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You could save more than £100 on this Which?-tested paddleboard
Paddleboards can be a pricey investment – especially for beginners – often coming in at around £300. But one that our Which? experts have tested is now reduced.
The Bestway Hydro Force Aqua Glider usually starts at £304 at Blacks and goes up from there. However, Amazon currently has this model on sale at £199. This is almost the cheapest we've seen this inflatable paddleboard (it was £169 earlier in the week), making it a bargain worthy of consideration if you're after a new bit of kit.
What is it and where can you get one?
The Bestway Hydro Force Aqua Glider, despite sounding like something out of a superhero comic, is an inflatable paddleboard that comes with the essentials you need to start paddleboarding.
At the time of writing, it's going for £199 on Amazon. It was £169 on Amazon earlier this week, however, the current price is still a substantial saving on the next retailer's price.
While you can pick it up from Argos, Decathlon, or Halfords, it becomes a lot more expensive – costing between £300 and £400 depending on the retailer.
You can also buy it direct from Bestway, but it will set you back £399.99, making it one of the most expensive places to buy.
You can compare prices below:
Is the Bestway Hydro Force Aqua Glider any good?
If you're looking to get into paddleboarding and need a beginner's board, the Bestway Hydro Force Aqua Glider is a good option to consider.
We liked that it was an all-inclusive piece of kit, and the built-in storage cables that can hold a dry bag or the accessories on the board. Our testers found the backpack to be comfortable, so you should be able to walk longer distances with it. In part, this was because it was the lightest we tested, weighing in at 9.6kg.
It has a weight capacity of 110kg, is 10 feet six inches long, and comes with a pump, paddle, repair patch, fins and foot leash.
But how does it handle in the water? You can log in or become a Which? member to read our full Bestway Hydro Force Aqua Glider review.
How much does an inflatable paddleboard typically cost?
All of the inflatable paddleboards we've tested cost between £200 and £350. You can pick up our Best Buy paddleboard for under £300. We've also found that price and quality don't necessarily correlate, so we'd recommend reading our reviews before buying.
If paddleboarding doesn't appeal to you, you can check out our guide to the best inflatable kayaks.
What should I look for when buying an inflatable paddleboard?
We tested each paddleboard for a laundry list of things, but the most important to look for are:
- Easy manoeuvrability
- Stability on the water while being easy to balance
- Easy to get up to speed and maintain it
- The ability to glide on the water with minimal effort
- High-quality, sturdy paddle that's comfortable and adjustable
- Easy inflating and deflating and comes with a high-quality pump
- Durable and portable carry bag that's comfortable to hike with.
What should I know before buying a paddleboard?
While paddleboarding can seem like a relaxed, low-stakes activity, as with all water sports, there's a lot that can go wrong without the proper precautions. Here are some tips we learned while we were testing paddleboards.
Get a life jacket
Getting a proper life jacket is an essential investment for any water activity. You can get one for £30 and they could save your life. Read the Royal National Lifeboat Institution's advice on choosing a life jacket for more information.
Take a lesson
The best way to learn the basics of anything is to take a lesson or two before you go out on your own. In a lesson, expect to learn how to self rescue, rescue others, how to balance on the board, adjust your paddle, and how to deal with cold water shock when paddleboarding.
Our experts stress the importance of safety on the water. Matt Knight, one of the heads of our testing team, said 'Lessons can be a great way to set you up on a paddleboard, making sure you understand elements such as water currents and leash safety.'
During our tests, we recruited two SUP (stand-up paddleboard) experts, Skip Innes and Grant Bristow from The SHAC, to help us facilitate our tests and keep our novice testers safe on the water. The SHAC offers introductory lessons from £35.
Read our safety tips
It takes a lot of balance to stand on a paddleboard, and if you fall into the water getting back on is harder than you'd think.
We spoke to paddleboarding experts during our testing to find out the most important safety tips when on the water. You can read our quick safety tips so you can start with more confidence.
Where to paddleboard
Using a paddleboard in most UK waterways, like rivers or canals, typically requires a licence.
An On the Water membership from British Canoeing costs £47 per year for an adult, and gives you a licence that allows you to paddleboard in 4,500km of waterways.
If you plan on paddleboarding on a lake, you might not need a licence. While we'd recommend picking one up just in case, you can use British Canoeing's waterway licence checker to find out whether you'll need one.
Other Which?-tested paddleboards
Below, you can compare prices on all of the inflatable paddleboards we've tested. Be sure to read our reviews on the best inflatable paddleboards before buying.
Common paddleboard upgrades
If you're enjoying paddleboarding, these are some common upgrades that can improve your experience on the water.
- A quick-release waist belt: Rather than relying on the ankle leash that comes with most paddleboards, it's worth picking up a quick-release belt that sits around your waist. This is a particularly good upgrade if you're going to be paddleboarding on rivers or waterways with any type of considerable flow. Since ankle belts are harder to reach, and after they've been the cause of some tragic accidents, we'd recommend going the safer route and picking up a belt. We tried a low-cost waist leash from wavesupboards.co.uk that costs £16.99, but at time of writing it's out of stock. You can buy similar belts for about the same price from Aquaplanet or Amazon.
- A better paddle: Is an easy early investment to make and can make your paddleboarding experience much better and more comfortable. Spending around £100 should get you one made of carbon fibre that's made to your size and preferences on weight. If you're not sure which kind of paddle you'd prefer, you can try out different kinds at your local paddleboarding centre to find out what suits.
- A wetsuit: If you plan on paddleboarding as the temperature drops, a wetsuit can keep you safe in cold conditions – especially since water temperatures can get close to freezing.
- A rigid paddleboard: Inflatable paddleboards are great for beginners, but boards that are more rigid will more easily glide through the water. Getting a solid board made of a mixture wood, fiberglass, epoxy, or carbon fibre can be the ultimate paddleboarding upgrade. They are considerably more expensive though, costing anywhere from £600 to £2,000.
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