The half-life is being redefined for stand-up paddlers: How long it takes to fold a SUP to half its length or even smaller. The times on the clock are similar for all "compacts" - the performance on the water is not.
Travelling, paddling - and with your own board: a dream. Unfortunately, it is often logistically difficult to realise. For touring and river paddling, inflatable boards with a small pack size already provide excellent service and fit on the train, in the plane or under the bed in the campervan.
But anyone with wanderlust fever dreaming of endless beaches and the finest waves is usually faced with a big problem. Thick - because inflatable boards measure at least four inches in height, but usually even five or six inches, all the way to the edge. But what every surfer knows also applies to stand-up paddlers in the surf: For turns in front of the wave, you need a board with a thin tail and defined edges, plus three or four fins for good grip. The continuous round edges around the tail of classic iSUPs are great on the lake. However, at higher speeds, as soon as the board starts to glide, the water sucks up the tail and noticeably slows down the gliding fun on the wave.
Very compact "stubby" hardboards, such as the Starboard Hyper Nut, already accommodate the idea of transport, but a 2.40 metre board is still no hand luggage. In this case, the origin lies more in the pursuit of improved turning characteristics and more manoeuvrability in smaller waves, which definitely works.
With the best possible riding characteristics in the waves, the Starboard therefore serves more as a reference for the four challengers, which actually offer a transportable pack size and still promise real wave suitability. We have selected the boards in the size for ambitious wave beginners.
You can find the complete comparison test of these five compact and innovative waveboards with all the data and ratings as a PDF in the download area below:
- Hybrid board: I-99 Duo WindSUP 8'6 "x30"
- iSUP with rubber edge: RRD Air Cotan 8'6 "x30"
- Divisible hardboard: Sunova Speed 8'10 "x29 1/8"
- Vacuum technology: Tripstix Allround 10'x31"
- Compact Hardboard: Starboard Hyper Nut 8'0 "x31,5"
Downloads:
Stephan Gölnitz
Deputy Editor in Chief surf
