Blue Wave Sports Stingray 10 ft. Inflatable Stand Up Paddleboard with Paddle and Hand Pump

I ordered 2 of these last week and they've been used 3 separate days for a couple hours each. Each time they were used they were unfolded, inflated, deflated and folded back into the carry/storage bag.We are inexperienced using SUPs but found these firm and stable underfoot, and with good tracking (with large detachable fin installed). The paddles were acceptable but not of great quality. The paddle can also be morphed into a kayak paddle which we tried and it worked well. The kayak seat is actually pretty supportive but the instructions for proper set up were poor (more on that below). The foot support bar is ok but I suspect with heavy use there may be some wear where the uncapped bar ends insert into a couple of fixed permanent braided loops.The instructions were almost, but not completely, worthless. The manufacturer could have (and should have) added much more detail. Set up and break down seems to entail a bit of a learning curve. It gets better each time we do it. For example: An earlier reviewer complained the board lost air. We had the same issue but found a "valve wrench" with the other accessories and parts in the box that tightens the air valve and fixed the problem for us. On that note, be careful because it is possible to completely UNscrew the air valve from the flange located inside the air chamber! I don't know why that flange wasn't permanently attached during assembly. Also, there are 2 short permanent tracking fins attached to the board. These fins come with inflatable cushions (think like a little ring that goes around each one) to protect them and the board when folded. While a neat idea (and you really do need to use them during storage), they easily fall off during manipulation of the board while folding - they will be easily lost if you don't keep a watchful eye out. Lastly we have not found a powered air compressor/pump with the proper fitting that would be compatible with the air valve on the Stingray. So we have to pump by hand.A big advantage for us is space. Being able to fold the boards into a storage bag and not have to find a place to hang or lean hard boards is a big plus.At the end of the day we are satisfied with our purchase. We looked around at SUPs in local shops and you could easily spend on one board what we spent on 2.

I have used it Round 15 times. I put over 12 hours on it in a three day span. It holds air for hours and I have never had to refill. One thing I did not realize before I purchased it, is that board is 4" not 6" thick. After trying a 6", I prefer the 4", it is more stable because of lower center of gravity. I would not suggest this board if you are north of 200 lbs though, I am 190. I have kayaked a river using the kayak seat, this board is versatile. The paddle floats because of a rubber material, which is awesome. The bungee rack in the back has been awesome for holding flip flops and water. The removable fin is great for rivers.

I used this board for three months in and around La Paz Mexico, January - March and I am thrilled with it! The quality and materials are exactly as described and exactly what I expected and are as good or better than my California Board Company board. Being able to roll it up and throw it in the back seat of the car was great. After a day on the water, I could grab a cold one and a taco without worrying about a board outside on the roof of a car... It does take a bit of effort to pump it up to 15lbs, but even so, from parking lot to paddling was less than 10 minutes.I really loved the versatility to use as SUP or Kayak - I used the board pretty much daily and quite often as a snorkeling platform - paddle out to a good snorkeling location, drop a small 3lb anchor to keep the board from blowing away, jump off and snorkel. Pull up the anchor and paddle off to the next cool spot... I spent many days and I don't know how many miles exploring the Baja coastline on this board.The design of the paddle is awesome - it feels a little flimsy but it stood up extremely well to day after day after day of pretty hard paddling - in salt water (rinse it in fresh water every day or the little buttons where the sections connect together get sticky - and will probably rust eventually and break)...This is also the perfect board for airline travel. The way the paddle is designed it breaks down into small enough sections to fit into standard sized bags. When I flew home from Mexico, I packed the paddle, pump and foot bar in my carry on and with just the board and seat packed in the included bag I was able to check it as a 2nd carry on - no oversize baggage fees. I also have a California Board Co. inflatable SUP and there is absolutely no way I can get it small enough to meet the airlines standard baggage size requirements. It was going to cost me an extra $250 each way to take it with me to Mexico, which is why I ended up ordering the Stingray and had it shipped to me in Baja. I was expecting to have to leave it in Mexico when I left (which is why I was looking for a low cost option), so I was thrilled when I was able to bring it back home with me as a standard $40 checked bag...Now if you are an SUP connoisseur or pro, this board may not be up to your standards for speed, stability, etc. If you weigh over 200 lbs this is probably not the board for you. The 4 inch thickness is what makes it a lightweight, compact board, it also makes it a little less stable. My girlfriend, who had never SUP'd before, thought it was too "tippy" when she tried standing up on it, but loved paddling it as a kayak... On one snorkeling excursion I actually paddled it with both of us on it - it wasn't ideal and the board was mostly underwater, but it worked...Bottom line, for the cost, there is a ton of value with this board. If you are looking for something fun and functional and don't weigh over 200 lbs, you can't go wrong...