All round fun – Mellowwave 12’6” x 30 inflatable SUP review

Having taken Mellowwave’s The Maverick 10’ x 31” and then subsequent 10’6” x 30” iSUP for a spin we were looking forward to getting involved with the brand’s inflatable touring offering reviewed here. The model we’re testing and got our mitts on is the 12’6” x 30” which Tony Jeacock put through its paces. Here’s what he thought.

‘For me the 12’6” is more efficient than the 10’6”. Not because the latter is a bad board instead it’s more the glide properties of its bigger touring sibling that are immediately fulfilling. Another thing that instantly jumps out when you hop aboard is just how absolutely rock solid the MW tourer is. At maximum PSI it didn’t even dent with me standing on it and I’m not exactly small. You can’t fault stability even though it does sit on the water, as opposed to in it, so is therefore at the mercy of chop and flotsam. It’s a well mannered board that any paddler will find favour with.

I managed to catch a few little bumps and was surprised just how much fun it was to surf. It’s really stable stepping back into tail pivot turn mode and I was able to meander around the board easily, that tail, again, providing plenty of support. If you’re learning to sweep your turns then it’s a great tutor and a good many paddlers will find it a nice iSUP for learning this move.

For all round paddlers it’d be a good choice for those wanting a do a bit of everything flat water. iSUP touring on calm days, either in rivers, lakes or at the coast it would carry a load easily as it’s quite stable. If you’re fancying a play on some bumps then it’ll also accommodate in the small stuff. All in it’s probably the best iSUP I have paddled.’

Conclusion

For a new SUP brand Mellowwave continue to impress us with their offerings – hard and inflatable products in equal measure. This being the second iSUP we’ve tested from the south coast based company definitely shows MW upping their game and coming up with something top drawer. With performance that’ll fit a variety of scenarios – from full on exploring mode to messing about at coastal venues – the 12’6” will find favour with many paddlers from early intermediate and up. Well made and a good price to boot.

Price: £699

Info: http://www.mellowwave.co.uk/Mellowwave%20paddleboards%20isup.htm