The very first thing I seen when taking the Lowrider out of the storage bag (which is far nicer than Bote’s older luggage, extra on that beneath) was the large 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 good friend of mine quipped, “That paddleboard has a draft.”
That deep fin makes the Lowrider observe straighter, which suggests you are not always 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 steady 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 resolve 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 may anticipate, it was heavy, sat decrease within the water, and was gradual to show, however it wasn’t that dangerous, particularly for those who put the seat on so you possibly can swap forwards and backwards between standing and sitting. It is most likely exterior most individuals’s use circumstances, however for those who’re a weirdo like me, know that that is most likely your greatest guess for paddlepacking.
{Photograph}: Scott Gilbertson
The Lowrider Is a Little Larger
Talking of the seats, they’re fairly snug and steady. They are often connected in quite a lot of methods. There are three tie-down factors on either side of the board, and the seats themselves have a strap that means that you can alter 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 remember for those who’re a seasoned kayaker: You are a lot increased on the water than you’ll be in a kayak. You are not going to wish to paddle something technical, however it’s nonetheless a steady, snug 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 without doubt one of the greatest causes to get a hybrid. On these tough days whenever you aren’t going to be standing up, you possibly can nonetheless get out on the water.
