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Inflatable SUP's


ct77

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Any of you Crew members have experience with the inflatable SUP's? Being we boat at Lake Powell a lot, having the ability to tie off the boat and go explore some of the narrow canyons has me considering one.

I've looked at this model: http://www.boatstogo.com/surfboards.asp

If anyone has one, how much room does it take up? They give the folded size but I usually have to think that in reality it will be a bit bigger. Are you happy with it, etc...

Thanks!

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I've been thinking about one. Besides storage, I would like a touring/race profile type of board. And I'd like to be able to use it on a river, bumpin down the rocky shoreline, too.

A couple of sites I've been reading:

http://www.isupworld.com/

http://www.c4waterman.com/2012/boards/isups/

I like the 12'6" Hobie, the Naish One, and the Red Paddle 12'6". Their all 6" thick boards for bigger guys (I"m like 230 & taco the 4" thick boards pretty easily).

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We don't have an inflatable SUP but we recently picked up one made by Suptech. It's made from a material like a kayak is made from (some type of plastic) which is great because you can't hurt it. You can bang it against the dock or something and it won't even scratch it. I also like the price, $550. We've really been enjoying it.

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I've been thinking about one. Besides storage, I would like a touring/race profile type of board. And I'd like to be able to use it on a river, bumpin down the rocky shoreline, too.

A couple of sites I've been reading:

http://www.isupworld.com/

http://www.c4waterman.com/2012/boards/isups/

I like the 12'6" Hobie, the Naish One, and the Red Paddle 12'6". Their all 6" thick boards for bigger guys (I"m like 230 & taco the 4" thick boards pretty easily).

Killer sites, thanks for that! Good call on the 4" vs 6" too, I'm only 165lbs, but with my 5 or 9 yr old on there a more stable board would probably be worth it.

My only problem now is all my boating "mad" money has been spent on trailer brakes and actuator parts, boo! :)

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We don't have an inflatable SUP but we recently picked up one made by Suptech. It's made from a material like a kayak is made from (some type of plastic) which is great because you can't hurt it. You can bang it against the dock or something and it won't even scratch it. I also like the price, $550. We've really been enjoying it.

I've consider those too, but trying to get that on the boat for a day on the lake would be pretty difficult. I'm always skeptical of inflatable anything, since no matter how cautious you are a hole is inevitable, ie: air o beds, above ground pools, you name it. However these inflatable SUPS are getting pretty good reviews for durability...

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Any of you Crew members have experience with the inflatable SUP's? Being we boat at Lake Powell a lot, having the ability to tie off the boat and go explore some of the narrow canyons has me considering one.

I've looked at this model: http://www.boatstogo.com/surfboards.asp

If anyone has one, how much room does it take up? They give the folded size but I usually have to think that in reality it will be a bit bigger. Are you happy with it, etc...

Thanks!

I've used them a couple times, they actually work pretty well. I wouldn't want to go 10 miles on one if I had a choice, but they work pretty well. They are heavier than you think - the material is like a heavy/high-pressure raft construction. You are not going to get down to that stated fold size, but it also won't be 2x the size. They come folder with the air sucked out from what I recall, so when you fold it is going to be thicker.

They do take quite a bit of air - pumping them up is not a trivial or fast task - and they take a decent amount of pressure. I forget how much, but WAY more than what even the most extreme air inflation devices delivery. They come with a hand-pump similar to those used in kite boarding.

I'd say they are extremely durable - here in TX they are used to run the rocky rivers in spring and they hold up pretty well. Think pro-grade white-water raft durable - designed to be getting banged around on sharp objects regularly

I've surfed on a regular sup quite a bit in the ocean - keep one thing in mind. Long and flat = fast... can be tippy. Short and wide = slower, more stability. Thicker = more float/more stable. Almost no downside in thicker unless you are truly surfing them (outside of the obvious weight and size issues, and for 120lb bikini-clad friend even the smallest sizes are plenty).

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I've used them a couple times, they actually work pretty well. I wouldn't want to go 10 miles on one if I had a choice, but they work pretty well. They are heavier than you think - the material is like a heavy/high-pressure raft construction. You are not going to get down to that stated fold size, but it also won't be 2x the size. They come folder with the air sucked out from what I recall, so when you fold it is going to be thicker.

They do take quite a bit of air - pumping them up is not a trivial or fast task - and they take a decent amount of pressure. I forget how much, but WAY more than what even the most extreme air inflation devices delivery. They come with a hand-pump similar to those used in kite boarding.

I'd say they are extremely durable - here in TX they are used to run the rocky rivers in spring and they hold up pretty well. Think pro-grade white-water raft durable - designed to be getting banged around on sharp objects regularly

I've surfed on a regular sup quite a bit in the ocean - keep one thing in mind. Long and flat = fast... can be tippy. Short and wide = slower, more stability. Thicker = more float/more stable. Almost no downside in thicker unless you are truly surfing them (outside of the obvious weight and size issues, and for 120lb bikini-clad friend even the smallest sizes are plenty).

Thanks for the reply good info!!

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We don't have an inflatable SUP but we recently picked up one made by Suptech. It's made from a material like a kayak is made from (some type of plastic) which is great because you can't hurt it. You can bang it against the dock or something and it won't even scratch it. I also like the price, $550. We've really been enjoying it.

I've used similar boards for running rivers.... not quite whitewater, but lots of currents. The rotomolded boards hold up to a LOT of abuse. Imagine SUP makes boards like the Speeder & the Wizard that are great for it, but they weigh in at like 60+ lbs. WAY too heavy to be loading on a rack all the time, but unloading them is pretty easy.... just cut them lose & let them fall off!! Theres a guy on standupzone.com who says he had a rack self destruct on the freeway & lost two plastic boards...... neither had any damage! I believe it. Their tough as nails.

Last weekend I demoed a Bic 12'6" Wing. Super fast, and super tough. Will definitely handle the abuse. And weigh in at quite a bit less than my foam/epoxy boards do. Not inflatable though.

Regarding the inflating of the boards, there are quite a few guys who use 12V pumps for the first 10 or 15 PSI. Then finish it off with the hand pump. The Hobie & Naish max out at 20 psi. The Red Paddle at 25 psi (plus it has fiberglass side battens for stability).

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We have been looking at the 9' Airis, not sure how we would transport it once we are on the water. Thank you for the links it had some very good information.

CB

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Take a good look at what PSI the inflator pumps go to. There are only a few pumps I've seen that go above 2 PSI. They are typically built for kitesurfing. Yes - 2, not 20! Here is one - it goes to 12 PSI, and is $270. http://xtremebigair.com/Scoprega-Super-Bravo-Battery-Powered-2-stage-Kite-Pump-12V-120V-plug-in-P835C102.aspx, Here is a page with a few that go to 14.5 PSI, along with some manual ones: http://www.waterstrider.com/kite-pumps.htm

Typical inflatable/tube pump maxes out at 1.5 PSI. For instance this airhead we have has a 1.5 release valve on it, and 1.5 makes a darn still tube: http://www.airhead.com/p/12v-high-pressure-pump.

Don't plug the kite pump into a tube!!!

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I have a 5 man water weenie and it takes an enormous amount of air to fill up, but also needs to be stiff to ride well. I use a high volume, low pressure pump to fill it, and then a hand pump for the rest of the pressure. Even with a tube that big, once you get it nearly full with 2 PSI, then the pressure builds quickly after that, so it is not all that problematic to get a lot of pressure in it. If I were getting an inflatable SUP, I would use what I already have. The Coleman pump has worked for years for me, and cost around $15. The handpump also cost about $15.

This is the first I have seen of an inflatable SUP...I think I just found my wife's Christmas present. Hopefully you guys can tell me which one will be best, including for my 230 pound self, but still nimble enough for 130 pounds.

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They sell inflatable SUPs at AWS. My daughter and her husband have taken them to the coast and surfed and paddled with them there and also taken them to Lake Billy Chinook and paddled all around the lake. They liked them. There is no way they could transport and regular SUP with their rides, nor could they store them in their apartment. They have both ridden SUPs in Hawaii and thought the inflatable ones were just about as good.

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My wife and I are renting SUP boards tomorrow! Been dying to try one for over a year now. Been doing a lot of reading on all the different types and styles. Seems like the occasional users love the inflatable ones, but the more serious/frequent riders don't care for them much.

All my small garage needs is another thing hanging from the ceiling...already have 2 bikes, a tonneau cover, and two ladders...I'm sure I can fit 1-2 11' boards :lol:

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  • 4 months later...

Have also looked at the inflatable sups so thanks for the info. Tried a regular sup the other week and couldn't believe how much work your calf muscles and feet do. I though it would be my arms that tired first. Boy was I wrong.

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I bought the Tower SUP last year and have been very happy. I only weigh 145 lbs, but lots of times I have a teenagers on with me (245 total) and it does great. Much better than the cheap 4 inch inflatables.

The pump is good and the big rear fin is removable so it makes rolling it up fairly easy. We have taken it several places via plane and it was easy to transport.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I bought the Tower SUP last year and have been very happy. I only weigh 145 lbs, but lots of times I have a teenagers on with me (245 total) and it does great. Much better than the cheap 4 inch inflatables.

The pump is good and the big rear fin is removable so it makes rolling it up fairly easy. We have taken it several places via plane and it was easy to transport.

High Altitude, I think I am leaning towards the Tower iSUP. Which model did you get? I am debating whether or not the extra $200 is worth it to get the faster model. The faster one is 14 feet long instead of 9+. So at that point, the length becomes a liability unless you want to constantly inflate and deflate. Even in my 247, it would be sort of tough to tow a 14 foot SUP around.

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I have this one and it rolls nicely. I'm sure there are others that roll up smaller but this is made out of the same material that NRS whitewater rafts are made out of and they are plenty durable. It came with a carrying bag, pump and gauge. They recommend that you fill to 12-15lbs. My girlfriend has a hard time topping hers off. We opted for inflatable because of the possible option of taking down the river. The ease of storage and transport.

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Tall,

I got the 9 foot one. Seems plenty fast for my family but I have to admit that I don't have a ton of experience. I use some non-inflatable SUPs when I go to Hawaii ever year but those are not high-end fiberglass boards. I can say that the Tower 9 foot seems just as good as some of the 10 foot solid boards I have ridden. (I won't be riding those anymore because my Tower SUP is coming with me this year!)

In the end...the reason to go with inflatable should be the durability and easy of use/transportability. If those attributes rate highly on your scale I doubt you will find a better board at the price point Tower is offereing these for. I did a fair amount of research before purchasing, but that was about a year ago. -Marc

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I have the 12' LakeShore inflatable. It fits in my 21' boat fine. The nose of the board slides as far forward into the walk-thru. And the tail sits on top of the engine cover. Then I can either strap it down or put the cover on over it (remove the fin first!).

Also, some parts I am using to inflate mine:

The adapter

A 12v pump.

HIGPRESSUREINFLATOR.png

Obviously I have to use the adapter with any pump..... REALLY simplifies everything. Typically I use my garage compressor. Or maybe a pump at a local gas station. But the 12v pump allows me to do it almost anywhere. I also picked up a descent digital air pressure gauge.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Tower SUP is having a special right now. You get $100 off and 10% off on top of that. The racing model with an adjustable paddle was $732 shipped.

So I did get the 14 foot model, unfortunately, I won't be able to report back until late spring.

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