Largest Premium Stand Up Paddleboard Demo Fleet In California!

At 101 Surf Sports we go the extra mile to make the perfect match between board and customer and actually quite a lot goes in to it. One way to make absolutely certain you try before you buy!

And we make that easier than you can possibly imagine with by far the largest in-line fleet of Demo Stand Up Paddleboards anywhere. Our 2015 demo fleet is stocked and ready to go with over 70 boards finned up and ready to try. If its not ready we'll make it ready pulling from our retail stock of over 200 boards. Any board is fare game and here's how it works.

1. Meet with our professional staff to narrow the options. (more on this later)

2. Make a $100 non refundable deposit that will be applied to purchase price.

3. Start ridingi! A 2 month time period is granted for you to make your decision. Rides are limited to 10 minutes per board and you are welcome to try boards back to back til you find the one you are looking for.

Need to take the board off site? Well we can make that happen too. You can take any board overnight for $70 per board. This $70 is stored as a credit in your account towards the purchase of any board - not just the board you took. You can do this a total of 2 times building up $140 in credit towards purchase.More on that demo stand up paddleboard program click here.

Selection will not be your problem with our massive on-site inventory. We carry boards from the top manufacturers including SIC Maui, Starboard, Naish, Jimmy Lewis, Imagine, Focus SUP Hawaii, Surftech and more.

So a bit more on narrowing options. We pride ourselves in understanding your needs and our abilities to match them with the best design. Here are some things to think about that will help us find you the perfect stand up paddleboard.

• What other boards do you already own? Bring their length, width, and volume information with you.
• Where will you store it? Outside on a dock or in the garage?
• How will you carry it around on your car if you will?
• How much surfing will you do vs regular paddling. Speak in percentages - 50/50 for example.
• Where is the place you will paddle most often?
• Who are all the people who will use it?  What's their height and weight?
• Paddle with your dog?
• Plan to race or just for fun?

Answers to these and few more questions will greatly narrow down the myriad of designs out there. Thankfully none of this really effects cost all too much. The cost is driven really by two opposing forces. Durability and Weight. Most manufacturers will offer multiple constructions of the same design allowing you to not only choose the design you want but also the price. As a rule of thumb there are 4 general price ranges.

• All Epoxy Lightweight.Lightweight achieved through using less layers in construction process nad lower density foams resulting lightweight but more fragile product. More likely to fail if hull is breached/damaged) $800 to $1100.

• All Epoxy Heavier Weight. Achieved through using extra layers in construction process resulting heavier weight but more durable product. $800 to $1100.(This is a better product for most people unless you simply can't lift it)

• Composite Boards - Hybrid Epoxy and secondary material construction. Usually Wood,PVC, or some other material is included in what is referred to as a sandwich construction.. In our opinion a sandwich construction using wood (pine being best) is the best value in the business. Lightweight and still very durable. $1200-1900

• Carbon Fiber - While perhaps not the best value it is with out doubt the best construction. Incredible light weight in a durable/strong platform. 2.5 Times stronger than steel in tensile strength. The ultimate in energy storage and return (flex). Performs like no other. Con's - hates UV and heat, somewhat brittle to pointy impacts if poorly made)   $1500-$3000.

One side note regarding foam density. Foam blanks are sold to manufacturers in a pounds of density per cubic meter basis. This means how much foam, versus air, is in the blank.1lb, 1.4lb, 2lb and even 6lb foam densities are available.The denser the foam the more durable the board. The denser foams provide more structure to the surrounding skin or inserts like fin boxes for example. Jimmy Lewis Stand Up Paddleboards have been infamousfor fin boxes that are simply the strongest in the business. One of Jimmy's tricks is the 6lb foam inserts he ensconces around his boxes.

We also Demo Prone Paddleboards only that's free! More on demoing prone paddleboards click here.

So if you are looking for the perfect stand up paddleboard for the rougher waters of San Francisco Bay or for one that is optimized for Lake Tahoe we have what it takes to get you on the right gear.