Buying the right paddleboard can be a minefield for anyone who has not had the chance to try different boards in different conditions.

We’re going to walk you through some of the board types and their uses to try and help you get a better understanding of Standup Paddleboarding.

Let’s start by learning some of the jargon used to describe different types of board:

Recreational flat-water or all rounder paddle board
Paddle surfing
Flat water racing
Downwind paddling
Touring or distance paddle boards
River/rapid paddling
Inflatable boards

Each type of board has different design characteristics such as length, rocker line, tail width, volume and ultimately the ability required to ride it.

Don’t get too hung up on width as you learn to balance, but do consider what you aim to do with the board.  If you chose a wave board because it looked good you would be sorely disappointed when you went for a long paddle and found it slower than everyone else.