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If you're new to the sport, and wondering what sort of boards to kit your bach out with, then here are a few pointers. For starters, the stability of a paddleboard comes from its width. Anything less than 29-30" wide is officially wobbly, and won't be much fun - particularly for inexperienced and/or heavyweight paddleboarders. Unfortunately, this instantly precludes any of the old long windsurfing boards from paddleboarding suitability, as well as an awful lot of the dross that is on the second hand/trademe market. (Many 'first generation' paddleboards were simply too narrow, and that's almost certainly why their current owner is selling them!).

As for length, as a general rule of thumb, anything shorter than 10' is fairly specialised towards wave surfing, while anything longer than 12' is very much straight line cruising only. Most boards in the 10-12' range can usually deliver a reasonable mix of manoeuvrability and cruising performance, so if in doubt, this is the best general size to go for.

Our parent company NZ Paddle Company sells the Red Air inflatable paddleboards, so obviously we are predisposed to those. However, we all ride solid boards too when the occasion demands, primarily when surfing or looking for maximum cruising speed. We have good contacts with the importers and manufacturers of all the best solid paddleboard brands, so we are not entirely biassed! Here's our take on the benefits of each. (When we talk about Inflatable boards, we are referring solely to the Red Air brand. There are now various imitators on the market making a hugely inferior, single skin, low pressure product, which doesn't even remotely compare to the Red Airs and should on no account be considered!

Advantages of Inflatable Boards:

• Lower prices.
• Much less wear and tear (they will still look good as new at the end of the season, whereas solid boards invariably get chipped and scratched.
• They're more user-friendly: They don't hurt if they hit you, fall on you or bang in to you in the water.
• Kinder on your fittings: Solid boards can easily damage house, furnishings and fittings as they are dragged in and out.
• Easier storage: When not required, inflatable boards can be deflated and popped into a cupboard. (Note that they don't need to be inflated/deflated for every session. They can simply be left inflated all year if necessary, they won't lose any pressure.)
• More fun for kids. Youngsters really dig the Red Airs, as they just feel fun. And you don't have to worry about the kids messing the boards up, on the beach or in the water.

Advantages of Solid Boards

• Solid boards do have a slightly different feel, which some people instinctively prefer
• More immediate (tighter turning) performance in surf, and for straight line high speed cruising/racing.
• No need to worry about pumps, inflating, deflating etc.

In the inflatable board market, there's really only the one serious player in New Zealand, and that's Red Air.

For solid boards, there's rather more choice. You'll find several cheap, mass-produced Chinese derivative brands on the market. These are OK if you want to spend as little as possible, but in general will have no resale value, and be of questionable longevity and performance. Brands such as Naish, Jimmy Lewis and Starboard offer very good performance and are respected worldwide. However, each has a wide range of models, to numerous to discuss here. If you follow the general guidelines mentioned above you should end up in the right ballpark. However, if you're unsure about a particular model and would like some further advice as to whether it's suitable, then please don't hesitate to get in touch - we'll be more than happy to give you our opinion on it!

Yes - click here for the NZ Paddle Company special bach packages, offering two boards, paddles and leashes for under $2500. Undoubtedly the best deal you're going to find anywhere!

If you're not from New Zealand you'll not be familiar with the bach. These are an amazing Kiwi phenomenon – sort of second homes, often quite basic  but nearly always very full of character. Virtually every family seems to have one and there are literally tens of thousands of them around the country, usually in great locations and all available for rent. 

Unlike your normal European-style holiday cottage though, they are usually incredibly well equipped. They're basically family holiday homes, so everything you'll need is there. And they're also extremely good value. So if you’re planning your holiday itinerary, it's well worth while including a few bach stays along the way. You can check out websites like bookabach for accommodation in the areas you’re interested in.