Inflatable Paddle Board or Inflatable Kayak?

[Bobby Davis]

I am looking to get a water craft of some sort over the winter and, given my lack of storage space, it's gotta be an inflatable. My question to you all is should I get an SUP or a Kayak?  I feel like the kayak is slightly more versatile, but I really don't like fishing from a sitting position.  I have never fished from an SUP, but the idea of standing is enticing.   I think I would mostly use it on freshwater lakes and ponds, but it is possible that I might want to someday try and take it out on the bay for stripers in the flats.  Any input is welcome, although I'm not really interested in your favorite brand, more about the comparison between the two concepts.

Thanks

[HeaveToo]

I have an inflatable kayak but I don't use it anymore since I bought my rigid kayak.  It is a cayman by Maxxon.  Anyway, I may be willing to sell it. 

I liked the kayak.  It took some getting use to because of sitting but it was stable as hell.  It paddled well too.

The paddleboard may be difficult to store gear in.  There was a good bit of room in the kayak for storage.  I did do some rapids and flat water in it as well as the ocean.  It was pretty versatile. 

[ALarge]

I was lucky enough to find a used 2-person frameless pontoon made by the Creek Company on Craigslist recently for only $400. It's absolutely perfect for DC living. The entire boat (oars included) packs down incredibly small and can fit in a closet or the trunk of a Camry. 

When fishing solo, I just strap my orca cooler to the front seat, full of ice, beer and/or water and it balances and tracks well for rowing.

If you can find something like that, I'd recommend it above all else. 

[Joel Clement]

SUP fishing is the way to go. Just make sure there are a couple of tie down points so you can put a cooler on there. It doubles as a gear box and a seat when you want to take a load off for those longer outings. You'll never sit down at water level again once you get that high up vantage point. Not to mention easier casting!

[Bobby Davis]

How is mobility on a SUP?  I have never used one.  would it be impossible to use it on a medium to larger sized lake/reservoir?

On Wed, Nov 8, 2017 at 7:23 AM, Joel Clement <jcle...@gmail.com> wrote:

SUP fishing is the way to go. Just make sure there are a couple of tie down points so you can put a cooler on there. It doubles as a gear box and a seat when you want to take a load off for those longer outings. You'll never sit down at water level again once you get that high up vantage point. Not to mention easier casting!

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[Joel Clement]

On a reservoir just avoid windy days...or fish as you drift downwind, or bring a small dumbbell to anchor with. Very susceptible to wind. Best scenario is rolling down a lazy river and letting it take you around the rocks while you stand and fish your heart out, sit on the cooler for beer and pb&j. Any stretch of the potomac from harpers ferry to riverbend! Inflatables are stable and super light to portage as necessary. Fun to go upstream from Riverbend and drift back.

[marke...@gmail.com]

Check out the Pike from NRS. Its an inflatable kayak that you can stand up and fish from. https://www.nrs.com/product/16363/nrs-pike-fishing-inflatable-kayak

[Bobby Davis]

Waaaaaaaay out of my price range.

[Andrew Sarcinello]

Joel and others,

I'm close to pulling the trigger on an inflatable SUP.  The advantages I see are portability and clean casting platform. And you can stand on any SUP but kayaks that allow the same will cost a lot and aren't able to be rolled into a backpack.

Does anyone have any brand recommendations?  Xterra currently has some crazy good deals on inflatable SUP packages.

TIA

[Joel Clement]

No brand recommendations, most of them use rugged materials unless you go really cheap, but for features I recommend plenty of tie-downs for a cooler (to sit on, store beer, and store gear) and a small anchor (I use a 5 lb dumbbell) and some bungees you can stick your rod or paddle under – whichever you are not using.

 

I use mostly in rivers, so it’s good to have short fins so you can glide over skinny water without stepping off. For bigger water you’ll want longer fins to help you track. An inflatable won’t make much headway against stronger breeze, though, so if you are on bigger water I recommend plastic over inflatable.

--

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[Andrew Sarcinello]

Thanks! 

I don't plan to be on bigger water much if at all - not super concerned about tracking.  My main target is several ponds and swamps where it is far too long of a walk to carry in a kayak. Good to hear most are made with tough materials as I'm not familiar with how they're constructed and it is sometimes hard to figure out what is legit material vs. marketing hype.

Do you have a preferred way of attaching the anchor?

On Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at 11:25:21 AM UTC-5, Joel Clement wrote:

No brand recommendations, most of them use rugged materials unless you go really cheap, but for features I recommend plenty of tie-downs for a cooler (to sit on, store beer, and store gear) and a small anchor (I use a 5 lb dumbbell) and some bungees you can stick your rod or paddle under – whichever you are not using.

 

I use mostly in rivers, so it’s good to have short fins so you can glide over skinny water without stepping off. For bigger water you’ll want longer fins to help you track. An inflatable won’t make much headway against stronger breeze, though, so if you are on bigger water I recommend plastic over inflatable.

 

From: tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com [mailto:tidal-potomac-fly-rod...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Andrew Sarcinello
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2018 11:07 AM
To: Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders
Subject: Re: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Inflatable Paddle Board or Inflatable Kayak?

 

Joel and others,

 

I'm close to pulling the trigger on an inflatable SUP.  The advantages I see are portability and clean casting platform. And you can stand on any SUP but kayaks that allow the same will cost a lot and aren't able to be rolled into a backpack.

 

Does anyone have any brand recommendations?  Xterra currently has some crazy good deals on inflatable SUP packages.

 

TIA

On Wednesday, November 8, 2017 at 4:39:31 PM UTC-5, Joel Clement wrote:

On a reservoir just avoid windy days...or fish as you drift downwind, or bring a small dumbbell to anchor with. Very susceptible to wind. Best scenario is rolling down a lazy river and letting it take you around the rocks while you stand and fish your heart out, sit on the cooler for beer and pb&j. Any stretch of the potomac from harpers ferry to riverbend! Inflatables are stable and super light to portage as necessary. Fun to go upstream from Riverbend and drift back.

--
http://www.tpfr.org
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[Bobby Davis]

I ended up getting a Saturn inflatable kayak, but they make a pretty bad ass paddle board too that's on Amazon.  

On Mar 7, 2018 12:41 PM, "Andrew Sarcinello" <andy...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks! 

I don't plan to be on bigger water much if at all - not super concerned about tracking.  My main target is several ponds and swamps where it is far too long of a walk to carry in a kayak. Good to hear most are made with tough materials as I'm not familiar with how they're constructed and it is sometimes hard to figure out what is legit material vs. marketing hype.

Do you have a preferred way of attaching the anchor?

On Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at 11:25:21 AM UTC-5, Joel Clement wrote:

No brand recommendations, most of them use rugged materials unless you go really cheap, but for features I recommend plenty of tie-downs for a cooler (to sit on, store beer, and store gear) and a small anchor (I use a 5 lb dumbbell) and some bungees you can stick your rod or paddle under – whichever you are not using.

 

I use mostly in rivers, so it’s good to have short fins so you can glide over skinny water without stepping off. For bigger water you’ll want longer fins to help you track. An inflatable won’t make much headway against stronger breeze, though, so if you are on bigger water I recommend plastic over inflatable.

 

From: tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com [mailto:tidal-potomac-fly-rodde...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Andrew Sarcinello

Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2018 11:07 AM
To: Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders
Subject: Re: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Inflatable Paddle Board or Inflatable Kayak?

 

Joel and others,

 

I'm close to pulling the trigger on an inflatable SUP.  The advantages I see are portability and clean casting platform. And you can stand on any SUP but kayaks that allow the same will cost a lot and aren't able to be rolled into a backpack.

 

Does anyone have any brand recommendations?  Xterra currently has some crazy good deals on inflatable SUP packages.

 

TIA

On Wednesday, November 8, 2017 at 4:39:31 PM UTC-5, Joel Clement wrote:

On a reservoir just avoid windy days...or fish as you drift downwind, or bring a small dumbbell to anchor with. Very susceptible to wind. Best scenario is rolling down a lazy river and letting it take you around the rocks while you stand and fish your heart out, sit on the cooler for beer and pb&j. Any stretch of the potomac from harpers ferry to riverbend! Inflatables are stable and super light to portage as necessary. Fun to go upstream from Riverbend and drift back.

--
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[Joel Clement]

I’d just run it through a tie-down up near the bow and tie it off somewhere near you, even to the cooler. My board has a small cleat for that.

 

From: tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com [mailto:tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Andrew Sarcinello
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2018 12:42 PM
To: Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders
Subject: Re: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Inflatable Paddle Board or Inflatable Kayak?

 

Thanks! 

 

I don't plan to be on bigger water much if at all - not super concerned about tracking.  My main target is several ponds and swamps where it is far too long of a walk to carry in a kayak. Good to hear most are made with tough materials as I'm not familiar with how they're constructed and it is sometimes hard to figure out what is legit material vs. marketing hype.

 

Do you have a preferred way of attaching the anchor?

On Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at 11:25:21 AM UTC-5, Joel Clement wrote:

No brand recommendations, most of them use rugged materials unless you go really cheap, but for features I recommend plenty of tie-downs for a cooler (to sit on, store beer, and store gear) and a small anchor (I use a 5 lb dumbbell) and some bungees you can stick your rod or paddle under – whichever you are not using.

 

I use mostly in rivers, so it’s good to have short fins so you can glide over skinny water without stepping off. For bigger water you’ll want longer fins to help you track. An inflatable won’t make much headway against stronger breeze, though, so if you are on bigger water I recommend plastic over inflatable.

 

From: tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com [mailto:tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Andrew Sarcinello
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2018 11:07 AM
To: Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders
Subject: Re: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Inflatable Paddle Board or Inflatable Kayak?

 

Joel and others,

 

I'm close to pulling the trigger on an inflatable SUP.  The advantages I see are portability and clean casting platform. And you can stand on any SUP but kayaks that allow the same will cost a lot and aren't able to be rolled into a backpack.

 

Does anyone have any brand recommendations?  Xterra currently has some crazy good deals on inflatable SUP packages.

 

TIA

On Wednesday, November 8, 2017 at 4:39:31 PM UTC-5, Joel Clement wrote:

On a reservoir just avoid windy days...or fish as you drift downwind, or bring a small dumbbell to anchor with. Very susceptible to wind. Best scenario is rolling down a lazy river and letting it take you around the rocks while you stand and fish your heart out, sit on the cooler for beer and pb&j. Any stretch of the potomac from harpers ferry to riverbend! Inflatables are stable and super light to portage as necessary. Fun to go upstream from Riverbend and drift back.

--
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[Andrew Sarcinello]

I ended up pulling the trigger on this inflatable SUP!  Would have preferred something wider with more tie downs, but it was on sale for $550 (including pump, paddle, backpack, repair kit, and a few other items).  Bought the last one in stock. I will try to remember this thread so I can post a review at some point in the future. Now let's bring on the warmth !!

https://www.xterraboards.com/products/inflatable-duo-series-tan-stand-up-paddleboard-package

On Monday, October 30, 2017 at 9:17:44 PM UTC-4, Bobby Davis wrote:

[Dalton Terrell]

Hi Andrew,

Based on this morning's temps, Winter seems to have started, so I guess you have a season under your belt on the paddleboard. I'm not really in the market yet... but will probably get another paddlecraft within the next couple years. Ideally, I think I'd have a canoe but based on storage and ability to travel, an inflatable paddle board seems pretty compelling.

How's it holding up (any leaks)? How is stability for fishing--and are you enjoying fishing from it? What kind of distance can you cover to get to a fishing spot?

Dalton

[Andrew Sarcinello]

Hey Dalton,

Thanks for bumping this as I had forgotten to report back.

I have been very happy with my SUP (link to specific model in my post above).  My only complaint is the pump that came with it is cheap and started having problems after only being used about a dozen times.  But the SUP itself is rock solid - no leaks, minimal scratches, no parts coming loose. 

I will say that I did not use it as often as intended, mainly because of the weather.  I did a few lake trips for pickerel and it was quite easy to move up and down the lakes (half mile to a mile long). I took it to the beach and my sister and I used it to paddle around a back bay.  This brings up the topic of stability. I have yet to fall off while standing on the board and feel pretty comfortable up there.  However, my sister, who is the athlete in the family and was a great soccer player in college, struggled to stay upright at first, but it was her first time trying one.  I insist that it's pretty stable but YMMV.

Fishing from it is a blast, but it does have its limits.  For example, once you are standing, you aren't easily able to turn your feet.  So you end up only being able to cast around the front half of the board.  You can end up at the mercy of the wind direction as far as where you can cast.  Speaking of wind, an anchor is an absolute must. The anchor rope can be clipped to the rings at the front or back.  You will have to anticipate which direction the wind will orient you based on which end of the board your anchor is attached to.  But if you guess wrong and end up backwards to where you want to cast, you can easily just unclip the rope and switch it to the other end of the board.

My longest SUP trip was a 5 mile float down Deer Creek for smallmouth and trout.  I rarely stood on the board during that trip, and preferred to just sit on the cooler and paddle it like a canoe. When I saw a shallow riffle approaching, I paddled harder to gain speed and just bounced over the bottom and kept going.  The material is more than tough enough to withstand that.  My friend bottomed out his kayak in the same water I was able to get through.  I got dunked a few times losing my balance around sharp bends. Because it rides so high, any differential currents can quickly spin it out of control.  With that said it was very effective in general at getting me through shallow areas and on to the next big pool.

TL:DR...

Pros: 

Stable

Awesome point of view when standing

Comfortable (not sure I can go back to a cramped kayak cockpit now...)

Clean casting platform

Easy and quick setup/breakdown

Can hike it in to less accessible places

Can deflate and roll up into trunk of my car

Lightweight (29 lbs!)

Durable

Can paddle from a seated position if wind kicks up (wind was not as limiting as I thought it would be)

Cons:

Cannot handle strong/differing currents in a stream setting

Wind/anchor setup dictates where you can cast

Would probably avoid very large water bodies

Came with a cheap pump.

Definitely would recommend trying SUP fly fishing, but with an understanding of its limitations.  Also, if I were to get another one, I would buy an 11' or 12' model to have more room to lay the rod down when paddling. With the 10' I have to be careful my rod isn't about to take a swim.

[Tim Donaldson]

They are definitely on the higher end of the price range, but BOTE makes some really awesome inflatable SUPs.  The Rackham is the fishing specific model, and it has all the bells and whistles you could hope for.  I've yet to paddle a SUP that large, solid or air, but I've fished off smaller SUPs in the ocean.  Once you get the balance part it becomes second nature.  I much prefer standing to sitting.  But I'd say if you were going to cover alot of water and deal with lots of wind, kayak may be the way to go.   

You should rent a SUP in Georgetown just to get the hang of it, although that may be tough this late in the year.  Keep in mind if you do rent that the paddles they have are usually terrible and have a flex point at the collar.  If you get a good paddle you won't have that annoyance.       

On Monday, October 30, 2017 at 9:17:44 PM UTC-4, Bobby Davis wrote:

[Joel Clement]

An inflatable sup is great for ponds and rivers, I have a couple of them in maine that allow me to get on the water quickly and easily...which means fishing more often. Windy conditions are pretty rough though - it's really hard to make headway or hold your position. If you're going out for stripers I recommend something burlier, or wait for calmer weather. 

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[Richard Farino]

Of course this e-mail comes up while I’m away in Mexico.

 

We carry BOTE boards at District Angling and I have no problem taking someone out to the Widewater or tidal creek to demo them.  I own a Rackham Aero in Verge Camo and it’s pretty awesome.  A bunch of accessories make this pretty fun.

 

I use mine to fish tidal creeks and it’s been a great way to access the Potomac.

 

Come by after October 28^th if you’re interested in checking out the BOTE boards or taking about making time to demo them.

 

Regards,

 

Richard

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[Dalton Terrell]

Thanks for the info and keeping the discussion going. What intrigues me about the inflatable boards is the ability to use in DC in the Summer, and keep at my in-laws in Florida through the Winter and Spring.

I've been on paddleboards a few times, but only the rigid type and not ones designed for fishing--these boards seemed stable but maybe not quite fishing all day in the Everglades stable.

Richie, keep us posted if you do a demo day--I'm sure a ton of TPFR folks would like to see and experience the Botes.

Dalton

[Joel Clement]

The inflatables are surprisingly stable, and much lighter if you want to portage or hop over an embankment into the next pond or stream. I prefer to cut down the skegs so I can get into skinny water, but I’ll bet Richard offers something that already has that capability. For drifting down a big river I still prefer my bomber old versaboard with the retractable skeg because it is nearly indestructible…but thing is heavy. By the way if anybody wants to buy a seat for a versaboard I have a like-new one sitting around. I just use a cooler to sit on instead, but it’s great to have a comfy seat if you ever want to paddle it kayak-style. It flips out of the way as needed.

 

Joel

 

From: tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com [mailto:tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Dalton Terrell
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2018 1:13 PM
To: Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders
Subject: Re: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Re: Inflatable Paddle Board or Inflatable Kayak?

 

Thanks for the info and keeping the discussion going. What intrigues me about the inflatable boards is the ability to use in DC in the Summer, and keep at my in-laws in Florida through the Winter and Spring.

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[Andrew Sarcinello]

The fishing specific ones look sweet and I could definitely imagine spending an entire day on one.  If you have the budget for one, I'd highly recommend those over a kayak.  I should clarify that I went with a cheaper, non fishing specific model, and bought a few minor items to turn it into somewhat of a fishing craft - but it isn't perfect and I do tend do use it for 2-3hrs max.  But I only spent ~$600.

As far as stability, it is directly related to the surface area of the board. So if you are trying to decide between two 12' L x 36" wide boards, and one is 4.5" thick when inflated and the other is 6" thick...the 6" will be more stable.  

I've also read that the rigid boards are less durable, they can chip and crack, compared to an inflatable made of PVC which will just get shallow scratches.