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Spinlock Alto - a new buoyancy aid for SUP!

Spinlock Alto - a new buoyancy aid for SUP!
An additional buoyancy aid on the SUP can be very useful, especially in cold water - when you lose strength more quickly when swimming - or in a thick dry suit, which can make swimming more difficult, and for less experienced swimmers anyway. Ideally, this is not strapped somewhere on the board, but where you need it: on your body at all times. Spinlock brings a completely new and very interesting variant into play with the "Alto".

Spinlock goes with the Alto a path somewhere between rather simply shaped buoyancy buoys and "real" life jackets. In standby mode, the "Alto" is worn on the back or stomach and fastened around the hips with a belt.

Well packed in the bag in "fair weather"...Well packed in the bag in "fair weather"...

Perhaps the most modern lifebuoy

The integrated compressed air cartridge is "ignited" with a strong pull on an easily accessible loop. The ring - which is not completely closed - inflates in a flash and you are still connected to it via the webbing. This means you don't have to cling on too tightly, but the "Alto" is not a lifejacket that will keep you from fainting.

...in an emergency, a life-saving ring that encloses the body....in an emergency, a life-saving ring that encloses the body.


After use the waistcoat can be "reloaded" with a spare cartridge and folded back into the pocket at home.

The Spinlock Alto doesn't really get in the way when paddling.The Spinlock Alto doesn't really get in the way when paddling.

When do you need a buoyancy aid for SUP?

Hopefully not under normal circumstances - It's like the airbag in a car, which ideally you don't see. But it gives you a good feeling that it's there in an emergency. It's similar with the buoyancy aids on the SUP. However, should you find yourself in an unexpected situation with a swim, weaker swimmers in particular will certainly be grateful and the additional buoyancy can also be helpful in the "unlikely event of a loss of pressure" on an inflatable SUP.

Almost a "real" lifebuoy in an emergency.Almost a "real" lifebuoy in an emergency.

A major advantageThe Spinlock Alto is not bulky when ready, weighs little and does not interfere with paddling. It also gives the exhausted paddler floating in the water plenty of buoyancy - the manufacturer claims 75 newtons - and should offer good support thanks to the fit around the body. The recommended retail price of 79 euros seems reasonable in the range between simpler life buoys and more expensive life jackets >> e.g. at Available on Amazon .

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SUP conclusion: The new Spinlock Alto is an interesting buoyancy aid for SUP that stands out from other familiar products thanks to its shape.

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