Product Review... I am a kayaker... not a paddleboarder... but... I like water sports and like to try new things. This last weekend my sister and nephews were coming up from NY. The boys are getting older and like to try new things. They have kayaked often and enjoy it. I wanted to have something else for them to try. I was fortunate enough that the folks at Sebago Sailing and Watercraft let me borrow a Hobie Eclipse Pedalboard for the weekend and I thought it would be fun to also have a paddleboard. So... I reached out to a local outfitter. I intended to get a simple board, one that my family could use... I didn't plan on using it... knowing that the board that would work for me would need to have a higher capacity... I just wanted a 'run of the mill' paddleboard. But...when I got to the outfitter they talked to me and said I should take the Nalu, made by Ocean Kayak, so that I could use it too. Because I had enjoyed trying paddleboarding last year, NOT a Nalu, I got excited to try another kind and said yes.
As some know, I have been asked to review other products, but this time, this review is all from my experience, unsolicited.
PRODUCT: Ocean Kayak Paddleboard, Nalu 12.5
Specs:
Length 12'6"
Width 30.5"
Weight 50 lbs (IT was VERY doable to carry it solo, especially with the handles)
Max Capacity 350 lbs ( I was excited about this... feeling like I would float easily!)
Recommended for recreational use
The design of the paddleboard is something in which I assume people spent a lot of time. I look at it and think... there are a lot of hazards... places where I could 'catch' my feet as I try to use it... Instead of being flat like a traditional board, there are indentations for the feet and handles on the sides... (which are GREAT for carrying it, by the way, but...I see it as a place to catch my toes if I am already falling off the board.)
Oh.. and notice the scupper holes... the outfitter told me they never use scupper plugs on this board... that they are there to drain the water out...
There is a storage hatch. I had opened it when I cleaned the board. (The outfitter had not had a chance to get the board cleaned up for the season...) It seemed like a good idea, to be able to keep things dry, maybe a towel or phone or something... but... When I used it I saw some water get under there... and had to later pour the water out. I am not sure how old the board is or how long the seal is supposed to last... but... good in theory, not in practicality. (In my opinion!)
The bungees on the back ... seem to be a good idea... I am sure they are handy for holding down a sweatshirt or something... but again, for me, I see it as a place to get my foot caught as I fall over. (Yes I know many people use these boards and do not fall over! but... my nickname growing up wasn't Graceful Gert for no reason!)
The first night I had the board I reached out to a friend to see if she wanted to come with me as I tried out a different board. She was all in! I was excited. We got to our destination, Ferry Beach in Scarborough... and conditions looked great. I knelt on the board and paddled out to a depth where I knew I would not hurt myself if I fell... when I fell...let's be real here!
I stood up and my feet were under water... water had come up through the scupper holes... and my friend who was with me said the board was really low in the back... and I quickly fell. She watched more closely as I tried to get back on.. As I tried to climb on... which seemed harder than it did with the flat board I used before... I saw water get under the cover on the storage hatch... I knew that would not help my cause! Once I got back on I again got on my knees and was going to try to stand up... my friend told me even on my knees the board was very low.. and encouraged me to move forward.. I did.. and even then she said it seemed to be too low in the water. She paddleboards A LOT...and she is small... so she suggested we go back to shore and she try it out... we paddled a bit, her on the Nalu me kneeling on her board... she said her feet were wet too... and the back end was low in the water... long story short, we ended our paddle and instead enjoyed the sunset as we chatted from the beach.
I thought I would take it for the boys to use anyway... and for anyone else who wanted to try it. My nephew Jack was the first to try it. As you can see, it looks pretty good with him on it. He is tall, 6'4" ish...almost as tall as me! he is much skinnier than I am... I cannot wager a guess at how much he weighs... but... even though the board appears to be on the water at a good level, he said his feet were wet... so... that leads me to believe that the scupper plugs would have helped... he didn't like it enough to try it again. His girlfriend tried it, she is tiny, and she stayed afloat easily.
My future brother in law gave it a whirl. (Love that my family is up for trying new things!) He is about 5'10" and a solid guy, but WELL under the weight capacity. He managed to get up on his first attempt! Nice job!! But as you can see in these pics.. the back end was LOW in the water... making it harder to paddle/steer.
So... I am grateful I got to try this board... I can now say that I have tried more than one paddleboard... but I can also say I did not like this board.
I think it would probably be good for people probably 200 lbs and under... If I do eventually get a paddleboard to add to my fleet... it sill NOT be a Nalu by Ocean Kayak!
No comments:
Post a Comment