What To Look For In A Street Stand Up Paddle

Every street stand up paddle is made up of only a few core elements. You will undoubtedly find that every brand has come up with some pretty incredible designs for one or more elements in order to be the best land paddle. A lot of designs are inspired by the surfing community on the west coast and Hawaii. Surfers started looking for ways to get their fix when the waves weren’t strong enough to go out into the waters.

What Is A Street Stand Up Paddle

Street SUP is the act of using a modified design of the paddle used for stand up paddleboarding on the water, but with a skateboard. You can use a longboard paddle with any skateboard, but they are specially designed for being used with a longboard.

In our reviews, you will find that we cover three important aspects of what makes a longboard paddle. We take a focused look at the paddle’s handle, the shaft, and the ground grip.

The Three Parts That Make A Street SUP Paddle

Here we will discuss what the three elements of a longboard paddle are. Hopefully after reading this guide, you will know exactly what you want.

Shaft

• The weight of the shaft can make a difference in how far you will go in one session. A heavier shaft will fatigue you sooner. The lighter the better.
• One piece shafts need to be sized out for your height.
• One piece shafts are more sturdy than adjustable shafts. In addition, they offer more flexibility if you choose to put a lot of weight into it.
• Adjustable shafts are usually more expensive. They are made to suit any rider’s height.
• The most common materials used in shafts are aluminum, rattan, or fibre glass. The bamboo and fibre glass materials are considered very high quality.

Handle

• There two most common shapes for a handle are ball handle and T handle.
• Ball handles offer a good grip and can be useful for riding creatively.
• T handles follow the design concept that will assume that the rider will be making the same stroke over and over. It is designed for longer rides or just for people who stick to the technique that is proven to be most efficient.
• Some handles have a foam grip that makes the ride more comfortable. Hitting the pavement over and over is more pleasant when there is some cushion.

Ground Grip

• Every land paddle has a ground grip made out of vulcanised rubber. This is the same material that is used in tires.
• The grip is the most varying factor between land paddle brands. Each brand has their own patented designs that offer specific benfits.
• Ground grips will eventually wear down and you will need to buy a new one.
• If you use your land paddle to brake often, you will wear out the ground grip faster.

What Does It All Mean

Before you buy your first(or next) street stand up paddle, you should be asking yourself “What do I want from my longboard paddle?“. If you want to travel longer distances, you should focus on comfort and ease. Lets say you are looking to pick up speed, then your focus should be geared towards performance. If you just need something to help you get some extra wide carves, then you will want to look for flexibility.

Conclusion

To sum it up, you will want to choose a longboard paddle that will complement your style of riding. Even if you choose something outside of your comfort zone, you will still find many benefits long before you find any downsides. Not to mention, all newer longboard paddles these days are being made to fit the styles of every rider. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see a beginner using the same longboard paddle as an experienced rider.

Credit: LandPaddlePro.com

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