Can young kids use a regular-sized SUP paddle or do they need a sized-down blade and narrow shaft?
Kids age 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9-years-old definitely need a smaller SUP paddle with a sized-down blade and shaft in order to have fun on the water and to be able to paddle without hand discomfort and shoulder strain. Some 10 and 11-year-olds also need a sized-down paddle. Around 12-years-old some kids can begin using a regular-sized paddle, depending on their stature.
What is the best SUP paddle for young kids under twelve?
The Kid Booster Adjustable SUP paddle by Cannon is the best overall kids paddle and one of the only paddles actually designed correctly for young paddlers using a stand-up paddleboard. Many so-called child and youth paddles are only a shorter paddle and do not have sized-down blades or shafts, which cause discomfort and injury when paddling.
Kid Booster Adjustable SUP Paddle by Cannon Paddles 60-68″
- Starter paddle for kids 48 to 58 inches tall
- Will grow with young child up until about 12 years old
- Smaller shaft with a narrow ergonomic grip to fit little hands
- sized-down blade for easier paddling
- 28 ounces and it FLOATS!
- Adjusts easily with the push of a button from 60 to 68 inches
- SPECIFICATIONS: Blade, Fiberglass-Reinforced Nylon; Blade size, 7.5 in. x 17 in.; Shaft, Aluminum adjustable 60 – 68 in.; Weight, 28 oz.; Made in Minnesota, USA.
- Affordable. See current price on Amazon (free shipping and 30-day returns): Cannon Kid Booster SUP Paddle
– The Cannon Kid Booster Paddle is the perfect SUP paddle for the growing young enthusiast paddler. It’s the affordable paddle of only two kid-sized SUP paddles I currently recommend. The other paddle is more expensive (over twice as expensive as the Kid Booster, but also works for a few more years (up into the teen years). Both are great options, depending on your family’s needs. For more information on that paddle read about the best SUP Paddle for Youth.
My kids – age 5, 9, and 11, were too young to have any succes with the adjustable adult-sized paddle that came with our 3 paddleboards. They needed a REAL kid’s paddle that was designed to fit their little hands and bodies.
Get your young kids outside paddling and exploring nature this year!
Happy Paddling!
-MJ
About Me – Welcome to One Step Closer to Nature!
Hello, my name is Megan Joseph! Welcome to my website! I am a lover of all things nature and outdoors. I grew up in rugged Idaho, surrounded by mountains and nature, and spent summers backpacking and packing our horses into remote corners of the state as a child with my parents and sisters.
When I graduated from high school, I moved to a beautiful ski town, Jackson, Wyoming which only perpetuated my love of mountains, waterways, and fresh air. After getting married and a few years of living on the line between Teton National Park below the towering Teton Mountain Range, riding our bikes past the expansive elk refuge and only miles away from Yellowstone, we relocated and spent the next ten years raising our three baby boys in rural New England where we enjoyed exploring a new face of nature in Connecticut’s thick forests, rock wall lined farms, sandy beaches, gentle surf, and tiny islands. And only thirty minutes from Rhode Island beaches and waves…pure joy!
Some of my greatest joys are getting my hands dirty working in my garden, watching my boys explore up and down the banks of the river behind our house, and hearing the clucking of our 18 chickens as they meander and scratch the dirt looking for bugs – they seem to wake up each morning as excited as the day before to explore and enjoy the abundance of the outdoors as much as I do!
My life mission is to help families and individuals get back into nature and spend more time outside in the fresh air and sunshine. I believe this is where we thrive and can be our healthiest and happiest.
As a writer, I have always loved research and writing about health, hobbies, and the outdoors. I enjoying compiling data to motivate and inspire others.
Wishing you many adventures outside, and encouraging you to take one step closer to nature!
-MJ