Bay Sports Mandala Series

If you’re looking for an inflatable paddle board great for beginners that suits all around paddling and yoga, take a look at the Mandala series inflatable SUP by Bay Sports. This board is best suited for paddling shorter distances, up to a couple miles at most, and will do best in calmer waters, either on a lake or near the shoreline. The board weighs roughly 22 lbs so carrying it should be quite manageable for most paddlers. Retailing at $679 this board comes with everything you need (paddle, pump, backpack, leash) to get on the water and is a really nice package for less than $1,000 USD.

Jumping right into the graphics, this paddle board kinda has a really cool bamboo base color and then on the deckpad is an aqua blue with stunning design of mandalas, and it’s kind of cool, they’re actually symmetrically placed in the middle to guide your feet to the center. The deckpad is also pretty comfortable to stand on and is great on the grip. One thing, or the many things, that stand out on this board are all the added bells and whistles. There are a ton of D-rings on the deck that allow for endless attachments and add on’s. Additionally, there are bungee cords on both the nose and tail of the board but one cool feature that is unique here is that the bungees have removable grab handles that are great for kids to hold on to if they’re sitting at the nose, and then part of the bungee strap, there is a multi use action mount where you can put a camera or a GoPro. One key feature to point out that might take some getting used to is the absence of the handle in the center of the deck which is how most paddle boards are usually carried. Instead, the board comes with a shoulder strap that connects to the D-ring attachments on the rail of the board. Alternatively, if you have a second person, there are handles on the deck and tail of the board to allow you to easily carry it down to the water. The absence of this center handle was done with intent by the product designers here to allow you to perform yoga without having that handle get in the way. Once getting out onto the water, the board felt really stable, and with the narrower tail it was easy to turn as well. Another item worth mentioning is the triple action dual pump. It worked really well when inflating the board. Overall, there’s no doubt that a lot of thought and intention went into the design of this board to make it a great multi-use board. It comes in a complete package with everything you need to get on the water. Because of the thought put in here, quality and value, the Bay Sports Mandala Series earns Supconnect’s A-Grade.

On first impressions, the board stands out with its gorgeous graphics, very comfortable deck, and is definitely one of the most well thought out yoga boards out there that we've seen. One thing to note as well is that there's no handle in the center of the deck which is pretty much a standard for all paddleboards. This missing handle actually is a good thing for this board as the design was meant for practicing yoga and having that handle right in the center of your 'yoga mat' is not ideal. Also, the shoulder strap that comes with the board makes carrying a piece of cake! The rear grab handle also doubles as a paddle holder for your paddle when you aren't using it. The shape of the handle on the paddle allows it to be tucked under the rear carry handle, and when it floats off the back of the SUP it stays snug. Because of the way you 'hook' the handle in and under the grab handle means that when it lays flat (aka floating on the water horizontal like the board) it stays in place. Having said that, the pump doesn’t seem to be as reliable as it should be, and the paddle is a bit flimsy. Overall though, this is a great package for that price point.