Inflatable paddle boards?

[AuthorSP]

My wife wants a paddle board for our trips to lakes and is interested in the inflatable ones. I'm skeptical of anything inflatable since sleeping on an air mattress. Has anyone here tried these out? Are they a good alternative to the regular paddle boards?

[Brian B-P]

I know very little about paddleboards, but I'll note that modern inflatable boats (of various types) are a long way from a traditional air mattress. The "dropstitch" construction and sophisticated multilayer materials are not just a rubbery fabric bag.

[Bobbie54]

I have an inflatable one. It's pretty darn solid. Fairly stable,. I have not compared it to hard ones to comment on performance as I haven't quite mastered it!

Mine was from Costco,

[azjack]

I'll ask our daughter, she bought one Sat. and headed for Mexico Sun.
AZjack

[GoCampBC]

We got a Jimmy Styks inflatable paddle board from Costco about 6 years ago. I can tell you that it is extremely durable and still holds its 15psi pressure for week long trips without any decrease. We are also quite ruff with it as we drag it on the beach and even feel comfortable walking on it when its on the beach. While our inflatable chairs need to get replaced at least once a year, I can say it would be difficult to damage the paddle board.

[AuthorSP]

Hi folks, thanks for the good information!

[dosby]

We bought one from Amazon couple of years ago and it has now developed a small 2"D herniation on the top, right on the middle line. I suspect there is some stitching there that got torn apart a bit and a piece of rubber/PVC underneath herniated there.
The board still inflates and floats fine, but I would not give it much longer to live.
Non-inflatables are more expensive and more hassle to haul, although inflation is also a hassle.

[TahoeJoe]

I have one and take it everywhere with me around the country. I'm a surfer too and I can tell you for sure that the inflatables are not as good as the traditionally rigid boards and never will be, it's just plain physics there. But that doesn't mean they aren't still awesome, especially for Rv'ing...the main advantage is the portability and what a huge advantage it is. Mine sits in the bed of my pickup until I need it, and it's in a backpack type bag so I can even hike it in to alpine lakes. As with anything you get what you pay for, and if you're worried about longevity and quality then I'd recommend paying a little extra for a good one that inflates to at least 15 psi and has a good warranty. I can't say enough good stuff about my Sea Eagle board...they have been making inflatables for over 50 years and have a great warranty backing up their products. This is me on it yesterday in Lake Tahoe...

[Effie]

Got this Bic Sports Wing (the one on the left) from REI about a year ago, not a long term review but seems well made and durable. Get a good electric pump, this thing needs a lot of air

[Mike G]

My Vilano Navigator is 2 years old and so far, so good. Plenty stiff at 12 psi (can go up to 15 IIRC). Doesn't take much to inflate or deflate. Feels good on the bare feet, too. I'm sure a hard SUP would outlast it by a large margin, but for transport an iSUP can't be beat.