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Water Sports & Saltwater Fishing

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The Ultimate Guide to Inflatable Stand Up Paddleboards

Inflatable SUPs are significantly better overall for enjoying all-around paddling due to the advantages they offer in terms of injury prevention, versatility, weight, portability, and durability. However, if you are mainly purchasing a board for SUP racing or surfing, hardboards have certain technical characteristics that make them worthwhile to consider.

Among SUP boards, inflatable paddleboards used to be viewed as a novelty. However, over the years they have evolved and are now the starting point and new normal when looking for a new paddleboard to buy. Below are seven comparison points that you can use to help guide your decision-making process on whether you want to buy a hardboard or SUP. We will provide answers to some common questions.

Over time it has been proven that inflatable paddle boards are more durable compared to epoxy SUPs. High-quality inflatables are made out of military-grade materials that do not have the same vulnerabilities that hardboards do – holes and digs that result in the need for expensive repairs. That is why you see many more inflatables out on rivers than hard boards, where impacting with rocks is an important factor that must be considered, and why SUP rental agencies and schools are increasingly choosing inflatable fleets to help minimize the amount of board damage caused by the careless handling of renters and students.

When you fall on an inflatable SUP it doesn’t hurt too much. However, it can be quite painful to fall on a hardboard. Inflatable paddleboards are a lot easier on the ride’s body and anyone else that the board may come into contact with.

Fatigue is reduced by a softer deck. When you stand on an inflatable SUP it is very similar to standing on an expensive rubber mat that is used in commercial environments so that fatigue is reduced. Your feet are going to be much more relaxed and comfortable due to less contact pressure. Your neck, back, and knees also benefit.

Inflatables are lighter and used more often. An inflatable for a certain board size will normally weigh less than a hardboard that is the equivalent size, which makes getting it over the water much easier.

When traveling, you can check in a blow-up board on an airplane. Inflatable SUPs can also be rolled up so they fit inside of a bag that you can check on a plane or put in your car’s trunk. When you take your SUP board on vacation it can save you hundreds of dollars in rental fees and give you the freedom and flexibility to paddle based on your schedule and preferences.

Hard boards require a lot of storage space. On the other hand, you can store an inflatable SUP o a shelf, without needing o take u a whole wall or need a high ceiling for storage space. When they are deflated, you can store a whole fleet of inflatable SUP boards inside a small closet.

Inflatables Perform Better In Different Settings. Improvements in design and material technology have resulted in providing inflatable SUP boards with a rigidity that rivals hardboards and at the same time have distinct performance advantages compared to epoxy ad fiberglass boards. An all-around or performance/enthusiast class inflatable board often can be paddled anywhere on small waves, flat water, and depending on the specific model, even in whitewater. When inflatable and hard boards having the same footprint are compared, inflatables may have as much as 20% more volume, which makes them even more stable and supports more passenger and rider weight. Performance advances have resulted in inflatables being increasingly used by both casual SUP racers and in competitions. It is no longer the case that hard board-like performance is what is aspired to since there are distinct advantages to inflatables that have resulted in them coming into their own.

What is the expected lifespan of an inflatable paddleboard?

We could give an arbitrary range like 2 to 12 years to answer the question. However truthfully an inflatable SUP’s durability is going to depend on the kind of use it undergoes and the quality of the specific board that you purchase. We will share our direct experience as a real-world example from when we first started our business in 2012. The Earth River SUP was the very first brand of boards that we sold. Most of them are on the water still. That is almost eight years later on an early design inflatable. Since that time manufacturing technology has made significant advancements.

It is possible to repair inflatable paddle boards?

Yes, it is possible to repair many forms of damages that inflatable SUP boards sustained. Sometimes the owner can do the repairs but they are more often done by an experienced and qualified repair shop. A patch kit is still included with a majority of inflatable paddle boards. However, they are seldom needed with a good inflatable. Patch kits are throwbacks to the earlier single-layer design of inflatable SUPs. The question then was, what will happen if the inflatable gets a hole? at the time, the answer was a patch kit, which came in a distinct orange tube. Today, patches rarely need to be done on performance-level SUPs. When a patch is needed, it is usually due to the inflatable having a major impact with a sharp object or rock or abusing the board like dragging it over the pavement.

What Pounds Per Square Inch (PSI) should my paddleboard be inflated at?

We recommend that high-end SUP boards be inflated to a 15 PSI pressure with a 17 PSI maximum. At this level, performance level SUPS can achieve optimal rigidity and it isn’t necessary to go higher than that. Some companies advertise extreme maximum pressures, like 25 or 20 PSI. However, when you inflate to those high-pressure levels, from an inflation standpoint it is impractical and provides no or little improvement in rigidity while placing unnecessary stress on the board.

Saltwater Fishing Gear And Lures

If you plan fishing on the ocean, you’ll need saltwater fishing gear as saltwater fishing can be quite different than fishing in a stream or lake and the fish are quite different too. To be successful, a saltwater fisherman requires to use different fishing tactics because modern fishing is not just about skill but also proper equipment as well. You will need some changes in your equipment and practice if you are a freshwater fisherman and would like to do saltwater fishing to catch fish like blue fins, red snapper, marlin, etc in saltwater to get success.

The first thing you really need is a good rod. Fishing rod for saltwater should be about 9 feet in length, as starting you can use a decent but not top quality rod that can cost you around $100 to $200 but do not look something that is dirt cheap because it will inhibit your learning and can even lead to bad fishing habit.

You can buy something better with the money if you intend to resale your fishing rod as a decent rod resale value can have a good price but a dirt-cheap rod resale value far before the little bit you paid them.

A good Saltwater fishing gear like a fishing reel is designed for saltwater usage. You need to look at a reel that resists saltwater corrosion and the material used for this reel is normally from titanium, steel, fiber, plated steel, or resin because saltwater is more corrosive than freshwater.

If you wish to catch different types of fish so you will need different lines. For example, longer leaders need shier fish. You need a fly with good quality material and different techniques are required and also the right equipment to fool the fish into biting. To produce the best result in saltwater fishing, be sure to hedge your bets by using saltwater gear.

Using Saltwater Fishing Lures

Do you like fishing? Do you relax and get detached from mundane concerns when on a fishing expedition? If so, whether it is saltwater or freshwater fishing you prefer, you should always be prepared to do it properly in order to also catch fish. This material aims to briefly describe the use of saltwater fishing lures and the ways to properly select them. The purpose of the lures is to resemble prey for the fish you intend to catch. It is based on this feature that larger predators are attracted and get into the fisherman’s hook.

Therefore, take all the necessary tackle and saltwater fishing equipment when you go at sea or at the ocean on a fishing expedition. The lures selection could easily become a real challenge. Yet, solutions do exist, as there is plenty of information about these kinds of lures and loads of types of them available on the market. The fishing location, the species you are after, the time of the year when you go fishing, as well as personal preference influence the choice of the right tools.

From the wide range of saltwater fishing lures available on the market, you can choose the spoons which, in spite of being simplistic, are very effective and easy to use, and quite cheap. You can also buy spinners for the fishing trip because this type of saltwater fishing lure imitates baitfish incredibly well by their rotating movement. Other than these, saltwater fishermen also rely on sinking plugs, floating drivers, and surface lures.

The only relevant conclusion is that you need the right equipment, whether it’s a beginner fly fishing trip or a tuna expedition, as this leisure activity would lose part of its charm if you had to improvise too much. If you want the best results to come out of the expedition also consider buying the most suitable saltwater fishing lures.

Sea Kayaking – A Great Water Sport

As you already know, there are a lot of hidden dangers when you opt for sea kayaking, but first, let’s understand what this means. When we talk about sea kayaking, the reference is mainly to a kind of paddling sport that you would tend to undertake around water bodies such as lakes, oceans, and seas with the use of sea kayaks. Now sea kayaks aren’t complicated ships or anything for the sort. These are simple, small boats that come with a well-covered deck as well as the ability to incorporate a spray deck so that you can paddle in a straight line with maximum comfort and ease.

There are sea kayaks that are now used across the world to facilitate long-term marine journeys but they can’t accommodate a huge crew. Yet, those who regularly go out on sea kayaking trips enjoy the appeal and thrill it brings into their life as well as its unlimited area of boundless adventure too.

There are different materials from which modern sea kayaks are made. They are now easily available in a variety of designs, materials, and sizes but commonly found, there are two categories known as folding kayaks and rigid kayaks.

Before you venture out to decide what kind of kayak you intend to use, it is extremely essential for your safety to join a kayaking training school or secure lessons on kayaking from experts. This is to make sure that you learn the tricks and tips associated with sea kayaking and don’t get any unpleasant surprises during the sea kayaking expedition.

There are a lot of accredited kayaking training schools that would help you gain a solid foundation of what the activity of sea kayaking entails, the essential store supplies that you need to buy for yourself, the kind of protective gear you must invest for your safety, and a lot of other valuable information too.

Best of all, you should simply go ahead and take the initiative to meet with others who are from the same area just like you so that they may be on the same skill level. You can get out kayaking for initial sessions with these friends before you decide to take the more thrilling and fascinating route of sea kayaking. So enjoy your sea kayaking fare!

Tip #1

Before buying a kayak make sure you check it is suitable as kayaks are made differently depending on whitewater, sea, or touring kayaks.

Tip #2

When you book a kayaking holiday make sure that equipment hire is available at your kayak destination.

Tip #3

Block book kayak lessons in advance and you may qualify for a bulk discount!

Saltwater Fly Fishing Gear – A Guide for Novices

Fly fishing gear for saltwater fly fishing is normally heavier than fly fishing gear used for freshwater fly fishing – there are two reasons for this. Firstly, saltwater fish species are generally larger than freshwater fish species, and you will need stronger rods, reels, and lines to catch these fish species. Secondly, saltwater fly fishing requires longer casting with larger flies, and normally there is some wind to deal with. You cannot cast very far in windy conditions with a light fly rod using a light fly line. The saltwater fly rod, saltwater fly reel, and saltwater fly line make up the essential saltwater fly fishing gear you will need for saltwater fly fishing.

Saltwater Fly Rod

Your most important item of saltwater fly fishing gear is the saltwater fly rod. Freshwater fly fishing is normally done with a 3 to 7 weight fly rod. For saltwater fly fishing, the lightest fly rod usually used is a 7-weight rod. A 16-weight fly rod is the heaviest rod that can be used for saltwater fly fishing. The saltwater fish species that you are trying to catch determine the weight of your saltwater fly rod. To catch sailfish such as Marlin you might use a 13-weight rod, but then use an 8-weight rod to catch Bonefish. For saltwater fly fishing, look to buy a specialized saltwater fly rod, specifically designed for saltwater fly fishing.

Good saltwater fly rods are normally quite stiff and generally have a fast action. A fast-action rod allows you to cast further in windy conditions and makes it easier to land larger saltwater fish species. Fly rods for saltwater fly fishing should have guides that won’t rust – stainless steel guides are normally used. The guides should also be strong enough to handle the additional punishment of saltwater fly fishing. A good saltwater fly rod will have a padded fighting butt which will provide more comfort when fishing for extended periods. One of the best saltwater fly rods currently available is the outstanding Sage Xi2 saltwater fly rod.

Saltwater Fly Reel

A saltwater fly reel is an essential item of saltwater fly fishing gear and is more important for saltwater fly fishing than for freshwater fly fishing. A saltwater fly reel needs to be of better quality than a freshwater fly reel. The components of the saltwater fly reel that you buy must be saltwater resistant, and this will prevent your fly reel from rusting. The saltwater fly reel that you use should include a good drag system and also can hold your fly line along with all your backing line and your leader line. As saltwater fish species normally run further with your line once caught, 100 to 300 yards of backing is normal.

Saltwater Fly Line

The saltwater fly line most commonly used for saltwater fly fishing is a floating line, which is used to catch fish near the water’s surface. Sometimes an intermediate line is used, which sinks slowly. A sinking line or a sink-tip line can also be used to catch fish at deeper levels. The preferred taper for a saltwater fly line is a weight forward line – this allows you to cast further in the windy conditions encountered at sea. The fly line weight used normally matches the fly rod weight, but sometimes a slightly heavier line weight is used, especially in windy conditions.

Meet the Team!

We are a professional, full service adventure boat operation located in Charleston, South Carolina, and we take great pride in offering the best, the safest and the most enjoyable paddleboarding in the state! Don’t just go paddleboarding, let us take you to the BEST paddleboarding! Explorer offers the following services…

Open boat and charter adventure trips daily and weekly!
Service to all of the Northern Outer Banks Islands!
Custom adventure boat built for short or long range paddleboarding!
We will run any day of the week with a minimum of 10 paddlers!

Best boat paddleboarding in South Carolina!
Safe, experienced and friendly environment!
Single and multi-day trips!