The Beauty Of Inflatable Boards
Why Buy An Inflatable
There are some that call themselves 'purists' or like to refer to those of us that prefer an inflatable board to a hardboard as 'kooks' but d'ya know what? We don't care!
Paddle boarding is all about inclusivity an allowing everyone to be able to enjoy time on the water...safely.
There is no question that hardboards like the Bamboo Bullet, the Purewood or Pink Panther level up the performance of your paddle. They sit lower in the water, they have less volume and they look beautiful. However, rivers and lakes where there isn't easy access can mean you can damage your board and no wants that! There's also storage, not to mention cost and lastly, transportation.
All of these things mean that you need a roof rack, you need a good place to store your hardboard and you need have at least double the budget.
In Steps The iSUP (Inflatable Stand Up paddle Board)
The iSUP is truly underrated and is so incredible for many different reasons.
They're easy to store. Easy to transport. Easy to maintain. Great for families. An amazing way to start your paddle boarding journey, forgiving if you take a tumble and the best thing about them - you can take them on holiday with you.
Yes...even abroad!
The humble iSUP can transform your holiday. Instead of sitting on a beach, why not explore it? Find amazing and hidden gems. Have a diving and jumping platform for the kids (and big kids 😉). There are so many ways a board can make your holiday epic and we're not just talking about a UK Staycation - we mean taking them overseas too.
The FatStick iSUPs like the Pure Art boards, The Wooden Menace and the AirSticks will all weigh less than 20kgs (always check the weight before you travel) and this means it can go as hold luggage.
We've used Easyjet, Thompson, TUI, British Airways and Norwegian Air and they all allowed it on as standard hold luggage. We were told that they like to name it as sports equipment as if there's damage, you can claim - if you book it as standard hold luggage, you can't claim in the case of damage.
The best way around this is find a travel insurance that allows you to name the item you want to insure and this way your board is protected against damage when travelling, loss or theft. Once again, always check with the airline.
So there you have it - hardboards are lush - but there's 100% a place for a good quality iSUP.
Just a word of warning - for those of you that bought cheaper boards from Amazon and other similar places - be careful as heat and sun cause some seams to leak, even on good quality boards.
Keep them cool, always take a spare fin and fin bolt and keep them in the shade where possible - if you travel to beaches that have little or no shade, you can always take a FatStick Beach Tent with you. It's the perfect size to protect your board.
