Buying Your First Board?

Buying a New or Used Paddleboard: 3 Things to Keep in Mind

WHAT WILL YOU BE USING THE BOARD FOR?

Just like a BMW would not be the best car to take off-roading, a racing paddleboard would not be a good idea to use for SUP Yoga. Ask yourself, where will you be paddling? And what kind of paddling will you be doing- for fun, yoga, travel, for your kids, for the whole family, lake, river or surf? Also, who is this board for? You, your wife, or your kids? And what kind of skill level are you?

Couple great options:

• Travel- one of our top selling models is the new Yolo Board inflatable 12 foot. Looking to travel? Need an easy way to store and transport your board? Our top recommendation if you were to buy only 1 board in your lifetime. Durability + travel + convenience.
• Intermediate paddlers- go with a board like the Eco Trainer if you are 120-185 lbs and go with a board like the Coastal Cruiser if you are 150-230.
• Durability- Need a board that you can take down the river, get beaten up by your kids at home, dragged on the concrete, etc? Inflatables are a great option along with brands like Bounce SUP, made in the U.S.A and Surftech.

The Cost of the Board is Generally Reflective of the Quality

I probably would not buy a board that costs less than $500 new unless it is a softop or a kids model. If you are spending less money then you are going to get a board that lacks quality, durability and time tested research and development.

“This is similar to buying a car that has been re-designed with a new engine. It is safe to say that by year two or three modifications and upgrades will have been made to this new car model based on customer feedback and testing. In other words, don’t buy from a board manufacturer that is new on the scene. At DFW Surf we have experience on the manufacturing side of things because we have been producing paddles since 2010. After years of research and development our paddles are significantly better than the first ones we popped out in 2010.” -Tyler Marshall

Go with a name brand from one of the bigger reputable companies. Brand names like Yolo Board, Surftech, Naish and Riviera will be here for the long run. You might regret buying a cheaper board to save money and can’t get a replacement part or have a hard time selling that board when the company is no longer in business. The standup paddle market has been saturated with hundreds of different board companies; each year new companies appear and each year newer companies go out of business.

Don’t Buy a Board on the Internet

• There is a big risk that the board will arrived damaged. Then you have to hassle with re-wrapping and returning this big piece of equipment. What a headache.
• Try before you buy. Head out to your local DFW Surf lakeside location and demo our boards. If you are still not sure about which board you want, a great option is joining our Surf Club and using your 10% off member discount.

If you give us a call and talk to an expert for half an hour, demo multiple boards you better support your local surf shop and guys like Danny Braught, Justin Hammond and Cody Forgy. -DFW Surf

Wake Surfboards?

A Board that is Your Size

We love wake surfing, but our only complaint is that the market has created very small boards that are great for the intermediate to advanced wake surfers, but what about beginners and surfers that weigh over 200 + lbs?

• Got a new surf boat? Step 1: Book a Lesson on your Boat. This is your best opportunity to learn how to wake surf, to dial your new boat settings in and to demo our huge selection of boards before you decide to make a purchase.
• For the beginners and 200 + we recommend either the Inland Surfer Blue Lake or Red Rocket models.

Try a Hand Shaped Board

There are a couple types of boards and ways that manufacturers make their boards. If you are ready to take your skills to the next level then we recommend a lighter hand shaped board like any of the Doomswell boards or Ashley Kidd pro models. These boards are basically smaller ocean surfboards and the result is a true “surf style” feeling, bigger airs and a burst of speed behind the boat.

Check out our New and Used Boards HERE