SIC Maui Tao Tour
- Written by Staff
- Published in Reviews
- Comments::DISQUS_COMMENTS
Only best products in a given category receive “A” grade.
Overview:
Paddle Board Highlights
Who is it for?
If you’re looking for an inflatable touring board at a very affordable price, the SIC Maui Air Glide TaoTour is one worth checking out. Utilizing SIC Maui’s Support Stringer Tech (SST) construction the board has added durability and stiffness, which is a great feature, especially at this price point. It’s also fairly lightweight weighing just 22.6 pounds and is easy to carry around. As the name suggests, the Air Glide Tao Tour was designed for paddlers looking for an inflatable touring board that is stable and can handle mid-range distances of up to 5 miles without any problem. Priced at just $679.95, the SIC Maui Air Glide Tao Tour is a solid option for paddlers looking for something affordable and good quality.
First Impressions
Let's start with the cons and then move to the pros. The board seems to come with a little bit too much of a rocker as when I was on the water it felt like it was pushing a bit more water than it should. I thought the fin had come without the fin plate but come to find out it was located in the orange container that held the repair kit items. Now, let's move to the pros since this board has far more pros than cons. Starting with the bag that comes with this board and even the box that it's all packaged in is just beautiful. The bag comes with wheels making this board incredibly easy to haul around and travel with. It's very well put together and seems durable. The board all around has an amazing construction and has reinforced rails and stringer which helps make the board stiffer. The traction pad is very comfortable, there are bungee cords on both the nose and tail and a mounting system on the nose of the board. It even comes with a nice leash. The takeaway here is this: if you're looking for a board that is not so much like an all around board but gives you range to paddle a bit farther away from the shoreline this is a great option.
Benefits
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Primary Use
TouringPaddle Boards fall into two broad categories, All-Around and Specialty boards, with all-around designed primarily for recreation while speciality boards for top performance in specific disciplines
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Durability
DurableDurability is largely a result of the board construction and shape, with more durable boards typically carrying more materials (added layers, PVC, etc) and as such adding to the weight.
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Stability
StableStability is a product of construction and shape, where boards w/ 30”+ wide and 200+ liters in volume offer plenty of stability for your AVG adult while a board under 26” wide is a challenge.
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Glide
AverageGlide is a result of board shape and construction, w/ boards weighing under 30lbs and designed for racing offering best glide while recreational boards normally being on the slow side.
Learn more on the SIC Maui website.
Features
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Dimensions
11' x 32"Industry standard in board dimensions reads: L (length, from nose to tail) x W (width, from rail to rail at midpoint length), and H (height, from top to bottom of board at midpoint length).
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Weight
22.6 lbsStandup paddle boards tend to fall into 4 different weight classes: extremely lightweight (under 20 lbs), lightweight (20-28 lbs), average weight (28-35 lbs), heavy (above 35 lbs).
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Volume
320 LVolume is a key metric to determine how much weight a board can carry. Boards w/ 200+ liters offer most floatation with boards under 150 liters typically for high-performance surf.
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Capacity
250 lbsCapacity is the max cargo weight a stand up paddle board can carry, considering not only the paddler’s weight but whatever else the paddler may choose to carry alongside him/her.
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Add On's
Bungee Nose, Bungee Tail, D Ring, Leash Included, Camera Holder, FCS weedless 9” finAdd-on’s include bungee cords, a minimalist way to haul things; Connexsup, which allows for all sorts of attachments, even fishing rods; and FCS II/Connect, for easy fin instal.
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Handle
StrapHandles directly affect carrying ease, with external grip handles (Liftsup & EZgrab) offering most comfort, Internal Ergo Grip the mid-tier comfort, and box handles as least comfortable.
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Holders
NoFishing rod holders and/or paddle holders can make paddling that much more pleasant, esp. when needing holders for the rod or having a safe place for the paddle during yoga.
Sizes Available
| Length | Width | Thickness | Volume |
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