Starboard
The world's largest dedicated SUP shaper — from Svein Rasmussen's original 1994 windsurf lineage to the Pro carbon surf SUPs, Sprint race hulls and Touring flatwater boards ridden on every ISA and APP World Tour podium.
Photo: Surfex
About Starboard
Starboard was founded in 1994 by former windsurfing world-tour rider Svein Rasmussen and is the single most-reviewed hard-board SUP brand on the planet. The company shapes across every SUP category — surf, all-round, touring, race and downwind — from its own factory in Thailand, which is also one of the reasons Starboard has been able to maintain consistent quality across a range that now spans more than 60 hard-board models.
The three flagship rigid lines are the Pro (Rasmussen's competition surf SUP, most recently updated with a low-volume Carbon Sandwich build), the Sprint (the dominant flatwater race hull on the APP World Tour) and the Touring (a stable, efficient composite touring board that anchors most brand-owned demo fleets in Europe and North America). Together they cover roughly 80% of committed SUP paddlers' use cases.
Starboard also runs the industry's most visible sustainability program — Blue Carbon mangrove offsets, plant-a-tree-per-board, and a public annual environmental report. Combined with global distribution through Watersports Warehouse, Blue Planet Surf, REI and the brand's own dealer network, that positioning is why Starboard consistently tops SUP Magazine's 'brands you can trust' reader surveys.
Popular Starboard models
Sources we reference
Surfex is an aggregator — we do not test boards ourselves. These are the retailer, editorial and manufacturer pages we cross-check when writing about Starboard. Numeric aggregate ratings are only shown once we've scraped a real customer-review widget on one of our product review pages.
Where to buy Starboard
| Retailer | Notes | Visit |
|---|---|---|
| Starboard SUP (direct) | Full range, all constructions and colorways | Visit |
| Blue Planet Surf (Hawaii) | Ships worldwide, deep surf SUP stock | Visit |
| Watersports Warehouse (US) | Race and touring specialist, price-match on new stock | Visit |
| REI (US) | Select composite and touring models, free returns | Visit |
FAQ
Are Starboard SUPs good for beginners?
For a first-time paddler on a hard board, the Starboard Touring Deluxe 11'6" or Whopper 10' are the two most widely recommended entry points — both are stable enough for an adult beginner in flatwater but efficient enough to keep as you progress. Complete beginners on choppy water are still usually better served by a wider inflatable first.
Where are Starboard paddleboards made?
Starboard owns and operates its factory in Cobra International, Thailand — the same facility used by several other top-tier SUP and windsurf brands. Owning the factory is one of the reasons Starboard can offer a full carbon composite range at price points other premium shapers can't match.
Starboard Pro vs Naish Hokua — which is better?
The Starboard Pro is the reference competition surf SUP — narrower, lower-volume, faster on rail. The Naish Hokua GTW is more forgiving, a bit wider and slightly more all-round. Advanced surfers who want the fastest surf SUP pick the Pro; intermediates and heavier riders usually prefer the Hokua.
How much do Starboard hard-board SUPs cost?
New Starboard composite SUPs typically range from $1,699 (Whopper Wood 10') to $3,499 (Sprint Carbon 14') in the US. The Pro Carbon sits around $2,499 and the Touring Deluxe DC around $1,899.