacement boards (boards with a tip shaped like a kayak, canoe, or boat designed for flatwater) will have an advantage. Displacement boards have less stability from side to side, so they are not as good in waves or chop, but they displace the water, whereas a planing board is designed to lift up on the water, reducing drag (which works best in waves as our arms cannot give planing boards enough speed to plane).

* The goal of optimizing your ride with a planing board is to utilize the chop and waves to your advantage. This is best done when you can ride downwind. The planing board will have an advantage in this arena over the displacement board.

* Shorter, wider boards are better in choppier waves, but they are slower than longer, more narrow boards

* Longer boards are faster, but if it is unstable and narrow, this could cause you to lose time

* Avoid using your shoulders or leaning over the board to increase speed. This is a bad habit for a planing board because you will create more resistance and prevent the board from planing, or lifiting up from the surface of the wave or chop

* Minimize the amount of resistance the board has

* It's counterintuitive, but more paddling means more resistance when there is chop--paddle more only when you get to flatter water

* when you take your paddle out of the water, you need to turn the paddle to the side so it carves through the wind

* try to paddle creating the least amount of noise and the least amount of effort--this is the effortless speed concept

* try to use your core muscles, do not hunch over

* insert your paddle completely into the water, and then pull with your bottom arm (do not bend your bottom arm), push down with your top arm

* the more time the paddle stays out of the water, the more speed is lost unless you have caught some chop/wave

* when paddling upwind, avoid paddling directly upwind if the wind is extremely storng

* use your whole body, plus your abdominal muscles, but do not disrupt your balance: the more your board goes in a straight line, the faster your board moves

* do not pull the paddle towards you until you have fully placed the blade into the water--otherwise, you will not displace as much water

* faster, shorter strokes are better than longer strokes for a sprint (Tahitian paddle technique); longer strokes when you are tired or need consistency

* get a head start at the beginning

* Put your paddle into the water as straight as possible (requires some leaning forward in some occasions)

* If you are interested in a race board that can be used in the surf, get the Jimmy Lewis Slice