Hardboard SUP boards

Mistral SUP Hardboards 

Mistral has been at the forefront of the design of some of the leading high performance carbon fibre and fibreglass stand up paddleboards. Designed with a purpose in mind, a laminated stand up paddle board offers performance advantages over that of an inflatable paddleboard and for those with the space and means of transportion, in many cases it is the preferred construction to invest in long term.

As a testament to our SUP design excellence, our SUP race boards have proven themselves on the international, national and local SUP race scene since 2015, representing a decade of outstanding performance SUP designs that have proven seminal in the SUP racing world. From the design of SUP race boards, other Mistral SUP designs have flowed into SUP surfing and SUP adventuring as well as versatile SUP recreational boards.

The Benefits of SUP Hardboards

While the vast majority of hype is aimed at the inflatable paddleboard being superior to the SUP hardboard, the reality remains, if you want the best paddleboarding riding experience you cannot beat a hardboard for responsiveness, glide and speed. Inflatable SUPs are predominently promoted on the basis of convenience, but how convenient is it to have to inflate and deflate every time you want to go on the water? 

Durability remains a key factor in respect of ownership of a SUP hardboard. Taken care of a SUP hardboard will outlive an inflatable padde board many times over. Repairs are generally, relatively easy and not beyond the skills of many who have some practical skills. From a design perspective, the design of a SUP hardboard is only limited by the designers imagination and no matter what anyone tells you, a hardboard versus that of an inflatable of a like for like design will always be superior in performance to that of the inflatable. 

Faster transition time from vehicle to the water
Responsiveness
Higher speeds
Longer glide times and distance
Superior race craft
Superior for wave riding
Superior touring and cruising experience.
Longevity
Repairability
Less wind affected
Wide range of construction types for differing budgets
Vast array of differing and specific designs.

What Makes a SUP Hardboard Higher Performing than an Inflatable SUP

A lot of marketing nonsense is written by infllatable paddleboard makers, promoting the idea that in inflatable SUP can be as high performing as a SUP hardboard equivalent. The fact is, the added longitudal nose to tail rigidity of a SUP hardboard translates into less loss of hull speed. Flex as experienced with an inflatable paddleboards results in a loss of force and therefore speed.

Beyond the superior stiffness is superior overall hydrodynamics, whereby the hard hull surface sheds water more readilly than a soft PVC skin, so that the drag on the hull is less than that of an inflatable SUP.

SUP designers can add in such things as hard and soft rails (edges), tucked under rails, differing shaped tails and bow shapes, concaves and convexes in addition to rocker curvature (curvature fore and aft along the waterline). All these added nuances result in the potential for a far superior SUP performance.

What Do You Want to Do with Your SUP Hardboard

SUP Hardboard Recreational Family Boards

SUP Hardboard for Yoga and Pilates 

Race SUP Paddleboards

Adventuring, Cruising, Touring SUP Hardboards

Choosing Your Ideal SUP Hardboard

Significance of Board Width, Length, Thickness, Volume. Paddleboard specifications of width x length x thickness x volume are critical factors affecting performance and manageability in different water conditions. The paddleboard must match your body mass, height, ability, and intended use. If the paddle board is just for you, consider your pre-existing skills, previous water sports experience, body weight, and height, as these factors help determine your optimum paddle board specifications needs. 

Paddleboard Length

The primary performance rule is that the longer the board, the faster its potential top speed and glide time. SUP boards under 10' are considered short, suited to surfing, kids and small adults and highly manoeuvrable. 10 (305cm) to 12’ (366cm) boards are ideal for all-round use and 12' (366cm) and up upwards for faster speeds over water and long-distance paddleboarding. 

Paddleboard Stability Factors

Length x width x thickness are key stability factors. Width is the primary design factor for accessing paddleboard stability. A wide, stable paddleboard is considered to be greater than 31” (79cm) in width. The most popular design specifications fall between 32-34” (81cm-86cm) and 10-11ft (305cm-335cm) in length. 

Paddleboard Board Thickness

SUP hardboards vary greatly in thickness from 4" (10 cm) to over 10". 

Paddleboard Volume and Body Mass 

Each paddleboard has an internal volume measured in litres, contributing to buoyancy. Your body mass should not sink the board by more than 50%; every 1kg mass will sink 1 lt of volume (buoyancy). A 100 kg rider would sink a board of 200 litres by 50%. If you wish to paddleboard with your dog, allow for their weight and add 1" of board width for increased stability. 

Your Ability Will Determine Your Stability

If you have good balance and pre-existing skill sets from windsurfing, snowboarding, surfing, and other board sports, you will likely manage a narrow paddleboard below 32” (81 cm) in width. 

Accessorise Your Mistral Paddleboarding Lifestyle

Enhance your paddleboarding experience with Mistral water wear and Mistral apparel, which includes SUP paddling garments and a variety of SUP accessories, including an extensive range of paddleboard paddles, UV-protective men's Lycra® and UV-protective women's Lycra®  in addition to change robes and men's wetsuits and women's wetsuits and an array of apparel in addition to waterproof dry bags contributing to your paddling enjoyment. (Return to Index)