5 Best Balance Boards For SUP Training

Having a good balance is a crucial skill to have when it comes to SUP. In this guide, I’ll review the 5 best balance boards for SUP to improve your balance.

SUP is commonly referred to as Stand Up Paddle or sometimes Surf and Paddle.

A balance board can help you improve your balance and coordination. It’s a great piece of equipment to work out and practice SUP skills. Among various balance board benefits for SUP you can practice balance:

• in a safe environment;
• in any weather conditions;
• all seasons/all year round.

A good balance can really help you to get better at SUP and improve your riding.

Image	Name	Size	Weight Limit	Link
	Vew-Do Surf 33	33″ x 11.5″	450lbs	Buy on Amazon
	Revolution Swell	35.5″ x 14.5″	450lbs	Buy on Amazon
	GoofBoard Balance Board	44″ x 15″	450lbs	Buy on Amazon
	Indo Board Pro	42″ x 15″	300lbs	Buy on Amazon
	NALANDA Balance Board	29.1″ x 11.8″	300lbs	Buy on Amazon

Vew-Do Surf 33

Vew-Do designed its balance boards with board sports in mind. Surf 33 is one of the Vew-Do Performance series and is a good choice for SUP training.

The deck size is 33 x 11.5 inches in size and has a rocker surfboard shape. It is made out of 5-ply laminate hard-rock maple. On top, it has 5mm of EVA foam that is perfect for barefoot riding. On the bottom, it has a molded rail and a stop system for more stability.

Surf 33 has a 4.5-inch roller made out of hand-turned maple. The roller is larger than the average Vew-Do balance board roller. Which makes this board more for intermediate to an advanced levels of difficulty.

The Vew-Do Surf 33 balance board is perfect for full rotational balance training and spinning. However, it is wide enough to stand comfortably parallel to the roller, thus imitating the SUP stance.

Read in more detail my Surf 33 review article.

Revolution Swell

This balance board made by Revolution is aimed specifically at surfers and SUP riders. Its design is simple and clean. Which makes it perfect for beginners all the way to the advanced level of difficulty.

The deck is 35.5 x 14.5 inches in size. It is made out of solid multi-ply hardwood. With Durasoft Traction surface on top which provides a great combination of cushioning and grip for your feet.

On the bottom, the board has a Magnetic adjustable roller stop system to prevent the board from slipping out. This means that the roller stops can be placed along all sides of the board.

The roller has a huge length of 29.5 inches and is 4.5 inches in diameter. This allows placing the roller both ways for more challenge and variation.

Read in more detail my Revolution Swell review article.

GoofBoard Balance Board

This is a surf-specific balance board. However, the properties of this balance board like the length and stops on the bottom make it a perfect fit for SUP riders as well.

The deck is 44 x 15 inches in size and is made out of 9-ply birch plywood. So this makes it the longest balance board on the market.

At the bottom of the deck, there are four stops. These stops prevent the board from slipping out.

The roller is 37 x 4 inches in size. The length of the roller allows you to place it both ways. The roller is made out of recycled materials.

The GoofBoard Balance Board is an awesome board to train balance and coordination. Furthermore, this board uses only natural materials, no plastic!

Read in more detail my GoofBoard review article.

Indo Board Pro

The Indo Board is a well-known brand in the board sports community. And the Pro series balance board is the longest one. This board is a favorite for users that want to improve their SUP skills.

The deck is 42 x 15 inches in size with a non-slip grip coat and without a concave (flat). On the bottom, there are two ledges on the sides that prevent it from slipping out.

The 8.5-inch diameter roller is made out of indestructible molded plastic with four non-slip strips.

The Indo Board Pro is quite a versatile balance board. You can train balance in different postures and positions. A flat bottom makes the board very stable and forgiving. Read in more detail in our Indo Board Pro balance board review article.

NALANDA Balance Board

The Nalanda balance board is a budget yet a good alternative to the balance boards for SUP mentioned above.

The board is 29.1 x 11.8 inches in size with an Anti-Grip surface on top. The board is made out of multi-ply durable PVC. There are two ledges on the bottom sides to prevent it from slipping out.

The board has an adjustable roller stop system. This means you control the width between the ledges, which is good for the beginner level of difficulty.

It includes a lightweight vibration-dampening roller. The roller size is 17.5 x 4.3 inches. It is covered with three Anti-Grip trips for stability and control.

All in all, Nalanda is a great beginner balance board. Which can be then used for more complex exercises.Read in more detail my Nalanda balance board review article.

How to Choose Balance Boards For SUP

There are several aspects to consider before choosing balance boards for SUP:

• intent;
• versatility;
• board (deck) size and shape;
• roller type and diameter.

Intent

First of all, you have to decide for yourself what is the main intent (goal) you want to achieve with a balance board. Here are a couple of questions you can ask yourself:

• Do I need it just for balance and coordination training?
• Do I want to take it a step further and improve my tricks and SUP-specific movements as well?

Keep the answer in mind. You’ll need it to make the final decision. Now let’s move on to the next point.

Versatility

Versatility comes hand in hand with the previous point. There are many different types of balance boards. Each one has its own unique traits and is made for different purposes.

Hence depending on your needs and the way you want to use the balance board its properties may differ. The first property is…

Deck size and shape

The size of the balance board deck is going to affect the way you feel and control the board.

Balance boards come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Usually the longer the deck is the wider your stance can be. That’s a good thing to have as you can position yourself the same way you do on your surfboard.

Things to look out for:

1. the size of the board has to be large in order to position yourself comfortably;
2. the deck has to be sturdy and durable;
3. having stops on the bottom is an advantage.

Roller type and diameter

Roller type is another property to look out for. Rollers can differ by several options starting from shape and ending with a material.

Different rollers provide different levels of complexity when it comes to maintaining a balance. This is possibly one of the main features to look out for when choosing between different balance boards for SUP.

Last but not least is the diameter of the roller. This property comes along with the previous one, the type of roller. It is also going to affect how easy or hard it will be to maintain the balance on the board.

Things to look out for:

1. the roller has to move smoothly underneath the board;
2. the roller has to be long enough to place it parallel to the board.

Conclusion

When making a final decision on which balance boards for SUP to choose from, remember the intent we’ve talked about before.

Improving balance and training muscle memory surf movements should be the main reason to get a balance board.

In terms of which board to get, you have to think about it in the long term. A more specific board will let you focus on one thing. A more generic one will let you switch up your training.