Great info Mike I will need to seriously come and look at these things. I figure its better to have two craft that fish differently with different purposes than having two craft that do damn near the same thing. I bet these things would be stellar in flats fishing especially someplace like Belize.
N. Paddler---- Why did you get rid of it? that rig looked sweet!

There is no specific law...yet. However, if you're not actively surfing on a beach somewhere, most law enforcement officers will likely interpret that the PFD laws apply to the paddleboard as if it was a paddlecraft. This will be more applicable the further from the coasts you get, as law enforcement will have dealt less with surfers and more with boaters.

We always recommend wearing the PFD when paddleboarding, because of the increased distance of a fall. It doesn't take too much of an imagination to understand that standing increases the opportunity to strike your head on the board should you turtle.

i'd rather sit on my butt

Well you can on a SUP. Many are mounting decent sized coolers to them for a seat. It is actually pretty comfortable. May be beneficial to some people that have a hard time sitting with thier legs out in front of them. If you can sit on a cooler, you can sit on an SUP! (Even look at the picture posted above, he has a full blown fishing seat like you would find in a full sized boat).

With a cooler seat you can sit like your sitting in a lawn chair. But, you can always stand up when you want to stretch your legs (or fish, sight cast, fly fishing, pee, ect).

When purchasing a kayak most people always express a big concern for being able to stand in their kayak. You would think everyone would have a SUP instead of a kayak. I would much rather be able to sit and fish than stand. When I stand and fish for a long time I always tend to get a sore back.

Maybe my words are not painting the proper picture. This should help.

At my size I think a paddle board would be dangerous or at least not very stable. What are the weight limits on those things?

They are very similar to kayaks in that they come in a large variety of flavors and styles. Some can handle the big boys while others are built for kids and light weights (most are rated by volume in liters...the more volume the board, the more weight it will handle). Some are specifically designed for wave riding, fishing, white water, racing and general cruising. They too can come with a lot of options when it comes to rigging out with rod holders and other gear.

Now I know this is a kayaking section and by no means am I saying a SUP is better than a kayak. But in some cases, people feel they are a better alternative. In fact it's not uncommon to own both!

But here are some of the advantages of an SUP...

Most are very light in weight. I'm talking less than 30 lbs. So it is easy to carry a board under one arm and a paddle and rod in the other. They don't sink or flood. Dry butt! If you do turtle, they are easy to self rescue in deep water. They can be set up with a kayak type seat and be used with a double bladed paddle just like a kayak. Easy to launch from docks and other launches that may be difficult when you have to "sit" on (or in) the boat to launch. Upright sitting (or even standing) can be easier for some that can't sit with their legs forward for extended periods of time. They have very impressive inflatable ones that can hold a lot of "stuff" but will fold up into the size of a decent sized back pack. Some are equipped to take a windsurfer sail. So if the wind is howling and the fishing sucks...go sailing!!

So again, I'm not saying one is better than another, but if you really consider some of the advantages and versatility they do offer, they actually work out better for some people than a kayak may.

I fish from a board all the time. I fish in the Gulf, the bay, wherever. It is not as tippy as you might think. I have both designs of the 12' BOTE (the HD and the regular). I fly fish, sight cast, and slow troll to catch big game in the ocean. They are so much fun and a great platform to fish from.

The pluses are easy, Line of sight increases, skinny water no problem, tons of fun, light, easy to move and load, and you get a great workout.

I am an ex bass fisherman and would take a yak over a board for that. They tend to move rather quickly especially when hooked up to a fish. If you were flipping docks, or fishing a river with rock, there is a good chance of really dinging your board while fighting a fish. You move toward said hooked fish really quickly and hit anything on the way. For open water, I will take it any day (except when it is windy).

They suck in the wind and chop. They are light and you act like a sail. If the wind kicks up it is hard to stay in position and can get frustrating. Again....thats why I like it for open water.

I will say one thing though. If you are a saltwater fly fisherman, you need to get one. It is one of the most fun ways I have ever sight fished for shallow reds. There is no better way in my opinion and one of my favorite things to do as of late.

Regards

PT