The best beginner river surf SUP

I see this question asked a lot in forums: I want to get into SUP, what board should I buy? The common answer is to get anything that’s cheap, you’ll outgrow the board within a season and have multiple new boards within a year.

Previously I’ve agreed with this approach. There is no one SUP that works for everyone in all conditions. The only way to figure out which board is best for you is by purchasing a SUP and learning what aspects of the board you like or dislike. Recently however, I’ve found a board that has remained in active use in my quiver for a long time, and I’ve decided it’s my recommended board for beginner river SUP surfers: the Badfish MVP-S Sharkskin.

Let me reiterate: this board is my recommendation for beginners who want to learn how to river surf. If you want to start off learning how to flat water SUP or down river paddle, then this board is not for you. This board is also not without it’s issues, there are plenty of things I dislike about it (you can read my in depth review here).

Despite it’s shortcomings, over the past two seasons my MVP-S has seen more “overall” use than any other board in my quiver. Most boards I’ve purchased over the past three years have either seen most of their use immediately after aquiring them then a slow decline as my skill surpasses the board, or they are only used for very specific conditions.

some of my shorter SUPs, the MVP-S has probably seen the most use

As a beginner river surfer, this board is easy to learn on. The shape of the hull keeps you from catching a rail. The high volume helps provide a stable platform both on the wave and in the eddy. The agressively turned up nose keeps the board from pearling. The longboard fin box allows for huge fins to be used to help with tracking. The shape of this SUP is what makes it the easiest board on the market for learning to river surf.

As an intermediate or advanced river surfer the MVP-S is still useful. The forgiving shape allows it to be surfed on the most difficult river waves. I always bring the MVP-S with me when I’m going to explore a new wave. I know that this board will surf just about any wave I find (although, it might not be the best at it). Often times, I will use the MVP-S to learn how to surf a new wave, then switch to a different board once I have it dialed.

the crazy nose rocker of the MVP-S, good for learning to surf or learning a new wave

For down river paddlers, the MVP-S works surprisingly well. I’ve taken this board through the local play parks, for day trips on the Upper Colorado River, as well as multi-day (raft supported) trips down the San Juan. Even if you don’t think you’ll be doing any down river paddling, I can almost guarantee you will paddle this board downstream from one wave to the next at some point. Also keep in mind that most river SUP surfers are also down river paddlers. So if you’re new to the sport, you can almost count on meeting people in the community and getting invited to paddle down river at some point. This board isn’t the easiest river runner however. If you’re just starting off and want to focus on downriver paddling, then this board isn’t a good choice.

As an intermediate or advanced down river paddler this board is a ton of fun… and challenging. This board makes class 3 wave trains way more interesting. Whenever I paddle down river with people who are below my skill level (usually on class 2 or 3 water), I take the MVP-S. It makes runs exciting that would otherwise be boring.

note: I’ve added extra deck padding to my MVP-S for better stability down river

Again, the MVP-S is good for beginners who are looking to start off with river surfing. If you are a beginner who wants to start on flat water, then something like the B1 Bomber or a longer inflatable would be good. These boards perform well on flat water, but have the durability to transition to the river. If you’re a beginner that wants to start with down river paddling, a board like the Starboard Stream would be a solid choice. It excels paddling down river, but is also a decent surfer.

In other words: don’t buy a board that only works in one place. The Badfish River Surfer works great on river waves, but is horrible at paddling down river or on flat water. The Jackson SUPerCharger is a great down river board, but surfs like a slug and paddles flat water like one too. These are examples of boards you’ll buy later when you figure out exactly what type of paddling you enjoy the most and can pick a board based on the features that match your style of paddling.