I love to be on the water. Kayaking, canoeing, fishing boat, pontoon – I’ll take it. We own two fishing kayaks and a canoe and we go out as much as we can, but realistically I can’t (or don’t want to) manage any of them on my own. The kayaks are extremely heavy and have to be on a trailer which I haven’t yet learned to drive with, and the canoe can go on top of the car but it’s just too much for me to lift over my head and onto the car on my own at this point. We also have two Intex Challenger Inflatable Kayaks which we really enjoy, but they are most appropriate for people under 5 feet tall (so at this point in our family, Mason). I have a slipped vertebrae in my lower back which requires continued PT and strength training, and am constantly balancing doing the things I love versus triggering a major pain flare up. As much as I love it, sitting in a boat can sometimes become torture. If I can’t stand up and stretch out when I need to, a beautiful paddle can turn to misery. Another bonus of a paddle board is that (at least in our area) it doesn’t have to be registered like other boats. Be sure to know and follow all boating and safety regulations for your location.
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The kids and I have rented stand up paddle boards multiple times. Nic doesn’t get the draw (not the most practical for fishing) but the rest of us love it. For me it is perfect, because I can stand, sit, lay down, hop into the water – whatever I need to do to be comfortable with my back. They’re great for hot weather because it’s so easy to get off and back on again, although it does take a little practice. There are a few marinas nearby that have them but the price is usually high (in my opinion) and availability limited. I wanted to be able to go to any lake, anytime and paddle board. I had only ever used a solid paddle board, but considering the challenges of transporting them, inflatable seemed a logical solution. Although I’d never tried an inflatable SUP based on some reviews I’d seen I had to give one a try.
At over 1500 ratings, five stars, and a great price, the Roc Inflatable SUP on Amazon was first on my list. I opted for the Cloud design with the addition of the kayak seat, which was around $300 after tax. It comes with several additional pieces, including the paddle (can be used single or double bladed), a pump, a detachable main fin, a leash, a tightening wrench, and a backpack style bag to put it all in. I ordered it, paying full price and planning to write a thorough review for the blog.
The paddle board arrived around 24 hours later and I decided to inflate it in the garage to make sure everything functioned properly before heading to the lake. I could tell after a few times using the hand pump that my back wasn’t going to tolerate it for long enough to fully inflate the paddle board. I had hoped that my mini pump would work as well here as it did on our backpacking air mattresses and with creative use of the attachments it did. With creative use of attachments on my favorite rechargeable air pump it only took a few minutes (and basically zero effort) to get the board mostly inflated. I was impressed with how solid it seemed already. The instructions stated that the board needed to be inflated to between 10 and 15 PSI. I reconnected the hand pump and finished inflating it since it had the integrated PSI gauge and found that to be very manageable. The board deflated easily and quickly and I packed it and the accessories into the carrying bag. At 18 pounds it was easy to carry and I was ready to try it out.
That evening we ventured out to Hoover Reservoir, a beautiful lake with a 10 horsepower outboard motor limit. I’m not very interested in paddling on lakes without horsepower limits…the stress isn’t worth it, particularly when the kids are with me. Even in no wake zones, people can be reckless and make things pretty terrible for paddlers. Thankfully we have a few options within an hour or so of us.
At the lake Nic started getting Mason set up with his inflatable kayak, and I started working on the paddle board. Within 10 minutes I had the board inflatable, paddle assembled, and the fin and ankle leash attached. Once we were all set Nic took off with his fishing kayak and we planned to meet up a while later since Mase and I were going to explore some coves. After an initial wobble I found the board to be extremely stable, and truly couldn’t tell much difference from the solid boards I’d been on. It seemed a little smaller than I was used to, but at 10’6” and 6” thick I was very comfortable on the board. I didn’t bother with the seat on this trip. My back was already bothering me so I knew I’d need to stand for the most part.
At the put-in there was some wind, so I knelt on the paddle board until we got into a cove (otherwise you’re really just a human sail). Mason dropped his fishing magnet in the water here and there and was surprised to pull up small stones which apparently had some magnetic qualities. He also enjoyed using the rope on the magnet to check the difference in depth in different areas. The cove was beautiful. I was very impressed at the stability of the paddle board. I was able to go from standing to sitting and vice versa without any trouble. I typically prop my paddle on the board to steady myself when changing positions.
We explored a few other coves and we found a beach where Mason could take a turn on the board. He also wobbled once but had no trouble at all staying upright unless he bumped something. He’s full of energy and loves to be able to stand up while he’s paddling. He enjoys the kayak but I know it feels somewhat limiting since he can only be in one position. He was also having trouble with his life jacket coming up uncomfortably around his neck when he was sitting in the kayak. Unfortunately he’s at a tough size where he needs an adult sized life jacket for the weight but doesn’t have the height for it to feel comfortable yet.
The sun was getting low and we knew our time was limited since we didn’t have the proper gear to be out at dark (be sure to check your local boating regulations on this as well). He got back in his kayak and we headed for the ramp. Nic met us there a short time later with a couple nice saugeye that would be the following night’s dinner, and by that point we had everything dismantled, deflated, and ready to pack up.
My rating for the Roc Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board is overwhelmingly five stars. I have two minor complaints which do not affect my overall rating. One is that the hand pump would take longer than I would prefer to fill the paddle board. Others might not have an issue with this, but with my back problem I know I need to remediate this with another pump. Since I have a handheld, rechargeable one that is an easy solution, but it was not able to fill it up completely and I needed the PSI gauge on the hand pump anyway. The other complaint I have is the smell. When I first opened the box I was shocked at how strong the smell was, but after being in the open air for a few hours it was no longer an issue. If you purchase this paddle board (or probably any inflatable products), plan to let it air out for a little while before packing it into your car.
In conclusion, I was very impressed with the stability and rigidity of this inflatable paddle board. Having never used one I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I knew the options at my local sporting goods store (minimum $450 and 40 pounds) were not going to work for me. If you’re interested in owning your own stand up paddle board, I’d suggest you give this one a try.