The very first thing I observed when taking the Lowrider out of the storage bag (which is far nicer than Bote’s older luggage, extra on that beneath) was the large rear fin. It is for much longer than the removable fin on the Breeze Aero, and by far the deepest fin I’ve seen on a paddleboard. A sailor buddy of mine quipped, “That paddleboard has a draft.”
That deep fin makes the Lowrider monitor straighter, which suggests you are not always veering and correcting course as you paddle. Relative to the Breeze Aero and different boards I’ve used, there may be far much less side-to-side motion when paddling. The bigger floor space of the fin additionally makes the board a bit extra secure in tough water, particularly when mixed with the width of this board.
I’ve lengthy needed to do some multiday paddleboarding journeys, and I’ve gone as far as to load up about three-quarters of my gear, solely to resolve it simply wasn’t going to work. The Lowrider, nonetheless, is able to such feats. I didn’t have time to truly do a visit, however I did load it up and paddle round. As you would possibly count on, it was heavy, sat decrease within the water, and was sluggish to show, nevertheless it wasn’t that unhealthy, particularly when you put the seat on so you may swap backwards and forwards between standing and sitting. It is in all probability exterior most individuals’s use circumstances, however when you’re a weirdo like me, know that that is in all probability your greatest wager for paddlepacking.
{Photograph}: Scott Gilbertson
The Lowrider Is a Little Increased
Talking of the seats, they’re fairly snug and secure. They are often connected in quite a lot of methods. There are three tie-down factors on both sides of the board, and the seats themselves have a strap that means that you can alter the quantity you are mendacity again. They by no means get fairly as upright as you would be in a kayak, however I paddled a number of miles and had no again pressure or different ache.
One factor to remember when you’re a seasoned kayaker: You are a lot increased on the water than you’ll be in a kayak. You are not going to need to paddle something technical, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a secure, snug expertise, and the board is a lot maneuverable. Cruising flat water, it was surprisingly quick and agile (for one thing this dimension), and the Lowrider did not blink even once I took it out in a 15-knot wind with fairly good chop. To my thoughts this is likely one of the greatest causes to get a hybrid. On these tough days if you aren’t going to be standing up, you may nonetheless get out on the water.