Paddle Board vs Kayak

Paddle Board vs Kayak – which one’s right for you?

Getting into paddling water sports calls for you to decide between a paddle board vs kayak. More and more people are picking up interest in water sports, but the big question remains, which is the better choice for you?

Some things they have in common – both involve paddling – but they also differ in some ways. For instance, you stand on a paddle board, and sit in a kayak. 

It is these differences that this article would be pointing out and in the end, you shouldn’t have a problem choosing one or the other.

So what are the pros and cons of a paddle board vs kayak?

Stability

This is an essential factor particularly for newbies to water sports. Both inflatable paddle boards and kayaks are pretty stable.

However, in general terms, despite an SUP’s significant width, kayaks win when it comes to stability. This is because they are designed to have a significantly lower centre of gravity, hence, they balance better. It’s fairly easy to fall off a paddle board if you lose your balance.

So when it come to stability in the paddle board vs kayak choice, the kayak wins out.

Physical Fitness

Of course, sports offer physical health benefits, and water sports are no different.

If you’re factoring in some physical exercise, then a SUP is your best bet. Paddling a SUP requires you to use just about every part of your body. You’re also standing, so those leg muscles might be working a bit overtime. 

Kayaking on the other hand mainly targets your back, chest, arms, shoulders, and abdominals. Several body parts are being brought into the mix too, but for an overall body workout, a paddleboard works better. 

Paddling Long Distances

Probably for this you’ll want a kayak. It can be quite difficult standing for very long periods of time on a paddle board so you’ll have more comfort sitting in a kayak. It can also be more tiring on the paddle board as you are using much more of your body.

However, if you want to tough physical exercise of your whole body then you might want to use a paddle board for this.

Durability and Damage

What about durability and damage of your equipment in relation to paddle boards vs kayaks?

Kayaks were specifically designed with the likelihood of taking a beating in mind. Whitewater and Touring kayaks especially boast a significant amount of strength. The top-notch composite materials that they are made out of keeps them intact even after collision with rocks or other objects that can cause damage. 

On the flip side, paddleboards may easily get damaged in shallow water particularly since they have their fins on their underside. Furthermore, they are made out of a less durable material relative to kayaks. Therefore, coming in contact with branches or rocks underwater can cause significant damage.

On board Storage `Space

Out on the water on a paddle board, you can be pretty certain that your gear would get wet. Paddle boards offer little to nothing in the way of storage space. What you need to do is buy a dry bag and then this can be attached to your board.

Most kayaks come with waterproof gear storage space. They appear in the form of holes drilled into the boat’s hull with a watertight lid that keeps the water out. They typically come with webbing of some nature for cockpit storage. 

Windy Conditions

If it’s windy, paddling against it on a paddle board can be very tough as your body catches the wind from being in an upright exposed position.

You can make it easier when this happened by kneeling but if you think you are going to regularly be doing trip where there is a lot of wind and choppy waves perhaps as well, then the better option would be the kayak.

Costs

When it comes to pricing, there’s really not a lot of difference between the purchase price of paddle boards vs kayaks. They both come in a range of prices depending on features and brand. 

However, the costs start to veer off in different directions in the long run. Kayaks have a high maintenance cost, so, buying a SUP would help you save money. There’s paying for storage (probably) and maybe having to pay for transportation too. 

You can learn more here about kayak maintenance.

But if you’re using an inflatable SUP, you wouldn’t have to worry about any of that as it’s easy to store once deflated and doesn’t need a lot of maintenance apart from a clean down after each paddle. A hardboard doesn’t require a lot of spending compared to kayak maintenance costs either. 

Bottom Line of the Paddle Board vs Kayak

At the end of the day, in choosing a paddle board vs kayak, it would boil down to your preference and even more importantly, the precise activities you intend to do on the water. By now, making a choice shouldn’t be any difficult.