Brands

We select brands carefully to make sure we pick only companies making good quality and good value equipment.  Good value rarely means cheap and we advise against buying mainly on price as you will soon be looking to change and this can cost more in the long run. Building a reputation takes time and careful attention to design and detail and that should be what supports a brand and makes it often worth paying a bit more. It's not always about how long a brand has been on the market that counts. Some brands have been around for years but don't necessarily design particularly good equipment.  We are river based so we like equipment which works well on urban river environments - so for example we don't like light coloured decks which quickly discolour when used on a muddy river.  We also favour suppliers who share our enviromental values and we are committed to supporting their brands and promoting products which have least damaging impact on the environment as they are not wastefully packaged in acres of single use plastic and where possible incorporate recycled materials.  Some new companies trial and test their products extensively before launching other companies get things on the market and learn from feedback so you can end up being a guinea pig while they learn.  If you are not sure why one type of equipment costs more or less you can arrange ask for a demo session to try several out to compare them.  This is particularly important for boards and paddles but also for buoyancy aids and some other kit.  We are also happy to give advice by phone or e mail.   As we use many boards in our SUP school we can often exchange a board for an alternative one if you feel have bought the wrong one which takes the risk out of buying.  Just ask us for more info on this.