Different types of SUPing

[JeffG]

From my little bit of research I've done the following list is the different disciplines in SUPing.

Touring or just cruising around (should that be broken down into ocean and flatwater?)
SUP Surfing
Downwinders
Racing
White Water

Am I missing any?  Do you need to have a different board for each discipline?  Are there boards that you can cruise around on flat water and also do some surfing and ocean touring?  Are there specific boards for downwinding?  Can't decide what type of board would be best to get for my first.  I want to do some touring, both flat water and ocean.  I want to do some downwinders.  I want to surf every once in awhile and I would like to try some racing someday.  Most the time I would be cruising around on local reservoirs though.  How many boards is this going to take and what should I start with? 

[1tuberider]

Any board will do all but probably only one well.
I would focus on what you intend to do the most with it and get a good board for that purpose.

I have 11 boards but most are for surfing. I pretty much ride my 8'2 most the time.
Most of us want new equipment every few months. So will you once the hook is set.

[TallDude]

Ocean Touring
Ocean Racing
Through Surf Racing (aka BOP style)
Flat water Touring
Flat water Racing
Downwind Cruising
Downwind Racing
Race Training (short race board)
River Cruising
White Water Board
Resort Board
Yoga Board
All Around Cruiser
Cross-over SUP-Windsurf
Long board performance
All Around Surf
Big Wave Gun
Carver
Simmonds - Vanguard - Door
Short board surf
Various Inflatables that fit in these categories
I'm sure I missed a few.

[JeffG]

Ouch, that's a lot of boards.  On one had it is cool that there are so many disciplines within SUPing to keep things interesting.  On the other hand that is some major expense for boards. I would be most interested in Ocean Touring, Ocean Racing, Flat Water Touring, Flat Water Touring, Race Training, River Cruising, All Around Surf and maybe Long Board Performance.  The big question is where should I start?  Maybe Flat Water Touring since I will be cruising in reservoirs a lot.  Or maybe a race training board would work.  Some companies advertise cross over boards that are good for cruising around and small surf.  Maybe that would be a good way to go.  Hopefully there are a few boards that can cross over into multiple disciplines.  What about paddles?  Can you use the same paddle on all your different types of boards or do they make paddles that are different for some disciplines?

[sicktwist]

Ocean Touring
Ocean Racing
Through Surf Racing (aka BOP style)
Flat water Touring
Flat water Racing
Downwind Cruising
Downwind Racing
Race Training (short race board)
River Cruising
White Water Board
Resort Board
Yoga Board
All Around Cruiser
Cross-over SUP-Windsurf
Long board performance
All Around Surf
Big Wave Gun
Carver
Simmonds - Vanguard - Door
Short board surf
Various Inflatables that fit in these categories
I'm sure I missed a few.

I would throw in a category for fishing and maybe even adventure/traveling.  While many of the boards from your extensive list of categories will work for fishing and traveling, nothing would beat a board with the proper modifications built into for these activities.  Some companies are even starting to take notice, hence Bote's new Traveler board and the excellent fishing boards they have putting out for awhile now.

Ouch, that's a lot of boards.  On one had it is cool that there are so many disciplines within SUPing to keep things interesting.  On the other hand that is some major expense for boards. I would be most interested in Ocean Touring, Ocean Racing, Flat Water Touring, Flat Water Touring, Race Training, River Cruising, All Around Surf and maybe Long Board Performance.  The big question is where should I start?  Maybe Flat Water Touring since I will be cruising in reservoirs a lot.  Or maybe a race training board would work.  Some companies advertise cross over boards that are good for cruising around and small surf.  Maybe that would be a good way to go.  Hopefully there are a few boards that can cross over into multiple disciplines.  What about paddles?  Can you use the same paddle on all your different types of boards or do they make paddles that are different for some disciplines?

My suggestion would be to start with a nice flat water touring board or if you can find a good cross over board it might be worth a try also.  Maybe find a place to demo or rent one of each style and go from there.  From what I can gather on paddles it seems most people like a shorter paddle for surfing than they do for just cruising around, but one paddle should be good until you really decide what you want out of your paddle.

[surfcowboy]

Man, don't let everyone blow your mind.

Unless you live near the coast you can get one flatwater type board and rock on that for a couple of years.

If you're near the coast, the same except buy a longer all-arounder. Most guys on this forum started surfing on all arounders that we also paddled for distance and raced in the surfboard class.

Just do it, don't sweat the gear. But yeah, it's addictive. The gear is cheap compared to the travel once you get addicted to tropical water.

[vertseven]

The problem is that standup paddle boarding is a very generic term. It's like saying cycling. BMX 20", BMX cruiser, XC mountainbike, downhill MTB, road, track, time trial, commuter, fixie, hybrid, folding, recumbent, stationary... There's no single magical board that will cover everything that you want to do.

A generic all-around board will allow you to paddle on the river or ocean and catch waves on small-medium days. But it won't be fast on flatwater, won't plane well, and won't carve and spray wall of water on waves. That's where you have to get more specific. Either way, they're fun to play on and can allow you to find your niche.

My wife hates that we have a two-car garage that's filled with bikes, surfboards, and SUPs.

[vertseven]

Ouch, that's a lot of boards.  On one had it is cool that there are so many disciplines within SUPing to keep things interesting.  On the other hand that is some major expense for boards. I would be most interested in Ocean Touring, Ocean Racing, Flat Water Touring, Flat Water Touring, Race Training, River Cruising, All Around Surf and maybe Long Board Performance.  The big question is where should I start?  Maybe Flat Water Touring since I will be cruising in reservoirs a lot.  Or maybe a race training board would work.  Some companies advertise cross over boards that are good for cruising around and small surf.  Maybe that would be a good way to go.  Hopefully there are a few boards that can cross over into multiple disciplines.  What about paddles?  Can you use the same paddle on all your different types of boards or do they make paddles that are different for some disciplines?

You can get a medium sized blade with an adjustable shaft. This will let you scale it down when surfing, set it half way when digging for some speed, and extend it when just cruising around. It also allows you to let your tall/shorter friends and family to ride your board.

But yes, there are different lengths, blade sizes, blade shapes, and shaft flex/stiffness differences for different people and SUP disciplines.

You don't have to buy everything at once. Your addiction builds up slowly. And don't ask about fins. That's a collection of its own. ;-)

[surf4food]

Don't forget wake  SUPing.