Wave Pro 10' SUP
Unboxing and Maiden Voyage – Drew Morgan
Why stand up paddle board?
Stand up paddle boarding is the world’s fastest-growing water sport. It is a great way to exercise, to explore, to see nature. You can surf, race, tour or even do yoga on a paddle board.
At Land Rover Adventures we plan a water sports weekend every year and this year. I usually kayak but I tried stand up paddle boarding and it was a life changing experience. The day we returned from our weekend away I started looking at paddle boards, within 4 days I had one on order and a week after I was on the water with my own board.
The Wave Pro
It’s no secret that it takes me forever to make my mind up when spending money. I want to make sure I’m getting something great for my money and that’s going to last. I looked at pages and pages of reviews, I had tried the Aquaplanet Pace and a M.Y Pointbreak, my brother has a Bluefin Cruise (which I was so close to ordering), so how did I end up with a Wave?
I had seen the Wave SUPs on social media and not paid them that much attention. It was only after reading an owner review on Facebook I visited the Wave website and saw the Pro. The design caught my eye straight away and then when I started reading the specs I was pretty sure I had found my board. I then found some great reviews online that sealed the deal.
The facts
- Lighter than a lot of other SUPs due to high strength single layer design – great for carrying off the beach.
- Carbon paddle – a lot of cheaper SUPs have an aluminium paddle, these are heavy and don’t float if you drop them.
- Great performance in choppy water and surf – I live on the North coast of Devon.
- Loads of extras including a GoPro/Action Cam mount, decent bag to pack it all away in and amazing offers on the website when I bought mine.
Unboxing
I bought my SUP on Friday and it was sent next day which was great as I had planned my 2nd ever SUP session for Sunday. After a night out on Saturday I got home and decided to open the box and check everything was there ready for the first voyage. Everything was packed neatly in the box and instructions included to help get set up and on the water. My only criticism at this point is I have seen other sup brands using paper and recyclable packaging.
The Box
One big box with a nice bit of branding.
The Contents
Everything neatly packed inside.
Unpacking
The contents laid out. Blake the cat was desperate to investigate,
The Bag
Wave include a premium backpack with the Pro. I’d like a bag with more padding if I was going to hike to a secluded beach with my board.
The Bag
The waterproof bag has a drainage hole which is a great addition if you have to pack away wet.
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One of the reasons I chose the Wave Pro was the quality lightweight carbon paddle.
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The lower section has a locking pin as well as the clamp and the upper section has measurement markings for quick setup.
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The leash has a swivel either end to help prevent tangling and a quick release belt is available as an option.
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Wave include a kayak seat but strangely the additional paddle blade is an optional extra.
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The seat does have a useful storage pocket in the back.
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The high volume high pressure pump is also unique to the Pro
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The pressure gauge to tell you when you have reached the recommended 15 PSI.
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Like most hand pumps the Wave pump has single and dual action.
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Wave also include a repair kit including glue, patches and a valve tool.
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The board is held closed with an adjustable strap.
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Wave pack the boards well with additional foam to protect the fin box, valve etc.
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The board unrolled and ready to inflate.
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Everything fits nicely into the rucksack, there is even space for my PFD in the bag. The plastic fin fits into the board with a lever system rather than the plastic clips on the basic boards.
Wave Pro
Packed up and ready to go.
The First Paddle
For my first paddle with my new board (and my 2nd ever) I booked a guided tour with Amy Kitson of Adventure Boardsports in Bideford. My previous experience was on a lake where as I was now going to be taking on a flowing river, an estuary and the sea. Amy’s advice was going to be needed and start me on a safe footing for future SUP adventures.
At 7:45 in the morning we met up on the outskirts of Bideford and I unloaded the car to inflate the board. We needed to be ready to take the outgoing tide and I started inflating my board when one of those with us offered me the use of his electric pump. If Wave did these as an option I definitely would upgrade. Within minutes I was at 15 PSI, paddle assembled, fin in and ready to go. Carrying the board down to the water was a breeze as the Wave boards are so light.
I placed the board in the water put my shoes and drybag under the cargo bungees then gingerly got on. The board is the smallest I have paddled and I could feel a slight unsteadiness in me which translated to the board but once on and standing things started to settle down. The deck pad gave good grip and the paddle was so light. We were soon on our way heading out to sea and getting into a good rhythm. Coming to the old bridge in Bideford we needed to transition to kneeling to get under the arches and the board felt great changing position. Once back up and with a few minor adjustments to the paddle I started picking up the pace and feeling the board glide however I had not expected the river and the tide to be so different to a lake. Learning lots of techniques in a short period the board was cutting through the wake of other boats on the river The only time it felt really sketchy was when the outgoing tide was bouncing off the slipway at Appledore causing some real strange conditions and the chop coming from what seemed like all directions.
Heading into The Skern and the conditions changed to a beautiful flat calm. We had a break on the boards for a snack and drink as the current took us past Greysands Beach before we were standing again and heading around the Bideford Bar, reading the waves to steer clear of the shallows and looking as shoals of fish swimming under us in the crystal clear water. The Wave Pro seemed to be made for these conditions and was happily heading down the coast towards Westward Ho!
About halfway along Northam Burrows we headed towards the beach and the part I was really looking for. The surf wasn’t high but I picked a wave and paddled hard catching the breaker and riding the board to the beach, paddle in the air and a massive grin on my face.
Summary
As a near beginner I found the Wave Pro challenging enough to learn on and it inspired enough confidence to attempt a step back turn (that didn’t go well), and was also easy for self recovery.
I would really like to try the Wave Woody as a great looking larger and more stable board for comparison but the surf experience tells me I made the right choice getting the Pro and I can’t wait for more adventures on it and perfecting that step back turn.
If you are looking for a well priced high quality board I’d check out Wave SUPs and if you are in North Devon and want to learn paddle boarding or pick up some new skills then contact Adventure Boardsports.
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