If you’re considering purchasing a paddleboard, no doubt you’ve searched around. Maybe you’ve wondered if it’s best to buy your SUP from a major retailer like Costco or make your purchase from a local dealer who specializes in paddleboards.
There are definitely some pros and cons to each, and in this article, we will detail them.
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Buying A Costco SUP
Paddleboarding is an exciting activity, and it enhances your health.
While you may just want to try out the sport and “dip your toes into the water,” pardon the pun, then going for a more affordable paddleboard may be a good start. This is where retailers like Costco could be helpful to you.
Pros Of Buying A Costco SUP
Costco SUPs have gained popularity because of the benefits listed below:
Wide variety of SUPs: Costco boards are popular amongst beginners as they offer a wide array of paddleboards. These products come with unique features to satisfy particular consumer specifications. The prices vary too, but they are cheaper than SUPs sold in the local stores.
Affordable: Costco purchases the SUPs wholesale price rate and also gives discounts to their customers at affordable prices, enabling the buyers to afford them at a cheaper cost.
Excellent Price Comparison: Easy to compare the price of many SUPs in one location and be armed with the information before visiting a physical Costco store as all prices and inclusions will be listed online, which is not always the case at your local dealer.
Cons Of Buying A Costco SUP
There are a few disadvantages of buying a paddleboard from Costco:
Lack of expert advice: Your average employee at Costo isn’t trained to give expert advice on individual products. As such, you may not get the answers you need for your circumstances.
Lack of local knowledge: If most of your paddle boarding is going to occur in your local area, there may be specific local water conditions that you may want advice on to make a better purchase. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to get that advice from Costco
Buying SUP From A Local Dealer
There are several reasons you may wish to buy your SUP from a local dealer.
You may just want to buy there for the sake of supporting local businesses.
But here are some good reasons to buy from a local dealer.
Pros Of Buying A SUP From A Local Dealer
Convenient: Buying your paddleboard from a local dealer is convenient.
The expert is right there to answer all your questions.
The local shop is likely by the water, and you could theoretically enjoy your SUP immediately after purchase.
Supporting local business: Purchasing your paddleboard from a local dealer is an excellent way to support local companies financially.
This financial support keeps the local economy going and ensures expert advice is always nearby.
A tailored solution: One benefit of buying your SUP from your local dealer is the ability to ask questions that are specific to your needs This enables the dealer to provide a more tailored approach while offering their services.
High chances of finding quality SUPs: While big companies like Costco strive to stock more products, the local dealer relies on word of mouth and reputation and will focus on board quality rather than quantity. Therefore, their range of SUP products may be more expensive, but it will also be more likely to be of higher quality, so you know you are purchasing something durable and strong.
Cons Of Buying A SUP From A Local Dealer
Limited varieties of SUP boards: The local shops often have a restricted variety of paddling boards to choose from, which is why many riders prefer buying from large retailers. Limited variety reduces the chances of buying from a local dealer.
Expensive: Due to their overhead costs and lack of ability to get bulk discounts like the major retailers and as they focus on providing more specialized and high-quality boards, most dealers have no choice but to sell their boards at higher prices, making it expensive for the riders who are starting out and don’t yet know if they will actually enjoy the sport of paddleboarding.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are significant differences between buying Costco SUP vs. buying from a local dealer. If you buy from a local dealer, you help promote local business. They can provide a more tailored approach towards customer service and return policies.
The Costco SUP products are also pretty outstanding, with outstanding features. Their prices are also pocket-friendly. However, once you become more experienced in paddleboarding, you may buy a higher-quality board.
Here at The SUP Guru, we try and go halfway by reviewing as many boards as we can. Including ones you can buy online and ones you can purchase from a local dealer, so we can give you the best possible options.
Steve Frankland
Steve Frankland loves the outdoor life and getting out in nature. He loves writing and sharing knowledge. He's part of the team at thesupguru.com
He’ll find any excuse he can to get out on the water and can often be seen on a SUP with his kids and dogs.