FunWater Ultra-Light Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board

I adore my standup paddleboard! I’ve used it several times since it arrived in mid-July, and each time has been a wonderful experience. Using the hand pump to get all the way to the proper inflation gets very difficult once you get close to the end, but that’s across all inflatable paddleboards. (For that reason, I just came to Amazon to purchase an electric pump.) But it is important to get it there because the first time I took the board out, I said, “Eh, close enough.” And it did support me and felt super solid, but when I stood up, it was more unsteady than I was used to with a solid standup paddleboard, and I fell in twice, which was fine because I had on my life jacket and it was HOT. But I did learn to use the ankle cuff because the current in the lake was taking my board and paddle away faster then I expected. Luckily, my daughter was with me and was able to retrieve my things. So the next times I went out, I made sure to pump it up all the way (triceps workout), and when I stood up, it was much steadier. I was just out last evening and was able to stand up and sit down multiple times without falling in.

Pros: easy to transport in a normal car without any racks or special equipment; has everything you need in the included backpack; drybag is an extra bonus and very important for keys and phones; has saved a ton of money from renting a board at $20 an hour; the 33-inch width provides extra stability; blows up rigid, but it’s not heavy or hard to carry

Cons: I can’t think of any. If you’ve never used a standup paddleboard, you might find it challenging. but I think you would be just as challenged on a solid board. We took a class at a local state park last summer to learn the basics. And the more you practice, the better you’ll get. And if you fall in, so what? That’s half the fun of being on the water. My only rule with my daughter and myself is if you are standing, your life preserver is on.

I bought a couple of expensive iSUPs (one for me, one for spouse) from Costco, that performed ok, however, one of them popped despite being inflated to only 70% of capacity, on only our second use. We returned it and ordered another one which was defective out of the box (one of the side panels wasn’t fully glued in place). A week later we were issued a Product Warning from Costco indicating that they weren’t safe and to return it immediately. So, I returned both (mine and wife’s) boards. I then bought an inexpensive board which I tried side-by-side with a couple of friends boards (total of three different boards from three different manuf’s one of which was this board Im reviewing) and this one was a great balance of stability, speed, and control. There aren’t as many layers of PVC material on the less expensive ones (like this one) as the upper end so it flexes a little bit under my weight of 175 lbs but its negligible and I dont need a 15-20 PSI board. I believe this one is 12 or 14 PSI and I inflate to usually only 10-12 PSI and its fine. Removable fins are convenient and make packing much easier than non-removable but these are pretty hard to get on – I had to work the plastic fins a bit to help make them easier to install. Also, lesser material means lighter so these carry and pack easier than the expensive iSUPs and Ive had no durability issues as yet.

Bought with a coupon for a good price. Wasn’t sure how well it would hold up but we lasted all summer. Travelling to different places and using it in Canadian waves. Kids played with it for hours. First time took forever to pump but gets faster each time. Easy to deflate and fold. Bag is easy to carry. Very happy with purchase. I’ll order another one next summer.

At first, I was a bit skeptical about iSUP in general, not entirely convinced that they could perform anywhere close to a hard board or that the reviews were legit. Although I’ve only had this for a week, so far I’m satisfied. (I bought it mainly for my girl) The board is very light and that’s one of the selling points of iSUP and that’s the reason I chose this one – the lightest I can find on Amazon for this size (I don’t know if it sacrifices rigidness or durability). After paddling 4 times on a local lake, I feel it’s good for leisure paddling and great value for its price.

Pros:
*The weight. I have a 12’6 carbon board which is only 24lbs, but this one feels much lighter than that. I guess you can really tell the difference of 7 lbs. This is important for kids or small women to carry around and for travelling as well.
*Easily assembled. To inflate the board to about 14psi, it costs me 5 min on average (so far, I’ve tried 5 times). It’s relatively easy to get to 10 psi and then it’s getting a little harder for each additional psi. It wasn’t a big problem for me, but my girl said she needs a rest before taking it to water. As some other reviewers have mentioned, the pump does feel cheap. I don’t know how long it can last. It’s not a double stage or a two chamber hand pump (like titan pump from Red), I can’t tell if those will make life easier. My plan is to get an electric pump for my girl so that she won’t get exhausted before paddling without me. And I suggest getting an electric one if you have more than two boards.
*Stability. It can’t be more stable for a 33” wide board. I don’t feel any difference between inflatable SUP and hard one in terms of stability if not better.
*Extras. Except for the paddle, backpack, fins, pump and repair kit, I found safety leash and waterproof phone case in the package which is not normally included from other brands. They are not that expensive, but it’ll save some time and ~$30, and make it truly ready to go package. The waterproof phone case doesn’t float though.
Cons:
* The paddle is heavy. Well, this is not a fair comparison because I’m comparing it to my $$$ carbon fiber paddle. I can confirm it floats on water (For how long I’m not sure, < 30 min?).
* Not for experienced paddler. It’s great for leisure or yoga purpose, but it’s not for serious racers because it bows a lot when you have your back muscles, shoulders, arms and abs all involved in paddling.