So many choices

With the paddle boarding community growing year by year, there are now more options than ever. With all of these options, customers have to ask what is right for them. And choosing between a hard stand up paddle board and an inflatable SUP is something you may have thought about. We want to narrow your choices down from the vast pool. In this blog post, we are going to show you why a NIXY inflatable stand up paddle board is a much better option than a hard epoxy stand up paddle board. This will hopefully help you narrow down your options.

Construction (Inflatable SUP vs Hard SUP)

With a hard epoxy paddle board, a smooth layer of epoxy resin coats a shaped board made of polystyrene foam. These boards will weigh around 30lbs for a board that's 10'6". Hard boards are thinner (4-5in) than the relative inflatable SUP (5-6in). An inflatable paddle board is constructed much differently. Firstly, the most mysterious part is the inside. In order for the board to be inflatable but not blow up into a big sphere, there are stitches that attach the bottom of the board to the top. The "dropstitches" hold the shape as air is put into the inflatable SUP. For the material, an iSUP uses many pieces of PVC that are fused together to form the body. Combining the PVC with the dropstitch creates a strong board that when inflated properly, can feel and perform much like a hard board. Another benefit is in the weight. Using NIXY's Advanced Fusion Technology, the boards are only three layers thick. This greatly reduces the weight from most inflatables, let alone hard paddle boards. NIXY iSUPs weigh as little as 17lbs! Compared to hard boards, which can weigh around 30lbs, an inflatable SUP is clearly a more appropriate board for most people.

Furthermore

With these construction differences comes another benefit. Price. The manufacturing of an inflatable costs much less than a hard paddle board. A high quality inflatable like NIXY's will cost around $700, but a relatively high quality hard board will cost at least $1000. Not only will you spend less on an inflatable SUP, but you will also enjoy incredible portability. A hard board requires either that you own a truck or an SUV or that you live right near the water. Owning an inflatable SUP opens so many doors. We have customers who take our boards around the United States to places like Hawaii, Mammoth, and Lake Tahoe. These customers don't live in these places, but the portability allows them to fit their NIXY iSUP with their luggage along on their vacations. Whether you're interested in an inflatable SUP for vacation or local purposes, the portability and savings from not needing to rent are worth it.

A new trend

We here at NIXY believe that inflatable stand up paddle boards are an incredibly fast growing trend. We want more people to enjoy the ease of use, affordability, and quality of performance from using NIXY's iSUPs. The technology has moved a long way from the original iSUPs. Prior to our Advanced Fusion Technology, inflatables were heavy and did not perform as well as they do now. The increasing demand, even so, will drive the technology and design further. You can see the trend for yourself. Look on amazon and search "inflatable stand up paddle board". We found there to be 488 results. That's 488 different brands, styles, sizes, shapes, and quality of iSUPs. How in the world are you supposed to choose the right one? Trusting reviews can even be difficult nowadays. What we will say is that purchasing an inflatable SUP isn't only about the board. NIXY as a company works to be the best out there. We are designing and improving our board designs every year. Our customer service is top notch and we have a fantastic warranty. We believe in our products and only offer the highest quality. We also keep our prices low by offering warehouse direct prices. So, when you purchase a NIXY iSUP, you don't only get our board and accessories. You become a part of our brand, getting our name out there. And because of that, we offer our service for any questions or concerns you have.

Conclusion

If you have been trying to figure if firstly, you want a hard epoxy paddle board or an inflatable, and secondly, why inflatables are so advantageous, then I hope you read this post! Between ease of use, portability, performance, price, and quality, the benefits of an inflatable SUP easily outnumber those of a hard board. We believe in inflatable boards, and we think the future of paddle boarding will be dominated by inflatable SUPs. And once again, with all of the choices on the market, it is very difficult to make a decision. And as you may have realized, choices hinder decision. So there is a reason we only offer three types of inflatable paddle boards. It allows us to create high quality boards that have purpose. Our "all-around", "fitness", and "touring" boards offer the versatility for everyone's needs. Whether you are a beginner or experienced rider, we have the board for you. So as you continue your search for the perfect board, remember that NIXY is a company that stands for unsurpassed quality and service!