Vancouver has captured my heart because it lays in that sweet spot where the mountains meet the ocean. It’s the perfect place to hike, and also to paddle! If I’m not out hiking, you’ll probably find me on a board, and whenever possible, you’ll find me doing both! Some of my favourite places to hike are up to alpine lakes so I can explore them by SUP. With my awesome Thurso Surf inflatable Waterwalker 10’6″ SUP complete with backpack, the extra weight ain’t no thang but a chicken wang! Check out my board at https://thursosurf.com/ca/

With the company having been created by a Toronto man with a U of T Masters of Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, not to mention his PhD in Mechanical Engineering focused on structure fracture analysis under Fluid-Structure Interaction effects, you can trust these boards are amazing. Aerodynamic, this inflatable stand-up paddleboard is so smooth and stable on the water without sacrificing performance. It can hold two people comfortably (hello floating lunch table!), and cut through ocean waves when you want to do that instead! Combining elements from a traditional pleasure board and a touring board, it has the best of both worlds, making it beginner-friendly and equally as perfect for intermediate and even advanced SUPers.

It’s a high quality board that you don’t need to worry about with our rough ocean waves or frigid glacial waters. It’s durability is reassuring so you can pull it up on our rocky shores and not worry about it bursting. As Thurso Surf says, “the inflatable SUP boasts the strongest iSUP structure on the market, featuring DOUBLE LAYER construction with TRIPLE/QUAD Military Grade PVC coatings on the deck and side. On the deck a TWO-layer PVC coated tarpaulin is bonded to a PVC coated drop stitch core. Two of these PVC layers reinforce the sides. Deck and bottom seams are capped with two extra side wraps. This makes the SUP board lightweight, extremely durable, with the performance of a hardboard.”

The board comes in three different sizes. I have the 126 for myself, and a 132 to hold two people on the board at the same time with stability. There’s also a 120 for smaller/lighter people like youth (there’s also a much smaller one – The Prodigy – for smaller children).

When you buy a board, it comes as a complete package including:

• Waterwalker Inflatable SUP
• 3-Piece CARBON Shaft Paddle
• 2+1 Removable Quick Lock Fin Set
• Inflate/deflate Double Action Pump
• 10 ft. Double Swivel Coiled Leash
• Storage and Carry Roller Backpack
• Repair Kit

The 10’6″ (126) is CAD $969.00 and the 11″ (132) is $849.00

Ships direct to your home anywhere in Canada by buying it here. If you’re in the USA, you can buy it here.

It’s a really sweet deal. It’s a top quality board that comes with all the fixings, at a mid-range price. They stand behind their products 100% so you can buy with confidence. All boards come with a two-year full warranty – if any manufacturer defect is found within 24 MONTHS of purchase, you can get it replaced or refunded. Yeah, you read that right. AMAZING.

Thurso Surf explains, “the carbon shaft paddle is far superior to those made from aluminum or fibreglass. It weighs only 2 lbs.! It’s stronger, it floats, and it can be converted to a kayak paddle with an extra blade (sold separately). The 3-piece construction makes it portable and it’s adjustable from 68’’ to 84’’. The blade is tough nylon composite strengthened by a center rib to prevent warping under strain. Light and strong, the paddle is simply the best found in any iSUP package on the market.”

The board is really easy to inflate, only taking a few minutes. The pump has a highlighted section for the recommended PSI (11-15) so you know when it’s ready to go. I often put it at the lowest and it’s perfectly stable, but if you have someone heavier or are planning on multiple people on it, I inflate it closer to the max for maximum stability. The pump has a dual action option so you can inflate with both the up and down motion of pumping air when the PSI is low, and switch to single action pumping (just inflates on the down motion) when PSI gets higher and is harder to pump.

In its bag, it’s compact and convenient to throw over your shoulder to just throw in the back of the car and/or carry down to the beach. The bag has extra space too to add some bits and pieces like a pfd, safety equipment, food, water and anything else you want to bring with you.

Once inflated, it’s easy to manoeuvre in the water and even on land thanks to the padded centre handle.

All in all, it’s an awesome board that has definitely made my year much more exciting. Thanks to the temperate west coast weather, I can paddle year-round!

Have a question or some feedback? Contact me anyime!

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