Who is this for: If you’re looking for a stable, non-inflatable, touring board to paddle mid to long range distances then the NSP Performance Touring is worth a look. This stand up paddle (SUP) board comes in the E-Tech constriction, which is durable and has its ups and downs. Due to its 30 inch width the board is relatively stable. Its construction is on the heavier side (above 35 lbs) and has 2.82 lbs per foot, weighing 39.7 lbs. (It is worth noting that when we tested this board it was a non-production board so it is heavier than what the production boards should be.) Its shape makes the Performance Touring a touring board that can be used by intermediate paddlers and is designed primarily for recreation. Its construction and shape combined best fit this board for mid to long range distances of 5-10 miles. Retailing at $1,499, the board is in the popular mid-tier market in terms of affordability.

Who is this for: If you’re looking for a stable, non-inflatable touring board to paddle mid to long range distances then the Touring Elite by Starboard is worth a look. This stand up paddle (SUP) board has the Starlite construction which is durable and has both positives and negatives. Due to its width of 29 inches the board is somewhat stable. The board has 2.79 lbs per foot and weighs a total of 27.9 lbs which is slightly heavy for only a 10ft board. Its shape makes the Touring Elite a touring board best for intermediate paddlers designed with touring in mind. Its construction and shape combined best fit this board for recreational paddling between 3 to 10 miles max. Retailing at $1,999, the board is among the high-price point boards but is among the best of what the brand has to offer.

Who is this for: If you’re looking for a fast, non-inflatable, premium touring board to paddle mid to long-range distances then the Traveller from BOTE is worth a look. This stand up paddle (SUP) board comes in the chainmail construction, which is durable and has its ups and downs. Due to its width of 28 inches the board is somewhat stable and it has 2.04 lbs per foot weighing 25.5 lbs total which is pretty lightweight for a 12’6” board. Its shape makes the Traveller perfect for touring and best for intermediate and advanced paddlers to enjoy recreationally. Its construction and shape combined best fit this board for mid to long-range distance paddling of 5-10 miles plus. Retailing at $1,799, the board is at a premium price point but comes with the best that the brand has to offer.

Who is this for: If you’re looking for a stable, non-inflatable race board to paddle mid and long-range distances then the Bark Dominator Pro is worth a look. This stand up paddle (SUP) board comes in the Pro Elite construction which is somewhat durable and has both ups and downs. With its width being 28.2 inches the board is relatively stable and the board has 1.97 lbs per foot weighing 27.6 lbs total, making the board very lightweight for its length. Its shape makes the Dominator Pro a race board that can be used by intermediate paddlers for competitive paddling. Its construction and shape combined best fit this board for stand up paddle racing. Retailing at $2,399, the board is among the high-tier price point but comes with the best the brand has to offer.

Who is this for: If you’re looking for a fast, non-inflatable, all-around race board to paddle in races with a variety of conditions then the X from SIC Maui is worth a look. This stand up paddle (SUP) board comes in the Tuff Carbon Wood (TWC) construction which is durable and has its ups and downs. The X is 29.5 inches wide making it a pretty stable race board and it weighs 2.76 lbs per foot, 34.5 lbs in total, which is moderately heavy for its length of 12’6”. Its shape makes the X an all-around race board that can be used by intermediate paddlers in most racing conditions. Its construction and shape combined best fit this board for sprint or long-distance racing. Retailing at $1,699, the board is in the high-tier price point but comes with some of the best that the brand has to offer.

Who is this for: If you are looking for a stable, non-inflatable board to paddle and surf on then the Boardworks Special is worth a look. This stand up paddle (SUP) board comes in the Krypto-flex construction which is relatively fragile having both ups and downs. Due to its width of 30 inches, the Special is moderately stable. The board has an average weight of 2.86 lbs per foot weighing 28.05 lbs in total. Its shape makes the Special a surf-specific board that is designed to be used primarily for surfing. Its construction and shape combined best fit this board for paddling out to the lineup and ripping in small to sizeable surf. Retailing at $1,249, the Special is in the popular mid-tier market in terms of affordability.