Best Touring Stand Up Paddle Boards 2017

After personally paddling, weighing, and thoroughly testing 70+ boards, our expert staff has selected the best touring 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 Touring SUP Boards 2017

• Slingshot Crossbreed
• Boardworks Shubu
• Red Paddle Co Sport
• Starboard Touring Zen
• SIC Maui Bullet
• Pau Hana Endurance
• Bark Expedition
• BOTE HD Lowrider
• Surftech Sport Touring
• Starboard Freeride

 A Comparison

The Best Touring Paddle Boards 2017

Picture	Board	Weight	Price	Use	Skill	Build	Width
	Slingshot Crossbreed	22 lbs	$799	Touring	Beginner	Inflatable	34 inches
	Boardworks Shubu	26.7 lbs	$1,099	Touring/All-Around	Beginner	Inflatable	34 inches
	Red Paddle Co. Sport	18.9 lbs	$1,499	Touring	Beginner	Inflatable	32 inches
	Starboard Touring Zen	23.1 lbs	$1,099	Touring	Beginner	Inflatable	31 inches
	SIC Maui Bullet	7.5 lbs	$1,599	Touring/Race	Intermediate	Non-Inflatable	28 inches
	Pau Hana Endurance	31.3 lbs	$1,599	Touring	Intermediate	Non-Inflatable	30 inches
	Bark Expedition	27.02 lbs	$2,299	Touring/Race	Advanced	Non-Inflatable	26 inches
	Starboard Freeride	26.4 lbs	$1,999	All Around/Touring	Intermediate	Non-Inflatable	29 inches
	BOTE HD Lowrider	30.15 lbs	$1,550	Touring	Intermediate	Non-Inflatable	29 inches
	Surftech Sport Touring	26.02 lbs	$1,499	Touring	Intermediate	Non-Inflatable	28 inches

Touring Paddle Boards 101

3 Things to Consider to Find the Best Touring SUP

1. USE

A touring SUP is meant to be used and should perform well in a variety of conditions ranging from long distance paddles to expeditions and more. Touring boards can be used for multiple purposes but are primarily intended for long distance paddling and expeditions. Generally, touring boards are built to sustain added weight that comes with hauling gear and have multiple attachment points on the board to hold down and secure that gear. Touring paddle boards are usually 28 inches and wider with anything less being more geared for racing. As a standard, the narrower the board the faster it will go but the less gear it will be able to hold. The wider the board the more stable it will be. So, if you’re primarily using the board for a long, off-the-grid expedition you would want to choose a board with more width, around 30 inches+. If you’re going out for the day and want to explore and won’t need too much extra gear a narrower board might be the better option.

2. ADD-ON'S

Add-on’s are accessories for a paddle board that add to your experience on/off the water. The quality of the bag/backpack and the air pump tend to be directly related to the board’s price points. Aside from your paddle, bags and pumps are the most important add-on’s to your board and can drastically improve your overall experience with the board, such as helping you more easily carry the board and/or pump it up more quickly. Other popular add on’s include bungee cords, a minimalist way to haul things; Connexsup, which allows for all sorts of attachments, even fishing rods; and FCS II/Connect, for easy fin instal. Other add on’s could be upgraded handles like the Liftsup & EZgrab and paddle holders for when you aren’t using your paddle. Add-on’s are really helpful when touring to hold down the added gear and supplies so in theory, the more add ons the better.

3. BUILD

Touring 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 are the go-to option when you’re going on a multi-day expedition where traveling the board and hauling your gear are involved. 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. Non-inflatable SUPs are the better option when you’re only going out for the day and won’t be hauling the board in and out of the water with all your gear.

Best Touring Paddle Board Reviews

SLINGSHOT CROSSBREED

Slingshot’s Crossbreed Inflatable is a stable, beginner-friendly board great for all-around paddling and/or short-distance touring. The Crossbreed has some nice looks, coming with a solid yellow throughout most of the board keeping it simple and striking. (The board is also offered in three other colors: Blue, Red, and Green.) At a very affordable price point the Crossbreed has premium qualities to it coming with a nice carrying bag, strong dual-action pump and FCS II fin, among other items, easily making this board a great value for its price and deserving of Supconnect’s “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.

RED PADDLE CO SPORT 

The Sport from Red Paddle Co. is an inflatable touring board that works for paddlers of all skill levels. The board has a very clean look to it with minimal colors and graphics keeping it very simple and clean. The construction appears very strong, as something that can handle heavy use. The board is very stable and very lightweight and is great for paddling mid to long-distances, between 3-10 miles. Its strong, lightweight construction combined with the ability to paddle some distance makes the Sport deserving of Supconnect’s “A” grade.

See our full review HERE.

STARBOARD TOURING ZEN

The Touring Zen is an inflatable board great for paddlers of all skill levels. Primarily designed with touring in mind the board is great for paddling mid-range distances up to 3-5 miles max. It has some nice looks with a mix of bold colors, blues and greens that are very eye-catching. This paddle board is easy to carry being that it weighs slightly over 23 lbs and the glide feels fast which is very surprising since inflatables aren’t usually fast. The board comes with a tool-less FCS II fin which is a perk and also has an FCS adaptor on the deck of the board which is unusual to have on an inflatable. The board has premium features at an affordable price thus deserving Supconnect’s “A” grade.

See our full review HERE.

SIC MAUI BULLET 

SIC Maui’s award-winning Bullet is a multi-purpose, non-inflatable board great for intermediate and advanced paddlers. The graphics are simple yet stunning and give the board a premium look. Because the board is 27 lbs it’s borderline-difficult to carry however the EZ grab handle makes carrying much easier because you’re able to fully grip the handle. The board is great for downwinders, touring and even racing, making it very versatile and fun. Premium looks and feel combined with a variety of conditions that it works in warrants the Bullet Supconnect’s “A” grade.

See our full review HERE.

PAU HANA ENDURANCE

The Endurance is a stable and extremely durable non-inflatable touring board geared towards intermediate paddlers. It looks beautiful, coming with an exceptionally striking play on colors and graphics but it is difficult to carry since it weighs over 31 lbs. The board has handles on the tail and nose which are helpful for carrying the board and the 36 sea mounts allow for endless scenarios on how to setup your board to hold down gear or setup accessories. With stunning looks, rugged construction and tons of ad-ons this board is deserving of Supconnect’s “A” grade.

See our full review HERE.

BARK EXPEDITION

The Expedition is a fast, non-inflatable board geared towards advanced paddlers who want to invest in a touring/expedition board. It has some gorgeous looks, coming with an exceptionally beautiful play on color and graphics, intended to be potent and yet with class. It’s relatively easy to carry and has a couple cool features incorporated: the GoPro mount located on the nose as well as bungee inserts on both the tail and nose. This paddle board is easy to carry and the glide feels fast, which is great for expeditions. With its superior graphics and smooth glide on the water this board warrants 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.

BOTE HD LOWRIDER CORE

The HD Lowrider is an awesome non-inflatable touring board that is fit for intermediate-level paddlers and can be used in a wide range of conditions. Its shape makes the HD a great touring board that could also be used in a race because of its race-board hull design. Although the board is difficult to carry has a ton of cool accessories and additions that cater to touring and fishing. It has ConnexSUP inserts which allow for endless opportunities to hook up cool gadgets and tools, a paddle holder on the rail of the board, cooler tie downs, fishing post inserts more. With the premium look and countless add-ons the HD Lowrider is awarded with Supconnect’s “A” grade.

See our full review HERE.

SURFTECH SPORT TOURING

The Sport Touring Escape from Surftech is a non-inflatable board designed for intermediate-level paddlers who are interested in touring. The board has some exquisite looks, coming with a bamboo finish and gorgeous graphics. This paddle board is easy to carry and the glide feels fast which is a definite plus. The board doesn’t have many add-ons other than the bungee on the deck of the board but the look and glide of the board are excellent, befitting of Supconnect’s “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 All Around Stand Up Paddle boards 2017
• Best Stand Up Paddle Boards 2017

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