The very first thing I seen when taking the Lowrider out of the storage bag (which is way nicer than Bote’s older baggage, extra on that under) was the huge 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 implies you are not continually veering and correcting course as you paddle. Relative to the Breeze Aero and different boards I’ve used, there’s 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 wished to do some multiday paddleboarding journeys, and I’ve gone as far as to load up about three-quarters of my gear, solely to determine 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 anticipate, it was heavy, sat decrease within the water, and was gradual to show, but it surely wasn’t that unhealthy, particularly when you put the seat on so you possibly can swap forwards and backwards between standing and sitting. It is in all probability exterior most individuals’s use instances, 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 Greater
Talking of the seats, they’re fairly comfy 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 lets you modify 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 bear in mind 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, but it surely’s nonetheless a secure, comfy expertise, and the board is lots 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 among the greatest causes to get a hybrid. On these tough days if you aren’t going to be standing up, you possibly can nonetheless get out on the water.
