Trick question, to which the quick answer is, "No," at least in the eyes of C4′s Dave Parmenter, who as one of surfing’s greats should know. Here’s what he had to say during a recent discussion of some of SUP’s most widely held misconceptions:
Simply put, excessive width is the poor man’s solution to stability.
There are other ways to grant considerable stability to an SUB. When the outline, rail volume, bottom contour, rocker, and rail shape are put together in the proper 
configuration, an SUB can be amazingly stable even at 27” or 28” wide. And get this: All those boards you see in the racks with overly soft, round rails? Well, they can subtract 1 or 2 inches from a board’s stability quotient——one more reason why SUB widths are relative.
A narrower plan shape with a perfectly balanced set of design components will paddle straighter and easier and, of course, perform much more like a conventional high-performance surfboard.
Much like an airplane in flight, a stand-up surfboard is stable (or unstable) on three axes: Pitch, Yaw, and Roll. Roll instability (side-to-side) is usually the first thing the novice notices, but as SUBs become shorter or curvier you must also contend with pitch instability (the angle the nose dips up or down) and yaw (the tendency of the nose to swing side-to-side with each stroke).
Additionally, when a stand-up board is over-wide the paddler is forced to extend his paddle slant-wise off the rail, thus losing the optimum mechanical angle of the paddle stroke. The more vertical the paddle shaft as it is pulled along the rail, the more power you get with each stroke. It’s also a matter of ergonomics: The slant-wise stroke forced upon you by a too-wide board can create needless torque on your arms and shoulders, and saps your paddle power like a engine sputtering on three cylinders.
Furthermore, the wider the board, the more likely the nose and tail will be drawn in sharply to conform to aesthetic and control elements. Excessive outline curve, especially from the center-point to the nose, brings a considerable problem with yaw. It’s no fun to struggle with a nose that whips from side to side as you are perched on the ledge cranking to make a late drop…
Stand Up Paddle Surfing Equipment by C4 Waterman | SUP Read Me | Paddle, Board, , Standup, Sub
btw/ for an opposing pt of view, go to www.southcountysurf.com!
I have to disagree – I’ve tried SUP’s from 28″ wide to 36″ wide; the wider boards provide amazing stability – those muscles held tense and contracting to keep balance on a thinner board are allowed to relax and ‘enjoy the ride’ – so extra work? Hardly! The investment in a wide board, the wider the better, is worth all the surf boards & standard SUP’s I’ve ever bought!
Thanks for the perspective. Hey — if you want to write a slightly longer piece on the why’s wherefor’s and benefits of wider SUPs, I’d be happy to post it on the main page, with pix and links and whatnot. Feel free!
I like your article, but I must disagree with the comments. I have tried boards from 26 wide to 34 inches wide and the wider has been the better. A stable board that surfs and paddles well is the south county board. I don’t like a board you have to fight to have fun. Why not spend more time paddling and surfing and less time getting out of teh water and back on the board. It all depends on the board, the waves and you. If you are 5’5″ and 120 pounds or 6’7″ and 350 pounds. You need an apropriate size board for your size and ability. For me wider is better.
Well here we are 2011 and all the big manufacturers have wide boards in their lineup and most of these are their best sellers.
I guess you have to give credit to the South County guys (www.southcountysurf.com) they were constantly made fun of because of the width of their boards.
“Poor mans solution to stability” wins!