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Although the Indiana is called Touring, it could also be labelled Race. The board lies long and stretched with its nose in the water and is really stiff, despite its narrow width. With its slim, pointed nose and narrow tail, it paddles much more easily in flat water than any wider touring board; you simply reach higher speeds with less power. Once you have the skills to paddle a board like this, it is estimated that you can go 15 per cent further on any tour with 20 per cent power. However, this requires a good sense of balance, as the board only offers space for a very narrow stance on the straight and if you approach the tail bit by bit for a turn, you will notice how the nose comes up easily, but it also becomes significantly more wobbly with every foot length back.
It's best to start with this board in shallow water and work your way up to more difficult conditions. This Indiana board also convinces with solid top equipment - such as additional tension and pressure straps, as well as a particularly stiff layer in the standing area. Additional carrying handles and a camera mount at the front are the usual features, while a particularly high-quality and lightweight carbon fin enhances the overall package. The nets are large enough for a day pack and an additional option for attaching a shoulder strap is also very helpful when carrying around. The two-part fin box is also practical when packing. The tail has a sharp tear-off edge for more speed.
Conclusion on the Indiana Touring Ltd 14'0" x 28":
If you paddle in on this board, you can enjoy an extremely fast sports tourer that feels firm underfoot.
Taut, fast, well equipped. A sports tourer with race suitability.
Info:
- Price: 1289 Euro >> available here
- Length: 427 cm
- Width: 71.1 cm
- Weight: 11.5 kg
- Volume: 330 litres
Stephan Gölnitz
Deputy Editor in Chief surf
Stephan Gölnitz comes from Bochum and had Holland as his home windsurfing territory for many years before moving to Munich in 1996 for the job of test editor at surf magazine. The materials engineering graduate worked as a surf instructor on the Ijsselmeer during his studies and competed for several seasons for the Essen sailing team in the Surfbundesliga and the Funboard Cup. He completed a traineeship at surf-Magazin in the test department and since then has actively accompanied almost all tests on the boom and for more than 10 years also as a photographer. Stephan has covered many thousands of test kilometers, mainly on Lake Garda and in Langebaan, but also in Egypt and Tobago. He gets his hands on over 100 new sails and boards every year as his company car. Privately, he prefers to surf with a foil on Lake Walchensee or “unfortunately far too rarely” in the waves. SUP is Stephan's second passion, which he pursued for several years at numerous SUP races. Today, he prefers to paddle on river tours with family or friends - even for several days.
