This is my second iRocker board, so I will primarily be comparing this one to my all around 11' board. At 10.6' the cruiser is... Read More
This is my second iRocker board, so I will primarily be comparing this one to my all around 11' board. At 10.6' the cruiser is essentially the same size. The width, while only 1 wider, is noticeable in terms of stability on the water. The width is kept wider as it goes back towards the tail, which I felt really added to the boards stability and helped my wife jump right on and go. The other thing I noticed was the design of the track top. The all around board has channels in the track top that run from front to back. They are right where I stand and get a little bothersome after a few hours standing on them (I normally paddle bare foot). The cruiser has a solid section right about where you will be standing most of the time, so I really liked that.I have no complaints regarding the inflation process. The dual barreled pump works great, and I have accepted manual inflation as part of the workout. It can definitely be tough. With the cruiser we also got the electric pump. It definitely saves some energy and your arms, but I actually beat it using the manual pump. :)Portability is the reason I went for an inflatable in the first place. Weighing in around 35 lbs in the pack, it's not light, but consider having to store and transport a rigid board; this is great. The pack is nicely padded and roomy enough to fit everything inside. You have to be a bit patient and diligent when deflating and rolling up your board, but you can get everything in there, including the pump. I provided pictures of my deflation and packing process in my all around 11' review.The cruiser has an under nose mounted d-ring for towing, anchor or whatever. The tail handle is something I wish my all around board had, and we have already used it when entering and exiting the water. The action mount is straight away on the nose of the board. I prefer this to the side location on the all around board.On the water the cruiser is very stable; a great all around board. It turns well enough, although we both need a little practice in tail turns, your basic side paddle/reverse paddle method is as expected. The board comfortable fits one of our small boys on the nose, and still handles great with the added weight.My wife is about 5'2, and the extra width of the board gave her some ergo issues. She initially had to reach a bit further to each side which was a little painful to her back and surgically repaired shoulder. She found that increasing the length of the paddle helped her maintain a more proper paddling position with less strain.The pump that came with the cruiser had a small problem. When you are inflating the board, the valve gets pushed open by the hose. The pump should act like a check valve, only allowing flow into the board and preventing any back flow. The pump handle would push up as the pressure in the board increased. I troubleshot the issue by using my older pump and hose in various combinations to narrow it down to the new pump body. iRocker support worked with me and replaced the pump quite rapidly.This is a great option for diving into the inflatable SUP world. You can load this board up with supplies and kids and make a great adventure. Try the kayak attachment if you want some options between standing and sitting. The boards appear very well built and durable. I highly recommend iRocker sups in general. Read Less