How To Get Back On Your SUP Inflatable Board

Getting back on your paddle board from the water can be challenging, so here are a couple of easy tips on how to get back on your SUP inflatable board.

Firstly, approach your board from the side and use the carry handle or strap to pull your upper body onto the board. Once your upper body is completely on the deck of the board, kick your feet and rotate the rest of your body up and onto the board. Now you can resume paddling from the kneeling position. If you’ve dropped your paddle, you can simply lay down and prone paddle with your arms to retrieve your paddle back.

Another method for getting onto your paddle board is from the tail. For this method you’re going to swim to the tail of the board, place both hands onto the tail or the kick pad, and push down whilst pulling your upper body onto the board. To pull yourself up the board, grab the rails and pull yourself whilst kicking your feet. Once you have your whole body on the board, you can work your way forward to the middle position, grab your paddle and resume paddling.

Thick drop stitch inflatable paddles boards, often seen in cheaper models as a way to maintain stiffness, make it harder to get back on a board. (They also feel weird to paddle.) Step in Red Paddle Co’s design philosophy. Red Paddle Co design a board with thickness for purpose in mind. That means they consider all of the board’s specifications, including thickness, when designing a board. Who will use it, how will they use it, where will they use it etc… Smaller paddlers or all round boards can be made with thinner drop stitch and are therefore easier to use. What about stiffness I hear you ask? Well, Red Paddle Co’s exclusive use of MSL Fusion technology means they can run higher pressure, resulting in a better performing board and more authentic paddling experience.

Other brands like Starboard and Fanatic also have varying drop stitch thickness models, but their variations aren’t as extensive and usually err on the side of thicker to maintain performance.