As one of America’s best river towns, it’s not surprising that paddlesports are one of the largest growing forms of outdoor recreation in the Asheville area. With new breweries and other hangouts popping up along the riverfront, a relaxing afternoon paddle just keeps getting more appealing. The only downside? Paddling can be a pricey sport to get in to. Thankfully some of our favorite boat and SUP makers have come up with high quality but no-frills options to make paddling accessible for everyone. Whether you’re thinking about getting into paddling or you’re a seasoned expert who wants an inexpensive spare boat or board to take friends out on the water, you’re going to love these frugal options.
Perception Pescador
The perfect rec boat to get you started. The Pescador is a simple sit-on-top with a comfort molded seat and plenty of storage space. The 10’ is a relatively light 52lbs and is beefy enough to support up to 325lbs. The best part? It retails for a wallet friendly $509.
Perception Jetty
If you’ve been wanting to try out stand up paddleboarding, but are hesitant to invest, the Perception Jetty package is the perfect starter set. Beginners will appreciate the stability of a 30” wide deck and incredible lightness of this board. Our favorite part? For $499 you get everything you need to get started: paddleboard, leash, and paddle.
Check out these and the rest of our stock of boats and boards (plus save even more) at our upcoming Paddlesports Demo Day, May 1st at Lake Julian.
