Looking for a versatile stand-up paddleboard that can be enjoyed by all skill levels? Look no further than the ISLE Pioneer Paddleboard. This board is extra stable, making it perfect for beginners, and also features additional storage space and a large traction pad. The Pioneer can be used for leisure paddles, fishing expeditions, and even yoga! Plus, its sturdy construction makes it a great choice for those looking for a board that can support an additional rider or child.
How Durable Is An ISLE Paddleboard?
When it comes to inflatable paddle boards, this is a pretty common question I get when I’m out on my board and chatting with swimmers. To be honest, when I first found out about the inflatable boards I thought they’d be pretty easy to pop. Amazon’s description of the board says it can be “Run it over with your vehicle, throw it off the roof or ram it into rocks or a pier”. So basically, it’s durable.
Once your board is inflated, it doesn’t really feel like it’s an inflatable board. I always assumed that it would be like a pool floaty consistency (but a bit harder). This is nothing like that. It really just feels like any other sturdy board. Whenever I’m out and chatting with people in the water, they’re surprised at how durable it feels when they find out it’s an inflatable SUP.
How Much Does The ISLE Pioneer Paddleboard Weigh?
The ISLE Pioneer Paddleboard weighs 24 pounds. It also has a capacity of 285 pounds for riders. The hardest part about carrying the weight is after a long workout and carting the board back to the car or to the house. But if you’ve ever lugged around a longboard for surfing, this is way less heavy than that.
What Do The ISLE Pioneer Boards Come With?
The Pioneer I got came with pretty much everything I needed. I say pretty much because it didn’t come with the e-pump, which I wish I had purchased. It looks like they often run promotions where you’ll get the e-pump for free.
- 8′ Coil Leash ($40 value)
- Nylon Touring Center Fin ($40 value)
- iSUP Travel Bag ($75 value)
- Manual iSUP Hand Pump ($65 value)
- Carbon Hybrid 3 Piece Adjustable SUP Travel Paddle ($165 value)
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Can You Surf With The ISLE Pioneer Paddleboard?
This is a pretty difficult question to answer. I’m currently living and using the Pioneer on the Gulf Coast of Florida and have caught some waves on it, it’s not the best for surfing. It’s wide base makes it pretty difficult to keep up the speed on a wave. You can catch a little bit of the swell and kind of surf, but you aren’t going to be able to cut back or maneuver around the wave too much in my experience.
If there are waves that are big enough for a longboard, I’ll be taking my longboard out. I’ll stick to using the paddleboards on flat days.
Pros of the ISLE Pioneer Paddleboard
The quality of the material is impressive. It’s heavy-duty, yet doesn’t weigh as much as other inflatable SUPs I’ve used in the past. On Amazon (it’s more expensive than direct from ISLE) it says this:
- LIGHTWEIGHT, DURABLE DESIGN: Run it over with your vehicle, throw it off the roof or ram it into rocks or a pier; Constructed with military-grade PVC making this board rigid enough for all paddle board activities and durable enough to last. This wide stance inflatable paddle board is six inches thick helping you stay balanced while you’re paddle boarding.
I don’t plan on running it over, throwing it off the roof, or anything though. I do like that it says it can be rammed into rocks because you never know if you might drop the board while taking it to a spot to paddleboard. I never want to purposefully hit the boards I own, but it’s good to know that it’s quality material if an accident happens.
The pump:
I 100% wish I would have gotten the e-pump to go along with the board, the manual hand pump took me 7 minutes and 40 seconds to pump it up. I wanted to do it straight through to see if I could. By the end, my back was a bit sore because I had surfed in the morning before pumping it up. This was faster than the other pump that I had from another paddleboard. The quality of this pump is way nicer too, it doesn’t feel like cheap plastic junk.
How is the traction pad on the Pioneer paddleboard?
The footbed is so much better than my other SUP. It’s comfortable and doesn’t aggravate my feet when I’m on and riding for an hour or more. It’s a soft brushed EVA traction pad with grooves. That might mean something to you, but to me, it’s kinda like a yoga pad. That makes it easier for knee paddling or just laying around on the board.
There’s a ton of storage space on this thing as well. The front has a 6-point front bungee system which basically just means it’s got the space to attach a bunch of extras like sunglasses, cameras, snacks, and even a life vest. You can fit a small cooler under it as well. The back has a 4 point bungee system that I’ve used to keep my flip-flops in place.
While I haven’t really used the nose & tail grab handles, if you were to be carrying this with someone else, this would make it super easy. I imagine you could stack your stuff up on top and transport the board along shallow riverbeds or docks.
Is the deck soft enough to do yoga?
I saw this question over on the Amazon listing so thought I would answer it here. Yes, it is soft enough to do yoga on it. I’m 5 foot 10 and about 180 pounds and don’t think I’d do to well with yoga on it. I can do super basic stuff like up-dog and down-dog, but anything beyond that I’m not sure how well i’d do.
Update: I took it out again and was able to do some basic yoga stuff on it. It was a little choppy on the Gulf of Mexico but I didn’t fall off. My girlfriend was also able to do some basic yoga on it, so if you are better at yoga than me (you probably are) then yes, you can use the ISLE Pioneer for yoga.
What about the paddle?
The paddle that comes with the ISLE Pioneer is A+ quality. After switching back to using my old paddle, the old paddle feels like a cheap knock-off of the ISLE paddle. This board also has a pretty cool paddle holder that’s built right onto the board. I like it for storing the paddle and keeping them together. However, when I’m carrying it to and from the beach, I’ve found it’s easier for me personally to carry the paddle in my other hand. If I were to do yoga on this board, or just lay on it, strapping the paddle to the board would keep it in place. I’ve used it a few times when I’m diving down looking for conch shells and sand dollars.
Does the paddle float?
Yes, the paddle that comes with the Pioneer floats. However, I wouldn’t just leave it floating around in the water for hours on end. It comes apart (for storage) so there is the possibility that it’ll get water inside it which may make it sink. But for an average fall off the board, the paddle will just float wherever you drop it.
Cons Of The ISLE Pioneer Paddleboard
As a surfer first, I’m used to all my leashes having a spot to tuck my key inside. It surprised me when I first was heading out to SUP and I grabbed the leash to look for a spot to keep the key. There wasn’t one. It ended up being fine, I just tie my key to my necklace but I was disappointed that the leash didn’t have a place to hide the key. I can’t do this when surfing because it’s usually in harsher conditions. But for a SUP session, it works.
The speed on the water is slower than the other paddleboard (FITWAVE Paddle Board) that I have been using lately. I think it’s probably because this one is wider than the FITWAVE. It is a way smoother all-around ride though, it’s just a little slower when I was trying to get into a wave to surf it. I’m currently living in Florida on the gulf so it’s not like they are crazy big waves.
With any paddleboard, storing it can be a pain. This thing is big, at 10.6′ length, 34″ width, and a 6″ thickness. I’m currently living at the beach and we have a room with a high ceiling that makes it pretty easy to store, but if I had a smaller apartment I’d have to deflate it every time. The bag it comes with is high quality though. As I said before, I’d love the e-pump especially if I had to deflate it and repump it every time I wanted to use it.
In Conclusion
Right now the Pioneer is 50% off because they just came out with the Pioneer 2.0. It does look like as of today July 15, 2022, the Pioneer 2.0 is also at a discount. I’m not sure how long that will last though.
The ISLE Pioneer Paddleboard is a great purchase for many beginners and lighter and shorter paddleboarders. The quality material, comfortable footbed, and ease of pumping it up make it a stand-out choice in the market. Additionally, at 50% off its regular price, the Pioneer is an even better deal. Don’t miss your chance to get on the water with this versatile and affordable paddleboard.
The Pioneer’s wide body creates an extra stable SUP, perfect for any paddler, including beginners. The sturdy structure, easy portability, additional storage space, and large traction pad offer paddlers of higher skill the perfect board to widen the scope of activities you can do on your SUP.