MissySki
Angel Diva
I finally jumped on the SUP bandwagon!
A friend recommended https://www.islesurfandsup.com/ , and I went with the Pioneer - the inflatable model they recommend for beginners. Then I went on the hunt for a PFD. To my amazement, this was the hard part - the local stores had been totally picked through. No dice unless you happened to be a women's XS or a men's XXL. I finally ordered a PFD through REI, and it actually fit! I also got a season pass to the local reservoir; that also means going through the "fast lane" on busy days.
I originally bought the board without an electric pump. After pumping it up manually, and then trying every possible way to get a more generic type of electric pump to inflate the dang thing (including a fancy DeWalt pump that uses the same rechargeable batteries as our power tools), I gave up and bought the pump from Isle as well. There's a discount if you buy it all at the same time ... or, apparently, if you contact customer service right after you get the board and tell them you want that discount ;-)
You guys. It was amazing. I went with a fellow newbie after our last meetings on Friday. This board is so stable and wide. I felt at home right away. Armed with one lesson several years ago and a couple of youtube tutorials I watched that morning, it was easy to stand up. I even felt comfortable sitting on it sideways, with my feet dangling in the water. (It's too wide for me to comfortably straddle it, though.) It was hot, so I had been kind of hoping I'd just fall in, but that never happened. A no-wake reservoir is certainly easy mode, but I was surprised at how comfortable I was moving around on the board.
Some people in this thread have talked about inflatables being piggish, slow, all that stuff. That may be true, but ... I don't actually want to go anywhere with my board. I want my own private floating dock out on the water where I can splash about, test my balance, and occasionally chat with my friend when we're in range. This board was perfect for that.
No pictures, because I'm not *that* confident on the SUP yet.
Question: For those of you with inflatables, have you ever traveled on a plane with them as checked baggage? My parents live on the outer banks, and arranging a rental seemed a bit tricky and time-consuming for a family visit, especially when I was the only one interested. If I find that I do this a lot, I may just buy a used solid board the next time I go - I could launch right from their back yard into brackish water.
Wanted to echo that I’m happy to see you around here again too! It’s been awhile.
Isle is supposed to be great, a friend of mine recommended the same board and it was a top contender for me even though I ended up going with the Gili. Sounds like you had a great time which is the biggest test of your new board. Wish I lived near you, I need someone to go out paddling with.. if it ever stops being dreary and rainy here that is lol.
Since I just got my inflatable, and haven’t gotten to take it out yet, I obviously haven’t traveled with it. I’ve seen a lot of people mention doing so in some paddle groups I’ve joined on Facebook though so I don’t think that would be a problem for you at all.