Where to Find Eco-Friendly Paddle Boards
These environmentally-friendly SUPs are better for the planet
Image: Adobe Stock
According to a study conducted by The ECOBOARD Project, a program created by 501 (c)(3) Sustainable Surf, and Pure Strategies, a traditional surfboard has a carbon footprint of about 105 lbs of carbon dioxide. The organization has identified sustainable manufacturing and shipping practices that reduce the environmental impact of a surf or paddle board. The ECOBOARD Project has created two designations based on these practices that can help consumers identify surf and paddle boards that are more environmentally friendly.
Gold Level SUPs
The Gold Level Designation is the highest designation that The ECOBOARD Project doles out for paddle boards. To achieve this criteria, board companies must meet the following criteria:
Undergo a lifecycle assessment by a third party that includes evaluation of carbon footprint, renewable inputs, and reduced toxicity.
Make their boards with plant-based low-to-zero VOC resin with at least 25% bio-carbon content.
Receive USDA bio-preferred certification for fully cured resin.
Create boards with core content that is at least 25% recycled or plant-based or 50% wood.
Source materials from a sustainably managed supply chain
SUPs with the Gold Level Designation are arguably the most sustainable paddle boards out there.
Here are North American SUPs that have achieved Gold Level status:
SurfTech
SurfTech SUPs are built with the environment in mind. SurfTech boards are made from bio-based resins, recyclable materials, and algae-based deck pads, earning them their The ECOBOARD Project status. SurfTech SUPs are also more affordable than some other brands.
Earth Conscious Objects by Ry (or ECO by Ry)
You may know Ryan Harris’s boards from Earth Technologies (Earth Tech Surf), an award-winning brand. The company has since evolved into Earth Conscious Objects by Ry, but its ethos remains the same. The brand creates boards with advanced renewable and recycled materials such as recycled EPS foam board blanks instead of polyurethane or polystyrene, Entropy Resins bio epoxy instead of polyester resin, sustainably sourced veneers, and a number of alternative bio or plant based reinforcement materials. They also practice zero-waste manufacturing, which means that most of their waste is recycled or upcycled into new products and use special worms from Hawaii-based Regenerative Education Centers that can digest foam and organic waste like veneer shreds, cork, or flax (wow!).
@eco.byry is outspoken about his initiatives and about saving the ocean where we like to play. Eco by Ry’s store is down, but it might be worth contacting him if you are in the market for a custom made eco-friendly stand up paddleboard.
Level One SUPS
The ECOBOARD Project also offers a Level One designation. In order to achieve this status, boards must meet one of the following criteria:
Use plant-based, low to zero VOC resin with at least 19% bio-carbon content in the fully cured resin
Create board cores with at least 25% recycled or plant-based content, or wood constituting at least 50% of the core by weight
Here are North American brands that meet Level One qualifications:
LAMBRECHT
Lambrecht SUPs are custom-made wooden boards made from wood from old sheds, houses, barns, lift ramps and other sources. These SUPs are beautiful and sustainable in the purest sense.
Inouye Boards
Inouye Boards makes custom made stand up paddle boards using blank template offcuts and recycled local EPS. Inouye also uses all of their glass and carbon offcuts for repairs, foils, and foil boards.
If you’re in the market for a new paddle board it’s worth seeking out a model from one of these companies that is taking measures to help protect the waterways where we love to play.
