By Anna Nadolna, SUPer Whale Founder
When does a paddle board become your best companion? When it opens up new riding opportunities and takes you safe through the smoothest and the roughest waters, turning you into an explorer, an adventurer, a nomad, a free spirit, a happy human. I have named a couple of my Instagram posts ‘Not without my Yster iSUP 12”6’ and I meant it.
I pushed my Yster iSUP to the limit this Summer: it was pumped, loaded, unloaded, cleaned and deflated on repeat. I used it during beginner SUP lessons which involved lots of bumps-into and general trashing about, and trust me, my heart sank with every scratch. I practiced SUP tricks, was towed behind a sailing boat and actually bagged my first jumpstart on it and so did some heavyweight dudes. It was even blown off my roof and survived unscathed.
It’s been through a lot but has delivered every single time. I simply love this board: its long, slim shape, the way it sits on the water providing lots of stability and an effortless and smooth glide. I have paddled and tested a wide variety of double layered boards from leading brands but none of them felt this solid and sturdy. The tracking is great too (less paddle switching!) which turns this slightly higher nose performance iSUP into a sweet ride.
“This board is fast, man” is the first thing I usually hear when we swap boards around and other SUP riders are taking mine for a spin. As an Yster brand ambassador I’m always interested to know what other experienced paddlers think about the boards but the most valuable feedback actually comes from people who are just starting their SUP adventure. I soon discovered that once they tried Yster, they no longer wanted to settle for a wide all-round board with a lot of volume and most of the time I ended up paddling those as they were cruising on my Yster.
We’re not slowing down this Autumn and there’s a lot of stuff lined up for my Yster iSUP, including the first Winter racing series. Can’t wait to see what else this board can do! Watch this space. Mahalo!
To check out the full range of Yster SUP board, please visit www.ystersup.com