![]() The deck lets us down for having no bungee area – who goes paddleboarding without a dry bag or some kit? There is one D-clip at the nose for towing behind a boat or for mooring but that’s the only one present. Again, considering the price tag we would have expected a tool-less solution and one less thing to remember or lose. The Xplorer has one detachable fin and this needs a Phillips screwdriver to fix in position. But then where do you put it? At this price point we were stunned that this was the only SUP from our test that didn’t come supplied with a backpack. But even at that weight it’s still fairly portable, rolling up neatly like a sleeping bag. We were really impressed with its load-bearing figure of 800 lbs, almost twice, that of the competition.Ĭonsidering the size, the thickness of the military-grade PVC and quality of the build it’s not surprising that this beast weighs 36 lbs. At 14 feet long and a whopping 8 inches in depth the Xplorer is in a class of its own. If you are looking for a slightly smaller board, see the 10′ 6″ Isle options.Īt the top end of the market, we have the biggest paddle board. Our stronger reviewers found it took 180 pumps in around 5 minutes to inflate it fully. Our most unfit reviewer found it very difficult to inflate the board beyond 11 psi but its fittings would allow you to use a motorized pump if this would be better for you. Is there anything that the Explorer doesn’t do well? Not really, the negatives are nothing spectacular. To test out its adventuring chops we removed the third fin and headed off down some class II and III rapids and were excited by how it performed – no drama, just confident tracking. ![]() These both add up to a very comfortable ride. The slight rocker deals with moderate swell the board’s ample width makes it very stable. ![]() On the water the Explorer handles like a dream. The accessories include a three-piece aluminum travel paddle, high pressure pump, repair kit and sturdy branded backpack. The Explorer has the usual center-mounted carry handle but also two further durable handles fore and aft. The grip material can absorb quite a lot of water we would advise ensuring it is fully dried out before storing it to avoid mould growth and unpleasant smells. The track pad is a generous two-thirds of the deck which is surprising considering how much space the storage areas take up. There are a further four D-clips positioned so you can attach a kayak seat or a cooler. The Explorer is designed for adventure – the board has two large bungee areas attached with ten D-clips for amazing storage flexibility. This board has the pedigree and build quality to last you a very long time, its durable military grade PVC skin is resistant to scratches, collisions and the harsh summer sun.Īll these benefits and all in a remarkably light 19.1 lbs board! ISLE’s warranty includes a no-quibble 30-day money back guarantee if, for any reason, you’re not satisfied with their board. Aside from the backpack issues we love the iRocker. We would also like to have seen some kind of grommet in the pack to allow for drainage. Internally there are compartments for all the peripherals but they are exactly the right size meaning that you have to be careful to make sure you are packing everything correctly as there is no room for error. Single stitching isn’t strong enough either for the weight of the SUP. It isn’t finished to the quality we are used to and it already looked like it was starting to fray around the edges where it would take the most hammering. So does the iRocker beat other brands hands down? Not quite, there are a few issues with the package and they are all related to the backpack. We liked the width of this board, feeling it to be a good compromise of speed and stability. The iRocker is a foot longer and two inches higher than most iSUPs and we did feel the benefit of this in the water. The color scheme is light gray and dark gray and is a bit underwhelming compared to its Technicolor competitors however, the subdued palette is quite stylish and will suit a more classic taste. So, out of the box we inflated it in five minutes and as usual the first few were easy but trying to fully inflate it took a bit more effort.
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