New Boarder

[PA Rick]

ok, sorry to be a pain but last question: 

inflatable or solid?

[Bean]

If you have reasonable space to store and a reasonable way to transport a regular SUP, that would generally be the best route.  Inflatables have come a long way but not all the way.

[mjb1959]

from my experience, your vehicle will matter.
i have a small 2 door coupe that would have been a tough fit for a carry rack.
so i went inflatable, and now that i have a Red Paddle CO board i am satisfied.

so, what is your vehicle?

[Quickbeam]

ok, sorry to be a pain but last question: 

inflatable or solid?

You are not being a pain. This is a great place to ask questions.

My vote would be for a solid board, if you’ve got the room to store it and transporting it isn’t an issue. My first board was an inflatable and it wasn’t too long after that I got my first hard board. I’ve been on hard boards ever since. I still have my inflatable, and it does get some use, but most of my time is on a hard board. I really only use the inflatable for guests or if I’m traveling somewhere.

One other thing I should mention is that inflatables will take much more abuse than a hard board, and while you’re learning that can sometimes be an advantage.

[hbsteve]

First, you can ask no more "last question".   5 years from now you'll be giving someone else advice and still have questions.
Your next question is:  What Paddle should I use?
A paddle the is too heavy, has the wrong size blade for you etc., will make you not want to paddle.  Others on here can advise you better than I can on the details. 

[PA Rick]

from my experience, your vehicle will matter.
i have a small 2 door coupe that would have been a tough fit for a carry rack.
so i went inflatable, and now that i have a Red Paddle CO board i am satisfied.

so, what is your vehicle?

I have a Honda Accord and a Nissan Pathfinder.   what got me into this last fall was a guy who runs a business and does eco tours at a local lake on paddleboards.  I rode on both kinds but at the time I couldn't distinguish one over the other. 

Inflatable would seem be more portable but I don't want to spend the dough on something I don't like which is why I am asking advice since I don't know the pros/cons of each.

[Dusk Patrol]

You've gotten a lot of good advice here. I'm just going to suggest a board for you to look at (of which I have an early generation) that has proven to be an awesome flatwater board... the Starboard Freeride. 

http://star-board-sup.com/2017/board/12-2-x-30-freeride/

I also second a lightweight construction, regardless of whatever you choose. Have fun! 

[Quickbeam]

First of all, an inflatable needs to be pumped up each time you use it. Might not seem like a big deal at first, but when all your friends are ready to go out on the water, you’re still pumping. It also takes a bit of energy to pump an inflatable up to 18 psi (approx.)

But even if that’s not an issue, hard boards just paddle better than inflatables. They are usually faster and just all around more fun (at least in my opinion).

I also think it’s easier to learn on a hard board than on an inflatable. Like I said in an earlier post, my first board was an inflatable, but I didn’t really learn to paddle until I got a hardboard. Things like pivot turns, using your rails to steer, etc., etc., are all easier on a hard board.

Inflatables definitely have their place but if I had the choice I’d take a hard board over an inflatable every time.

Best thing for you might be to go and demo some boards if you can. Red Paddle Company is probably the premier inflatable company, although some Uli fans might argue that. Others have already given you suggestions on hard boards, so I won’t bother with that.

Good luck on whatever you decide! Let us know how you make out.

[supthecreek]

Hi PA Rick, welcome to the Zone!
Ask all the questions you want.... we are stoked to have something besides politics to talk about 

Lake Arthur looks like a nice area to paddle for sure.... always a leeward side to paddle some nice calm water.
I pride myself in map knowledge.... but you got me!
When I looked up your area, I saw that PA had frontage on Lake Erie! Holy crap.... how did I miss that??? I though you folks were landlocked.... live and learn

I say hard board. Over time, you use things more if they are "grab & go".... most of my friends with inflatables never deflate them, so why not just get a hard board.
I carry a 14'er on my Honda Civic racks all the time.... driven 100's of highway miles with it up there, not a problem....
heck I drove 400 miles with 8 SUPs in boxes on those racks.

Paddle:
You take 1,600 stokes every mile you paddle, so a cheap, heavy paddle will annoy you right away.
Shop around... a carbon shaft with fiberglass blade can be bought pretty reasonably... but full carbon paddle is best.
Learn about blade size before you purchase... try several size blade if possible, before deciding.

Buy a leash.... never paddle without it.

Post your first paddle trip on your new board... always fun to hear from a new paddler!

and yeah.... JimK at Extremewindsurfing is a good guy to ask.... he's 6'2 or 3... so understands the big guy thing.... and he is a fellow Pa guy.... lives in Bethlehem.