I am very satisfied with this purchase (along with the Isle Women's 10'6" Yoga board). I read a lot of on-line reviews and concluded that many people were very happy with this relatively inexpensive iSUP. When it comes to price, performance and convenience, this is a hard product to beat.
I have had this SUP for two months and have already logged over 100 miles on the water. I have rented inflatable SUPs on a couple of occasions but can't say that I was hooked. My girlfriend had mentioned going again and I decided that a pair of boards would make a nice Xmas present. Needless to say, I have been bitten by the SUP bug. We live on the intracoastal waterway in south Florida and I go out 3-4 times a week, usually at sunset. My trips average 5-6 miles. I find it so relaxing that I am getting up earlier and earlier to ensure that I have time before sunset for a quite trip. Last Saturday, I went out before sunrise and logged 11 miles in 3 hours.
As to stability, on the first couple of trips I would crouch down each time a boat wake came my way. Now, the wakes, wind and currents do not phase me at all. I am amazed at how stable the board is. Once your body learns to react instinctively to the movements of the board, it is nearly impossible to fall off. I finally stepped off for the first time this week, but only because I was in 6" of water and some barnacles grabbed the bottom fin and stopped the board. I have learned that you can get a great core workout by going out when it is particularly windy and choppy. You won't get very far very fast, but you'll work up a sweat in a hurry. My upper arms and chest are really firming up. For me, this is much more fun than hanging out in a gym listening to bad pop music. I much prefer Gary Clark, Jr., Anders Osborne or Sturgill Simpson. Just make sure that you are using a waterproof phone.
I am also pleased with the 3-piece adjustable paddle. It seems sufficiently stiff, even after average trips of 1.5-2.0 hours. I'm debating investing in a carbon fiber paddle, but will definitely try one out first; it's not clear to me that it will be sufficiently better. An important point: make sure and hold the paddle correctly. I realized that I was holding it backwards when I went online and was watching SUP videos. You might think of the paddle as a scoop, but this is not correct. I can't say switching to the correct method made a material difference in my speed, but I believe the correct method is slightly less stressful on my shoulders.
I have absolutely no complaint on tracking. Just make sure and use the detachable fin. I hopped in the water once and forgot to attach it and realized in 2 seconds how important it is. With it on, tracking is not an issue. I can hold a perfect line paddling on just one side by feathering the paddle in toward the board. In general, holding the paddle square, I find that 6-8 strokes on each side is a good rhythm.
As for feet placement, make sure and keep your feet square on the board. One day, I adopted an offset stance with my left foot slightly forward. I felt like I could control the board just a tad easier, but reaching around my left hip for close to two hours made my shoulder and back extremely sore. Using a proper stance, there should be no pain. This is almost always the case for me, unless I go really hard for 3 hours.
As for speed, I am very pleased with how fast the board goes. Based on the GPS on my phone, I average 3.7-3.9 mph. I can sustain 4.0 mph for about 3-4 miles, but inevitably the winds and current (or exhaustion) slow me down. I don't have meaningful experience with any other boards so can't really compare this to different style boards. I have passed more than one kayaker (another sport I really enjoy) out on the water, so the speed is acceptable to me.
Inflation is pretty easy. It takes 5 minutes or less using the manual pump to get the board to 15-16 psi. Some might opt for an electric pump, but personally I think the whole point of the board is to get some exercise. 5 minutes on the pump will certainly get the heart rate up. There's nothing wrong with that. I find that popping the plug out of the top of the pump at around 13 psi makes the last 2-3 lbs a little easier to achieve.
I also like the front and rear tie-downs for convenience. Generally, all I have along is a water bottle, but I just purchased an anchor and plan to actually try yoga and fishing (not necessarily at the same time) on the board. Both seem like good ways to de-stress at the end of the day.
The board seems to be very durable. I am very careful around structures in the water as there are a lot of barnacles. I bump them on occasion and other than some minor scratches, there doesn't seem to be any damage to the board. My fin is a little scraped up from where I set the board on the concrete to wash it down after each use. I smoothed it with a sharp knife blade and just try to make sure that I don't drag it on any rough surface. Even if it gets damaged, a replacement is relatively inexpensive.
The storage bag/backpack works well. Everything fits easily and it makes for convenient storage. I just grabbed it from the closet and threw it in my truck last weekend in order to spend the afternoon paddling at a nearby park. The bag is certainly a nice touch.
I'm headed out into the ocean for the first time this weekend. I figure I need to seek out a bigger challenge. I've been watching videos of folks surfing on their paddle boards. It seems like a lot of fun. I believe most are using thin, hard boards, so I'm not sure how the iSUP will work, but I'm going to give it a try.
Thanks Isle for a great product. Every time a spotted ray jumps in my vicinity, I am reaffirmed in my choice of exercise.
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 37 x 17 x 11.8 inches |
|---|---|
| Package Weight | 18.33 Kilograms |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 138 x 32 x 6 inches |
| Item Weight | 24 Pounds |
| Brand Name | ISLE Surf and SUP |
| Warranty Description | 2-year limited |
| Model Name | Explorer |
| Color | Aqua/Navy |
| Material | Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) |
| Manufacturer | ISLE Surf and SUP |
| Part Number | IS-EX |
| Model Year | 2022 |
| Size | 11'6" |
| Sport Type | SUP Paddling |
| Skill Level | All |
