Starboard Touring

If you’re looking for a durable, quality touring board with an eco-angle, check out the Touring from Starboard. The Waterline comes in three different constructions, the Lite Tech, Starlite and Carbon Top, both great options but the Carbon Top is the more premium option. This board is great for touring and longer distances and performs best in flatwater conditions. Priced between $1,499 and $2,399, this board sits between the affordable mid-price point tier and premium tier, depending on the construction you choose, and is one of the best flat water touring boards currently on the market.

The board we reviewed utilized Starboard’s Lite Tech construction so keep that in mind here. At first glance, the blue graphics had a really nice pattern and look to it. The rest of the board is fairly basic when it comes to graphics and is essentially all white with the exception of the blue band across the deck pad. So, if you’re looking for something that has a very clean look to it, you’ll probably really like this design. Downside of the white though is the potential for it to stain and get dirty so take note of that. Color aside, the deckpad has a really neat feature called the ‘Star Touch’. When it’s wet, the pad becomes more grippy and really helps with stability when moving up and down the board when turning. Now, this board is made from some pretty strong materials so the durability there is nice, but with this durability comes weight. The board weighs in at around 34.15 lbs so it’s definitely on the heavier side. It’s still manageable for sure but heavier than lightweight constructions. However, offset the weight and make the board a bit easier to carry, Starboard includes a shoulder strap with the board that also doubles as a paddle holder so that’s a nice perk. Another nice perk that’s absolutely worth mentioning is that when purchasing this board, or any Starboard SUP for that matter, they plant a mangrove tree that helps absorb CO2 in the atmosphere and they also commit to picking up 1.1kg of beach/ocean trash. Now that’s something to get behind. On the water, the board felt SO stable! The added width in the center of the board mixed with the recessed deck really contributes to that stability. The board was also easy to turn when stepping back towards the tail. When it comes to the glide, if you’ve got the right technique and power behind your stroke you’re going to get a really nice glide and even get some speed just as the designers of this board intended with the thinner sharp slicing nose and deep center channel on the bottom. Because of this, the Touring could make for a great dual-purpose board that is great for both touring and also can be a good transitional board if you’re wanting to get into racing. But, because of the heavier weight, if you’re looking for more of a race board either go with the lighter construction or look at race-specific boards instead. Overall, the Touring is a great option for paddlers looking for a touring SUP that sits in the mid-tier price point, uses quality materials, is stable AND is eco-friendly so it’s a no brainer to award the Touring with Supconnect’s A-grade.