Hi All

i've been thinking about getting an inflatable tourer and wanted to know anyone's feedback or thoughts.
I'm 72kg, fairly experienced, typically surf-sup a narrow highly rockered 105l 8'2 x28 board in double overhead type conditions.

I've never paddled a tourer though, hard or inflatable.
The board i'm looking at is the starboard astro racer 14' x 26 x 319L.

How hard would this be for someone who's used to small surf-sups in terms of balance? it's only 26' wide but i'm used a twitchy small board in hefty wave and open water / paddling.
Would this width get too tiring for longer paddles over say 1hr? Or too narrow in choppy stuff?

Cheers

My experience has been that an inflatable at 26" wide is quite a bit less stable than a solid board of the same width. A 26" wide inflatable is not really a touring board. It's a race board. For comfortable touring, you'd need it to be at least 28" and probably 30". Just my opinion.

I agree with Mr. Science - go wider. I bought one a few years ago, it is 29" wide (I am 90% sure) and I would not want to go narrower. Modern ones may be better, but you stand high off the water which makes them tippier.

Thanks guys- the other option I was looking at is the red paddle co elite racer 12'6 x 28 x 340.

I guess a little slower in the water but has that extra 2" width?
The competitive side in me wants to go for the astro but maybe the 12.6 is a more user friendly bet? I don't even know how quick these boards are through the water! But i'm keen to explore our harbour and do some longer paddle missions

If price is not an issue, then I think most people in the know would agree that a RED inflatable is far and away the better option. It is all they make and they are bloody good at it. They also make the lightest weight inflatables and that usually translates to speed. Starboard inflatables are very good and they sell a lot of them, but RED is king.

Also, I remain unconvinced that inflatables work at 14' long. They are just not stiff enough. Maybe the very latest versions with various stringers, battens, separate chambers and string pulley systems to adjust and stiffen the rocker line, but if the 14' you are looking at is an older model, then I think the 12'6" RED might be better for you.

Do you need an inflatable because you can't store/transport a long rigid board? I believe Sunova are making a two-part board that you bolt together. But if you don't really care about speed, go wide. The time you lose paddling is made up for the time you make up by not falling in. See if you can demo a narrow board, even if it is rigid, just to see what it is like. I have a 26" rigid 14' (I am 6'3 95 kg) and I don't ride it much for this reason.

HI Ben,
I have a new JL 12'6 STILETTO AIR that I can do a good deal on for you...Normally $1495 that you can have for $995
The Stiletto Air is designed to be fast, stable, and great for paddling long distances easily. It's one of the fastest inflatables on the market. Very durable construction and can be inflated up to 25 PSI!
Comes Backpack, Pump, Fin, Patch Kit and valve wrench.
SIZE
12'6"x29"x6"
Great board to paddle...Let me know if you are interested....
Cheers Rob from JL