Keep Moving With The Best Paddleboard Paddles
If you are looking to buy a paddleboard paddle, then look no further. We have done the hard work for you and compiled a list of the very paddleboard paddles in 2024 that are tailored to meet different stand-up paddleboarding needs.
Stand-up paddleboarding often shortened as SUP is a variation of old-school paddleboarding that’s becoming more and more popular as a water sport. But unlike traditional paddleboarding where participants use their arms in a swimming motion to move, for stand-up paddleboarding, you use a paddle to propel and maneuver your board through the water.
Getting the right SUP paddle is as important as getting the right paddleboard. The ideal paddle for paddleboarding paddle should be lightweight, efficient, suited to your body and paddling style, and should be built to last. All the paddleboard paddles we reviewed below check all these boxes and more.
Our Top Picks
Best Paddleboard Paddle
Most Versatile
This SUP paddleboard paddle is designed to accommodate users of different heights or who alternate between sitting and standing often. It comes in a sleek low-profile design, is very efficient, and is excellently versatile.
Pros
- Its length can be adjusted
- It is very lightweight
- It is durable and versatile
Cons
- Its clamp needs to handled gently to prevent failure
Key Features
The BPS SUP paddleboard paddle comes with a coated aluminum shaft, a high-grade dihedral nylon blade, and an ergonomic T-shaped handle for comfort. It features a quick-adjustment clamp that yields 70.86-83.85’’ length adjustability, comes in five colors, and is lightweight at 2.1 lbs. It comes in an overall black finish and is designed to float if dropped.
Best Budget
This paddleboard paddle is especially great for beginner paddleboarders and is the ideal budget option. It checks the boxes of lightweight, highly adjustable, and convenient to use.
Pros
- It is very adjustable
- It is exceptionally lightweight
- It is durable
Cons
- The sliding tubes may wear out in time
Key Features
The SUP Supply paddleboard paddle comes with an aircraft-grade aluminum shaft construction, a three-piece telescopic design that grants 67-85’’ length adjustability, and is very lightweight at 2 lbs. It floats on water, breaks down easily for storage and transit, and also comes with an angled nylon blade for efficient strokes.
Best Multipurpose
This SUP paddleboard paddle can be used either as a paddleboard paddle or a kayak paddle. A stylish design, excellent compatibility, and lightweight construction make it ideal for the traveler or explorer.
Pros
- It is very versatile
- It is lightweight
- It comes with a stylish design
Cons
- It is a little pricey
Key Features
This paddleboard paddle features a 4-piece telescopic aluminum shaft that is 68-85’’ adjustable, two PP fiberglass blades, and dual U-groove locks to hold the pieces in place. It comes in six color options, includes a carrying pouch, and is only 2 lbs. Its included T-handle is very ergonomic and can be replaced easily with the other blade tube to convert it into a kayak paddle.
Best Paddleboard Paddles Buying Guide
Paddleboard paddles allow paddleboarding participants to steer their boards in a comfortable standing or sitting position without having to lie down. And with their much wider surface areas, they generate more propulsion than the hands do, and consequently more speed and maneuverability.
But paddleboard paddles like any piece of equipment, are not all made equal. Some paddle better than others. It was with this in mind, that we provided you with a list of the very best paddleboard paddles above.
However, even with those, you may unsure of which particular one to go for. Still stick with us. In the rest of this buying guide, we take a look at some important factors that we considered and you should too, that helped us streamlined our options and will help you make an informed choice on the paddleboard paddle(s) you should go for.
What Should I Consider Before Buying a Paddle Board Paddle?
Adjustability
The best paddleboard paddles are adjustable in length. This becomes very important for the reason that different people have different heights. For other vessels like kayaks, for example, the occupant is sitting in the vessel and the height of a person from under the waist to the top of the head doesn’t vary too much from one individual to another. However, for stand-up paddleboarding, the full effect of one’s height comes into play.
It is recommended that the appropriate length of a paddleboard paddle should be between 8-12’’ longer than your height. A paddleboard paddle that is too short will make you bend into awkward positions to steer the board. And one that is too long will be too heavy and too hard to paddle.
An adjustable paddleboard paddle will allow you quickly adjust the length of the paddleboard paddle to suit your height. A great adjustability range for a paddleboard paddle is between 67-85’’ long.
Based on adjustability paddleboard paddles will be classified as:
Fixed Paddle Board Paddles
Fixed paddleboard paddles are fixed in length and are not recommended.
Telescopic Paddle Board Paddles
Telescopic paddle boards are the best choice and include all the paddleboard paddles reviewed in this piece. They generally come with shafts broken into multiple overlapping tubes that slide one in another and can be locked in place.
Portability
As an extension of adjustability, any paddleboard paddle you are going for should be very portable. Adjustable paddleboard paddles are always portable. Adjustability means compactness, meaning they can be compressed and carried around conveniently. Some paddleboard paddles even come with carrying pouches and bags for extra carrying convenience and storage.
Construction
Any paddleboard paddle you are going for must be built to last and withstand the paddling strain. The shafts on most paddleboard paddles will come with stiff metal constructions while the blades, usually with a lightweight slightly flexible polymer like nylon. Metal parts should also ideally be coated to prevent rust and improve durability.
Fiberglass and carbon fiber are quickly replacing aluminum in shaft constructions as they are lighter and very resistant to corrosion. They are, however, more expensive than aluminum paddle board paddles.
Some paddleboard paddles are also made of wood and are valued for their aesthetics. They are, however, prone to chipping and may degrade quickly with time.
Blade Profile
Most paddle board paddles will come with asymmetrical blades. Another factor to consider is the size of the paddle blade. Paddles for paddleboarding should feature blades that are large enough to generate good propulsion but not too large that they are too difficult to use.
The offset angle on a paddleboard paddle blade is the angle the length of the blade makes with the line along the shaft. Depending on the purpose you want to use the paddleboard for, the blade offset angle will vary between 7-12°. A 10° offset is the most versatile for all-purpose paddleboarding.
Price
Price tags for a paddleboard paddle will depend mainly on its design, intended purpose, and manufacturer. But in general, you should expect to spend between $30-50 for a paddleboard paddle.
People Also Asked
Can I use a paddle board paddle for a kayak?
Most dedicated paddleboard paddles come with one blade and may not be the best choice for kayaking. It is better to get dedicated kayak paddles with two blades. However, some modern paddleboard paddles like the YVLEEN SUP paddle can be alternated between paddleboarding and kayaking.
What is the right paddle board height?
Most manufacturers recommended that the appropriate height or length of a paddleboard paddle should be around 8-12’’ longer than your standing height. So before you buy a paddleboard paddle, measure your height and add this range so that you can choose the right length.
Is paddle boarding written as one or two words?
Paddle boarding used to be written as paddle boarding but many people write it as paddleboarding today, the same with other variations like paddleboard.