Why womens paddle boards do not have to be different than any other paddle board
As you might have already seen I have written a full guide on the Best Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board for this year. But it seems there are quite some requests for a specific guide for a Best Womens Paddle Boards.
First of all I want to say that I don’t find it completely necessary to name specific womens paddle boards. I very much believe in equality and that women can use the boards I listed in my general paddle board guide just as well. I do not believe that special girly boards with pink glitters and unicorns are necessary, do you?
The only thing I could think of is possibly the weight of the board and how it could cause problems for women to carry very heavy boards, even though they are inflatable.
Even I have problems carrying some of the heavier weight boards and it is difficult to take them on your bicycle or to carry them to the beach. An example of this is the Bluefin Carbon Cruise board.
This board is extremely high quality, but so hard to carry that it is not recommended for everyone to take for a trip to the water. (Although a paddle board carrier can help quite a bit here)
Still I would like to give some advice for good inflatable Stand Up Paddle boards that are suited for women.
If you are looking for a very specific purpose like a pure SUP Yoga board I would recommend to read my Best SUP Yoga Boards Guide instead of this guide which will focus on All-Around Paddle Boards that are suited for women.
Top 3 All-Around Womens Paddle Boards
All-Around Womens Paddle Boards include the boards that are suited for multiple purposes, like just relaxing and having fun, but also (smaller) tours, SUP Yoga and sometimes taking a child or pet along on a trip with you.
Bluefin Cruise 10’8″
✓ 24.9 lbs / 11.3 kg
✓ $549 (currently)
✓ 10’8″ x 32.9″ x 6.3″
✓ Max. weight 287 lbs. / 130 kg.
✓ Incl. paddle, leash , pump, kayak seat
Blackfin Model X 10’6″
✓ 25 lbs / 11.3 kg
✓ $899 (currently)
✓ 10’6″ x 35” x 6”
✓ Max. weight 450 lbs. / 204 kg.
✓ Incl. paddle, leash, pump
ROC Paddle Board
✓ 17.5 lbs / 7.9 kg
✓ $600
✓ 10’0 x 32” x 6”
✓ Max. weight 275 lbs. / 125 kg.
✓ Incl. paddle, leash, pump
Bluefin Cruise 10’8″
The Bluefin Cruise is a very high quality inflatable that offers a complete package that is suitable for anyone, no matter the gender. The complete package with the kayak seat and the 2-in-1 fiberglass paddle even offers you the comfort of being to be able to sit down and paddle while still having your back supported.
The size of 10’8″ x 32.9″ x 6.3” and the weight of 24.9 lbs / 11.3 kg make sure that it can be easily carried along in the supplied backpack. The backpack has comfortable padding and the weight is not so heavy that it is hard to carry on your back, especially in comparison to the Bluefin Carbon Cruise version, which weighs over 33 lbs / 15 kg!
The thickness of the board and the extra width make this a very stable board and because of the big croco-diamond deckpad that has a lot of grip it is easy to take a child or pet along. Just make sure to always make them wear a life vest for safety, no matter where you go.
A very high quality lightweight fiberglass paddle is included, which makes it a lot lighter to paddle in comparison to a heavy aluminum paddle. The paddle weighs about 2 pounds (930 grams) so it is easy to use to get through the water without your arms getting tired quickly.
On top of all this Bluefin offers an incredible 5 year warranty on their boards, which shows that they have a lot of faith in the high quality of their products.
The package also includes a high quality double action pump, a coiled leash, a backpack and a repair kit, so you can be sure you have everything you need to go out on the water.
On Amazon this board has very positive reviews and from the names it is clear that it doesn’t matter what gender you are, people generally love this board. Out of all the online reviews 90% of customers that bought this item gave it a 4 or 5 star rating! (Based on 450 ratings as on 4th of May 2020)
Blackfin Model X 10’6″
The Blackfin Model X is a great board as you might have already read in my extended review of this Stand Up Paddle Board.
This board is a bit heavier and quite more expensive than the Bluefin Cruise though, but it offers very high quality accessories and even a carbon paddle. This board is mostly comparable to the previously mentioned Bluefin Cruise Carbon, just a bit lighter than that and without a kayak seat.
The board weighs 25 lbs / 11.3 kg because of the Triple-Layer composite PVC material and the carbon rails that are used. This makes the board very stiff and very stable, so it is surely a great option to go out on the water.
The width of 35″ surely adds to the high stability and the carrying capacity of 450 lbs / 204 kg makes this the best option if you want to go out together with a second person on a paddle board.
The backpack, the amazing pump and the coiled leash complete this great package, which contains everything you need to go out on (unless you want to use your paddle board as a kayak).
When it concerns quality and gear the Blackfin Model X is great, but the price has recently gone up to $899, which makes this a pretty expensive board. The benefits compared to the Bluefin Cruise are surely not worth the additional $300 and the warranty on the Blackfin is two years instead of the five year Bluefin offers, so to me the Bluefin wins it big time.
So if you are looking for a board for two people together, the Blackfin Model X could be the right choice for you. Otherwise I would suggest opting for the (much) cheaper Bluefin Cruise.
If you are looking purely for a budget inflatable womens paddle board read my Best Cheap Paddle Boards for under $350 guide
ROC Paddle Board
When I made the article about the Best Cheap Paddle Boards the ROC Paddle Board costed $300, but currently they have upped it to a price to $600, which is kind of a shame.
The price was the best thing about the board, and upping that by such a large percentage has made it less interesting as you get so much more by buying a Bluefin for only $149 extra that the ROC Paddle Board becomes less interesting as a budget alternative.
The maximum carrying capacity of 275 lbs / 125 kg is about the same as the Bluefin Cruise, but that is pretty much where the comparison ends. The Bluefin Cruise is stronger and stiffer, has more and better items included, is a better and more stable platform and offers a 5 year warranty.
The size of the board is 10’0″ x 32” and it has a weight of only 17.5 lbs / 7.9 kg. So it will be easiest to carry around, but to be fair that is not the only thing you should be looking for in a Stand Up Paddle board.
For a complete package you should spend the extra $149 for the Bluefin Cruise without thinking twice really. Update: By now I have edited my page of Best Cheap Paddle Boards and had to remove the ROC Paddle Board from there as the price got too high.
On Amazon this is one of the most sold paddle boards, but this is mostly based on the older and cheaper price. Out of all the online reviews 94% of customers that bought this item gave it a 4 or 5 star rating! (Based on 1281 ratings as on 4th of May 2020)
Conclusion Best Inflatable Womens Paddle Boards
As you have seen by the exact same top 3 as for the Best Inflatable Paddle Board page, there is no difference between general boards or womens paddle boards. Anyone can paddle board and this does not depend on your gender at all, so no need to distinguish boards by this factor.
You can see that I think the same three boards are very suitable for women too and what the advantages of the different boards are. The price classes of these three boards are very different, so also keep this in mind when picking a board.
As I have probably made clear abundantly in my story above is that the Bluefin Cruise 10’8″ paddle board is not only the Best Womens Paddle Board, but also the Best All-Around Paddle Board overall.
It is important that you get a high quality Stand Up Paddle Board that will not break soon, when this is backed up by a long warranty this is a good sign that the company also has faith in their own product.
Besides the board itself it is also important to look at the accessories that are included and what the quality of these accessories is. The difference between an aluminum and a fiberglass or carbon paddle is huge and is worth the extra investment. This will make paddling a lot lighter and easier, which will not make you tired so quickly.
Of course you will want a good double action high pressure pump and a coiled leash included too, so you can get out on the water quickly and safely. All packages above have these included and are recommended. As an extra I would advise a Restube as an accessory for extra safety.
That the Bluefin Cruise even offers a free kayak seat along with the package is exceptional and makes it the most worthwhile package on the market for the price of only $549.
Check the complete packages and compare it to the purchase price so you can always make the right decision.
Do you agree that a women’s paddle board does not have to be different than any other paddle board of do you think that there should be a special board just for women? If so, what would this board look like and what would you expect of it?
Let me know in the comments below and I will help you find the right Stand Up Paddle Board for you, so you can join me out on the water!
Review written by: Tom
No we don’t need pink with unicorns:-) I think considering there are so many women involved in SUPing, it’s not necessary to have a “women’s section” . More appropriate would be what are the lighter boards perhaps. You mention the kayak seat, which would make things easier too. I’ve been thinking about getting a SUP rather than an iSUP so that it’s ready to go- is it possible to use a kayak seat with a hard SUP?. Only looking to use it in flat water. Thanks!