I live on a lake in the Alps and have tried SUP a few times. This year I want to buy my own board. I am 165 tall/64 kg and I have a 2 year old Bernese Mountain Dog (52 kg) I would like to take with me. He is afraid of water but we have gone on a double kayak (sit on top) before. I want a board for touring/fitness that I can take out on the lake for a few hours. I want to SUP year round and not fall in (water in winter is 6 degrees!!). Inflatable is probably best because I can transport more easily and go other places in France. Fanatic, BIC and Naish boards seem to be most popular here.
Now that is the best thread title on a SUP forum I've ever seen!
When you takee the Bernese out we'll want pics....one of those dogs like round the corner from me...kinda BIG!
Hi Biotechlady,
all depending on your main usage. If you always sup with your dog you should be looking for something very stable like the Fanatic FlyAir Touring 12x34 or Red Paddle Explorer 12.6x 32 as more Touring orientated boards. If the goal is purely stability, the Red Paddle Mega 10.8 x 36 looks tempting as well. Depending on the beaviour of your dog you may even consider the Starboard Astro Tender or Explorer, but at 11.2 x 40, they are super stable but like boats.
If you are travelling a lot by plane or walk longer distances to the spot, Red Paddle has by far the best backpack. All others are not really constructed for extended usage as they should be to take advantage of an inflatable board.
Last not least ,try to demo before you buy.Should be no problem around the bigger lakes in France or Switzerland.
Are inflatables able to withstand a large dog's toenails? They don't wear down as easily as a smaller dog's. Curious because I'm thinking of getting a Red, and I have a 50lb dog and an 11lb dog.
Probably the hardest part here will be training him to blow up his new inflatable board.
