7 Reasons Why You Need to Ditch Kayak For SUP - Goosehill SUP

Lakes, rivers and other bodies of water are some of the best places to socialize, exercise, and enjoy the bounties of nature. If you’re thinking of breaking into the world of paddling water sports, you’ll quickly be faced with an important decision: making the choice of paddle board vs kayak.

Of course, it’d be nice to have both a kayak and inflatable paddle board. But since most of us have a budget to work with, you might find yourself having to choose between them. 

You’re in the right place! In this article, we’re going to give you a full rundown of all the features to consider when debating a paddle board vs. kayak. Before we get started, let’s clarify what these two hobbies actually are.

Introduction

A Stand up Paddle Board (SUP) involves standing on a board and using a longer, single-bladed paddle to move. SUP is quite a versatile sport, it can be used for performing yoga, racing, fishing, surfing, and many other exciting activities. You can purchase a paddle board according to your preference. 

One of the best things about SUP is that you can participate in this water sport even without tons of training or any fancy gear. All you need are an inflatable paddle board, an sup paddle, and  personal floatation device. Like sup leash or sup life vest.

Kayaking is a more traditional water sport, which involves a small boat and double-sided paddle. Kayakers can be either sit-inside or sit-on-top style and use both arms to paddle. Like paddleboarding, you can use kayaks in a variety of different ways. You can buy boats made for whitewater rapids, fishing, racing, recreational use, and more.

Reasons Why Paddle Board Is Better

Overall Fun Factor

SUP is enjoyable and adaptable for just about anyone. No matter your age, fitness level, or experience, you can hop on a stand up paddle board and have a memorable afternoon. For the majority of people, the SUP experience is far more enjoyable and offers the maximum amount of potential when it comes to fun.

For instance, you can go paddle boarding with your dog, as the SUP board has sufficient space for your pet to move around and enjoy the water. If you’re into fitness or yoga, your paddle board instantly transforms into an exercise platform or yoga mat on the water. I know that kayaking is also fun, but with all of the lugging the kayaks around, getting set up and organized--the fun factor gets watered down. 

Transport and Portability

When it comes to transport and portability, inflatable stand up paddleboards are the more convenient option due to the fact that they are typically lighter and easier to handle.

SUPs have a convenient handle in the middle of the board, which allows you to easily carry them to and from the water. They also can fit into a convenient backpack or carrying bag, which are ideal for those who want to travel to foreign shores, for a fun and relaxing beach holiday. 

Nevertheless, kayaks are much heavier and thicker than paddle boards. Usually, you’ll need a car, truck, or other large vehicle to transport a kayak from one place to another. It can definitely be a two-man job.

Full-Body Workout

Stand Up Paddle board is definitely more of a full body workout over a kayak. If you’ve ever tried it, you know how tough it can be to balance and stay on top of your board while paddling.

Trying to stay on your feet while paddling means your whole body is activated and working hard. Now, we’re not saying that kayaking isn’t a good workout, but it only works your shoulder and arm muscles. While paddle boarding works every single muscle in your body, especially your core.

Another benefit of paddle boarding is that it is a low impact sport, meaning it won’t damage your body. So you will be gaining all the benefits of a cardiovascular workout without having to suffer the negative effects on your joints and ligaments.

Versatility

Paddleboarding has its advantages over kayaking in that you can get involved in a lot of activities using your paddle board that you wouldn't be able to do while kayak paddling.

For example, we love stand up paddling around and if we feel like taking a break it is easy and quite enjoyable to just sit down and relax with our feet dangling in the cool water to refresh, cooling us down especially on a hot summer's day. 

While this nearly impossible in a kayak. Not to mention if you are a fan of yoga or a meditation lover, it's perfect to do these activities on the paddle. On a kayak, most of the time, you’ll be using it to simply go back and forth.

Fitness

If you want to burn some calories and get in shape, while having fun on the water, then SUP might be the best option to help you reach those goals. SUP delivers a low-impact, full body workout that tones the body, strengthens muscles, and burns calories.

It’s a really fun way to get in shape and, in our opinion, it even beats going to the gym any day. As you’re sitting down on the kayak, the strain on your legs and glutes is quite minimal, so you burn fewer calories than paddleboarding. 

In general, depending on your fitness goals, you can choose either SUP or kayaking to burn those calories and get the toned body you’ve always desired. 

Sightseeing

We often neglect the experience of sightseeing before venturing out with paddle board or kayak. In a kayak, you’re seated low and very close to the water which substantially limits your view. 

On a SUP, you’re standing and can therefore see farther and better down into the water much clearly. we can notice a school of large fish swimming alongside of us. Perhaps they thought we were one of them with our very large fin attached to the bottom of our SUP? Who knows.

Accessibility

Finally, how friendly the sport is to beginners. We think the advantage goes to SUP. SUP basics are simple and adaptable, so that just about any interested paddler can pick up the skills quickly, which is probably why the sport has seen such a rise in popularity over the last few years. You only need basic standing and balancing skills to enjoy a day out on your board.

While a kayak still requires a degree of skill to pick up. This is primarily due to the difficulty of getting in and out, especially when it comes to how to react if the kayak flips. Getting back into a kayak, or getting stuck, is a safety issue that beginners need to be aware of.

When it comes to kayaks vs SUPs, there’s just no denying that paddle boarding is better than kayaking in many ways. Ultimately, whether a paddle board or a kayak is right for you will depend on your budget, goals, and preferences.

We are confident you will make the right decision if you take the time to do a little bit of research on the pros and cons of each of them.