Best Plastic/Recreational "Dock Board"

[Bulky]

Some friends of mine want to get a couple SUPs for their lake house.  They asked my opinion, but thanks to the Zone, the stuff I can recommend is well above their price point.  They don't need anything custom or light.  They need something that will hold all kinds of people of varying ability and will withstand being dragged over rocks, bumped into the dock and left lying on the lawn (they'll probably just store it on or next to the dock for most of the summer when the house is being used.

They asked me specifically about this one--

http://www.amazon.com/Lifetime-Freestyle-Multi-Sport-Paddleboard-35-5-Inch/dp/B0065ZQSNW/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

I imagine the don't want to spend in the $500-$700 range.   What say you, Zone geniuses?

[SteamboatBORN]

Here is something that might do better with tracking, its 11' and looks to be more like a displacement board.

http://www.amazon.com/Ocean-Kayak-11-Feet-Stand-Up-Sit-On-Top-Paddleboard/dp/B003UTX4OM/ref=pd_sbs_sg_6/182-0535803-6357446

I dont like how they TELL you were to stand on some of the plastic boards. Just make a more open deck and let the user determine that.

[SteamboatBORN]

These are pricier but are much better design and Jackson is know for their durability in whitewater kayaking:
http://jacksonkayak.com/jk-kayaks/recreational-touring-kayaks/supernatural/

[Fog City Rider]

I have been researching a good plastic board to recommend stocking at the store I work, and so far the Imagine Speeder is the one I'd like to check out.    

It seems well designed for everyone to have fun on, even sit down on (!), but also a decent touring board with a displacement hull.  

I think it retails $750.  In all honesty I haven't tried it though, or any plastic boards for that matter.  

http://www.imaginesurf.com/?post_type=imaginesurf_product&p=821

/mitch

[AirJunky]

I've paddled a couple of the Imagine boards, the Wizard & the Speeder. Their both super durable & stable. Also pretty heavy. But if you are keeping them on the beach & can just drag them to the water, all the better.
I'm about 230 lbs & they were great.

[juandoe]

I picked up a BIC 11'4" to leave at the in-laws lakehouse and was pleasantly surprised.  A little heavy but should be plenty durable.

[BWilliam]

In that range I thought the Yolo Yak...
http://www.yoloboard.com/shop/yolo-yak-blue.php




And the Hovie Scout looked interesting...
http://www.hoviesup.com/products/hoviescout





A friend of a friend has a rental fleet somewhere around Seattle that is made up of a large percentage of yolo yaks. Claims they work great and are bombproof.

Last week while paddling in the bay I saw a woman on a Hovie scout. It looked really stable and bombproof. I'm actually going back and forth over getting something like this or an inflatable for our kids to use to play on and as a swimming platform for when we're not paddling around.





BW.

[pdxmike]

I gained new respect for rotomolding this weekend when I talked to someone who had two plastic kayaks blow off his roof while going 60 mph on I-5 when his roof rack broke.  They bounced along the pavement and ended up undamaged.  There happened to be a Home Depot at the nearest exit, so he dragged them into some bushes, went in and bought a new rack, put them back on, and continued on.  Anything more expensive would have been destroyed.

[PonoBill]

I have an imagne Rapidfire. I'm tough on equipment, but what I've done to this poor thing crosses the line. When I want to unload it I push it off the racks on my f350, which means it falls about six feet. It's been bumped over rocks, crashing to stuff, and I store it on the ground, under the rack that holds the rest of my boards. It's fine. Works well in whitewater--as well as I need anyway.

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

I've got the Imagine Surfer. It does nothing terribly well, but it's a great board to have fun on. Take that back: it's a great board to teach and entertain kids.

It's good to have a board that you don't need to worry about, that can take a licking. This is the one I'll be paddling after the zombie apocalypse.

[Chilly]

Corran Tahiti looks nice. That's the name of the board, not the chick.
She looks nice too 

[SteamboatBORN]

Corran Tahiti looks nice. That's the name of the board, not the chick.
She looks nice too 

They rent a ton of these in Steamboat for flat water. Seems like just this summer there is 6 new rental options and they all carry Corran. Must be because corran use to be a big creek boater and stmbt has a ton of kayak history with Wave Sport starting here.  Love their website too, bunch of hotties.

[rkdjones]

This is a great thread, a subject that hasn't gotten much attention.  I also have a friend who summers on L. Michigan and is interested in a board she can leave on the beach (she has a high bluff cabin with stairs down to the beach).  She's had boats stolen before so wants something she can lock up.  It looks like only the Nalu has holes through which one could thread a cable.

Looking at some of the specs a couple things jump out about all these boards:  some have fin boxes which I would think would be highly desirable (Corran Waikiki boards, and Imagine boards). 

I know most of us who paddle glass and carbon boards don't expect much from a plastic board, but I would love to see some reviews of how these boards surf and paddle.

I might consider a plastic board myself for messing around on the lake and rivers even though I don't have a place on the water.  The Corran Waikiki is only 44 lbs and might be a managable size to haul around.

Robert

[Green Water Sports]

I have a few models over at http://greenwatersports.com that might suit them.

At the price point you mention, we have the bombproof rotomold Great Lakes Paddleboards 10' ATV for $580 with paddle: http://greenwatersports.com/shop/great-lakes-paddleboards-atv-10-and-paddle


Obviously inflatables are also tough boards but the price range a little higher. We have almost the full range of Red Paddle Co inflatables SUPs here: http://greenwatersports.com/shop/brand/red-paddle-co

Another bombproof board, the Surftech Bomber B-1 here: http://greenwatersports.com/shop/surftech-b-1-bomber-10-6 but again, sounds like it's out of their price range...

[river]

I second the the Tahiti because there is no one out there with as much experience as Corran with successful designs in plastic with kayak and SUP.  These will last the longest and perform the best. 

Corran Tahiti looks nice. That's the name of the board, not the chick.
She looks nice too