This article is a review of the Badfish Selfie SUP inflatable paddleboard. This is a touring SUP and below you’ll find information about its features, intended use, and if it’s the right paddleboard for you.
But first let me take a selfie…
The Badfish Selfie is the second addition to my fleet of Badfish brand boards.
If you’re curious what the Badfish Badfisher fishing SUP is like, read my previous blog: Badfisher Review.
The word “expert,'' to me, denotes someone who is much smarter than myself with regard to design, function and engineering that goes into these boards. I am a user – an avid one at the very least.
In 2021 alone I paddled 826.78 km on my Badfish Selfie SUP. That didn’t include trips with my Badfisher. In total I spent 931 km on a paddleboard give or take a couple of kilometres. This is my experience with it.
Badfish Selfie First Impressions
Out of the box and into the water, literally. It was May 5th and I knew I had some big mileage ahead of me this summer.
After a small test run on a local lake I was off on the Athabasca River for a training paddle. The water levels were the lowest I’ve ever encountered on the river.
I was so excited to test this rocket on the water. With a 14’ 30” profile, the Badfish Selfie is built for long distances and the ability to glide well.
Typically, I can maintain 9-10 km/hr pace on this section of river. Unfortunately it took me nearly 7 hours to paddle what normally took me 5 ½ hours; the flow rate was non-existent due to the low level. I was exhausted but elated at how well the board performed. It was scary to think how long it would have taken me on a different, slower board.
Badfish Selfie: THE Expedition Board
It makes me giggle every time I say Selfie. The narcissistic tendency of the name is quite an oxymoron for something that I disappear with off into the wilderness for extended periods of time, sans cell service.
This paddleboard is specifically built for expeditions. Another interesting thing I learned this summer is that the Badfish Selfie is designed to hold Watershed Bags.
Watershed Colorado Dry Duffel
$369.95
The Watershed Colorado duffel is as popular for long-term river tripping as the river it is named after. Used by raft guides around the globe, the Colorado will carry enough gear for one person on a multi day expedition. This… Read More
Watershed Ocoee Dry Duffel
$219.95
The smallest of our popular duffel-style submersible bags. The Ocoee fits in tight places such as below the deck of a kayak or under a boat seat. Great for a few pieces of extra clothing, lunch, and a first aid… Read More
A Colorado fits on the front and a Ocoee can sit near the tail of the board. This obviously can be changed around depending on the weight of each bag, to balance out the board as it rides in the water.
There is so much space to store gear on this SUP, you can’t fill it all up.
Pictured below are two different set-ups. I don’t recommend a crate on your board for long expeditions, but for my situation it served a purpose. I tore my knee a week before I departed on The River Of Hope.
Unsure if I’d be able to kneel in strong headwinds, I opted for a crate to sit on if I couldn’t kneel for extended periods over 663 km. Luckily for me, the medication I was on allowed me to bend better. I swear my knee healed on this trip, as I haven’t had a problem since.
I paddled through Class 1+ with the Badfish Selfie paddleboard. Even while fully loaded, it’s stable and there’s no worry of flipping unless you’re unsure how to handle a SUP in a river current.
Is The Badfish Selfie For Everyone?
As much as I love this paddleboard, it does fall under a bit of a niche market.
The 14 foot length creates a smooth glide but it is not a fast maneuvering board cause: physics.
The Badfish Selfie takes longer to turn or move, compared to the shorter Badfish Rivershred (9’6”). However, you couldn’t pay me to paddle far mileage on a shortboard, hence why Badfish makes all types of paddleboards for different types of paddling.
With a narrow footprint of 30,” the Badfish Selfie is so much more comfortable to paddle long distances. It is 3” less reach outward compared to the Badfisher, which makes a big difference. I had a lot of practice exploring this when I paddled 200 km on my Pelican Rapids to Grand Rapids SUP expedition. SUP paddle stroke efficiency is much better on the Badfish Selfie.
One downside of the narrow width is it does feel a tad less stable than wider boards. If you’re used to a 32” board, it’s surprising how much difference those couple of inches feel with regards to stability.
The Badfish Selfie is not what I would recommend to a beginner paddleboarder. But as you progress on to longer adventures on water, that's when an efficient speed demon like the Selfie is highly recommended.
Badfish Selfie Specifications
- 14’ x 30” x 6”
- 19 stainless-steel D-rings
- Removable tri-fin
- Integrated water bottle holder
- Extra-wide, padded carrying handle
- Low profile bow and stern handles
- 3-year warranty
- Board Weight: 32lbs
- Rider Capacity: 100lbs-350lbs
Badfish Selfie Conclusion: Memories Made, More To Come
There is no such thing as a perfect paddleboard, since so much depends on how you’re using it. The Selfie, for what it’s been designed for, is a phenomenal paddleboard.
It has allowed me to travel to places I never imagined I would go on a paddleboard, and even my dog loves it. Although she just loves paddling in general.
More adventures are being planned to take this board on. I’m already irrationally attached to it, with so many memories and miles experienced while standing on its deck pad.
As with anything in life, having an intention of what you want to do can help with your next SUP purchase decision. Except for me – I just keep adding to my SUP collection since I like to fish, go on expeditions, surf and the list goes on!
Happy paddling!
Sending You Love n SUP,
Lisa Stocking
CSEP-CPT/RYT 200
Advanced Flatwater SUP Instructor
@love_nsup
Badfish Selfie 14 SUP Package
$1,399.00
Badfish Selfie Review: Efficient Speed Machine Badfish Selfie vs Rivershred Best Inflatable SUPs The‚ Badfish Selfie 14 SUP Package is built for fast moving adventures. At 14', with loads of outfitting for packability it makes a great board to eat… Read More
Other Badfish SUP Articles
Badfish SUP Comparison: Rivershred vs Selfie
AQ Outdoors Contact
Edmonton: (p) 780 463-4892 (e) info@aquabaticsedmonton.com
Calgary: (p) 403 288-9283 (e) info@aqoutdoors.com
