SUP Mag UK lo-res free to readers July 2014 lo-res - free to read | Page 85

www.jobe sports.c om
JOBE offered to let us try this board on our recent SUP Marathon. It’s a little
bigger than most 12.6ft touring / race boards available but a similar shape.
It’s a good looking board and we liked the graphics and appearance. Quite
a few people asked: ‘is that really an inflatable?’
On water it felt very firm and stable. The 31” width makes it a bit slower than
some but it’s a good solid platform. During testing we hit a few choppy
patches and gusty winds up to 20mph. Lots of passing boats made the
Thames more choppy than usual, but the board coped well.

The red deck is practical and does not require constant cleaning. In London
this is a big bonus, as Thames mud makes white boards age very quickly.
Some manufacturers seem more geared up to selling boards designed for use
on clean beaches – not for use on urban rivers, estuaries and canals where
most of the world’s population live.
The centre fin is a box type nylon fin, which means you could replace it for a
quality carbon fin or a weed fin. It is easy enough to remove.
The rucksack is not the best in terms of shoulder straps and comfort – not
ideal if you have carry the board for long distances. However it is waterproof
and lightweight, which makes carrying wet kit easier.
The pump provided works well. I was able to get the board up to 16psi (1psi
over the recommended maximum) efficiently and quickly. It’s one of the new
generation of longer, thinner pumps, which makes the inflation process
better. As a cyclist used to using track pumps I could never understand why
for years buyers of air boards, selling for £800 plus, were being provided
cheap and ineffective pumps – this is now being addressed.

Conclusion
Overall we like this board and will be including them in our fleet for SUP
lessons and hire. The RRP of £800 makes it one of the cheapest 12.6ft
boards available in the UK. A good touring air board for heavier riders
and for anyone who puts a premium on stability.
Price: £800
For more information about Jobe SUP check out
www.jobesports.com/products/sup/
Thanks to Paul Hyman at Active 360 for penning this report.

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