Easy steezy – Loco Inca 10ft x 29” x 142L review

Loco’s Inca continues the North East brand’s trend of a high performance paddle surfing line up. The Inca is Loco’s nose riding vehicle and comes looking super sexy with wood reveal, South American inspired graphics and sleek wood core fins – all great aesthetics.

The carry handle mirrors that of the El Diablo 8.9ft we tested here. It’s extremely easy to get knuckles right in and therefore comfortable and efficient to transport. Loco’s Inca deck pad grips like stink and sweeping away from the beach is swift and purposeful.

As an allround paddler it works well for SUPers with fundamentals nailed down and copes with chop/wind. There’s a good deal of secondary stability built in, meaning you can trust it as platform able to cope with junky conditions. For those still getting to grips with SUP surf basics (and stand up in general), Loco’s larger 11ft Inca would be a better fit.

The Inca has a low rocker nose that aids early entry into waves – it also helps the Inca track well. Worth keeping in mind, however, is to accurately locate the paddling sweet spot as too far forward will result in its nose burying. Same when taking off on steeper waves.

Glide is admirable. There’s a fair bit of tail kick – designed to lock into swell faces – which will require some unsticking. A few deep and powerful paddle strokes will see riders right. With a high stroke cadence SUPers can pick up waves early and the Inca accelerates progressively. A deep concave runs through the hull of the Inca, which helps when cross stepping, while a larger central fin and tail hold in the pocket well.

We were surprised by how nose rider orientated the Inca 10ft actually is. Convinced the Inca was more high performance hack ‘n’ slash long board shape, it’s actually halfway house between pure toes on the nose sled and carving machine. There’s enough tail squirting prowess to keep shredders happy, while stylmeisters will enjoy the feeling of elevation once on the big, spoony nose.

Conclusion

Loco’s Inca 10ft does a good job of keeping both longboard carvers and toes over aficionados happy. A well-mannered board, it’s easy to set up for some soul arching and, while we’re no hang ten experts, it’s a great tutoring platform for those into the idea of front end styling – just remember to wax the naked area! If you’re after a bit of progressive carving action, the Inca will also serve you well. With its sexy good looks, lightweight construction, well thought out identity and great value, the Inca could be the go to style weapon of choice for straddlers of old school and new school wave sliding.

Price: £899

Info: http://locosurfing.com/product/2016-loco-inca-nose-rider-sup-paddle-board/