I have just progressed from a "No Name" SUP to an ECS PW2!! Wow what a difference. Suddenly my Surping has improved 100%. Just goes to show that all the research and development put in by the Big Brands warrants the investment. I will never by a no name again.
Their is an old saying , you get what you pay for
Cheap means exactly that cheap
Another favourite is you pay peanuts you get monkeys!Nothing worthwhile is cheap
Well, any known name doesn't make the board. It is important to get a board designed by a shaper who actually SUPs himself (not just some old surfing legend cashing in on the SUP fad without practicing), and is involved in the manufacturing process (production or custom) to ensure his shapes are reliably produced.
The next progression from a'brand name' sup is a custom... in many cases much better and cheaper also! 
All boards have names. Mine is Susan, my ex wife's name. Now I get to ride Susan when ever I want.
There is a lot more design requirements for a SUP than Long Boards, Short Boards and goat boats and as such experience is key for a good SUP board and same goes for the paddle.
Mate that's a nice looking board! And that truck in the background is looking good! See ya in the surf Tommoz
Select to expand quoteWarehouseBob said..
All boards have names. Mine is Susan, my ex wife's name. Now I get to ride Susan when ever I want.
Why would you want to ride your ex-wife?
Only thing I could remember enjoying about that relationship in the end. More of a cheep joke really. Seabreeze is always a great place to test out my B material.
The single biggest issue is with a no name brand board whether it's well made or a dud , the resale is really low.
Change over $ of a SUP and as it is with kites, Longboards etc. is not always what it seems.
The loss is greater with a high priced item $ wise but not necessarily % wise.
In most cases the loss in one year would be about 50% for example for both so invest $2000 loss is $1000 or invest in a no name at $1000 the loss is $500 and often u can keep the paddle that came with the board.
For me the difference is I want to be reasonably confident in what I am getting and unless one can demo this is a challenge. Low priced boards are harder to get demos on in my experience and trusting the construction quality could be an issue.
Having said that I have demoed a couple of no name brands and they performed very well for me.
I ask others to reply on their change over $ for both name and no name brands.
