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NEW AQUA MARINA 2021 BOARDS - FIRST PADDLE!
Aqua Marina 'Beast' and 'Coral' (£519 RRP from the All Around Advanced range)
Finally! We had a chance to try out the first additions to our new fleet of 2021 Aqua Marina boards, for Sun Turtle SUP coaching and demos. Two boards, to be precise – the Coral (10’2”/31”) and the Beast (10’6”/32”). Both are from the ‘All Round Advanced’ range, meaning that – in addition to the quality and durability that Aqua Marina are known for – these boards feature higher-spec EVA deck pads with a proper tail ‘kicker’ and additional deck hardware for kayak-style seats.
The 10’2″ Coral (left) is new for 2021, while the 10’6″ Beast is Aqua Marina’s best-seller
“the Coral is new for 2021,
while the Beast is Aqua
Marina’s best-seller”
The Package
There was no chance to do a proper ‘unboxing’ and instead we just whipped the boards out, pumped them up (not enough, it turned out!) and launched them straight into a fully-booked Sun Turtle ‘Improver’ intermediate SUP group session! Nevertheless, we liked the compact rucksack and the look of the rest of the kit, which includes a pump, leash, fin, repair kit and (nice lightweight) paddle. We’ll put together a full review of each board, including all the kit including in the package, soon.
“we launched the boards straight into
a fully-booked group SUP session!”
We launched the boards straight into a fully-booked ‘Improver’ (intermediate) group SUP session from our base at Liverpool Watersports Centre
First Impressions
We were immediately impressed with the quality and design of these boards. The construction appears really well put-together, with heat-sealed seams and additional strengthening along the rails. The colours also really ‘pop’ and the printing/graphics look cooler, more grown-up and generally classier than last years (although arguably nothing can beat the mad geometric printing on the 2020 Beast!). The real stand-out feature of these boards, however, is the ‘crocodile skin’ EVA foot pad and kicker. The crocodile skin offers an additional texture alongside the standard diamond pattern and this feels both softer and more grippy under foot. In a line-up alongside our clients’ boards on the day, which included more expensive models from Fanatic and O’Shea, these boards easily held their own on both look and feel.
On the Water
Janek had the perfect session to put the boards through their paces, with a group of experienced paddlers from ‘over the water’! Chucking the smaller (and importantly for us – thinner) Aqua Marina Coral in for a quick demo, Janek found the board super maneuverable, as one would expect of a board only 4.7-inches (12cm) thick (when compared to the standard 6-inch thickness of most isups). We really prize thinner boards – whether for our own use, especially out in the surf, or for training with our growing ranks of intermediate or advanced clients – and plan to post a full write-up on the benefits of thinner iSUPs on this blog in the near future.
The lightness of the boards also showed immediately in terms of acceleration and responsiveness (as well as handling off the water). At 8.6kg the Coral is lighter than Fanatic’s equivalent Fly Air Premium and just a shade heavier than the comparable, but more expensive, Diamond Air. On the water, it was soon apparent that I hadn’t put enough air into the boards (I grabbed the first pump I could see in the equipment store and the gauge must have over-read), so any excess flex was likely down to this!
“the thin and lightweight Coral
was maneuverable and responsive”
The Aqua Marina boards held their own well next to a line-up including more expensive models from Fanatic and O’Shea
On first impressions, then, we really rate these 2021 Aqua Marina boards. There are one or two things we don’t love about them (namely, so far, the carry strap D-rings on the rail of the Coral) – but as promised, we’ll review each board separately and in full on this blog as soon as we’ve given them a proper once-over.
We are really excited to be working with Aqua Marina and their exclusive UK distributor Marine & Outdoor and are stoked that we chose these boards for our fleet. More models are coming soon – including a first look at the ‘Wave’ surf-oriented board when it lands in the UK in June (sorry if we just gave away a commercial secret there guys!). We also look forward to offering retail options from Aqua Marina for our clients, customers and Crew, with more details coming very soon. In the meantime, paddlers can try the Beast and the Coral on their next Sun Turtle SUP Taster or Improver group session – or private/1-2-1 sessions – from Liverpool Watersports Centre. Book now!
Sun Turtle are delighted to be joining Aqua Marina as dealers and partners for the 2021 season. Paddlers will be able to try a range of new Aqua Marina boards on our sessions straight away. And watch this space for more exciting news, deals and demo opportunities from Aqua Marina and Sun Turtle – coming soon!
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