Quick Answer: Academy Sports + Outdoors stocks inflatable SUPs from RAVE Sports (Agonde $699.99, Akina $649.99), Boardworks (SHUBU Lūnr, $428.99), InQracer ($323.99 budget 10’6”), plus Body Glove and BOTE packages. The catch: RAVE Sports’ own site listed the identical Akina board for $349.99 at time of writing — nearly half Academy’s $649.99 price — so it’s worth cross-checking a brand’s direct site before buying at Academy.
“Academy paddle board” gets searched hundreds of times a month by shoppers who already have an Academy Sports + Outdoors nearby and want to know what’s on the shelf before driving over. The short version: Academy’s lineup spans budget to mid-range, sitting between our Walmart roundup on the low end and specialty stores on the high end — but unlike Costco or Walmart, at least one Academy-carried brand (RAVE Sports) sells the exact same board for significantly less directly from its own website.
Academy paddle boards at a glance
| Brand / model | Length | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAVE Sports Agonde | 10'6"-11' | $699.99 | Distance/touring, 275 lb capacity |
| RAVE Sports Akina | 10'6" | $649.99 (Academy) / $349.99 (RAVE direct) | All-around, watch the price gap |
| Boardworks SHUBU Lūnr | 10'4" | $428.99 | Entry-level recreational package |
| InQracer 10'6" | 10'6" | $323.99 | Cheapest board on Academy's shelf |
| Body Glove Navigator Plus | 10'6" | Package w/ pump, leash, paddle | All-in-one beginner bundle |
| BOTE WULF Aero Native Floral | — | Premium tier | Design-forward all-around |
1. RAVE Sports — Academy’s Flagship Line, With a Price Catch
RAVE Sports Agonde & Akina Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Boards
- The Agonde ($699.99) is RAVE's sturdiest Academy offering — 5-layer drop-stitch construction, a 275 lb weight capacity, a large EVA deck pad, and a removable fin, with a backpack carry bag included, per Academy's own product listing.
- The Akina ($649.99 at Academy) is RAVE's more casual all-around board — but at the time of writing, RAVE Sports' own site (ravesports.com) had the identical Akina marked down to $349.99 from a $649.99 list price, meaning the exact same board cost roughly 46% less bought direct than at Academy.
- This is a real gap worth knowing before you buy: retailers like Academy don't automatically match a brand's own flash sales, so checking ravesports.com directly before purchasing an Academy-listed RAVE board can save real money.
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2. Boardworks, InQracer, Body Glove & BOTE — Academy’s Budget-to-Mid Tier
Boardworks SHUBU Lūnr, InQracer 10'6", Body Glove Navigator Plus, BOTE WULF Aero
- InQracer's 10'6" board is Academy's cheapest at $323.99, undercutting the site's own Boardworks review pricing elsewhere and landing close to Walmart's entry tier.
- The Boardworks SHUBU Lūnr ($428.99) is positioned by Academy as an entry-level recreational package with a honeycomb heat-embossed deck pad and a single 9" fin that installs without tools, per Academy's listing — see our full Boardworks brand review for how it compares to the brand's other lines.
- Body Glove's Navigator Plus ships as a full package (pump, leash, paddle, phone dry bag included) rather than a board-only purchase, similar in spirit to Walmart's bundled sets covered in our Walmart roundup.
- BOTE's WULF Aero Native Floral sits at the top of Academy's shelf design-wise — see our dedicated BOTE paddle board review for full specs and pricing across BOTE's lineup.
If you’re still deciding between an inflatable and a hard board before you shop any retailer, our inflatable vs. hard paddle board guide covers that tradeoff first.
3. Why Checking the Brand’s Own Site Still Matters
Academy’s SUP shelf isn’t a single-price-tier story the way REI’s or Costco’s is — it spans a genuine budget-to-premium range within one store. But the RAVE Sports price gap is the real finding here: the same manufacturer, the same board, listed at $649.99 through a retail partner and $349.99 direct at the time of writing. That’s not a universal rule (Boardworks and InQracer pricing at Academy looked in line with other channels), but it’s a reminder that “in stock at a big retailer” doesn’t always mean “best price available” — a five-minute check of the brand’s own site before checkout can be worth hundreds of dollars.
Academy paddle boards by the numbers
- $323.99 — Academy’s cheapest inflatable SUP (InQracer 10’6”), per Academy’s own listing.
- $300 — the approximate dollar gap between Academy’s $649.99 RAVE Sports Akina and the $349.99 price RAVE’s own site listed for the identical board at time of writing.
- 275 lb — the weight capacity of the RAVE Sports Agonde, Academy’s sturdiest listed board, per RAVE’s product specs.
Who should buy which Academy paddle board
- Want the sturdiest option for distance paddling: RAVE Sports Agonde ($699.99, 275 lb capacity).
- Want an all-around RAVE board — but check RAVE’s own site first: the Akina, which was $300 cheaper direct from ravesports.com than at Academy at the time of writing.
- Want the cheapest board on Academy’s shelf: InQracer 10’6” ($323.99).
- Want everything bundled in one package: Body Glove Navigator Plus (pump, leash, paddle, dry bag included).
- Want a design-forward premium pick: BOTE WULF Aero Native Floral — see our full BOTE review.
The bottom line
Academy Sports + Outdoors carries a wider price spread than most single-retailer paddle board roundups — from InQracer’s $323.99 entry board up through RAVE Sports’ $699.99 Agonde. The one thing worth remembering before you buy: at least one Academy-carried brand, RAVE Sports, was selling the identical board for roughly $300 less directly from its own site at the time of writing. Always cross-check a brand’s own storefront before paying retail-partner pricing on the same product.