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Welcome to Cruiser SUP and Paddleboard Direct Blog
Welcome to the new Cruiser SUP and Paddleboard Direct Blog - Our Community of Stand Up Paddle Boarders! Our goal is to info and entertain you. And share our passion for Stand Up Paddleboarding.

We invite you to share your pictures and stories with us. Please visit often as we update the site with product reviews and special promotions. Happy paddling from the Team at Cruiser SUP and Paddleboard Direct
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Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Cruiser SUP and Paddleboard Direct BBQ Event!

On Saturday May 24th, Cruiser SUP and Paddleboard Direct held a promotional event to debut and get feedback on the all new Cruiser AIR Inflatable SUP Series. We set up a fun, family BBQ at Boynton Beach Inlet Park on the beautiful Intracoastal waterway of South Florida. The park sits right on a sandy beach with nice calm water that is perfect for beginners to the sport of SUP or for going fast on these super light weight inflatable Cruiser SUP's. We grabbed one of the waterfront pavilions in the park and spent the day enjoying the beautiful weather and taking turns having a blast on the paddleboards.


The turnout for the event was even better than we expected! We had everyone ranging from first time beginners to a few experienced SUP enthusiasts. The one common thing among everyone was how awesome these inflatable Cruiser SUP's are. People couldn't believe that these nice rigid boards were inflatables and when deflated could fold up and fit inside of a backpack style bag. The feedback we got was overwhelmingly positive. Many of our guests had given SUP a try on a traditional solid board and were discouraged by the weight of the boards and instability. With a little encouragement, we got these guests to give it another shot on one of our inflatable Cruiser AIR models and not one of them had a bad experience.

Here are a few of our guest comments from their experience on a Cruiser AIR Inflatable SUP:

"I took the Cruiser SUP Koa AIR out for a paddle and had an amazing time on it! It was only my second time paddle boarding so I was a bit nervous, however, I was pleasantly surprised at how smooth and easy the SUP was to ride. After 20 or so minutes paddling around on the Koa AIR I came in and then realized I had not fallen once! After that, I am definitely more comfortable paddle boarding and look forward to my next session!" Alonso, Boca Raton, FL

"If I wasn’t told that this was an inflatable board, I never would have known. Just as sturdy and maneuverable as the countless standard SUP’s I’ve ridden, and much more convenient to transport, carry, etc. The Cruiser SUP V-max AIR is probably the fastest board I have ever ridden." Josh, Delray Beach, FL 

"How do you top a smile from ear to ear? Thats the question I am left with after my 3 year old and I just rode the Voyager together and my 10 year old son and 9 year old daughter each conquered the Koa. Incredible fun packaged in a back pack. Stable and Light, perfect combination for safe weekend fun." Shane, West Palm Beach, FL




We ended up taking a ton of photos from the event - some that you see here on this post and many more to come on the Cruiser SUP and Paddleboard Direct Instagram and Facebook pages. If you haven't already, follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook to see more of the great photos we took at the event!



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Monday, May 26, 2014

All-New Cruiser SUP Inflatables

Cruiser SUP has once again expanded it's line of stand up paddleboards, this time to include inflatables.  Inflatable SUP's provide the benefit of deflating to the size of a large backpack, making storage a breeze.  As a result, they are ideal for those living in apartments, those who are unable to carry a board on the roof of their car, or simply those who like to enjoy SUP adventures wherever they go.  An inflatable SUP is all about convenience.  They manage to provide all the enjoyment of stand up paddleboarding, without any of the storage or transporting hassle of a traditional rigid board.


Inflatable stand up paddleboards travel so easily that they can be taken on any vacation.  Simply deflate them and place them in their backpack-style carrying bag to bring your own SUP with you on any vacation- regardless of whether you are travelling by car, plane, or train.  Bring your own inflatable SUP, and you can avoid using the slow and heavy rental boards that many resorts provide.

There is no shortage of benefits to an inflatable SUP, but most people are afraid that the board will feel like paddling a floating air mattress (for lack of a better description).  It's a valid concern, and one that Cruiser SUP has found a way to alleviate.  Each of the three models inflates to 17psi, creating a solid surface to stand on, and cuts through the water similarly to a rigid board.  These boards are made of the most durable inflatable materials and there are thousands of stringers connected to the tops and bottoms of the boards to help them maintain their shape when inflated.

Beyond the stiffness of the boards, shape is critical to an inflatable SUP, preventing it from just bouncing around on the water.  Cruiser SUP has based their inflatable models on their tried and proven Koa and V-Max designs.  The Koa AIR features a rounded nose, an all-purpose shape that will allow for not only flat water paddling, but surfing as well.  Meanwhile the V-Max AIR features a nose shape similar to the traditional V-Max displacement nose.  This allows it to cut through the water and as a result, you gain more speed in flat water. 

More detailed board specs can be found here for the Koa AIR, and here for the V-Max AIR.

Cruiser SUP has taken their line of inflatable SUP's one step further with the introduction of a new model, the Voyager. This shape is wonderful for a wide range of activities and the beautiful bright blue color stands out among the rest. You can fish off of it, do yoga on ultra-soft diamond groove deck pad, float a cooler on the back, or just go exploring. The Voyager is extremely stable while still being responsive enough to get nice speed going. The nice wide hip outline allows for multiple riders to enjoy the wonderful feeling of SUP. From the wide hip the outline goes to a nice pointed "V" shape nose similar to the V-Max design. This is what makes the Voyager so special, it offers the best of both worlds - superior stability yet still lots of speed.

More detailed board specs can be found here for the all new Voyager AIR.

Here are some of our five star reviews: 

"The 12’6” V-Max AIR really blew me away. The speed I was able to reach on this board was incredible. Probably the fastest SUP I have ever ridden. This board has another gear that most SUP’s can’t even touch. If you really dig in the paddle and push it you can really launch the thing and get going fast. The other thing about this board that was outstanding was the stability. The Touring outline with the pointed nose really cuts through the water and offers a platform that is very easy to balance on. I tested this board on the Intercostal waters of South Florida, which are relatively flat. However, when the occasional boat goes by and creates some wake, the board just glides right on through without very much loss in speed. At this price, if you are looking for a board that you can take anywhere, store anywhere, and still perform as good as or better than a SUP that costs 3x as much, then this is a no-brainer."


"A friend of mine and I took turns paddling around on the 10'8" Cruiser SUP Koa AIR Inflatable on the Intercostal waterway in South Florida. I am a very experienced paddle boarder and really loved the lightweight yet very stable shape of the Koa, not to mention how much faster a Cruiser SUP Koa inflatable is over a fully solid board.
My friend, who weighs over 200 pounds, is a beginner to the sport. He jumped on this board and just nailed it. He was amazed at how easy it was to stay stable and get this board moving fast without even really paddling too hard. This being only his second time on a paddleboard, and first on an inflatable, he said he much preferred the speed and stability of the Cruiser SUP Koa inflatable. The price of these boards relative to how well they perform is really a steal. Not to mention the ease of transporting and storing these boards. If you haven't considered an inflatable SUP, give one of these Cruiser SUP Inflatable boards a try and you will be very impressed."

"The Cruiser Voyager AIR SUP is the perfect go anywhere, do anything inflatable paddleboard. I have ridden hundreds of different SUP shapes in all different sizes and I can safely say that this is the most stable SUP I have ever been on. If you are a beginner to the sport, this is the board for you. At 190 pounds, I was able to paddle the Voyager AIR around on one foot for short periods of time. The board feels like you are gliding around on a platform that you can control and take anywhere. Don't get me wrong, this board is not just a beginners board. The Voyager is perfect for fishing, adventuring, yoga, or just cruising around on the lake. With more than adequate speed compared to most boards, if fast speed is what you are looking for in a paddleboard, than you need to consider the Cruiser V-Max AIR. If you are looking for a board to throw a cooler on the back, one of your kids on the front and go for a little adventure, than the Voyager is the ideal model. Once you're done, deflate the board in minutes, pack it into the complementary bag and call it a day. The Voyager will take your weekend journeys to the next level."