Stand Up Paddle Board vs Kayak-Which One is Better for Fishing

As a popular recreational activity, fishing has always been the first choice of many people for a relaxed, enjoyable time. In recent years, people have been trying new ways to make fishing more interesting. Now we have stand-up paddle fishing and kayak fishing. Stand-up paddle boarding gained its popularity in recent years and along with it comes SUP fishing. But is it any better than the more conventional kayak fishing? Let’s find out.

Stand up paddle board VS kayak

Costs

When trying to draw a comparison between fishing kayaks and fishing SUPs, the aspect of price will pop up almost instantly. Here’s an average retail price of both water sports devices:

- Fishing kayaks: $600-$2,000

- Fishing paddle boards: $500-$2,000

They both lie within the same price range so you might want to look at other features to find out a deciding factor to help you make the decision. 

Fishing Capabilities

Generally, fishing SUPs have better fishing capabilities than kayaks. As you can tell by its name, you will need to stand on it while trying to catch fish. This is especially advantageous as you can see the fish nearby more clearly and you’ll have a better angle for casting, as opposed to kayaking.

Almost all fishing SUPs feature bungee cords on them. The one thing that can help make the fishing experience more enjoyable for you is a cooler. You can attach one for storage of fish or for sitting on when fishing. You also get to bring food and drinks along for the journey. 

Both fishing SUPs and fishing kayaks are very maneuverable compared to normal boats. What this means is that you’ll be able to easily locate fish on ‘hot spots.’ Fishing SUP boards are especially handy when you need to sneak up on your prey: kayaks are somewhat noisy in the waters.

Transportation

While it’s easier for you to transport an inflatable SUP board, you’ll need more than a small vehicle to transport fishing kayaks to a body of water. When it’s needed, you can always deflate an inflatable SUP and roll it up to put it in a bag for easy transportation. So the next time you go on a vacation, you can consider bringing your fishing SUP along for a nice and relaxed session of fishing.

Physical Constraints

As is mentioned previously, fishing kayaks allow you to sit for the whole time to reduce tiredness while SUP fishing boards require you to be standing on it to paddle and fish. There’s a huge difference between the ways you fish on them and if you have strain issues on your lower body, then fishing kayaks might be a safer choice. Generally, fishing kayaks require fewer muscle movements and strain according to how they are designed.

Although fishing kayaks are better for low-exercise movements, paddling is perfect if you want to exercise more. You’ll do your favorite activity along with good exercise for your whole body.

So, which one is the better choice for fishing?

An inflatable SUP needs high balancing postures and control, which may affect your fishing especially if you’re new to fishing paddle boards. Experienced SUP’ers will have a way of getting around this. So, while choosing a suitable floatation device for fishing, its crucial to consider your fishing habits as well. Fishing paddle boards will do better in calmer waters while kayaks are proved to be better in murky or rougher water bodies like oceans. Both fishing kayaks and fishing paddle boards have excellent capabilities in waters but you’ll have to dig deeper to find out the one that’ll suit your fishing needs. 

Both stand-up paddle boards and kayaks have their own merits. It could be hard to choose between the benefits of paddle boarding and kayak. So you can rent them and try them out before making the final decision if possible. While you would find most of the products are priced above $500, there are exceptions. The Goosehill Sport SUP is at $399 and is a very solid choice for a fishing SUP. And there are other SUP board and kayak brands with products at a low price but of high-quality. If you want to spend less money on them, you'd have to do some research. It might take some time but it will be worth it.