Side by Side Comparison of: Tower Paddle Boards vs Solstice

I searched around, read reviews online, and I settled on this board. I really wanted one of the cute girly boards, like Isle and Supflex have, but I went with this board because it is consistently rated well on different websites. It also has the most (good) reviews on Amazon. I was worried that I would be so slow, it would be too hard to pump up, I would be too wobbly... But, I've had great success. I have never SUP'd before, but I got the board and my brother and sister-in-law (avid SUPers) took me out. I was obviously wobbly then. They had me try out their boards as well. Here is what I think:

The Tower Adventurer is just as rigid as their Naish iSups, and stable as their hard board ( I don't remember the brand). The shortness of the board took everyone a minute to get used to, but they thought it was a pretty good board too. I thought for a minute that I needed a board like my brothers, with the pointed nose and more length. His did feel more stable at first, but I have been out two more times on my Tower Adventurer it and I feel great on it. I just think the learning curve may be a bit longer with a shorter board. I like the length of this board though, I'm 5'2" and this board was easy for me to carry around. The 12' boards seemed like they were awkward for me. It's true it's not the fastest. However, my family wasn't gonna leave me in the dust and none of are racers. Also, after the first day it was much easier to dig in a paddle harder and faster. Paddling upriver was slow, but a great workout. I think that just being inflatable makes it more difficult to paddle upstream though. I was also worried that I wouldn't be able to inflate it or it would take me forever to inflate it. I even heard some guy make a comment that there is no way a petite woman could inflate the board alone. BULL! I did it in about 6 mins. The last four pounds of pressure ( I pumped it up to 14 PSI ) were the hard ones, but just lean into it with your whole body and you can get it done. The other thing I was worried about was loosing the screw for the fin, and maybe it didn't used to be attached, but it is now. There is a tether that attaches the screw to the fin so hopefully you won't loose it. I also got a leash and the Tower backpack, both are great. If I fall I don't want to kick my board away and loose it. The backpack fits EVERYTHING perfectly. I think I will also get the kit to put on some D-rings and bungee cords... I wish I had somewhere to strap down my stuff.

So, I am so happy with my purchase. I love that I can just fold it up and stick it in my trunk. I love it more than my kayaks. I can see everything standing up! I absolutely love SUPing and I love my board. Oh, and it totally can hold a lot of weight. I had two friends try it out who were between 220-250lbs.

I love this board! The craftsmanship is first-rate. It is very stable and easy to ride for beginners and older folks alike.
It is a little hard to inflate the last little bit to reach 15 psi, but I managed myself (49 year old, out of shape woman) without too much trouble. I look at it as a bit of a warm up before paddling, so it wasn't too bad. I won't bother buying an electric pump as this one works well enough.
The board itself looks great, no bumps or bulges anywhere. It is very solidly constructed and good looking.
The beach I live by is quite windy, and the water is usually choppy but this iSUP is very stable, so I have no problems staying up. Which is great since, as I don't get up as easily as I used to, I just prefer not to fall!
Even though it's under 10', it's easy to balance on, and I've used it for yoga without any problems. This board holds over 200 lbs easily and still keeps you well out of the water.
Another nice feature is the fiberglass paddle which is quite light. It never gives me any shoulder problems.
And now for the cons: I would like a longer deck pad. I'm going to buy a small pad for the hull so my dog or daughter (or both) can sit more easily. Also, some yoga poses will be much easier to manage.
The package doesn't come with a carry bag, but that is ok for me. I just take it to the beach and back in my car, and the carry strap is more than sufficient for that.
Plus, I wish it had some more D-rings. I need more storage space so I'll eventually just buy kit and attach some myself as I need more places to store gear than just the two attached D-rings.
Overall, I am very pleased with this purchase and my hubby and 11 year old daughter love it as well. I recommend this board to everyone.

I have had this paddle board for a little over a year now. I have one other inflatable paddle board and this one is far superior. I am a novice paddle boarder, and this was an awesome 1st board. It is SUPER stable and I am able to have my 35lb corgi on the board with me with no problems. The pump and paddle have been excellent quality so far. I have had no issues with either of them. The board takes about 10-15 minutes to pump up-- I am seriously out of shape, so others might be able to pump it faster. I might considering getting the electric pump as pumping it can be slightly annoying when you want to get out on the water. I tend to deflate mine after every use because I have a very small house with not a lot of storage. It wintered really well-- I left it under a covered patio for the whole winter and it still looks good as new. The while does get a little dirty, but Mr. Clean magic erasers help clean it right up. My only complaint is that when it is windy, the board tends to get blown around a bit because it sticks out of the water a fair ways--- i think most inflatable boards have similar issues. If you are looking for a great beginner package that is affordable and high quality, I can't say enough good things about this board. I have been very happy with it so far.

I LOVE this board. I had a question when blowing up and called in and they were very nice answering my questions. I recommend this board to all my friends. It is stiff and spent bend. I have had three of us on the board at once. I even added my own sticker to brand the board. We love it, my daughter is saving up to buy her own.

As a wellness business owner, I must rely on convenience, stability, and durability for my equipment. I have used my tower paddleboard for personal use as well as paddleboard exercises and yoga. My clients have been very comfortable balancing on it even for first-time users. Further, I have been able to travel with my son on the board comfortably. It's great to be able to carry it in its backpack, to inflate it on site, and be on the water within a few minutes. The customer service has been fantastic, as they have offered me D rings so that I can attach small personal articles to the top of the board as well. This has been a great asset to my work and leisure activities with my family, clients, and friends. "Like" BodySong Wellness LLC on FACEBOOK To see more images. Love this Board!

I purchased this for my wife as a Mother's Day gift. She had been paddle boarding with a friend and I decided to surprise her with a board of her own. She has taken it out on the bay in Stone Harbor, NJ multiple times and absolutely loves it! I will warn you it is a workout to pump up the board with the hand pump provided. We are currently searching out an electric pump that will do the work for us. The board itself is solid when pumped up and very steady when in use on the water. My wife has gone out with our teenage daughters sitting on the front of the board without any problems. The SUP, when deflated, fits easily back in the bag for storage and/or transport. My wife is pretty small - 5 feet tall and about 115 pounds - and she can still carry the board around without any problems. I do recommend purchasing a carrying strap if you need to move it any distance while inflated. The paddle also seems sturdy and is adjustable for people of varying heights. This was a winner; I totally owned Mother's Day this year!

We bought two of these to bring up to our lake house for Labor Day weekend. At first I was skeptical of an inflatable paddleboard, but after reading many reviews and articles I decided to give them a try, since they seem to be the most affordable way to enjoy paddleboarding. They were awesome. It takes less then 10 minutes to inflate them, and they keep air well. Once you take a few minutes to adjust to the way the board feels, they are plenty stable. One minor complaint is that deflating them is definitely a 2 person job and not the most convenient. Lastly, although it is not a big deal, they appear orange and grey in the picture, but in real life they are yellow and grey.In summary, for someone looking for an affordable paddleboard that is light to carry and convenient to store for fun around a lake calm lake, this paddleboard is for you.

Was unsure about this but we have eally enjoyed it. I weigh 220 lbs and I would probably find a bigger one more stable but I'm pretty athletic and have good balance so it works. I love the backpack for it and it was really easy to assemble and pump up. Love the fact that I have to do it by hand - great exercise. Didn't take long to pump up at all. I plan to take this on the road a lot. Seems to be good quality. Hard to tell that it is an inflatable by looking at it an it is very light.

My son introduced me to paddle boarding. When he moved he took his inflatable board, so I had to get one of my own. This board is perfect for me - light, easy to carry, yet very sturdy, and wonderful to paddle.

I found this item used on Amazon.com and because of the discount and because it was sold directly through Amazon, I thought it would be worth it to take the risk even though the only review of this item said this was a terrible board.

I have to say that before I bought this board, I believed the previous reviewer had not pumped up the board enough. Isups can be EXTREMELY difficult to pump up with the included hand pump. Because I also own the sevylor samoa inflatable paddleboard, I knew just how difficult it can be. And because of how miserable it is to pump up, I bought a two-stage 12V pump so I don't have to work so hard.

Now, the sevylor needs to be pumped up to 12psi and this solstice board can be pumped up between 12-15psi. So I set my electric pump to 15psi and inflated the solstice board. It was just as hard as the sevylor board. I took it out into the harbor a few days ago and it is not as terrible as the previous review states.

The board was plenty hard. I had no trouble standing on it. It DOES NOT buckle in the middle. It works every bit as good as the sevylor samoa board. I weight 165lbs and am 5'9". It was firm and never buckled.

I would not take it out into the surf zone because I am not an experienced surfer but for cruising around the Keys, the harbor and any other lake, I would be most comfortable. It is easy to balance on and maneuver. I would feel comfortable taking it out in areas there are waves but just not in the areas where the waves break. It is highly buoyant and doesn't cut through surf like a regular surfboard.

Anyway, I thought I would review this board after it had been given a fair chance from being fully inflated. The only drawback is that it maybe isn't quite as hard as the sevylor and I wish I could pump it up another 2psi but my electric pump won't go that high. However, when you are in the ocean in California, it could just be that the cold water temperature probably lowered the psi in the board as I took it out cruising around.

This is my second isup that I have owned and I bought it so I could take friends out with me. I can't say anything about the longevity but so far so good. It doesn't include a paddle so just remember that when you buy this.

LOVE! you can't even tell it's inflatable. I kinda wish I had gotten the longer one, as this one is difficult to keep straight. After about 4 paddles on one side I'm off course. The smaller size does make it more portable, so it's a trade off.

I'm a recreational paddle boarder who has rented them frequently on vacation and at local reseviors and lakes. I live in a small space and drive a very small car. The idea of an inflatable SUP was exactly what I wanted but I was always challenged by the concerns of quality, durability, and performance. After reading many reviews I purchased this one. Swayed heavily by the video of the SUV driving over the board, frankly. So I bought it, and inflated it in my condo in 6 minutes as a generally fit 41 year old. It's far lighter than a solid SUP, and when I stood on it while it is slightly more forgiving than a solid SUP it felt extremely sturdy and I was happy with the very limited give in the board. It felt similar to a solid board, which was not the case with other brands of SUP boards. I also bought the carrying backpack made by Tower and ankle board leash. I've attached pictures of the inflated board and the rolled up board with the paddle, pump, leash, all of it in the carrying backpack. There is room left over to throw in a towel, water bottle sunblock, etc. The outer backpack has bungee straps extra carrying capacity. When all is put in the backpack it's not super light, but I can carry it without challenge at 5'4" tall. You may not be able to see the tape measure in my photo but all the gear in the backpack the length of it measure about 40 inches tall.

Deflating the board and rolling it up took some effort to make it compact. Mostly because the SUP is sturdy and the material on the exterior is hefty. Still I got it very flat and well rolled by starting to rol it at the end opposite the air valve. The securing wrap strap is great. I will update my review after I get it out on the water but so far I am very happy. Be aware that there is a clip ring on the front and back of the board. If you want to add a tie down cargo net be aware the material is not really conducive to suction cups because it is not as smooth as a rigid board. I ended up getting raft tie downs that are adhesive made by Sea Summit and a net that clips on with small D rings.

Update: I have taken this board out probably 20+ times now and wanted to update. I continue to use the pump it came with and it does the job in about 4-5 minutes now. I considered the Tower electric pump but at $130 I just couldn't justify it given the manual pump is not a pain to use and lightweight.
The board has been fantastic. In lakes, reservoirs, a city recreational canal and the Gulf of Mexico. I have gotten more efficient getting it ready to use and packing it away. The added tie down net and Sea Summit adhesive attachment pads function great and still allow the board to be rolled tightly. The material the board is made of has held up great although there are a few stains from organic matter and algae in the water that woun't even show up on a darker color present. I haven't tried to clean the board but I suppose a 409 type cleaner would take them off. I've invited friends who are solid SUP owners to try my board when I take it to their lake houses and their reviews have been positive, most quite surprised that it feels highly responsive under them and is faster than they expected. They feel confident on it and while it does have a slightly different feel to a solid board they have found it a great board and good compromise for portability.

I love it more each time I take it out.

*Updated Review* This was quite some time ago, but the company promptly responded to my email and replaced the pump. We have had no problems since.

We will be sending this back. We live by water, so we blew this up and were able to use it once. We deflated it, and took it to a family vacation at the beach where our family was expecting to use it. Upon trying to inflate it, the yellow hose for the pump has already split, and the air seal valve that pops out to keep in doesn't work. We didn't pay $600 to use it one time. We bought this since there were many good reviews, but we will have very disappointed family when they learn we have no SUP for the week. I would not take a chance on this board.

This is my first paddle board and I love it! It is extremely stable. I had never paddle boarded before and was able to get up and paddle right away.
It doesn't seem to be the fastest board out there. I do see others passing me, but it seems a lot more stable than many of the rental boards. Getting on and off it from the water or dock is no problem - works almost like a swim platform. I live on a sailboat half the year, and the ability to deflate it and stow below is perfect. Once inflated it is very rigid, hard to believe it is an inflatable. I used the supplied pump to inflate, which took about 10 minutes. If I was inflating/deflating often I would consider getting an electric pump. The paddle length is adjustable, which is handy. I recommend taking the paddle apart and rinsing it with fresh water after every use to prevent corrosion. I forgot for a couple days and it looked like it was trying to corrode into a one piece paddle. Don't forget to purchase a leash as well!. I would give it a five if it had a bungie system for attaching gear up front. For now I just clip a bag to the D-ring.

I bought this board about two years ago when I lived on the water in Florida. I have since moved, so it's taking up space in my garage, but I can give you the low down of two years of pretty heavy use as both a SUP and regular 'water toy'.My experience with SUP...-Never owned anything but this board-Have paddled a lot of middle quality rigid boards-Have paddled once or twice on a nice race quality rigid boardAs a SUP...-It's long, which makes up for the stability you lose being slightly higher off the water than on a rigid board-If you paddle pretty hard/fast it won't really hold a line as well as a rigid board that has a small wedge in the front. I found the nose rotating a few degrees every strong paddle, which gets annoying on long paddles when you have a destination in mind-The included paddle works find, I would not recommend buying an aftermarket, it'd be like adding BMW performance tires to a BuickAs a recreational 'water toy'...-Kids would use the board to ferry up to 5 people across the small bay we lived on-I fished with the board a few times, just secure a tacklebox or cooler to the front and you're good to goOther notes...-Pumping from fully deflated/stored to recommended 14'ish psi takes a good 5 minutes of intense pumping or 10 minutes of relaxed pumping. I tried using an electric mattress pump once but it was too difficult matching up the dissimilar hoses.-We left the board outside quite often in the sun, and after about a year the gray carrying handle degraded and the black grip pad began to flake a little bit-The body of the board has held up great. I rammed it into some barnacles at full paddle (on accident) and it had noting more than a slight scratch. The fin took some decent hits too but didn't get more than a few knicks-After two years the paddle won't completely hold it's position. With hard pulls/strokes it slips a bit-Unlike a rigid board, this will not retain much resale value. I looked into selling it on CL, but I wouldn't have gotten more than 20% of what I paid, whereas a lot of decent rigid boards will fetch 50-70% of their original priceBuy this board if...-You are looking to spend less than $1500 on an equivalent rigid board-You like to paddle board recreationally-You want a durable and versatile water toy that doesn't take up the entire garage-You don't plan on selling the board to upgrade to a higher quality SUP in the future

Received the Tower Adventurer inflatable SUP for my birthday this September. I wanted an easily portable SUP to take with us on travel trailer trips around Alaska. The fabric appears very durable similar to a Zodiac inflatable. I managed to pack the SUP into an old high volume back pack and strap the pump and paddle to the outside. Hiked out to our cabin on a local lake, pumped up the unit and was paddling around the shoreline in less than 15 minutes. I was a little concerned that the pump gage was not working as it read 0 even as the SUP seemed hard enough to paddle. A few more strokes later it began reading and finallly reached 11 lbs. Very rigid and useable at 11 lbs. psi. My only suggestion for improvement would be to have tie down straps on the bow and stern for carrying gear on more extended explorations.

Overall a great product, I'd absolutely recommend as a great first board.
That being said I'm giving it a 4 because of a few (some minor) reasons.
1. the hand pump is annoying to use sometimes; very tedious & it can take a shile
2. you do tend to feel the board bend a slight bit in water. I'm only 160 lbs & it bends a slight bit. Nothing major but just a hair.
3. to fold the board up is a real chore. It's just plain difficult to get all of the air out of it.
That being said, minor complaints to an otherwise great value!

As a new (only been on one once before purchasing) paddle board user I've got nothing bad to say about this board. I thought it was a six inch depth so I bought it knowing it was narrower than the board I had used but thought the extra depth would compensate. The four inch board inflated within 6 minutes to 15 psi with the hand pump provided. The gauge does not start showing pressure until it started getting a bit harder to pump so dont give up. It was extremely rigid and although not as forgiving as the mayra I had used I was able to balance and
take a two hour paddle with no dunks. I am not a lightweight and with my 56 years I thought I might have trouble standing but I was wrong.
For the price this is a nice board although it is difficult getting the board in and out of the bag. It ould be bigger. Be sure to use the strap provided before putting boardback into bag.
seems to be well constructed.

I love the board, but the fin started to come off after first use. It started to separate from the board along the edges. I am going to contact Solstice and I will update how they handle the situation. I will say that my 15 year old son has never went paddle boarding and was able to get right on and paddle off on a lake/bay/channel type body of water (looks like lake, but has a current). It also holds up great on medium waves (a very large bay right off the Atlantic). My husband is about 210lb and he heads straight into the waves on it and it feels like a solid board. We did not purchase this to save money or to save room since it deflates, it seemed to be what we were looking for: a good board that was versatile and could handle medium waves, rivers, small waves on the ocean, or just lake paddling. If Solstice does't rectify the fin problem, I would probably give it one star since I know it wouldn't last more than part of the summer, but I have been told good things about Solstice customer service so I am hopeful that it will all work out well. On a side note, we have not brought our dogs out and I planned on adding more padding before we brought them out with us, but I feel like the grip matting on top of the board is plenty thick enough and we aren't adding it when we attempt paddling wight the dogs this week.

tl:dr - Great board for the price you are paying.

Getting up and running:
This is a decent board. It has solid construction and seems to be pretty durable. I have only just begun using the board and if this changes, I will come back and update this. The pumping takes some elbow grease to get the thing fully inflated and I could see a small person having a hard time getting those last few PSI. It rolls up fairly easily and can go in your trunk, backseat or truck bed easily. Great for portability.

On the water:
I am a fairly athletic 6' 230lb dude and I have to admit, it was a bit hard to balance at first. Within an hour however, I had no trouble standing and paddling around Lake Huron. It is easy to start out kneeling and get the grasp of how to stay balanced on the board. I'd recommend to any first-timers to start out on calm water. My first time on this board was in 1-2 foot choppy swells. Not super easy to balance on this thing in rough water.

The second day I went out it was much calmer, and it was much easier to balance and paddle. I felt like a pro. My girlfriend and I paddled from our beach over to the local pier and back (about 2000 yards round trip) without a problem.

Bottom line: This is a decent quality recreational use paddleboard. It is great to paddle around the lake on, or head down a lazy river. I'd definitely purchase this again.

Good product and workmanship. Would not recommend for anybody over 200 lbs. Only 4 inches thick, was supposed to be 6. Even at full pressure it bends a little under foot so I was standing in a bit of water and on cold lakes this is not desirable. Also when just laying on the board nice to be a little higher up off the water level. Like the decking and strap points, etc. All great but again not for heavier individuals, I am guy over 6 foot and 230 lbs, so for my use it was not the right item, returned it and purchased a 6" model which was actually cheaper and came with oars and everything. Again great quality so I still gave it 4 stars. If you have questions, ask.

I love the board. It's robust, it's easy to transport, but unfortunately the valve used to fill up the board with air was designed terribly. The valve shuts automatically when you remove the pump, however when the pump is attached and the board is about 60% full air begins to leak out. This requires a second person to hold the valve tight while I pump the board. I can see that the pump is designed to lock on and avoid this, but the function just doesn't work. Additionally I was sent a grey handle that seems to be used for a different model of this board and a book by the CEO of the company. While the book was a nice addition and an unexpected gift I would be less inclined to ship my life philosophy will a so-so product.

First, I do really like this board. I just don't know that it's the best product that you can get for the money. First, it doesn't come with anything to carry it in. That's a problem for someone like me, who is 5'2" and 130lbs. So, that's another purchase that you'll need to make on top of this, when many boards come with that today. (The board is also quite heavy at around 30lbs. One of my friends just purchased another big brand board that is about half of the weight and a lot easier to roll back up.) This board also does not have any mechanism to tie anything down. No D rings or anything else. If you want something like a deck bag, you'll have to purchase that as well AND buy a way to secure it as suction cups will not work on inflatable boards. Overall, I like the board but really wish that I'd taken the time to take into account that I'd be purchasing:

-A strap to carry $30 (before I realized that is a pain in the arse and should use a backpack)
-A backpack to carry $60 (I got the Tower)
-A deck bag $30
-Set to secure deck bag to board $30

Between the extra cost and how heavy it is- I sort of wish I'd gotten something different but I'm sticking with it.

Customer Service: 5 Stars
I couldn't ask for better and thorough communication. They provided great resources on tips to improve paddling and stability. I felt bad because my e-mails were up to 12 threads, but nonetheless, every response was thorough and more importantly, it was 'human' (non-robotic/scripted).

Board Durability and Material: 5 Stars
Whenever I internalize inflated material, I think of something like the cheap raft your kids use in a swimming pool. This is NOT the same, it's almost like a zodiac rubber material or a white water river raft. It feels strong when inflated even at 10 PSI.

Board Stability: 3.5 Stars
I can't argue the stability because there's a portion contributed to human error. While it may feel more wobbly than normal, you actually have more play with the movement than you think. However, due to how light the board is, there is a bit of a learning curve involved. I really do get a calf workout lol (which is good!)

Paddle hardware: 2.5 Stars
Compared to fiberglass paddles, it's heavy. It's hard to beat because of the package deal you get.

Board Speed: 2.5 Stars
I live in Redding, CA and most of my paddling was done on Whiskeytown Lake. Note, I never intended to go long distances or fast by any means, but if you're with friends who have 12' + boards, you'll be left behind. While they were paddling at a very relaxed rate, I felt I was working almost twice as hard just to keep up with the medium pace, even with paddling tips from vendor and friends. I think if the design of the nose, if it curved up a little more, it would provide less friction to the water and the obvious, if it was longer.

Conclusion:
I am in the process of returning this board and i'm still debating between the iRace 12'6" board vs. Xplorer 14'. Amazon sells the Xplorer, but not the iRace. I may have to buy direct with the vendor. If you plan on paddling with friends/family that have longer boards, you may find an unintended workout ahead of you. However, if you go solo or have other friends with the same board type, then this meets expectations. They also came out with the Adventurer 2 which is almost one foot longer, but it's not on Amazon (yet).

This is an excellent board. But it is not getting 5 stars for two reasons.

I bought this item twice, and at the 2 instances the securing nut was missing. The first time I lost the fin. The second time around I was a bit smarter and secured it with a tie strap. The second reason is the terrible quality paddle. Just yesterday I was on the board with the paddle extended to the max, and I heard a big snap. I look down and I see the paddle in two pieces, and the tread has cracked into 3 pieces. I was quite disappointed, and other reviews will confirm my thoughts about the paddle.

Don't let this 3 star review deter you from buying this board, because it is otherwise an excellent board. Just order a replacement paddle at the same time you order this board.

Until now I like the product. But keep in mind that this inflatable sup is very light, so it is more difficult to keep it stable, at least for me. But once you get used to it, it is a good adventure on the sea. It is easy to inflate, but it is not so easy to get it empty.

Been using it for about 6 months. I have trouble getting it full enough. Most of the time I have to pump it up a few times and it still buckles slightly in the middle. Keep in mind I'm a fit 38 year old man. It is also pretty heavy compared to other SUPs I have used. Once it's full and on the water it's nice. This package didn't include a cord for the nose (to strap down items) or a paddle. The fin is also undersized for the boards size. I would hesitate buying this board. My wife's SUP was cheaper and nicer and came with all the stuff this board didn't.

A little flimsy but decent for the price. Beat a local store by $100

I was very pleased with my Solstice Bali SUP until today when I took it out of Winter storage (under cover, draped with a tarp, deflated to 5 PSI) Since last Fall it has developed several blisters on the top and sides. Unable to determine manufacturer/distributer to find out if this is a commonproblem, or if it is terminal. I didn't expect to see any problems after only two years of light use. Solstice Bali Stand-Up Paddleboard (10-Feet 8-Inch)

I love the paddle board itself and would rate it 5 stars, however, the pump that accompanies it stripped out during the first inflation. I'm not sure how I will inflate the board since the connection seems to seems to be fit this particular pump.

Bought this for my boyfriend to use. It works great but doesn't keep you totally out of the water. That isn't a huge deal but just an FYI if you plan to sit and paddle and want to be dry.
We had some trouble getting the pump to hook to the board but used some force and got it to work.
Would be nicer if this came with a paddle.
Easy to pump up and easy to put away when done. Fits nice in the bag.

I loved this board the first summer. However, it didn't last through the second one. We found a hole on the side probably after the 20 times of usage in total. The manufacturer refused a replacement saying that the 2-year warranty didn't cover normal wear/tear. I understand rules are rules. The only thing is that the poor durability is a big disappointment to me. In the video they put on the item page, they advertised much about the durability - even a car can drive over the board. It turns out it's only advertisement, nothing realistic. The durability of this is the durability for the first summer. It's not worth 600$ for playing 20 times. It's even more expensive then renting. I'll never buy anything inflatable, they are just, well, unreliable.

Leaking after 28 months. Factory defect. No help from Tower.

Loved the board for the 28 months I have had it, but it has started leaking air from between the seems around the nose. This is a factory defect and in no way related to damage from my usage in my opinion. So I would like to caution any would be buyers, that you can expect a relatively short lifespan for Tower inflatables. I think I paid around $600 for this exact package 28 months ago, that is pretty pricey to not last longer.

I contacted Tower about this issue and their copied response effectively said "this is past the 24 month warranty, you are on your own." Shame on you Tower for not backing up your product!

As far as performance... I would say this board is moderately stable, but more tippy than many boards because you ride high out of the water. It is SUPER buoyant; it handles two full grown adults and 60 pound dog (460+ lbs). Tracking is also moderate, giving a slight side-to-side wobble on a hard straight paddle.

I would give the product 4.5 stars if not for the seams beginning to leak. I no longer trust the board in open water, so I basically have a $500 piece of trash.

Board is good...pump is total junk and no warranty on pump.

Hard to inflate and very poorly designed fin that took ages to install. Paddle is heavy and does not adjust small enough for short user

The product was ok except for the pump pressure gauge that doesn't work. I never know what's the board pressure so it can be not hard enough or too hard compromising the board structure. I live in Brazil, I bought the product in the USA because my mother was in Miami and she brought it back to Brazil. I already contact Amazon the tried to help me (return the board and get full refund) but I can't return the board because I've already paid the taxes (import) and I can't afford to lose that amount of money. All I want is for Tower Paddle Boards to send me a new pump pressure gauge to my adress in Brazil.
If that were solved I would rate this purchase way better.

Cool deck. Fin is crap. Fun for paddling the kids around the lake. Manuverability is poop. Cheep price.

The board is super unstable which makes it super hard to stand on. I have a hard foam board and it is miles apart from this board.

It was super easy to assemble and it inflates really fast, which is nice, but I am not a bad paddleboarder and I found it very difficult to use.

 Faulty Valve Trouble: We purchased this in July 2013 and used it just fine. In 2014, we used it a couple of times and it was losing air, slowly at first, and then wouldn't stay inflated enough to use.

Why? See video; the valve failed. As we're outside of warranty period, we are appealing, here, to the manufacturer to replace the board because this shouldn't have happened. We own two of these boards, this is the only one that's now unusable.

Thanks, Cliff and Hollie

I bought this in May for use on Lake Champlain. It was wonderful for a few months, then it started bubbling on the bottom in 2 places. See my photos which I've uploaded. Additionally they suggest inflating to 12-15PSI. Initially I got it to 12.5 PSI with a lot of effort. The second time I tried to add air the connector that holds the pump hose onto the nozzle blew apart. The connector was clearly not strong enough. I had to reattach it with a metal hose clamp and that did the trick. If its not inflated enough it gets very wobbly and uncomfortable. I weigh 150lbs. If you are heavier I'd suggest not getting an inflatable unit.
I'd love to hear from the manufacturer about the bubbling. I dont know how to contact them! It shouldn't happen in the first season and it wasn't inflated abouve 12.5PSI.

I bought it for a family vacation. I loved it, the kids loved it. It was stable enough to stand on our heads! It was pretty easy and straightforward to set up and inflate. It tracked okay for its length. But when I went to deflate it, the valve popped off where it was adhered to the board and is now stuck inside so I can't use or fix it. I left a message with their customer service dept. and will update with results.

Bought this Tower paddleboard and on the very first time we inflated it a 6 inch bubble came up under foot pad and continued to get bigger and a 4 inch bubble came up under the board. Not great quality if this happened on the very first use ever. We never had more than 150 pounds on it and Inflated it to the right pressure. It also lost air the longer it was inflated and became very flexible. I bought this board because it said it was the most durable inflatable available. We were already at the lake and it was very disappointing. Paddle and pump are great though. Wish it came with a bag.

I bought two Tower Boards ... For function they are fine...but don't store them on your boat on they will leave you with a mess.
My problem is I stored them upside down outside... and the black surface on top deteriorated.
Now when I get on the board you get a black stain on my feet and hands.. Had to spend a long time cleaning the kids up after I took them out.

Actually I first noticed this about a year ago and called Tower who told me there was no solution.
A few days a ago I wrote them and they wouldn't replace the black surface as now the board is out of warranty.
If you plan to buy a board and keep it on your boat or outside as I did don't buy this one!!

Wish they had warned me.. in their add and I would've bought a board that doesn't do this.
My local paddle board store told me all of their products could be stored outside and if I ever had a problem they would replace the board.

Used product once... It was awesome... Deflated, Rolled it up as directed. Next time I went to use it there was a big hole in the side with many little ones starting. When product is blown up it's very sturdy, just don't see a point in an inflatable paddleboard that you aren't able to deflate and store without it getting ruined.

Review edited below: glued seal simply came apart about 5 inches in two separate places.

I purchased this product for eventual use in the Virgin Islands, but took it out to the lake to test out when it arrived. It worked great! Even before taking it out we blew it up to 11 psi and put a foot of each end on a chair, suspending the vast majority of the board in the air. I am 6'4" 225 lbs. and I actually stood in the middle of the board and it fully supported me! An extremely small amount of bowing in the middle. Seems very sturdy and worked great! I have never been on a hard paddle board but needed something that was more transportable and this will work nicely. The board worked great in the water and when we were done deflating it was a snap. The pumping up was not too hard --- a little resistance should be expected to get the board as hard as it is. So far am very satisfied.

Edit 1: the original pump failed after 6 or 7 times blowing it up. I contacted tower, the mfg, and they were very very helpful. The pump I originally received was different than the current pump this package now comes with. Tower shipped me the new pump that same day at no charge to me. I haven't used it yet but it seems to be more sturdily built than the original one that broke. Such great customer service is hard to to find these days and I would definitely recommend tower
paddle boards to anyone!!!!

Edit 2: 2-17-15
I purchased this board on 8-6-12. We had taken it down to St. Thomas where it was only used a few weeks out of the year for the previous two years. The board had worked well up to this point, which is why we were so surprised after only owning the board for about two and a half years, a 5 inch gap simply opened on the end where the glued seam had failed and all the air rushed out. No one was even using the board. It was just sitting on the beach and the seal just burst. We only had it inflated to about 10 psi which is well below what this board is supposed to handle. At this point, we are very disappointed with this purchase. The board was great while it lasted, but for something that costs this much to only last for about 2.5 years without heavy use is a real disappointment.

Edit 3: 3-2-15
When the first seam opened, I contacted Tower customer service and was told to use the glue and patches. As instructed, I glued the seam and let it dry the required amount of time. Once the seal was dry I blew the board up to about three PSI in order to see if there were any leaks. The seal seemed to hold so I left the air in overnight to make sure before we were going to take it back out on the water. The next morning the paddleboard had completely deflated, but it wasn't because of the first seal. A second 5 to 6 inch gap had opened on the opposite end of the paddleboard. At this point it seems that it just took about 2 1/2 years time and very light use for the glue to wear out. While the board was great while it lasted, the lack of durability was very disappointing. I'm just glad no one was way out on the water when the seals failed and the board deflated. I will post a picture of the second failed seam.

Upon opening the package, we notice bubbles on the surface of the board. Once inflated, there were bubbles throughout the surface of the board. There was a 2 inch area of material that seemed to be delaminated on the bottom of the board. The area around the air intake also seemed to be poorly constructed. We are returning the board and would not recommend this product.

Boy I LOVE this paddle board. Stable, easy to inflate, durable, portable, fits in my car. BUT the pump stopped working after two or three uses and doesn't hold pressure. I've emailed the warranty department at Solstice (Swimline Corp) twice and even called the pump manufacturer to see if there is way we can fix it ourselves (answer: no, it just happens sometimes).

Anyway, I'm hoping my third email and a one star review will get them to respond. If it weren't for this pump issue and the lack of response from the warranty department, this would be a 5 star review for sure. I feel bad for the other reviewers who have had quality problems with the boards themselves. I at least can borrow my friend's pump so I can still use it.

Having now spent well over an hour trying to actually put the inflation hose in the inflation valve I am obviously not excited. Tried every tip online I could find. Must have put in open and close position over 50 times and it still won't connect. I can not comprehend how such a simple fitting was not checked prior to shipping. I have two teenage daughters ready to paddleboard on Memorial Day weekend. Not happy campers.

Good price - not worth it. Spend a little more and get a SUP that is 6" thick. Any inflatable SUP that is less than 6" thick will feel like standing on Jello (no rigidity, you have to stay dead calm in the upper body when paddling or the whole board undulates). I returned this board after a weeks use and 4 different people commenting that the Tower 6" and other thick inflatable SUP's were the way to go. So got the Tower which is only $100 more expensive.

This board is terrible. We got it to use in Lake Tahoe, CA. In the details, it does not mention that it is a blow up board. Regardless, that would be ok if it could hold your weight. I weigh 145, and blew up the board according to directions. It buckles in the middle and water gets on top of the board. This is early in the morning on a calm lake. The only thing it is good for is floating in the water to get a suntan. Forgot about paddleboarding. Definitely not worth 5 bills! You could buy a pool floating device for less than 100 dollars!