My daughter really enjoyed exploring the lake at the cabin via paddle board last year, so I thought about getting her one:
I never like the idea of getting a kid summer stuff (bikes, skateboards, etc) for Christmas because in Minnesota you have to wait another 4 months before you can even think about using it. Getting her a stand-up paddle-board (SUP) for her birthday in May would be a better idea.
Paddle Boards for Kids
I started doing research and there are at least two companies that make smaller 8-foot inflatable stand-up paddle boards (ISUP) specifically for kids. The first is called the BOTE Flow Aero and it’s available at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Like my kayak purchase from Dick’s, I subscribed to all the notifications in September and waited…
I didn’t actually make it 6 months, only three. In that time, the price on this thing didn’t budge. As much it looks like a top-quality boat, I was reluctant to drop $500 on something that might not be a hit. So I kept looking 👀
What I found in November is the Retrospec brand, an LA-based outdoor recreation and fitness company. They also have an eight-foot paddle board for kids for $250. I subscribed to their notifications and waited, but I didn’t have to wait long, and was able to snag the board on sale for $200.
It sat in the box for a couple of months waiting for my daughter’s birthday to roll around. She opened it earlier this month, and finally over Memorial day weekend, we were able to take it out.
The board itself is great, it comes with everything all nicely packed in a backpack to carry it around. Inflation was easy and honestly I’ll probably keep it inflated for the summer. We just take the fins off while moving it, and they’re easy to snap on and off.
She did great on it, even on a windy day 🌬️ The only time she had a problem was near the shore when the wake board boat wake came in, creating some big waves! 🌊
My only regret is that we didn’t get a photo of her on the maiden voyage 😓
Nano 2 is out, original on sale
Since I purchased the board in winter, they now have newer Weekender Nano 2 for $300 and they’re clearing out the first version for $200. Highly recommended if you have a kid under 140lbs that enjoys paddle-boarding.
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