How to choose your SUP YOGA board

Recommendations to buy your SUP Yoga board: 

• Inflatable Paddle Board Vs Hard Board for SUP Yoga:

It’s the first thing you have to decide. Is it better to purchase an inflatable paddle board or a hard board? Several factors make inflatable yoga paddle boards the best choice. The surface of the blow-up boards is soft and smooth. 

The deck pad of any yoga board, whether it be hard or inflatable, will be soft, which is a great addition. Nevertheless, it does not cover the entire surface of the paddle board.  As you might expect, beginners are likely to fall during SUP yoga sessions. 

But thanks to the soft inflatable surface, you are less likely to get injured if you fall and strike the board since the board has a soft surface. The fact that inflatables are generally thicker is another reason why we believe they are better. 

As a general rule, they are about five to six inches thick and ride above the surface of the water. This will assist in keeping the boards dry. Inflatable boards also tend to have a uniform thickness as opposed to solid boards, which tend to be taper shaped. 

It is this uniform thickness that helps keep the structure stable. Lastly, since inflatable SUP boards are easier to store and transport, they are more convenient to use. 

Compared to soft paddle boards, however, hard paddle boards are a far superior choice when it comes to speed and overall performance.  

• The shape of the nose for SUP Yoga board

Ideally, the shape should be round to guarantee more stability. Boards designed for yoga often have rounded noses known as planing hulls, making them more stable. They’re unlike a touring board with a pointed nose, called a displacement hull. 

It’s designed to float on top of the water and be easily maneuvered. Planing hull boards are ideal for leisure paddling, surfing, SUP yoga, and whitewater paddling. 

• The shape of the tail for SUP Yoga board

The ideal is that the tail is wide and not narrow.  

• The fins for SUP Yoga board

Generally speaking, the fin configuration does not affect your yoga practice on a SUP. However, there are a few things you need to keep in mind before you get started. Most paddle boards are either designed with a single fin or with a three-fin setup. 

A single-fin setup consists of a large center fin, whereas a three-fin setup consists of one large center fin, as well as two side fins on either side. A three-fin system can help to increase the stability of the boat.  We will preferably look for boards with a 3 fins setup. 

This type of setup, commonly called a thruster, promotes straight tracking on flatwater and provides good control when surfing. Generally, the size of all three of the fins is about the same.

In activities such as surfing, cruising, touring, etc., which require a high degree of paddling, fins play an important role.  

The fins ensure that your SUP moves through the water smoothly and in the direction that you intend. This allows the board to be more stable and maneuverable as it moves through the water.  

• The handle for SUP Yoga board

We want the handle not to get in the way during the practice of SUP Yoga, therefore we want it to be on the side or below the deck. If the handles are in your way, your board will be less functional. 

Make sure the paddleboard has flat handles for easy transport, but make sure that your feet do not fall off the board while you are using it. 

Additionally, you should be able to stow the mounts and bungee system easily while performing downward dogs using the board.  

• The pad or grip for SUP Yoga board

We want the material to be as anti-slip as possible and to dry quickly so that the board is not always wet during practice. Most people do not consider the deck pad when purchasing a stand-up paddle board. 

SUP Yoga boards typically have a deck pad that runs the entire length of the board as it is designed for SUP yoga classes. There is something very appealing about this design since it fits preconceived notions of what a sup yoga board should look like. 

However, you also have to keep in mind that if you do yoga on a board, you will never get anywhere near the extreme reaches. It would be impossible for you to get that close to either end of the board before you would tip over! 

A deck pad that extends up to a half inch to three-quarters of the surface of the board will suffice for this purpose. 

Besides the deck pad, the extra space is intended to accommodate your water bottle, dry bag, and other belongings by placing the bungee system there. Deck pads should have a flat texture similar to your mat so that they do not leave marks on your skin. 

You can use a towel if you like and depending on how intense your session is and the weather. However, if you get a deck pad that grips well, you won’t need one.  

• The material for SUP Yoga board

We will always look for inflatable boards, for our safety. The yoga SUP board you choose should be long-lasting. It is therefore very important to pay attention to the quality of the construction. 

PVC is one of the most common materials used to make inflatable paddleboards. However, they don’t all work in the same way. Choose a paddleboard that is made from a multitude of layers of military-grade PVC. 

You can expect it to last longer and be more rigid.  Make sure that you buy from a manufacturer that you can trust. There should also be a warranty attached to the inflatable paddle board.

• Measures for SUP Yoga board

The ideal measurements would be 10’8 long, 29′ wide, and the thickness from 5′. SUP Yoga can indeed be performed on virtually any board, but beginners will want to begin on a board that is as stable as possible. 

By progressing in this way, you will be able to add more challenging poses to your flow sequences and develop a sense of comfort with your equipment as you progress.  Almost everyone is aware that the stability of a SUP board depends largely on how wide it is. 

However, there is little known about how the thickness of the board affects its stability of the board.  In terms of stability, it would seem obvious to use a board that measures 36 inches wide. 

Nevertheless, if the board you are using is 6 inches thick, then all bets are off and you are wasting your time. A 35-inch wide and 5-inch thick board will be more stable since it will ride lower on the water than a 6-inch thick board. 

If you perform yoga on a 6-inch board and then try the same exercises on a 5-inch board, you will be able to perceive a significant difference. If you do end up in the water, it will be a lot easier to climb back onto a 5-inch board than a 6-inch board. 

Plus, it will be a lot more enjoyable to paddle when you are not doing yoga.  In general, any type of paddle surf board can be used, taking into consideration that these parameters will have an impact on our level of stability as we practice in the water.

What board do you use for your SUP Yoga practice?

You can visit our page: Brands for a more info about Paddle Surf boards