Quick Answer: REI’s paddle board shelf looks nothing like Costco’s or Walmart’s — instead of budget big-box packages, it’s built around specialty paddlesports brands: NRS ($795-$1,145 across the X-Lite, Clean, Clipper, and Jukdo lines), TAHE Beach ($699.95-$799.95 SUP-Yak convertibles), POP Board Co. ($699 Royal Hawaiian Palm and Yacht Hopper), and BOTE’s LowRider Aero Tandem, plus a packable Surftech x Bark Catalyst travel board. Nothing starts much under $700, but REI Co-op membership adds a one-year return window and an annual ~10% purchase dividend that Costco and Walmart don’t offer.
“Paddle board REI” gets searched well over a thousand times a month, and REI comes up constantly in gear-shopping conversations, but nobody’s laid out what’s actually sitting on REI’s SUP shelf versus a big-box store. The short version: REI isn’t trying to compete with Costco or our Walmart roundup on price. As a specialty outdoor co-op, its buyers stock paddlesports brands built for people who paddle regularly — touring hulls, travel-packable designs, tandem setups — rather than a single all-purpose entry-level board.
REI paddle boards at a glance
| Brand / model | Length | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| NRS X-Lite 100 | 10' | $795 | Lightweight all-around touring |
| NRS Clean 110 | 11' | $1,095 | Versatile all-around/expedition |
| NRS Clipper 126 | 12'6" | $945-$1,145 | Longer-distance touring, wide stability (126W) |
| TAHE Beach SUP-Yak Tandem | 11'6" | $799.95 | Two-paddler / SUP-to-kayak convertible |
| POP Board Co. Yacht Hopper | 11' | $699 | Casual all-around, 300 lb capacity |
| Surftech x Bark Catalyst Air-Travel | 10'2"/11'2" | Premium travel tier | Packable travel/flight-friendly |
1. NRS — REI’s Deepest Paddlesports Line
NRS Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Boards (X-Lite, Clean, Clipper, Jukdo)
- NRS is a paddlesports specialist (rafting, kayaking, and SUP gear) rather than a general SUP brand, and it's REI's most represented inflatable-board name — the X-Lite 100/108, Clean 96/110, Clipper 126/126W, and Jukdo 108 span light touring to wide, stable expedition hulls, per REI's own product listings.
- The Clean 110 at $1,095 is the closest thing to an all-around flagship in REI's lineup — comparable in intent, if not price, to the Nixy Newport G5 ($649) covered elsewhere on this site, though NRS leans harder into touring-length hulls than Nixy's more general-purpose shape.
- None of these prices come close to Costco or Walmart's sub-$400 tier — NRS boards are drop-stitch touring builds aimed at paddlers who want a board that holds a straight line over distance, not a casual lake toy.
2. TAHE Beach & POP Board Co. — REI’s Mid-Tier Convertibles
TAHE Beach SUP-Yak & POP Board Co. Royal Hawaiian Palm / Yacht Hopper
- TAHE's SUP-Yak line (single at $699.95, tandem at $799.95) converts between a stand-up board and a sit-in kayak using an included seat attachment, per REI's listing — the same convertible concept as Walmart's Bestway Hydro-Force sets, but at roughly 3-4x the price and with a touring-oriented hull instead of Bestway's simpler single-layer build.
- POP Board Co.'s Royal Hawaiian Palm (10'6", 225 lb capacity) and Yacht Hopper (11', 300 lb capacity) both list at $699 and represent REI's most casual, lifestyle-oriented boards — closer in spirit to a beach-day board than NRS's touring-focused lineup.
- This is REI's true entry tier: nothing here undercuts $699, which is worth knowing before you assume a specialty outdoor retailer will have a budget option to match Walmart or Costco.
If you’re choosing between a convertible SUP-Yak and a dedicated board, our inflatable vs. hard paddle board guide and beginner buying guide both cover how to weigh that tradeoff before spending $700+.
3. Why REI Costs More — and the Co-op Membership That Offsets It
REI doesn’t stock the sub-$400 tier you’ll find at Costco or Walmart because its buyers are sourcing from paddlesports-specialist brands, not the same big-box import channels. That means a genuinely different shopping decision than the other retailer roundups on this site: you’re not choosing the cheapest board that floats, you’re paying for touring-grade construction and a brand with a dedicated repair and support network.
The one thing that meaningfully offsets REI’s higher price floor is the $30 lifetime co-op membership. Members get a roughly 10% annual dividend back in store credit on eligible full-price purchases — on a $1,095 NRS Clean 110, that’s real money back the following March — plus a one-year return window on most gear, longer than the 90-day policy typical at big-box competitors. If you’re going to spend REI money more than once, the membership math works in your favor.
REI paddle boards by the numbers
- $699 — REI’s effective price floor for a new inflatable SUP (POP Board Co. and TAHE), versus $170-$400 at Walmart or Costco’s rotating sets, per REI’s own product listings.
- $1,145 — the top of REI’s inflatable SUP range, the NRS Clipper 126W, a wide touring hull built for stability over distance.
- 10% — REI Co-op’s approximate annual member dividend on eligible full-price purchases, paid as store credit each March, per REI’s published membership terms.
Who should buy which REI paddle board
- Want a versatile all-around touring board: NRS Clean 110 ($1,095) — the closest thing to a flagship in REI’s lineup.
- Want the lightest, most packable option for travel: Surftech x Bark Catalyst Air-Travel, purpose-built for flying or backpacking with a board.
- Paddling with a partner or a kid: TAHE Beach SUP-Yak Tandem ($799.95) or the BOTE LowRider Aero Tandem — see our full BOTE paddle board review for how that brand’s tandem compares.
- Want REI’s lowest entry price: POP Board Co. Royal Hawaiian Palm or Yacht Hopper, both $699.
- Want a budget board under $400 instead: see our Walmart or Costco paddle board roundups — REI simply doesn’t stock that tier.
The bottom line
REI’s paddle board shelf is a different animal from Costco’s or Walmart’s — smaller, pricier, and built around specialty paddlesports brands like NRS and TAHE rather than warehouse-club imports. Nothing starts under $699, but what you’re buying is touring-grade construction backed by a co-op membership with a genuinely useful annual dividend and a full year to return it. If budget is the priority, shop elsewhere; if you want a board that’s built to be paddled hard for years, REI’s lineup is worth the premium.