Most weekends you can find me out in Southwest Michigan at some beach on Lake Michigan. Most weekends I would rent a paddleboard, and always had a great time. This summer I decided it was probably time to buy a paddleboard.
Now having only rented I wasn't really sure how much I would enjoy owning one and how much I would use it so I was a little hesitant to drop $700 to $2,000 on a paddleboard. I tend to have a habit of getting obsessed with new hobbies and then dropping them a few weeks later. My girlfriend can attest to that with my 7mm wetsuit and surfboard I picked up last winter because I wanted to be a winter surfer on Lake Michigan. For anyone thinking that's crazy we only get waves on Lake Michigan in late fall and winter so that's why you have to get a thick wetsuit and surf in 10 degree weather with snow on the ground.
Anyhow, when I saw a hard board at Costco for $299 that seemed to have decent quality reviews I decided I was buying a paddleboard. I quickly realized however I'd also need some way to strap it to my car. Getting a roof rack seemed like a bit of a headache and was going to add another couple hundred bucks onto the purchase price so that kind of stalled my plan. That was until I saw the Bodyglove Performer 11' on Costco's website.
Now Costco's availability of products in store is much different than online so I had to purchase it online. It was $399. It was an inflatable board or iSup and I was a little skeptical of how firm the board would be. For whatever reason I pictured the experience like standing on a raft. Knowing Costco has a very liberal return policy I figured I'd roll the dice and order and if I was unhappy I could return it.
I ordered the board off Costco's website. There are some third party sellers selling them on Amazon for slightly more, although I'd recommend buying on Costco for the return policy incase you ever have issues with it.
Two days after ordering the board showed up at my house in a large box. Everyting was contained within a backpack.
What's Included?
So included with the Costco Bodyglove Performer 11' you get the board, the pump, a three piece paddle, a repair kit, and a Bodyglove dry sleeve for your cellphone, a leash, as well as the backpack that carries it all.
My First Time Out
My first time out was on Lake Michigan, I took the board to Weko Beach. I will say pumping the board up was more work than I anticipated. I saw some people on Youtube reviews saying they had their board pumped in 2-3 minutes, maybe if your super fit and are pumping like a mad man. In reality at a normal pace I would say it takes about 10 minutes to inflate.
The pump has a pressure guage on it so you know when the board is full, it's also a two setting pump meaning there's a setting two where it pumps air on the upstroke and the downstroke, and there's also a setting one where it only pumps on the downstroke. What I find works the best is pumping the board about 3/4 full so 7 to 10 PSI with the number two setting, and then switching over to setting one once your at about 10 PSI. The more you pump it the more difficult it gets to pump. Once the board is inflated to say 13-15 PSI you can take out the hose, put in the plug and your ready to go.
The paddle easily pops together and locks. I then slide the leash onto the oring on the board and your ready to get out paddling.
The board performs very well. Like I said I'd never been on an inflatable board and was shocked how firm and sturdy they are. The Bodyglove is inflated to 15 PSI, many other boards like the iSUP are inflated to 20 PSI but I'm fine with 15, the board performs well, is plenty firm, etc.
The performance of the board is great. Sure there's a little sacrafice with an inflatable as opposed to a hard board but the portability and ease of storage definitely outweighs any minor sacrafice with performance, turning, and tracking in the water.
Once you're done paddling for the day you simply bring the board back onto the beach. Take out the plug, pop the button and you hear a loud hiss as the board deflates itself. Once deflated you roll the board up, put a strap around it to hold it snug, take the paddle apart, take the hose off the pump, put everything back into the bag and throw it in your trunk.
Best Beginner Paddleboard for the Price
In my opinion if you're in the market for a paddleboard this is by far the best bang for your buck. Your not going to find much around this price, especially in an inflatable which I notice decent ones tend to start around $700 and go up to over $2,000.
You're getting a known brand with BodyGlove and if you buy it from Costco they have great customer service and a very generous return policy.
Paddleboarding is fun and a great way to get a good workout. If you've considered getting a paddleboard but were turned off by the price, the Body Glove Performer 11' is a great entrance into the market at a decent price.
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