Many people enjoy relaxing and getting centered through yoga. In fact, it’s one of the best mindfulness and meditative processes out there. But just like with everything else, there’s a wide variety of options when it comes to these practices.
One of the most serene places where you can take time to get in tune with your body and the world surrounding you is by executing your yoga practices on the water. This is often done in rivers or lakes, and in order to do this, you need one very special piece of equipment – a yoga SUP board.
But if you’re new to this type of SUP board, you may wonder what it is. Below, we will discuss the topic and then go into the most important details you really need to know!
What Is A Yoga SUP Board?
A SUP yoga board is designed with a bow that has a wide and rounded shape and a rear that is just as wide. The sides tend to have a more gentle curve and soft edges. This is intended to give the board more stability which is handy when utilizing this yoga SUP for your meditative and physical practices. Typically Yoga Paddleboards also have extra-large deckpads, which is an important factor as it improves the comfort during the Yoga poses.
Because of this design, the board is very user-friendly and comfortable enough for even new boarders to enjoy. Comfortability is the critical factor, especially in yoga, because you want the top to be soft to focus on the task at hand. Taking this simple design and elevating it, some companies have added extra features to make it even more comfortable to use.
These are features like carrying handles and more extreme curves in order to elevate the board’s functionality even more for SUP Yoga. The overall design of the board’s shape is optimized to as stable as possible and comfortable during your wide range of yoga poses.
One of the most important things to understand is that there are “two sub-types” of Yoga SUP Boards:
- Boards which have some of the optimizations for Yoga, but provide still reasonable features of an all-around SUP Board. This means that they are not only great for yoga, but are also relatively easy to manoeuvre and to paddle. As a consequence, those boards make also fun for leisurly tours.
- Boards which are completely optimized for Yoga. These boards have a shape which is much more rectangular. This makes them great for yoga, but the paddling part of SUP is mediocre. This means, that these boards are not really suitable anymore even for easy tours.
An example of a top Yoga SUP Board, which still has some all-around capabilities, is the Abrazo Namaste shown in the picture above.
A more extensive selection can be found in our overview of the Best Yoga SUP Boards.
Is An Inflatable Board Feasible For This Type of Paddle Boarding?
Because there are so many different types of yoga SUP boards, you may find yourself struggling to choose between them. One of the options you may come across is an inflatable yoga paddleboard. Especially if you’re new to this aspect of paddleboarding, you may find an inflatable board a little strange.
But the truth is because they tend to be softer and more malleable, inflatable Paddleboards are an excellent option for yoga practices. In fact, the inflatable type of yoga paddleboard can be much easier on the body, and since yoga is all about being present in your body through softer movements, a softer board might be a good choice.
Because of this, there is a wide range of great options, from the Abrazo Namaste Yoga Inflatable SUP to the Isle Explorer Inflatable SUP. Each model will offer its own unique design and attributes. Overall, the fact that they are crafted with the yoga SUP shape combined with the inflatable capabilities makes them ideal for any yoga practitioner.
When Should You Choose An Alternative To Yoga PaddleBoards?
There is a wide range of yoga paddleboards available out there. The yoga SUP style is just one of many, and so you may be asking yourself when you should choose an alternative to this type of board. It really depends on your own preferences.
For those who are only occasionally into doing yoga, it might be suggested to go with a wide all-around board as this will give you a lot more versatility. By choosing this type of board, you can do a plethora of other things, including touring and yoga.
On the other hand, if you are solely buying this board for yoga, choosing an alternative would be unnecessary. Instead, we suggest you look at a board that is completely designed as a paddleboard for yoga. There are a lot of options out there.
What Else To Consider When Choosing A yoga SUP Board
When it comes to choosing a SUP board for yoga, you have to consider several things. Some of them are natural just in general when it comes to choosing a SUP board, and others are specifically about the practice of yoga on that paddleboard.
The Size and the Deck Pad
The first thing you have to think about is the overall dimensions.
More than anything, you need to focus on the width versus the length. The length only plays a minor part in the stability of a SUP yoga board. However, the width does play a part in stability and ease of remounting. So you want to ensure that the board’s width is wide enough for you to complete all your yoga poses comfortably, including transitions between the poses.
The next thing you want to look at is the deck pad.
For Paddleboard Yoga, you want to ensure that it takes up at least 3/4 of the board. But it doesn’t have to extend the entire deck because you’re never going to be utilizing the whole deck when doing your yoga. If you did, you would wind up in the water more times than you would like to admit.
Stepping away from the actual construction and design of the yoga SUP board, there are a couple of other things that need to be considered. The first is the poses that you plan on doing, because this influences how directly the board shape shall be optimized for yoga. So you need to think a little ahead: As you become more developed in yoga, the poses become more intricate.
The Yoga Poses and how to anchor your board
So you will have to really think about what poses are accessible to you while utilizing them on a yoga SUP board. This can play a part in selecting the board you go with. The more “extreme” the yoga poses get, the more stable (and therewith wide) your board should be. Some typical yoga paddleboard poses that you can execute safely on most models are:
- Triangle pose
- Down facing gang
- Chair pose
- Garland pose
- Cobra pose
- Boat pose
- And many more!
When utilizing a SUP board for yoga, you want to make sure that your board stays where you have anchored it.
That means considering purchasing a SUP anchor is a vital step in the process of beginning your yoga paddleboard practice.
There are a lot of great options, including the Olivia & Aiden grapnel anchor kit and the best marine anchor. You will need to choose the one that works for the type of water you are practicing your yoga on and works with your board.
Additional Features to consider
You can consider things that don’t really play a significant role in how effective a SUP board is for yoga. These include the fin set up and extra features like carrying handles and storage capability. Each of these external features only serves to elevate the board’s usability.
Though they may not directly affect your yoga practice, taking away some of the stress of transportation and stability will help you clear your mind and prepare you to be in the right mindset.
Final Thoughts
It’s essential to understand what a yoga SUP board is and your options when investing in one. You will want to find one that is wide enough for your comfort, and other than that, the rest of the options are up to you. But one thing is for sure: it is best to choose a more well-rounded Yoga paddleboard so that you get more bang for your buck. After all you don’t want to have to have a paddleboard for every occasion, one that fits all your needs is more beneficial.
This is why we highly suggest finding a paddleboard for your yoga practice that is not only versatile but also easily transported and stored. This means for use the best option is a versatile yoga paddleboard that is constructed in the inflatable style and that has more of a all around shape. We hope that this in-depth look has helped you with your decision making process and you are able to get out there on the water soon.
