Great Outdoor Provision Co. stocks Standup Paddleboards (SUP) in our Greenville, Charlotte, Raleigh and Winston-Salem locations. We also have a small fleet of demo boards available for folks to try before they buy. We have SUP Demos planned for Raleigh & Charlotte to afford folks the opportunity to check out the scene in a fun, zero pressure environment.
We are pleased to offer Standup Paddleboards from Surftech and Naish, world leaders in SUP. Surftech was founded in 1989 by Randy French, who had an extensive background in the high tech construction techniques involved in the windsurf industry. Randy applied this knowledge to surfboards and began working with some of the top designers and shapers in the world. In time, Surftech grew to become the largest manufacturer of surfboards, including kiteboards, paddleboards, skimboards and SUPs. Naish was founded by renowned board builder, designer and waterman, Robby Naish, who makes world class boards for Surf, SUP, Kite Boarding and Wind Surfing. Naish boards all have common design elements and offer the most consistent ride characteristics between the different models. Speaking very broadly, you will find Naish boards to offer a characteristic “Naish feel” that is present across all the many styles of boards they make. In contrast, Surftech offers models from numerous designers and each will offer a different feel, even for similar style of board. Both offer top notch construction and the best service in the industry.
In general, a SUP board that is geared towards Touring or Fitness will have good glide and efficiency while maintaining the ability to behave predictably in chop or swells. A good example of such a board is Surftech’s Bark Expedition or the Naish Glide in a moderate length. Like a good Touring Kayak, longer and narrower boards tend to be faster than shorter and wider boards. SUP boards in this class tend to be made in a lightweight composite construction and run ~$1600 to over $2,000.
Other SUP boards are built for Racing or intensive fitness training. Examples include Surftech’s new Bark Competitor or Dominator or one of the longer Naish Glides. Narrow, long, with minimal rocker and lots of speed, these boards can win races or make a routine workout feel like a very exciting experience. While these boards can be used for general Touring, they are not the best suited for heavy chop or swells. They are also less stable than most other types or SUPs.
For many folks, the most popular SUP board styles will include all-round, multipurpose designs that offer a balance of stability, glide, maneuverability and surf capability. You can take these boards out to cruise on local lakes as well as surf at the beach. An example of such a versatile design is Surftech’s Bob Pearson Laird series or the Naish Nalu series. Both are available in a variety of sizes to suit different sized riders. SUP boards in this class tend to be priced according to construction; a lightweight Tuflite or Wood Veneer will run ~$1700-$1800 while a Softop or ASA construction of the same model will typically run about $300-$400 less.
One board we are particularly excited about is the recently released Randy French Softop. This board is now available in 4 sizes and is a very stable all-round design. The key feature about this board is the amazing value. As it’s name implies, this board is a Randy French design and was completely developed in house by Surftech. Since Randy French owns Surftec, no royalties need to be paid to designers, shapers, athletes, etc. This saves about $300 over a comparable board in the same Softop construction.
If you live within range of one of our SUP shops (Greenville, Charlotte, Raleigh and Winston-Salem) and have an interest in Stand Up Paddleboards, please drop by and have a look in person. As the weather warms, we’ll have more SUP models to chose from as well as opportunities to try them on the water
