Starboard Touring Slim DL 11’2’’x31’’: A multi-sport board with all the extras

A touring board doesn’t need to be thick to be suitable for touring. The Starboard Touring Slim Deluxe Lite boasts an unusually slim profile for this class at 4.75 inches, a sporty outline and a comprehensive range of features. The result is a SUP that feels surprisingly responsive on the water, is quick off the mark and also makes a high-quality impression in terms of build quality. We took a closer look at the board and its accessories and, of course, spent plenty of time inflating and paddling it ourselves.

Starboard Touring Slim DL on land

It’s clear from the moment you unpack it: the Starboard Deluxe Lite (8.5 kilos, as measured by us) is not a spartan touring board where you have to go hunting for the extras yourself. Here, a great deal has been thought through, right down to the last detail. The workmanship is of a high standard, the seams are neatly finished and additional reinforcement tapes ensure a solid overall impression. The construction also features welded rails – an important quality feature where the outer shell is welded rather than simply glued together.

One notable feature is its comparatively slim profile of 4.75 inches. To maintain rigidity despite the thinner design, wide, continuous PVC reinforcement strips run along the top and underside. This is a clever design feature, as a reduced material thickness means that rigidity cannot simply be taken for granted.

The board also scores highly when it comes to handling on land. The padded carrying handles at the bow, stern and centre are comfortably thick and offer a secure grip. The deck pad extends a long way forwards from the rear handle, generously covering the entire range of movement. Its fine ribbing feels pleasantly soft, yet offers excellent grip both lengthways and crossways. At the rear, a slightly wedge-shaped kickpad marks the point where you should stop when moving backwards – a subtle but helpful guide when turning.

Starboard hasn’t skimped on the luggage options either. The elastic straps are secured with metal carabiners, making them quick to unclip. This not only makes it easier to stow luggage, but also allows you to clear the loading area when needed. There are also four further attachment points in the centre of the board for an optional kayak seat. The additional red lashing line extends the setup to accommodate extra ‘hand luggage’.

The fin is secured using a tool-free toggle screw. It is wide, tilted sharply towards the rear and designed to ensure maximum straight-line stability. The specially notched fin box also makes it easier to roll up the board around the box area.

The kit also includes an elastic leash made from recycled material and a well-designed pump. Its large, fold-out feet ensure stability, whilst the ergonomic handles fit comfortably in the hand. A particularly handy feature is the extra-long hose, which offers greater freedom of movement whilst pumping. This makes it easy to reach the recommended 15 to 18 PSI; we inflated our test board to 17 PSI.

The three-piece Vario paddle supplied also makes a high-quality impression. Angled blades, a push-button mechanism, an anti-twist feature, an ergonomic grip and a three-dimensionally moulded Tufskin blade all promise solid performance. However, only time on the water will tell whether the paddle can live up to this good first impression.

Starboard Touring Slim on the water

The first impression when stepping onto the board is surprising: although at 31 inches wide it isn’t excessively wide, it feels pleasantly stable underfoot. Above all, however, the Deluxe Light feels significantly less like a classic, high-profile inflatable underfoot than is typical of many boards in this category. The reduced thickness brings the paddler closer to the water and provides a more direct, almost surfboard-like feel. Lighter – and therefore often smaller – paddlers are closer to the water and can set their paddle to a shorter length.

With a paddler weighing 81 kilograms, we did not notice any noticeable flex at 17 PSI. The board sits firmly on the water without feeling spongy. Even for paddlers weighing up to around 90 kilograms, we see no reason to be cautious provided the correct pressure is maintained. The flatter construction does not, therefore, automatically result in a significant loss of stiffness.

The design explains why the Deluxe Light looks not only comfortable but also sporty. The rounded yet tapered nose flows into a comparatively parallel outline. The wide tail provides stability, whilst the long waterline gives the board a distinct touring character. It sits in the water along a large part of its length, making it seem less like a compact all-rounder and more like a small, manoeuvrable touring board.

It picks up speed readily as you start paddling. Its light weight helps with acceleration, and you can maintain a good pace even after the first few strokes. An average touring speed of around 6 km/h seems entirely realistic in the right conditions. As always, such figures depend on wind, current, technique and the paddler’s weight – they are therefore more of a guide than a performance guarantee. Compared to many all-round boards of a similar length, however, the Starboard feels noticeably nippier and requires less effort.

Its greatest strength is its straight-line stability. Several features work together to achieve this: the large touring fin, the long waterline and the relatively straight sides in the mid-section. The latter not only enhance the board’s directional stability but also help to guide the paddle straight through the water. Anyone who tends to pull the paddle shaft inwards during the stroke will, in a sense, receive a subtle design cue here to maintain a clean paddling stroke.

Of course, the board’s distinct touring focus also has a downside. During tight turning manoeuvres, the Deluxe Light doesn’t turn quite as readily as a rounder all-rounder with a small fin. The long waterline and the large fin create more drag when the board needs to be turned around its centre. An extra stroke may therefore be necessary. However, this is not a major drawback, but simply the other side of a design that performs particularly efficiently when travelling in a straight line.

Anyone who has mastered the advanced pivot turn – or would like to practise it – will find this a useful platform. The wide tail provides plenty of stability, and when you shift your weight back, the nose lifts well out of the water. The board can then be turned in a controlled manner without the tail becoming unstable straight away. Quick changes of direction require a bit of technique, but by no means superhuman effort.

With the luggage net fitted, the Deluxe Light is ideal for longer trips where you want to cover ground quickly. Without luggage, it can just as easily be used as a sporty leisure board. A smaller child should also be able to fit on board occasionally, provided the total load is appropriate. However, its real strength clearly lies in its ability to move forward with little effort and a pleasantly sporty riding experience.

The paddle

You can’t judge a good set by the board alone. It’s the paddle, in particular, that determines whether a trip feels relaxed or turns into a struggle after just a few kilometres. The three-piece Vario paddle supplied with the set is, thankfully, virtually faultless in this respect.

The adjustment mechanism works precisely. The length markings are helpful, the anti-twist mechanism keeps the handle firmly in place, and the lower plug-in section fits securely without any annoying rattling or wobbling. The shaft also feels rigid and is easy to grip securely. The ergonomics are simply spot on: from the knob right down to the non-slip shaft.

When paddling, the blade – with its highly versatile blade size of 84 square inches – is comfortable to use and doesn’t splash. During the pull phase, it builds up good pressure without feeling unnecessarily abrupt when it enters the water. The transition through the pull remains controlled, and the blade comes out of the water cleanly and effortlessly.

A high-end carbon paddle (such as the Velocity tested here, for example) the model supplied is not, however. Paddles of this sort, though, cost well over 400 euros on their own. Although the weight (910 grams) is noticeably higher, the paddle is nonetheless very impressive when considered as part of the set. The build quality, stiffness, handling and power transfer are simply spot on – and that is by no means a given for a standard accessory paddle.

Surfing: Conclusion

The Starboard Touring Slim Deluxe Light 11’2” is a touring SUP with particularly high-quality features. Its slim profile provides a responsive ride, whilst the relatively long waterline and large fin ensure excellent straight-line stability, and the low weight makes the board pleasantly manoeuvrable – both on land and on the water.

Added to this are well-thought-out features, high-quality workmanship with welded edges and a paddle that really packs a punch as part of the set. It’s only during tight turning manoeuvres that it becomes apparent that the touring focus takes precedence over maximum manoeuvrability. That’s a fair trade-off if you’d rather cover distance than perform pirouettes on every square metre of water.

This board is particularly appealing to lighter paddlers who are looking for a sporty yet forgiving touring SUP and who aren’t particularly keen on the typical, slightly high-legged feel of many inflatable boards. Lighter paddlers benefit particularly from the lower stance above the water; it’s ideal for paddlers weighing up to around 75 kilograms, but even for those weighing up to around 85 kilograms, we still see a very practical range of use – with the benefits of the thinner construction – provided the correct operating pressure is maintained.

Technical specifications: Starboard Deluxe Light 11’2”

• Construction method: Inflatable touring SUP with welded rails
• Reinforcements: Continuous PVC reinforcement strips on the top and underside
• Deck: A finely ribbed, non-slip pad with a kickpad at the rear
• Luggage: Removable elastic straps with metal carabiners and additional stainless steel eyelets
• Accessory mounting: Four central eyelets for fitting a kayak seat
• Finn: Large touring fin with tool-free toggle-screw fastening
• Accessories: Three-piece Vario paddle, pump with fold-out feet, elastic leash made from recycled material and a very sturdy rucksack