Paddleboarding has become a popular activity amongst seniors. It’s easy to learn and gliding through the water is a peaceful and fun activity that is great for strengthening muscles and reducing stress. So when you would like to start paddleboarding or you want a paddleboard upgrade you might wonder, what is the best paddle board for seniors?
The best paddleboard for seniors is the all-round inflatable Bluefin Cruise Paddleboard. It’s the most versatile and stable paddleboard on the market. It’s 6” thick and made of PVC laminate military-grade material that can hold up to 28 PSI, which makes it more rigid and stable than other paddleboards. The board is shaped for all-round use, a nice blend of speed with balance and is easy to paddle, prep, and pack.
Now that know you which paddle board is best, let’s dive in deeper into why it’s the best for seniors and everything else you need to know about paddle boards. So continue reading.
What Is The Best Paddle Board For Seniors?
Paddleboarding is one of the best activities for seniors. It’s not only fun, but it also has many health benefits. And it’s so easy to learn. You don’t have to be super athletic to paddleboard. Everyone can learn how to paddleboard very quickly. As a paddleboard enthusiast myself, I see many seniors out on the water paddle boarding having fun and that is why I did some research into which paddleboard is best for seniors. Because there are different types of paddleboards that are used for different purposes that you need to know about, which I’m going to explain later in this article. But as a senior, there a few extra criteria to look for in a paddleboard.
As a senior, you want a paddle board that is more stable than average, because as you age you lose your function to balance. Also because muscle mass and strength decline as you age you want a lightweight board and paddle to make things easy for yourself. Gliding through the water easily makes your experience more fun. And probably you want a board to is versatile and travel-friendly because your retirement is filled with all sorts of adventures and festivities. For example, to cruise down the river nearby your home, catch a few waves, relax in the sun, kayak, and enjoy paddle boarding together with grandchildren, friends, and family, etc.
When you look at these criteria you want a stable all-round paddle board. And that is why the all-round inflatable Bluefin Cruise Paddleboard is your best pick. It’s easy to paddle, easy to prep, and easy to pack.
Best All-Round Paddle Board For Seniors: #1 Best Pick
The Bluefin Inlatable Cruise Paddle Board is the best paddle board for seniors, because of many reasons:
- It’s 6″ thick which makes the board extra stable, which is great for seniors because you have more trouble keeping your balance as you age.
- Its made of PVC laminate and pro weave drop stitch military-grade material which makes this paddle board more rigid than other paddle boards on the market. Therefore a great investment that you can enjoy your whole life.
- It can hold up to 28 PSI, which makes it an extremely stable paddleboard. Most paddle boards go up to 15 PSI.
- The ergonomic fiberglass paddle weighs 45% less than standard SUP paddles. That makes paddling a breeze.
- It can be converted into a kayak within seconds due to mounting rings on the board and a padded kayak seat included in the package. Which makes it a versatile board and a great accessory to bring on your planned retirement adventures.
- It’s inflatable so that you can bring it with you on every trip. And it’s inflated in just a couple of minutes with the double action pump that inflates the board while you pump both up and down. But when don’t like pumping you can get a portable electric sup air pump.
- It’s available in size 10’8″, 12′ and 15′. And if you want to know which size is best for you, continue reading or visit the detailed guide of Bluefin here.
Most Stable Paddle Board For Seniors
There is an even more stable paddle board out there. It’s the Bluefin Voyage Paddleboard that is 20% wider than standard paddle boards. It’s the sturdiest paddle board out there and is perfect for all kinds of activities and has some extra features that you can’t find on other paddle boards:
- It has stability side rails for better balance.
- A cooler box to keep food and beverages cool. Or to store your catch of the day.
- Two fishing mount rods when you love to fish.
- It’s 38″ wide. Standard boards are 30″ which makes this board very stable compared to all other paddleboards.
What Do I Need To Know Before Buying A Paddle board?
When you’re looking for a paddleboard you want a board that matches your skills, weight, height, and use of purpose. These factors are important to consider first before buying a paddleboard, because paddle boards come in all shapes and sizes, and are used for different purposes. And here is why…
Paddleboards come in different sizes because every human is different. There isn’t just one size fits all paddle board. A tall person needs a longer, wider, and sometimes thicker board to get the same comfort level of stability as a short person on a shorter board. Also, if you’re planning on paddling solo you need a different size board than when you want to paddle board in pairs or with your grandchildren.
Do you want to know which board size is the best for you?
The rule of thumb according to Bluefin is that if you’re planning on paddle solo most of the time a 10’8″ board is a perfect size. But if you’re taller than 6′ or if occasionally you want to take on an extra passenger on board you can best get a 12′ or 15′ paddle board. But you can get more in-depth information about it here.
Different Types of Paddle Boards
The shape of the board influences the performance of the paddleboard. When you’re looking for a paddle board to make long-distance trips you need a touring paddle board that is longer and narrower in shape. Speed is more important than stability with a touring paddle board. Then you have an activity paddle board that is has a more round shaped nose and is thicker and wider for better stability. This board is used especially for yoga or water-based fitness activities. Speeding or turning with an activity paddleboard is much harder compared to a touring paddle board.
And then you have the all-round paddle board where you’ll get the perfect blend between speed and balance and is great for versatile use. These boards have an oval shape nose for a great speed performance but are wider than touring boards, to experience comfort and stability for an easy-breezy ride and fun experience on the water. Most all-round paddle boards also have the feature to convert the board into a kayak with mounting points, a padded kayak seat and extra paddle piece for kayak paddling.
Is Paddle Boarding Healthy?
Paddle boarding is a very healthy activity. Especially for seniors. And here is why…
Physical Benefits Of Paddle Boarding
- Improves Your Balance – This helps you maintain independence as you age.
- Strengthens Your Entire Body – Gradually strengthens your arms, legs, back, and shoulders, and especially your core.
- Low Impact Work Out – The risk of injuries is low. And as you age recovery takes longer and therefore paddleboarding is a great exercise for seniors.
- Enhances Your Flexibility – Which is great when you have stiff joints.
- You Lose Weight – Paddleboarding is a full-body workout that helps you lose weight and builds lean muscle tone.
- Helps With Injury Recovery – Paddleboarding is often used as physiotherapy and therefore great exercise for recovery of injuries.
- It Helps Prevent Diseases – Paddleboarding is a moderate way of exercising, which keeps improving your cardiovascular health and prevents the risk of relatable diseases according to the University Of Michigan.
- Decreases Your Risk Of Falling – You improve your balance and coordination with paddle boarding, which makes the risk of falling lower. And help you to maintain your independence as you get older.
- Increases Your Bone Strength – Paddleboarding is a great strength exercising that increases your bone strength according to the National Institute of Health.
- Boosts Your Immune System – Exercising in the open air improves your overall immune system according to this study.
Mental Benefits Of Paddle Boarding For Older People
- It Makes You Happy – Being near water is proven to make you happier according to this best-selling book.
- It Reduces Stress – Exercising as well as being near water decrease the stress hormones in the body.
- Energy Booster – Surrounded by nature and exercising gives you a positive energy boost.
- Improves Your Cognitive Functioning – “Practicing a new and challenging activity is a good bet for building and maintaining cognitive skills.“ According to Harvard Medical School
- Nature Improves Your Mood – Due to negative ions in nature, you feel emotionally better. It stimulates the supply of oxygen to the brain.
- It’s A Way Of Meditating – Paddleboarding is a way of meditation. The concentration you need to stay in balance keeps you at the moment and brings you peace of mind. Also, the soothing environment makes you feel calmer.
- It Curbs And Prevents Depression – Paddleboarding can be used as a remedy to deal with depression.