The "Supmaran" Is an Innovative Kit That Turns Paddleboards Into Versatile, Portable Boats

Standup paddleboarding can bring joy to people of all ages and skill levels. In fact, even if you don't have any experience with water sports, you'll find it relatively easy to learn this one.

This sport is a perfect blend of adventure, tranquility, and exercise. It involves balancing on a narrow board and using a paddle to propel yourself through the water. Worry not; these boards are much more stable and easy to balance than a typical board.

Typically, people do this on calm waters, but the better your technique is, the more you can adventure in all sorts of conditions. Chances are you've seen someone paddleboarding on a body of water close to you.

Supmaran aims to make standup paddleboards even more versatile. The product has been around in prototype form since 2019. It's the brainchild of two Austrian outdoor enthusiasts, Gregor Schuster and Martin Schwaiger.

Their vision was to create a compact leisure boat that was easy to set up and affordable. Moreover, the two wanted to make the boating experience comfortable and possible for everyone.

The first prototype was, as expected, really simple. It was made using two bamboo tubes, two commercially available sun loungers, and a cantilever umbrella. After three more generations of prototypes and much refining done in Switzerland, the product has reached the pre-series phase.

Last year, Gregor and Martin completed the planning and design of the Supmaran and have already produced the first boards. Naturally, the next step is to enter series production. However, like many other inventors, the two don't have enough cash to pre-finance the series production or extensively market the product to interested parties.

And that's why the Supmaran now has a Kickstarter campaign. But enough about its story – let me get into the actual details.

The Supmaran frame set consists of four straps that attach to eight buckles, a lightweight frame made from galvanized steel tubes, a sunroof, and two comfy chairs. There's also a large 80-liter scuba box in the heart of the frame, allowing you to bring snacks, drinks, gadgets, or anything you want to keep away from the water.

Thanks to the modular design, individual parts can be bought and replaced in case anything is damaged. The supply of spare parts is guaranteed for ten years.

You don't have to park the Supmaran like you do with boats - you can take it apart and trasport it in your car's trunk. The entire thing tips the scales at about 48 kg (106 lb.). The SUP boards weigh around 22 kg (48.5 lb.), the roof and frame also weigh around 22 kg, and the scuba box weighs 3.5 kg (8 lb.). Moroever, the Supmaran can hold a maximum load of 200 kg (441 lb.).

Regarding dimensions, it's 320 centimeters (126 inches) long, 200 centimeters (78 inches) wide, and 117 centimeters (46 inches) high. Furthermore, it takes less than 15 minutes to set up the Supamaran – this claim is backed up by a video from its two inventors.

If you don't want to use your muscles to power the Supmaran, you can operate it as an electric boat. It comes with a mount compatible with almost all commercially available trolling motors.

Gregor and Martin recommend fitting an electric motor with a 12 V output and a maximum of 500 W of power—the Talamex TM40 is offered as an example. What's more, they recommend connecting the motor to a waterproof LiFePO4 battery with 50 Ah or 100 Ah capacity.

With the suggested specs, a Supmaran can operate at full load for 1.5 to 3 hours and reach a top speed of 7 to 8 kph (1.9 to 2.2 mph). That makes it ideal for exploring lakes and other calm bodies of water. What's more, the frame has been long-term tested under seawater conditions, but its makers don't recommend taking it to the sea or ocean.

If you already have two SUP boards, you have the option of buying the frame that connects them. The Supmaran's makers shared that almost all SUP boards and even windsurfing boards are compatible with the Supmaran's frame. So, you can create your own version of the Supmaran.

To make the offering even more attractive and versatile, you can use the frame, sunshade, and cushions to set up a mini gazebo on the shore when they are detached from the boards.

How about pricing? The early bird offer for the Supmaran frame set is currently set at €1,266 ($1,355). If you want the full version that includes the two paddleboards, paddles, and a pump, you'll have to dish out €1,920 ($2,055).

For reference, a brand-new, qualitative paddleboard can range from $800 to $2,000 (€747 to €1,869), although you'll be able to find less durable, entry-level paddleboards for around $400 to $700 (€374 to €654). We don't know the quality of the Supmaran paddleboards, but presuming they aren't the cheapest, the price is pretty good.

If the Supmaran's Kickstarter campaign reaches its goal of €126,454 ($135,325), delivery is estimated to be in August this year. However, this is a European project (designed in Switzerland). Its Kickstarter campaign is in German – I had to use Google Translate to get all this info. That might mean the Supmaran could only be ordered in Europe – I say "might" because the project's Kickstarter page says shipping is offered only to certain countries, but it doesn't say which.