Quick Answer: Cabela’s sells exactly one paddle board brand — Ascend, the same house label used on its kayaks — and it’s identical to what Bass Pro Shops sells, since the two retailers have been the same company since their 2017 merger. The catch: Ascend’s 10’6” package exists as two different listings with different thickness (5” vs. 6”), different included gear, and a price that’s shown as much as $50.01 apart between basspro.com and cabelas.com for what’s nominally the same board.
Most of this site’s retailer roundups — Academy, Scheels, REI — cover stores distributing a mix of third-party SUP brands. Cabela’s is a different situation entirely: it only carries its own Ascend line, and because Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops share a parent company but run separate websites, the exact same board doesn’t even have one consistent price or spec sheet.
Cabela’s paddle boards at a glance
| Listing | Size | Capacity | Included gear | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascend 10'6" Package (SKU 3270817, older) | 10'6" x 32" x 5" | 350 lb | Paddle, backpack, pump — no leash | $399.99 (Bass Pro) / $349.98 sale (Cabela's) |
| Ascend 10'6" Package (SKU 3844061, newer) | 10'6" x 32" x 6" | 350 lb | Pump, backpack, surf leash, fin, repair kit | $349.99 (Bass Pro) |
| Ascend 11'6" Package (SKU 3844062) | 11'6" | 350 lb | Pump, backpack, surf leash, fin, repair kit | $449.99 (both sites matched) |
1. One Brand, Two Storefronts, Two Different Prices
Ascend Inflatable Stand-Up Paddleboard Package
- Cabela's became part of Bass Pro Shops on September 25, 2017, in a deal reported between $4.5 billion and $5.5 billion, with Cabela's continuing as a subsidiary of Bass Pro Group, LLC rather than a fully separate competitor — but basspro.com and cabelas.com remained two separate sites with two separate listings for the same products.
- The clearest example: the older Ascend 10'6" package (SKU 3270817) priced at $399.99 regular on Bass Pro's listing, while Cabela's showed a $349.98 sale price on the identical SKU — a $50.01 difference for what's the same board, same box.
- That gap isn't universal. The Ascend 11'6" package (SKU 3844062) showed $449.99 on both sites with no discrepancy found, so the price-gap pattern doesn't apply across every listing — it's a reason to check both sites per-SKU, not a blanket rule that one site is always cheaper.
- This is a different shape of honesty problem than this site's RAVE Sports review documented (a brand's own direct price undercutting a retailer) — here it's the same retail parent company showing two different prices on its own two storefronts for the identical SKU.
2. The 10’6” Ascend Isn’t Even One Consistent Board
Ascend 10'6" Package — SKU 3270817 vs. SKU 3844061
- The older listing (SKU 3270817) specs out at 10'6" x 32" x 5" thick, 350 lb weight capacity, drop-stitch construction, with a 9" removable fin — but the included-gear list on Cabela's own page stops at a 3-piece paddle, backpack, and dual-action pump. No ankle leash is listed as included.
- The newer listing (SKU 3844061) specs out at 10'6" x 32" x 6" thick — a full inch thicker — weighs 28.2 lb, carries the same 350 lb capacity, and its included-gear list adds a surf leash and a repair kit that the older listing's description doesn't mention.
- Both are sold under the same "Ascend 10'6" Inflatable Stand-Up Paddleboard Package" naming, which means the product name alone doesn't tell you whether you're getting the 5" or 6" version, or whether a leash is actually in the box — the SKU number and the specific listing's included-gear section are what actually matter here.
- This mirrors a pattern this site has already documented with RAVE Sports' KOTA line, where two packages with near-identical names published different weight capacities — a reminder that a brand name and even a size number aren't a guarantee of one fixed spec sheet.
Still deciding between an inflatable and a hard board before you commit to any retailer’s listing? Our inflatable vs. hard paddle board guide covers that tradeoff first.
3. Why Cabela’s Only Sells One Brand
Unlike Scheels (BOTE, RAVE Sports, Retrospec, SurfTech, Hurley, Pelican, Loon Paddle Co.) or Academy (multiple third-party brands alongside RAVE Sports), every Cabela’s SUP listing we could verify carries the Ascend name — the same house brand Cabela’s and Bass Pro use across their kayak lineup. That’s a narrower selection than most big-box retailers covered on this site, but it also means there’s one brand’s track record to evaluate rather than a shelf of unfamiliar names. The tradeoff: Ascend’s specs come from Cabela’s and Bass Pro’s own listings, with no outside lab test (OutdoorGearLab, Inflatableboarder.com) independently verifying the stated 350 lb capacity or drop-stitch build quality the way this site’s Lifetime review was able to cite for that brand.
Cabela’s paddle boards by the numbers
- 2017 — the year Bass Pro Shops completed its acquisition of Cabela’s, making them the same parent company while keeping separate storefronts.
- $50.01 — the price gap found between basspro.com ($399.99) and cabelas.com ($349.98 sale) for the identical Ascend 10’6” package, SKU 3270817.
- 1 inch — the thickness difference between the two Ascend 10’6” listings (5” vs. 6”), despite sharing the same product name and nominal size.
Who should buy which Ascend package
- Want the thicker build with a leash and repair kit included: the newer Ascend 10’6” package (SKU 3844061, 6” thick, $349.99).
- Found the older listing (SKU 3270817) on sale: confirm it includes a leash separately before you order — the listed package doesn’t.
- Need more length for a passenger or gear: the Ascend 11’6” package (SKU 3844062, $449.99 — consistent across both sites).
- Want outside brands to compare against: see this site’s Scheels or Academy roundups, both of which stock a wider brand mix than Cabela’s single-brand shelf.
The bottom line
Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops have been one company since 2017, but their websites still behave like two separate retailers — down to pricing the identical Ascend SUP differently and publishing inconsistent specs across what’s marketed as the same 10’6” package. If you’re buying Ascend, check the exact SKU, the listed thickness, and whether a leash is actually included before comparing basspro.com against cabelas.com on price alone.