Our Cruiser V-Max Touring SUP Experience - WOW!

After months of wanting to try them I finally had the chance to get on the Cruiser V-Max 12'6 and Bic Wing 12'6.  I did the same test on both boards in order to make a fair comparison, and at the end I had a surge of realizations after this weekend on touring SUPs.

1) A touring board feels incredibly different than an all-round board.

2) Talk about stability!  I could do things on the boards that I can't on dry land! (i.e. headstands)

3) I didn't truly understand what glide speed was until I got on these boards.

4) I like the Bic Wing, but I don't love it.

5) I am in love with the Cruiser V-Max 12'6" and 11'6"!

These realizations were mostly instantaneous.  I expected a little bit of instability at first because my little 5'2" frame had to hop down onto the board from a dock that is about two and a half feet above water level.  Here was the first difference: the Bic Wing wobbled a little as I landed, the Cruiser V-Max didn't budge.

As I began paddling the difference became even more noticeable. It took a few good strong strokes to get the Bic Wing moving.  Now it was much easier to get going than an all-purpose board, only about 5 or 6 strokes to reach full speed, but it had nothing on the Cruiser V-Max, which took about 2 strokes to reach full speed.

This brings us to my next realization.  Glide speed.  I thought I had a good understanding of good vs. bad glide speed before, clearly I did not.  These touring stand up paddleboards just zip along the water like there's nothing too it.  It's clear that the Bic Wing creates a little bit more friction in the water causing it to go slightly slower, but that's what you sacrifice for the durability of it's outer shell.  When paddling the Cruiser V-Max the only description that comes to mind is that it felt like I was flying along the surface of the water.




After about half an hour of paddling I decided to test out the fitness capabilities of the boards, really push them to their stability limits.  The Bic Wing was solid.  I found it fairly easy to balance in bridges, planks, and warrior poses.  It performed better than I expected, but didn't blow me right out of the water.  When I attempted the same things on the Cruiser V-Max I was so impressed I decided to try something I had never successfully done on an SUP.  I placed my forearms on the board in a triangular shape, put the top of my head between my hands, and lifted my feet off the board.  Next thing I knew, I had completed my first successful headstand on an stand-up paddleboard.

While paddling back to the dock I reflected upon my first touring SUP experience and realized the true importance of being on a board that is designed for what you want to do.  In the fast moving current of the St. Lawrence River these paddleboards kept on moving against the current, and flew when going with the current.  Needless to say, it was a weekend full of learning experiences that brought my love of stand up paddleboarding (and CRUISER SUP) to a whole new level.

Cruiser V-Max 11'6 and 12'6 On Sale at Paddleboard Direct - Save Hundreds Now!



Have a great week of SUP fun!
From Paddleboard Direct staff member Gen