Even non-professionals can stay safe on this board in wavy conditions at sea, as the additional width in the centre, the slightly wider bow and the wider tail offer noticeably more safety. Fortunately, the board hardly loses any of its liveliness as a result of these widening measures. On the other hand, it offers noticeably more reserves in terms of stability and payload. The Sportstourer is stiffer than its narrower counterpart, the RS, and is our recommendation for paddlers over 80kg.
The "wing widening" also creates a little more space on deck under the large nets, under which there is also room for spacious panniers. The two quick-to-operate sliding fins and the comfortable, high-quality rucksack can also be found here. As with the RS, the deck pad is split, which means that the board can be folded lengthways before being rolled up - also due to the double fins. The valve, which is offset to the side, is also prepared for this.
When manoeuvring, the board is stable in the water if you stay in the middle, and the upturned bow willingly turns sideways across the water. After two steps to the stern, you need to have an increased sense of balance, but it is less demanding than the RS. According to our test experience, this board is exactly what it says on the tin: a real sports tourer with which even somewhat experienced riders can make good progress in difficult conditions and which also sets a decent pace on glassy water.
It is not one of the most stable boards, but is a very good all-rounder for paddlers up to 80 kg and for experienced paddlers under 70 kg it is almost a stable expedition vehicle.
Conclusion on the GTS Sportstourer 12'0" x 29.5":
The Sportstourer is nice and light for carrying passages and a versatile all-rounder for medium or long tours.
Technical data and notes GTS Sportstourer 12'0" x 29.5":
- Price: 649 Euro
- Length: 366 cm
- Width: 75 cm
- Weight: 8.4 kg
- Volume: 315 litres
- Info about GTS
Very light, fast tourer, plenty of space for luggage, tracks well.
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.
