Hi all,
I'm shopping around for a SUP and keen to hear some thoughts on a good beginner board. I'm 6"2 and 75kgs and thinking it would be great to get something my hubby and friends could use as well. I've been browsing and see a bunch of ads from Alley Designs. Very pretty boards, just wondering if they are good quality also? Or if there are any other good, affordable brands to check out.
Thanks for your time!

They look ok.. Which one are you looking at?

How heavy is your hubby?

Will the board be used for flat water paddling or surfing.. (or both).

I'm thinking the 10'6" or 11' x 32" would be the size board you should be considering.

Thanks DavidJohn!
Hubby is about 95kgs and I think mostly flat water (haven't tried surf yet).
I found one second hand that's 9'6 x 32" x 4 1/2 " but thought it might be a bit short for us!
Have a day off tomorrow and plan on browsing the store. I'm sure the store staff will be great but happy to hear any tips for what to look out for in a board while shopping?

9'6 x 32 will be too small for a 95kg beginner...

As DJ said, 10'6" or longer, and 32" or wider would be best. If you are flat water paddling, and the length/weight won't be a problem (getting it on a car, etc.) then there are minimal downsides to going to a bigger size.

Thanks! We are definitely beginners so will stick to the larger sizes although not sure we could go over the 10"6 to be able to store it at home.
Thanks again

Yes, listen to the advice you've been given here. Sometimes the advice you get in a store can be influenced by what boards the store wants to shift...

Longer boards are more fun for flat water paddling. 10-6 is about the most popular length in the world for people starting out. There's a reason for that. But ideally at your weights/heights you'd probably be somewhere in the 10-6 to 11-6 range, and 32" wide (not less).

So it would be worth measuring up at home and thinking about what you can fit in. Paddling boards that are too small for you or the activity you are doing is tedious.

If storage is a real problem, and you are only going to be paddling flat water in good weather, then an inflatable SUP is always an option. They can be an economical and practical solution for beginners. They don't surf well at all, but if you are going to be paddling flat water only, and not competing seriously in races, they can allow people with limited storage space to paddle a board in the 12-14ft range, which is what most experienced paddlers prefer in flat water.

Thanks Area10
We ended up buying a board from Alley Designs. They were helpful and we tried a couple of sizes/shapes before deciding which was good! Took it out for a first paddle over the weekend and loved it! I'd like to find a local sup group to join now so I can learn from others on the water fun times ahead!