SurfStar Unboxing :
We were fortunate enough to have SurfStar send us one of their inflatable paddle boards to review. In the video above you can see exactly what you will get if you purchase one. It really does come with everything you will need and we will get into more details as we go here in the review.
With that said, lets hope right into the details!
What The Surfstar SUP Comes With:
This package comes with everything you need. No need to go out and buy anything else other than a lifejacket if that is what you want or need.
Here is a quick list of everything that comes with each board:
- Inflatable Paddle Board
- 3 Piece Paddle
- Backpack
- 2-Way Pump
- Coiled Leash
- Removable Center Fin
- Repair Kit
- Water Proof Phone Case
First Thoughts Of The Board:
I have to say that right away, this thing is light! I personally own quite a few boards (both inflatable and solid) and this is by far the lightest of them all. This comes in right around 18lbs which is easily 5lbs lighter than any other board that I own. This is light enough that even a kid could possibly carry it around. It is very nice if you need to carry it a long way to get to the water. Even with everything in the backpack, it is much lighter then any other ISUP I have, so it would be easiest to pack up a long trail to get to a remote water source.
As you can see above, the nose also has a nice padded carry handle in case you need/ want to carry it with 2 people or just drag it around.
It also has a built in camera mount (which was nice for filming) and some bungie straps to secure cargo.
I also tested out the water proof case with both my phone and keys and no water got in 😁👍
The Tail of the board has both a padded carry handle and a second bungie strap area as well. There is a nice secure D-ring for the leash to tie to and your standard air-fill port.
The paddle board deck itself was nice and comfortable on the feet! I had plenty of traction and comfort.
The leash felt great and I didn’t even notice it (which is good) and the paddle is the lightest thing i have ever felt!
The paddle is a 3-piece fiberglass paddle and feels to be almost as ridged as one of my 3-piece carbon fiber paddles that i have. I was really surprised honestly.
The bottom of the board is pretty straight forward. It is a standard 3 fin setup with 2 smaller built-in fins and one removable center fin.
The center fin is really nice as it has a slide in clip that holds it in place:
You can see it in the above image towards the back of the fin. Most other fins that I have need either a phillips screw driver to install/ take off, or an awkward finger tightening screw. I really like the slide clip this has to be honest. Simple and easy.
I did notice that there is a D-ring on the bottom of the nose of the board as well. I guess if you wanted to town the board, the would be a decent place to attach to.
Board Performance:
The Board: My initial reaction is that it is comfortable on the feet and easy to carry and paddle on. I love that it is so light!
It has a little flex when standing in the middle (at 15lbs psi) as it is a single layer construction board which is where the weight savings come in VS a double layer ISUP that would be a lot stiffer and not as nice on the feet and heavier.
The board is easy to maneuver and really stable. This is a great board for any skill level. Is it a high performance board? No, but that is not what it is meant to be. Think Honda, not Ferrari 😜
Weight Limit: It is said to have a 320lb max weight limit. I am 195lbs and it feels just right to me at 15lbs of air pressure.
The Paddle: The fiberglass paddle is new to me and feels great. It flexes a little under heavy paddling (which is expected) but it is also light as a feather! Feels a lot like a carbon fiber paddle to be honest. Really easy to paddle with and I like the blade design as well. It feels good.
The Leash: The leash is comfortable and you don’t notice it being on which is the whole point so that is great!
The Backpack: I have a few inflatable paddle boards and they all have backpacks. Normally everything is pretty tight and not always easy to get everything into. This however has a decent ammount of extra room so even if you don’t pack everything perfectly, it all fits with room to spare which is very nice.
the straps also feel good on the shoulders, so that is a plus as well.
Pros & Cons
Pro’s
- Great value as it is fairly inexpensive
- You get everything you will need in one easy purchase.
- It is REALLY LIGHT! So very easy to pack/ carry around.
- Simple designed paddle board, that looks great on the water.
- It’s on Amazon so fast shipping and buyer protection if anything goes wrong.
Cons
- Flexes a little due to being single layer construction (it is also a plus as it makes it lighter).
- No cool designs or color options, pretty standard.
- Would love to see additional upgrade options (paddles, fins, colors, etc.)
SurfStar Coupon Code:
SurfStar has gone above and beyond and given us an exclusive coupon code to save $10.00 off your purchase (Code is: “SUPBOARDER”. You can use the code at checkout when you buy one of these SurfStar paddle board here: https://amzn.to/3u8UgsC
Final Thoughts
Based on the price ($339.99) and everything you get, plus $10.00 off of that with the code, this is hard to go wrong with. Now obviously I haven’t had a year or so to really test out the durability, but I can always come back here and update this if anything changes.
Get price, solid board if you are just looking for something inexpensive to enjoy some time out on a lake for any skill level. If you are looking for a touring board or ocean paddle boarding, I would likely recommend something bigger and more solid that is designed for that. This board is for good old family fun.
