Best All Around Stand Up Paddle Boards 2017

After personally paddling, weighing, and thoroughly testing 70+ boards, our expert staff has selected the best all around stand up paddle board 2017 models. These are designated by the "A" grade and organized by categories (inflatable, all-around, touring, etc). The Supconnect team traveled across 3 states and spent 8 months individually assessing each one of the inflatable SUP boards below, counting a total of 23 metrics per board and consistently applying them across all products. The end result: simply the most comprehensive, consumer-friendly, value-added review platform in the standup paddle world. Click through each one of the reviews and find a consistent, in-depth assessment of each product listed.

Quick Answer:

The Best All Around SUP Boards 2017

• Surftech Generator
• Boardworks Muse
• Pelican Moorea
• Boardworks Joyride Flow
• Pelican Antigua
• SIC Maui Air Glide Flow
• Boardworks Shubu
• Starboard Freeride

 A Comparison

The Best All Around Paddle Boards 2017

Picture	Board	Weight	Price	Use	Skill	Build	Width
	Surftech Generator	23.08 lbs	$1,399	All Around	Beginner	Non-Inflatable	32.5 inches
	Boardworks Muse	27.3 lbs	$1,149	All Around	Beginner	Non-Inflatable	32 inches
	Pelican Moorea	29.4 lbs	$849	All Around	Beginner	Non-Inflatable	32 inches
	Boardoworks Joyride Flow	28.01 lbs	$1,099	Yoga	Beginner	Non-Inflatable	33 inches
	Pelican Antigua	23.4 lbs	$649.99	All Around	Beginner	Inflatable	32 inches
	SIC Maui Air Glide Flow	21.8 lbs	$999	All Around	Beginner	Inflatable	34 inches
	Boardworks Shubu	26.7 lbs	$1,099	All Around	Beginner	Inflatable	34 inches
	Starboard Freeride	26.4 lbs	$1,999	All Around/Touring	Intermediate	Non-Inflatable	29 inches

All Around Paddle Boards 101

3 Things to Consider to Find the Best All Around SUP

1. USE

An all around SUP is meant to be used and should perform well in a variety of conditions, thus its category name. All around boards can be used for multiple purposes but are primarily intended for recreation. Whether it be paddling close to shore or around the dock all around boards are best for short-distance paddling and are ideal for families and beginner paddlers.

2. SHAPE

All around SUPs are primarily shaped with a round nose and tail and are near 30 inches in width at its center point. However, there are all around paddle boards that cross over into the other disciplines of stand up paddling so it’s important to determine your primary and secondary use for the board. If you want to use your paddle board around the beach and dock for some casual cruising but might want to add in some SUP yoga, you’re going to want to find a board that has a shape that caters well to both, which in this case would be a board with a generous width (32+ inches) in the center of the board and also a wider nose and tail. Or, if you want your board to be able to catch a few waves in addition to cruising around you might want to get a narrower board (less than 30 inches at the board's mid-point) with more pulled in nose and tail for better maneuvering. Whatever your primary and secondary use for your all-around board may be, make sure you choose one that caters to both if not more uses.

3. BUILD

All around sup boards come in various constructions. First, decide whether you should have an inflatable or non-inflatable board. Inflatable boards are easy to store and very lightweight, making them perfect if you don’t want the board to take too much space. Most inflatables come with a backpack to hold them and can be thrown in car trunks and checked in at airports without any oversize fee. Inflatables, though, normally have less glide and less overall performance when compared to non-inflatable boards. Moreover, non-inflatables often times score higher on durability. Non-inflatable boards with carbon or bamboo tend to be lightweight and durable while plastic constructions tend to be durable but incredibly heavy. Fiberglass/epoxy builds fall in between these two and are the most common non-inflatable constructions.

Best All Around Paddle Board Reviews

SURFTECH GENERATOR 

The Generator is a beginner, non-inflatable SUP, offered at an affordable price but has a premium look. The board is very stable, lightweight and has some gorgeous looks, coming with an exceptionally beautiful play on color and graphics. The bamboo construction combined with either green or blue accent colors make the board really stand out. The board is best suited for short-range paddling around the beach and dock and is a great board that the entire family can enjoy. Its premium look and lightweight feel alone warrant Supconnect’s “A” grade.

See our full review HERE.

BOARDWORKS MUSE 

The Muse is a very stable, non-inflatable beginner board designed for all-around paddling. The Muse is an award-winning board and has gorgeous graphics geared in particular towards the female paddler coming with an exceptional mix of bright colors and artwork that are eye-catching and nice to look at. The board misses a few points like lightweight construction and speed-centric design that many intermediate and advanced paddle boards encompass but for the affordable price the Muse is a stunning all-around board that is great for recreational paddling, well-deserving of Supconnect’s “A” grade.

See our full review HERE.

PELICAN MOOREA 

The Moorea from Pelican is a non-inflatable, beginner SUP that is available at some of the lowest price-points in the market, but packs tremendous value with beautiful graphics and an all-around great package. It naturally misses some of the features of intermediate, advanced boards, such as faster glide and lightweight construction, however, at its very affordable price point this board offers great value and is one of the best that you can get, meriting it Supconnect’s “A” grade.

See our full review HERE.

BOARDWORKS JOYRIDE FLOW

The Joyride Flow is a great non-inflatable all-around / yoga hybrid board suitable for paddlers with any skillset. The board is very stable due to its width of 33 inches and the graphics are gorgeous, featuring a wood deck and awesome artwork on the deckpad. The deck pad conveniently doubles as a yoga mat for times when you want to practice your yoga on the water and has bungee tie downs that are perfect for holding gear while you’re on the move. This paddle board is easy to carry due in part to the LiftSUP handle as the main holding point in the board. Because of the multi-purpose aspects of the board in part with premium features like the LiftSUP handle the Joyride Flow is awarded Supconnect’s “A” grade.

See our full review HERE.

PELICAN ANTIGUA 

The Antigua is a beginner, inflatable SUP, offered at some of the lowest price-points in the market, but packing lots of value with beautiful graphics, a nice pump, and an all-around great package. It naturally misses some of the features of intermediate, advanced boards, such as faster glide, reinforced rails, and a more premium bag. But it is an excellent value for that beginner, price-point inflatable board, well deserving of Supconnect’s “A” grade.

See our full review HERE.

SIC MAUI AIR GLIDE FLOW

The Air Glide Flow from SIC Maui is an inflatable, all-around board, perfect for beginner paddlers and is at an affordable price point under $1,000. The board has a very clean look and takes a simplistic approach with graphics and colors. The packaging that the board comes in is stunning and has a very high-quality, premium feel to it. The board is lightweight thus making it easy to carry and has FCS II tool-less fin compatibility giving it a great value for its price. The high-quality packing and materials combined with the premium look and feel make the board merit the Supconnect “A” grade.

See our full review HERE.

BOARDWORKS SHUBU

The Shubu is a very stable, inflatable board that is great for beginners. The board takes the simple route in terms of looks, coming with a limited play on color and graphics however, it offers unique features having two side-bite fins and with the option of adding a third, FCS II center fin into the center fin box which is unusual for inflatables. It has reinforced rails and an arch bar in the center to help with rigidity and comes in a nice portable bag and has a repair kit in case of damage. The board has premium qualities for an affordable price, meriting it Supconnect’s “A” grade.

See our full review HERE.

STARBOARD FREERIDE

The Freeride is a stable, non-inflatable board that is suited for intermediate-skilled paddlers. It has some really nice looks featuring beautiful Australian Pine and with pops of color. This paddle board is pretty easy to carry since it’s only 26.4 lbs and the glide feels fast. And although the width is a bit narrower at 29 inches, it does feel very stable when paddling. The board is best suited for mid-range paddling between 3 and 5 miles. A premium look and feel give the Freeride a well-deserved “A” grade.

See our full review HERE.

To look through the 70+ boards reviewed for 2017 click HERE.

Photo Gallery

A Look at Imagery from our SUP Reviews

More Resources

• Best Beginner Stand Up Paddle Boards 2017
• Best Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Boards 2017
• Best Stand Up Paddle Boards 2017

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