You can absolutely sit on a stand up paddle board. Beginner paddle boards tends to be wide, giving you both the space to sit and stability for balance. But how does it compare to standing?

Paddle boarding can be difficult, but also fun and exciting. Being able to paddle through the waters with a minimal amount of gear and enjoy the waves can be thrilling in good weather and good company.

There are many things paddlers enjoy doing on their SUP board. One of them is to, as the name implies, stand on their board and explore the waters.

Standing On a Stand Up Boaddle Board a Good Idea?

By standing and paddling, there are several points you can achieve:

  1. You have greater control over navigation and speed: Standing gives you a great distance from the water, allowing you to maneuver your paddle around your body to your liking. It gives you the full leverage to paddle swiftly or change directions easily from a vantage point better than sitting.
  2. More space for carry-ons or passengers: Standing minimizes the amount of space you take on your paddle board. Most paddle boards can carry a +1 within a certain weight limit and to the extent the paddle board stability allows. However, there’s no doubt that standing and paddling gives you more space to work with for your adventures out in the open water.
  3. It can provide greater stability: Although counter intuitive, standing can provide the more experienced paddler the ability to shift their center of gravity as needed, especially while in unpredictable waters. Wind and waves are inevitable, and being able to adjust accordingly lets you enjoy your SUP board experience without getting too soaked.

These 3 benefits are great, which is why stand up paddleboarding exist. However, it doesn’t mean you can’t sit on them.

Sitting On a Stand Up Paddle Board a Good Idea?

Many popular paddle boards are designed to provide great stability with a wider deck and a hull that can smooth out your experience on mild waves. If you have a large enough of a paddle board, you might be able to sit a person or two, too. We should warn you that balance will be a challenge!

Standing has a few benefits as well:

  1. You can rest and enjoy the moment: By sitting, you can really enjoy the experience of being out in the open water. Simply lay back against your storage box, and enjoy the fantastic sun, water, and weather.
  2. More power for paddling: By maintaining a close distance to your paddle board, you can translate a greater force in your thrust to move your paddle board. This can be especially useful when you need to get somewhere quickly.
  3. Assured stability with your paddleboard: Although you can better adjust your stability with your paddle board while standing during rough waves, sitting down gives you greater stability with yuor paddle board. Your center of gravity is closer to your paddle board, making many beginner paddlers or those with challenges to balancing more comfortable.

By being physically closer to your paddleboard, the force you exert becomes more effective. You also balance better because your weight isn’t swinging around unlike when standing up.

What About Seating On a Paddleboard?

Many fishing paddle boards offer hooks for attaching seats on them. This means you can lay back comfortably with ease.

Some paddlers use a storage box to lay against. However, it’s not as comfortable as kayak seats that are round in design to cup your back and there is always the possibility of accidentally pushing your storage box into the water. Whoops!

In any case, being able to lay back to some degree can give you the chance to rest your legs from standing for an extended period of time. With a seat, you can keep your feet up on the paddle board while you lean back and relax. Maybe even fish or stroll around in the water peacefully.

Yoga Boards for Yoga Poses

Did you also know there are paddle boards for yoga? Yoga enthusiasts can enjoy the benefits of the serenity in open water by challenging themselves to balance on a paddle board on waves.

The difference with a yoga paddle board and other boards is the wide and lengthy deck for poses and a special deck pad for improved grip.

Conclusion

Whether you choose a yoga paddle board, fishing board, or a starter SUP, sitting is always an option. There are performance benefits to both standing and sitting, but having the option to do so let’s you choose what suits you best.

Sitting gives you a chance to catch your breath or to relax and enjoy the water, so give it a shot the next time you’re on a paddleboard! And let us how it goes!