Does Isle Make Good Paddleboards? Top Ones!
When looking for the best board, you will definitely come across the Isle stand up paddle board. Even on the online marketplaces such as Amazon.com, this is one of the most popular brand names.
Occasionally, we do review stand up paddle boarding gear that we have tried out. In the past, we published a post on what to choose between a 4 or 6 inch paddle board.
We also looked at a fantastic stand up paddle board made by Easy Eddy, that is detachable and “breakable” into three pieces. It is simply the easiest solid paddle board to store or travel with.
In yet another post, we reviewed a few of the best waterproof cameras. Today, we look at the Isle iSUP. What are its features and their benefits? Keep reading!
ISLE stand up paddle board review
Isle Surf & SUP makes many types of paddle boards, from beginners one to many targeted at advanced users. Not only do they have solid and inflatable boards, a SUP for all levels of skill, but they also have a board for almost every budget.
These boards have been made by surfers and stand up paddle boarding enthusiasts. They understand the sport so well. If you buy from this brand name, you will be buying into a community with a long and solid culture of surface water sports.
Keep reading to see some of their most popular SUP boards from Isle and Surf:
ISLE Pioneer : Most Popular SUP Board
The best thing about this SUP board is one of the most popular boards in the market today. It is referred to as the one-size-fit-all of paddle boarders. It is perfect for beginner adults but at the same time, it is not too boring for advanced users.
Size
This board measures 10 feet 6 inches long, 34 inches wide and is 6 inches thick. It is an inflatable board that holds well under pressure.
With a weight rating of 285 pounds, you can bring your friend along on the board. It is going to support you nicely enough.
The long deck offers a lot of space for the occupants as well as their cargo. If you are bringing your dog or child, there is a lot of space. Just make sure they wear their life jacket for paddle boarding.
With a weight of 24 pounds, this board is easy to store and transport to various places. It also comes with its transport bag, so traveling with it should not be a problem.
The extra width gives this board a lot of stability in the water. That is why you are many times more likely to come across a few Isle Pioneer boards when paddle boarding in Santa Cruz or San Diego.
Also, You can use it for different things such as SUP Yoga thanks to the width. Beginners also find it very stable in the water, again because of the width.
Almost excellent performance, tracking and turning
The performance of the board is also very important. This means tracking ability of the board to see how fast it can move in the water.
In this case, the Pioneer comes with fixed but flexible fins. However, the real mastery of tracking for this board comes from the large center fin. It will hold to your desired direction fairly well in the water.
Another thing most people wonder about when they are selecting a paddle board is how easily or how fast they can make a turn. The truth is that super wide boards like this one are not known for their turning ability.
However, once you get to use it, you will appreciate the meaning of the phrase “looks can be deceiving), because indeed, they are. This board is very responsive to steering and turning.
Material and durability
For a long time, the inflatable sup boards have been getting a bad rap on account of durability. However, Isle and Surf shows that an iSUP can last a long time, despite all the abuse you throw at it.
It is made with military grade PVC and the seams are put together so nicely. Just make sure to inflate it to the recommended pressure.
Also, make a habit of cleaning a paddle board before storage, air-dry it thoroughly and then store it in places with controlled temperature and humidity.
https://www.amazon.com/ISLE-Inflatable-Accessory-Lightweight-Capacity/dp/B09QQT6SR9?th=1&psc=1
ISLE Discovery: Best stand up paddle board for speed
There are many notable differences between the ISLE Discover board and the ISLE pioneer. The shape and design alone can tell you that these boards are made for different purposes.
The Discovery is made of the type of adventurer who wants to go off-shore, at speed. It has a very sharp nose and the tail is not too rounded. Therefore, beginner users might find it a bit hard to control this board on water.
This board is narrow at 31 inches. However, it still provides enough standing space, and has cargo storage areas at the front and at the tail.
The storage areas are also secure, so your personal items should be safe. If you are going to paddle board beyond the areas designated for bathing, swimming or surfing, you need to have a Coast Guard approved life jacket aboard the iSUP.
The thickness of this board is 6 inches. The narrow width and the pointed nose make this board a perfect glider on the water. You can also use it for paddle boarding in the river.
This board can help you cover long distances since it moves well with river currents. If you are a beginner, we would advise you to look for another board and avoid this one.
ISLE Explorer: Best touring inflatable board
As the name suggests, this inflatable SUP board will enable you to go places and explore. It is designed for long trips on the water. It is also safe to paddleboard in the winter on this board.
This board measures 11 feet and 6 inches long, so it has enough room for you and your child, or for two adults as long as they do not exceed the weight rating of 300 pounds.
At 32 inches wide, it is not too tippy in the water but still, a beginner board should be wider than this for more stability. Since it picks up speed fast, it is possible to fall into the water too often.
You will also notice the “hybrid” nose. We call it hybrid because it is not very sharp, yet it is not rounded to give this board an all-round appearance as you find in the ISLE Pioneer board.
This board comes in two models. One model measures 11 feet 6 inches. The second model measures 12 feet long. They come with a weight of 22 and 24 pounds respectively.
Tracking and movement
Because this board has great tracking ability, it is used in long distance paddle boarding. It also holds very well when you are paddle boarding in waves.
When talking about the tracking performance, the SUP fins come to mind. This one comes with flexible, but fixed side fins.
You cannot remove them. However, the center fin is large and digs deep into the water to give the board an excellent tracking performance.
Please note that this SUP board is not made for speeding on the water. It is designed with stability in mind, so the nose is a bit blunt. This does not mean that it is slow though – It is fast, only that it takes a bit longer to pick up speed.
Material and durability
This board is made with high quality material, in fact, all ISLE stand up paddle boards are. They have built it with what they call the AirTech Fusion Lite technology. They fuse a high-density PVC layer to the inner core, which is double-stitched for durability.
This advanced board building technology gives the board the feeling of a solid paddle board when you inflate it fully.
Inflate the board to the recommended 17PSI. It has been designed with a high pressure valve for inflation. With good care, this valve can last as long as the board.
Storage
If you love paddle boarding with your partner, get this board and explore places in the ocean together. It comes with two storage spaces at the tail and nose.
Just pack your water, snacks, personal items and life jacket in a waterproof bag and then secure them on either end. There will still be room enough for two people.
The board comes with a high quality storage and transport bag. This bag does not have wheels though, so you can only carry it. But then the weight of 22 pounds is not too bad.
Is ISLE a good SUP brand?
Their boards are made with the AirTech Fusion Lite technology, which fuses the outer, military grade PVC cover with the double-stitched inner core.
This alone makes these boards some of the most durable in the market. Their air valves are so well built such that they can last as long as the boards themselves.
These boards are not cheap. Even if you buy a ISLE stand up paddle board from Costco, it will cost you a good amount of money. All the same, people still swear by them while they could get any of the cheaper options in the market.
ISLE is definitely not one of the SUP brands to avoid. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced paddle boarder, you will get a good inflatable paddle board under the ISLE brand name.
What is the best stand up paddle board to buy?
It depends on your budget and your skill level. Even if you have $300, it can get you a fairly good stand up paddle board. Here are a few things to consider when you are ordering your board:
Beginner level – All-rounded paddle boards, wide at 33 inches or wider are best beginner boards because of the stability they offer you. They do not tip over easily. They also offer enough standing space for you to feel comfortable and confident. The ISLE Pioneer inflatable board would be perfect for this.
Intermediate level boards – These boards are costlier, more pointed at the nose and can be narrow, say about 31 inches wide. They are built for speed, distance and maneuverability. They can glide fast over water and if they come with a large center wing, they track incredibly well.
Advanced level boards – These have a pointed nose and narrower profiles. They are built for cruising and touring, and ISLE has many of them such as the Explorer, Discovery and others.
A high quality SUP board is going to cost you a lot of money. However, when you are buying water sport equipment, consider the features first. If they justify the price, buy it.
Conclusion: ISLE stand up paddle board
You can never go wrong with the ISLE stand up paddle boards. If you want a board that will last many years in good shape, get one from them.
They come with everything you need to start enjoying your time on the water. The SUP leash is included, as is the carry bag.
The only regret is that the carry bag does not have rollers, so you will have to heft it onto your shoulder.
They also come with high quality ISLE SUP paddles. The three-piece detachable ones are included for every inflatable SUP board. Inflatable SUPs also come with a pump.
There are also two-piece ones included with every stiff board.