Starboard SUP Reviews | 2025 Paddle Boards Compared

A trendsetting pioneer in the stand up paddleboarding industry, Starboard SUP is an eco-conscious company that continues to push the envelope year after year when it comes to paddle board design and performance. In addition to manufacturing some of today’s best inflatable and rigid paddle boards, Starboard also sponsors a number of important non-profit initiatives that are having a positive impact on both the environment and worldwide SUP community.

Founded by Svein Rasmussen, Starboard continues to innovate when it comes to inflatable paddle board manufacturing and design, and the company currently has one of the most diverse iSUP lineups in the industry. Starboard’s new inflatable SUP line features boards for kids, surfing, river SUP, racing, all-around paddling, SUP fitness, windsurfing, touring, multi-person paddling, and more.

Starboard Inflatable Construction

Starboard offers a large variety of paddle board models and offers them in various constructions. This lets you pick not just the type of board you want, but also lets you choose whether you want to prioritize weight and portability, durability, or a mix of the two. However, not every model and size is available in every construction, though most have at least a few options. All of Starboard’s iSUPs share a high quality of care during construction and are all made using heat-welded interior seams for maximum durability.

Starboard Deluxe Construction

Starboard’s Deluxe Construction is their standard build utilizing high-density single-layer PVC shells and dual-layer PVC rails with additional reinforcements. The interior of the board is made with a woven fabric base layer to improve rigidity and keep weight low. The inner rail band is heat-welded to the top and bottom of the board and the outer compression rail band glued in place. Starboard also adds seam reinforcement strips at the top and bottom of the outer rail band for additional protection.

Several of Starboard’s Deluxe Construction iSUPs also feature an additional Parabolic Rail reinforcement to give the board even more rigidity without the weight of a full second layer of PVC.

Starboard Deluxe Double-Chamber Construction

A few of Starboard’s iSUPs are also available in Deluxe Double Chamber (DDC) construction. DDC uses the exact same construction as the standard Deluxe iSUPs, but with the addition of a second air chamber in the middle of the board. This second air chamber is designed to provide an additional safety measure in case damage to the board causes deflation of the main air chamber. This year, Starboard has reduced the number of boards available in the DDC construction.

Starboard Deluxe Lite Construction

Introduced last year to replace the former Zen construction, Deluxe Lite utilizes a lighter-weight material for the fusion-laminated PVC shell and a lighter cross-woven dropstitch interior. This is a huge upgrade from the Zen construction’s linear drop stitch that produced less-than stellar rigidity. Cross-woven drop stitching is used in many of the most rigid boards we’ve tested. Deluxe Lite iSUPs also feature a three-section fin box to allow the SUP to roll into a tighter package for easier transportation and storage.

Where to Buy

unfortunately, Starboard does not offer direct to consumer purchasing. This means you do have to use their retail network to buy a Starboard SUP. If you are in North America, Green Water Sports is our preferred online retailer for Starboard SUPs.

Starboard SUP Lineup Comparison Chart

Starboard Inflatable SUP Reviews

All-Around Paddle Boards

Starboard iGo

Sizes: 10’8″ x 33″ / 11’2″ x 31+” / 12′ x 33″

Starboard’s core all-around paddle board is the iGo series. These inflatable SUPs are high-quality cruisers capable of taking on a little bit of everything. They’re available in three different sizes.

• The 10’8″ x 33″ x 6″ iGo is the most versatile of the lineup with great stability and balanced tracking and maneuverability performance. Read our full review
• The 11’2″ x 31+” x 6″ iGo is a mid-length board with a slightly narrower and more parallel plan shape, making it a great option for the paddler who wants comfort and the ability to paddle a little farther, a little faster. Read our full review
• The 12’0″ x 33″ x 6″ iGo is the largest of the three models with even more stability ideal for larger paddlers or sharing with a friend or family member. Read our full review

Starboard Icon

Sizes: 10’8″ x 33″ / 12′ x 33″ / 14′ x 32″

Starboard’s newest all-around iSUPs are the Icon series. The 10’8″ and 12′ Icon share the same general shape as the iGO, and the 14′ shares a shape similar to the Touring iSUP. What sets the Icon series apart is the unique “dog bone” cross section in the middle of the board giving the standing area a 4.75″ thickness and the outer rail a 6″ thickness. This shape change creates a convex shape on the top and bottom of the board to help improve stability.

Full reviews of the Starboard Icon series paddle boards coming soon.

Touring Paddle Boards

Starboard Generation

Sizes: 12’6″ x 30″

The Starboard Generation is a touring board. But it’s also a surf board? But it’s also a fitness board? That’s right – the Generation is designed to do all three of these. It’s size and general shape make it great for simple day-touring, especially in choppy conditions where you’ll be crossing swell. At the same time, the large rocker profile, hard-release edge on the tail, and surf-quality 1+2 fin setup make it completely surfable in small to medium waves. Lastly, the sleek shape make it an efficient board for fitness paddling and even soime light racing.

Read our full review of the Starboard Generation iSUP

Starboard Touring

Sizes: 11’6″ x 29″ / 12’6″ x 28″ / 12’6″ x 30″ / 14′ x 28″ / 14′ x 30″ / 14′ x 32″

Going farther and paddling faster is best done on a sleek and efficient touring-style paddle board. Starboard’s Touring range of iSUPs is exactly that. If you like to paddle for fitness, explore new places, or are looking for a stable racing board, Starboard has you covered with the Touring range. With six different sizes it’s also the widest ranging board in the Starboard lineup with a size for every paddler and every occasion.

Full Reviews of the Starboard Touring series paddle boards coming soon

Racing Paddle Boards

Starboard All Star Airline

Sizes: 12’6″ x 25.5″ / 12’6″ x 27″ / 14′ x 24.5″ / 14′ x 26″ / 14′ x 28″

Starboard is possibly the best-known brand in stand up paddle board racing. There is hardly a SUP race that gets put on where a Starboard racing SUP doesn’t make an appearance, and there’s a good chance you’ll find at least one Starboard racer on a podium. They’ve taken their design experience with making carbon fiber racing SUPs and put it into making one of the top racing inflatables in the world. The All Star Airline shares the same plan shape as the carbon fiber version, is built with Starboard’s excellent deluxe construction, and goes one step further with the Airline.

The Starboard Airline is a woven Kevlar rope that anchors at the front of the fin box on one end and runs under the board, wrapping around the nose, and anchoring on top of the board at the other. This cable provides a continuous reinforcement under the board to aid in rigidity and adjust the rebound of the board – or how quickly the board resets to flat after being flexed.

Starboard also makes the Junior Racer in two sizes. The 14’x21″x6″ size is a scaled-down version of the All Star Airline, while the 14’x21″x4.75″ shares a shape profile with the Sprint Airline.

See how fast the Starboard All Star Airline can go in our full review of the 14×28 and the 12’6×25.5″ All Star.

Starboard Sprint Airline

Sizes: 14′ x 24″ / 14′ x 25.5″ / 14′ x 27″ / 14′ x 29″

Last year Starboard expanded their range of inflatable race boards with an inflatable version of their flatwater sprinting specialist the Starboard Sprint Airline. This board sheds even more stability in the name of speed with an elongated taper and lower volume nose. Ideal for short sprint races and technical challenges in calmer conditions, the Starboard Sprint Airline is ready to rip off the start line.

Full review of the Starboard Sprint Airline coming soon.

Specialty Boards

Starboard Kids

Sizes: 9’0″ x 28″ x 4.75″

The Starboard Kids is a youth-sized paddle board that shares the same DNA as the Starboard iGO series. Built in the Deluxe-Lite construction, the Starboard Kids is easy for your young’uns to carry and paddle all on their own.

Starboard Vision

Sizes: 11’2″ x 38″ x 6″

The Starboard Vision is a specialty iSUP designed to let you explore the world of water in a whole new way. This large, all-around paddle board features a viewing window in the nose of the board to give you a clear view of everything that’s going on below your board.

Starboard Surfing: Surf / Wedge / Longboard

Sizes: 9’5″ x 32″ x 4″ / 8’7″ x 32″ x 4″ / 10′ x 30″ x 4″

Starboard is one of the few brands that also makes dedicated inflatable surf boards. These thinner, lower-volume, boards all feature smaller pin tails, hard line release edges, advanced rocker profiles and proper surfing fins for maximum performance in all kinds of surf conditions.

Starboard Team Multi-Person SUPs

Sizes: 18’6″ x 60″ / 15′ x 55″ / 16′ x 32″

To round-out Starboard’s massive lineup of inflatable SUPs, they also offer three different multi-person paddle boards. The 18’6″ x 60″ and 15′ x 55″ Starship iSUPs are gigantic party boards guaranteed to put smiles on all of your friends’ and family’s faces. The 16’x32″ Tandem is built more as a two-person touring or racing SUP for you and one (or two) other people to travel farther, faster.

Full reviews of Starboard Specialty SUPs coming soon

Starboard SUP Warranty Information

Starboard warranties their current lineup of inflatable paddle boards for 5 years from the date of purchase. This is a huge step up from the previous 2-year warranty offered previously and adds a significant value to each of the boards. Because Starboard is currently a retailer-only brand, all warranty and return details will be handled by your specific retailer.