Inflatable SUP Boards (iSUPs) vs Hard SUP Boards – Which is Best? [Updated 2023]

Inflatable SUP Boards (iSUPs) vs Hard SUP Boards – Which is Best in 2023?

We often get asked which are better – inflatable SUP boards (iSUPs) or hard SUP boards? Here’s our quick answer along with pros and cons of both.

Quick Answer

For all-around leisure paddling, inflatable SUPs are much better overall, due to advantages in durability, storage, weight, versatility and mobility. But if you are buying a board mainly for SUP surfing or racing, certain technical attributes of hardboards make them worthy of consideration.

The Watersports Centre

Pros & Cons

Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Boards, (iSUPs) once considered a novelty among SUP boards, have evolved hugely over the past few years and have become the new normal and the first type of SUP boards to look for when thinking about your first paddle board.

So we have considered the iSUPs Vs Hard Boards long and hard (Yes the pun was intended!) and here are seven comparison points to guide your decision on whether to purchase an inflatable SUP or a hard board.

iSUPs have been proven over time to be more durable than epoxy SUPs. Quality inflatables are made from military grade materials that are not subject to the vulnerabilities of hard boards – dings and holes that require expensive repairs. This is why inflatables far outnumber hard boards and why SUP schools and rental agencies are increasingly opting for inflatable fleets to minimize board damage from careless handling by students and on rentals.

iSUPs have soft deck pads that don’t hurt as much when you fall on them. Falling onto a hard board, even in a wetsuit, can hurt. An inflatable paddle board is much easier on the body of the rider and anybody else the board might come in contact with.

A softer deck reduces fatigue. Standing on an inflatable SUP is similar to standing on one of those expensive rubber mats used in commercial settings to reduce fatigue. Your feet will be more comfortable and relaxed due to the reduced contact pressure, and the benefits travel up your body to your knees, back and neck.

iSUPs are lighter, and a lighter board gets used more. For a given board size, an inflatable will usually weigh less than an equivalently sized hardboard, making it that much less effort to get it to the water.

iSUP boards are compact enough to be checked in on an aeroplane for travel and can be rolled up to fit in its bag that can be put in the boot of a car. Taking your SUP board with you on holiday can save hundreds of £’s in rental costs while giving you the independence to paddle on your own schedule.

Hard boards take up a LOT of storage space and requires a long van or a roof rack to take it anywhere! An inflatable SUP can be stored on a shelf without requiring a high ceiling or taking up an entire wall of storage space. An entire fleet of inflatable SUP boards can be stored in a small space once deflated. 

iSUPs perform better in varied settings. Advances in material technology and design have resulted in iSUP boards that have rigidity rivalling a hardboard while also having distinct performance advantages over fibreglass or epoxy boards. iSUPs can often be paddled anywhere on flat water, in small waves and even be used in white-water depending on the model.

If you compare an inflatable and a hard board with the same footprint, the inflatable can have up to 20% more volume, making it much more stable and supporting more rider and passenger weight. With performance advances, inflatables are increasingly being used in competitions and by casual SUP racers. ‘Hardboard like performance’ is no longer something to aspire to and inflatable SUP’s have distinct advantages that have seen them come into their own.  

Inflatable SUP Boards FAQs

As a specialist inflatable paddle board dealer, here are some of the questions we are most frequently asked regarding inflatable SUP boards:

How Long Do Inflatable Paddle Boards Last?

We could say in answer to this question, anywhere between 3 to 10+ years, but the truth is that the durability of an inflatable SUP will depend on the quality of the board you buy and the type of use it endures plus of course how well you look after it.

In reality, from our direct experience, our sister business Hampshire Kitesurfing & SUP Centre have been using and selling iSUP boards for 10 years now and as far as we know, all of those are still being used.

Can Inflatable Paddle Boards Be Repaired?

Yes, many types of damage to inflatable SUP boards can be repaired, sometimes by the owner, but also by a qualified repair shop.

ALL the inflatable SUP boards we sell include a ‘repair kit’.

But to be fair, needing to use the repair kit is unlikely. The repair kit is a throwback to early single layer inflatable SUP designs where the question was asked, “what happens if it gets a hole in it”? The answer was always, “Use the repair kit”.

These days, the need to patch is rare on iSUPs and any need to make a repair is usually the result of significant impact with a sharp rock or object in the water or careless abuse of the board such as dragging it on a pavement.

What PSI (Pounds Per Square Inch) Should I Inflate My Paddle Board To?

For a high end inflatable SUP board, (all the iSUPs we sell) we recommend inflating to a pressure of 15 PSI. A performance level iSUP will achieve optimal rigidity at this level, and there is no need to go any higher.

Are Inflatable Paddle Boards More Stable?

The stability of an inflatable paddle board depends largely on the thickness of the design. A 5” thick iSUP will generally be more stable than a hard board because of the difference in rail construction as hard boards are thinner at the edges than iSUPs.

A 5 inch thick iSUP board will have a uniformly rounded rail whereas a hard board requires the rail to be tapered at the edges to reduce weight. Increasing the thickness of an inflatable paddle board of the same outline to 6” reduces its stability and is a completely different proposition to a hardboard. Nose and tail shape influence stability also but to a lesser degree. 

Can I Keep My Inflatable SUP Inflated?

There is no need to deflate your iSUP board if you don’t need to make it more compact for storage or transport. There are generally no downsides to keeping a SUP board inflated, as long as you don’t keep it in direct sunlight or in a hot vehicle or hot storage space. Many of the SUP schools that we supply routinely keep their boards inflated all summer with no adverse effect. BUT they are advised, and therefore do, let a little air out of them IF they are going to store them inflated just to cope with changes in air temperature.  If an iSUP is inflated to 15 psi at 20 degree air temperatures and the area in which it is stored rises to 30 degrees, then the inside air pressure will rise to up to 18 psi (by 20% in a 10 degree change in temperature) so by letting some air out that would then stop the pressure inside being too high. Of course this then requires a little “top up” of air pressure before it is next used to get it to the optimum 15 psi.

Can You Surf on an Inflatable SUP?

iSUP boards can be great for surfing. You can surf almost any iSUP, but how well it will perform in the waves will depend on board design, shape and rigidity.

The best inflatable SUPs for surfing will also be highly dependent on the height and quality of the waves you want to ride. For reference, you could surf a wooden door with fins glued on, but how well you will get on depends on if you are a Kelly Slater level surfer or not!

The sea provides varied opportunities for stand up paddling and surfing means different things to different people. By way of example, for shoulder high or big wave surfing a surf-specific hard board design has significant performance advantages but for everything below that a performance inflatable offers great opportunity to have fun in the surf. 

Can you Race on an Inflatable SUP?

Many racers compete on iSUPs. There are undeniable technical advantages to a hard board when it comes to SUP racing but the gap has closed in recent years and the ability to check in an inflatable SUP for air travel is a serious advantage for anyone having to travel to take part in any SUP race event.

Are Inflatable Paddle Boards Better?

Well we have to conclude that the answer is an indefatigable “Yes”. 

For all-around sea, lake and river specific uses, iSUPs have significant performance advantages over hard boards that benefit most SUP paddlers. We temper that comment by saying that for big wave surfing and competition class SUP racing, hard stand up paddle boards “may” have an edge in performance.