My boyfriend and I are looking at purchasing boards, as we recently came back from a holiday where we tried stand up paddle boarding and enjoy it a lot. We are unsure of what brand to get, don't want to get a dud, however do not want to spend over $1000 per board. Thinking of getting one off eBay.
Check with your local sup shop for ex demo and second hand big brand boards.. and be careful buying off eBay because it's always best to demo first before buying.
I got a new waterborne evoke with board bag, leggy, rail tape, and fixed carbon paddle for less than $1,100. Its pretty good in the surf but i tend to find the matt finish paint chips easily.
When I looked for a board after going to Noosa I had a similar budget in mind, only problem is cheap and good do not go together so second hand or demo as DJ mentioned is a good option. The boards for sale on this site look pretty good so have a look for one of the big name brands that are a couple of years old or check your SUP retailers sometimes they have returned boards for sale. Brands that are good are Naish, Starboard, Fanatic, JP, Blue Planet however if you are in QLD they seem to have a lot of other local brands which are very popular with a lot of people on this site.
I agree with all of the above comments. DaveS makes excellent suggestions. I think it is easier to start "big" i.e. A big, wide board will accelerate your learning curve, will allow you to concentrate on your paddling technique,give you heaps of confidence and therefore ultimately increase your love of Paddleboarding! Enjoy 
Check the buy and sell section on here - this would be a great buy depending on where you are www.seabreeze.com.au/Classifieds/StandUpPaddle-Surfing-and-Cruising-Boards/~tgjet/2014-Starboard-Wide-Point-9-5-32-inches.aspx?search=AzC1eyuqcmVI3gZMebwxK8rmHOq51b86
