Wowspeed Inflatable SUP Paddle
Assessment:
What did we like?
What didn't we like?
Unboxing
The paddle arrived in a medium sized box. The shipment itself took about 7-8 days, it was delivered by a courier directly to the house. The SUP paddle (backpack) was packed separately in the box, and then all other accessories: pump, paddle, phone case, fin, repair kit - separately. It's a pity, but in one set the pump was not working - so we informed the seller about it and he said that he would send a new pump. Well, it's good that we ordered 2 pcs. - everything is OK with the second pump.
Quality
To be honest, I had absolutely no high expectations for these SUP paddle boards, but when the price is ~170€, I decided to just give it a try, because now these boards are completely on the "wave". Well, for such a price - I would say that the 100%+ is really worth it, and the quality of the paddle itself is really good. The assembly, the gluing lines are neat, the material itself is also strong, it seems really resistant. The padding on the upper part of the board is also of high quality, the blowing hole is neat, in short, the first impressions are very positive. Yay!
Preparation
For the first time, it took about 20 minutes to unpack, get acquainted, inflate the SUP board, put on the fin, and assemble the paddle. The hardest and longest part was, of course, pumping with a manual mechanical pump, especially at higher temperatures. Well, the hardest part is at the very end, when you need to reach the 10-15PSI level. At that time, I immediately thought and decided that I would need to look for and buy an electric pump for this purpose and make my life easier. The paddle consists of 3 parts, is adjustable in length, and took just a few seconds to assemble. The main fin also slides into its intended slot quite easily and locks into place with an additional plastic retainer.
Swimming
If you're still reading this review, it means that the SUP paddles passed the swim tests, didn't sink, and the NiuxTech team is still alive! Haha. And if it's more serious, we had a lot of fun swimming in the Green Lakes for 2 days in a row. On the second day, we also tried with friends, we tried to swim 2 safe people on 1 paddle. I can confidently say that this wowspeed board can withstand 140 kg without any problems. The oars are healthy, nothing broke, nothing cracked, we didn't lose any details, and that's the most important thing!
Verdict
Basically, apart from one non-functioning pump, I have no complaints about the quality. SUP paddleboarding is a very fun pastime, especially in the summer season, when you just want to get away and refresh yourself somewhere near the water! Everything you need is included in the kit, but I personally immediately suggest to find some mechanical electric pump that can be fully inflated to the required 1BAR / 15PSI (available at Decathlon for 52 EUR or from AliExpress a little cheaper). Pumps designed for mattresses will not work because they are too weak and usually do not have the necessary nozzle. Anyway, the backpack is a very nice solution, in which you can put everything conveniently and it is very convenient to transport/take away. Lux!
