Surfstar Flight 10’6″ - Review 2023

Review

• DIVEIN.com Score: 4.5/5
• Construction:4/5
• Stability: 4.3/5
• Maneuverability:
• 4/5Portability: 4/5
• Price/Quality: 4.5/5

With its added accessories and plenty of features the Surfstar Flight 10’6″ is an excellent choice of paddle board for entry level paddlers looking to invest more time in learning paddle boarding.

At 33” thick at the middle–more than the standard 32–beginners will find it easier to gain their balance and confidence. The extra width doesn’t make it too difficult to start more technical turns, which is interesting for paddlers who want to grow their skills.

The board folds up small in the included backpack and is not too cumbersome for traveling and transporting. It comes at an affordable price and with all the added features and accessories this board has an excellent price to quality ratio. The board and accessories are durable, convenient and comfortable to use.

Additionally, this paddle board is particularly good for beginners thanks to its stability and price. We would not recommend this board for advanced paddlers looking to do some touring, but intermediate paddlers looking for a recreational board will also find this a suitable fit.

Standard for budget boards, the included paddle does the bare minimum, what’s required to get out and back again. It should last a few seasons’ worth of steady use.

We tested the board for its technical limits and found, surprisingly, that it was fun doing step back turns and racing (without the same performance you’d get from a Cruise Carbon or a Starboard Touring Deluxe, of course).

The high weight capacity and sturdiness make this great for recreational use and for traveling with another person or even a dog. The wide base and great stability also makes this great for those looking to practice yoga on the water. An all round excellent choice for beginners and entry level paddlers the Surfstar Flight 10’6″ is a great way to get hooked to paddle boarding.

Features

• The board features a large EVA deck pad that provides support for the knees and additional grip.
• Three conveniently placed handles on the nose, tail and centre of the board. Grate for carrying the board to and from the water once inflated.
• Two bungee cord tie-downs placed at the nose and tail of the board. The nose bungee system is large and offers space for gear and equipment making it ideal for longer journeys.
• Tri-fin setup provides adequate stability and enhanced maneuverability when on the water. The center fin is detachable to ensure the board can be suitably stored.
• One conveniently placed D-ring at the tail of the board for anchoring and mooring the paddleboard.
• 3-piece aluminum paddle with nylon blade

Accessories

Included with the purchase of the Surfstrar Flight is a 3-piece aluminum paddle, detachable fin, repair kit, leash, waterproof phone bag, pump and backpack.

• Paddle: This board comes with an adjustable 3-piece aluminum paddle with a plastic t-shaped handle. A standard paddle it is durable and floats, great for beginner paddlers
• Backpack: The paddle board comes with a Surfstar backpack. This backpack has comfortable, padded, shoulder straps which are comfortable and ideal when travelling further with the backpack. The backpack is spacious and carries all the equipment as well as extra room for personal belongings.
• Fin: Tri fin set up with plastic fins and one detachable centre fin.
• Pump: The Surstar Flight board comes with a single chamber, double- action pump. Pumpnis standard and has both inflate and deflate valves.
• Repair kit: Comes with a basic repair kit, ideal for making small fixes to the board when out using the board or travelling.
• Leash: the board comes with a coiled safety leash which is durable and robust.
• Waterproof phone case: an added accessory which comes with the Surfstar Flight is the waterproof phone case. This case is great for taking your phone out on the water worry-free.

Stability

The Surfstar Flight has excellent stability. Constructed with beginners to intermediate paddlers in mind this board is sturdy and stable on the water mimicking the stability of solid SUP boards.

Most iSUPs tend to come at around 32”, however, the Surfstar Flight is 33” thick. The extra inch of thickness helps to make this board more stable and sturdy on the water’s surface.

Maneuverability

The length and thickness of the Surfstar Flight 10’6” paddle board make it a stable and sturdy board, ideal for beginners and entry level paddlers. Although it is stable the board is also excellent for beginners to learn maneuvers and practice turns and tricks.

Not necessarily the most maneuverable, this board will give entry level paddlers a feel for the sport and help improve basic paddle skills on the water. On the other hand, the O & B was surprisingly nimble on turns.

Portability

With 3 carry handles placed at the tail, nose and centre of the board, the Surfstar Flight is easy to carry to and from the water’s surface when inflated. This is something missing from the Serenelife Free Flow, for example.

The board size also makes it light enough for smaller riders to carry to the water when inflated.

When deflated the board is easy to get rolled up and packed away in its backpack. And while a single chamber pump makes inflating slower, it makes packing easier.

It’s a pretty standard backpack with comfortable padded shoulder straps or wheels for trolley pulling.

For the most part, using the wheels works well enough, but some of the bag’s material can get dragged along and in due course will begin to wear down–not unusual for even premium SUP board bags.

As well as carrying all the accessories and board the backpack also leaves room for carrying smaller personal belongings such as phones and wallets.

Price/Quality Ratio

This paddle board is great quality at an affordable price point. The added accessories included with the board as well as the basic features make this board easy to use and particularly good for entry level paddlers.

At this price, the construction of the board is comparatively good. Expect it to last longer than similarly priced models now being sold in Walmart and every other supermarket.

Do we recommend it?

Yes, we recommend the Surfstar Flight 10’6″ for beginners and new paddle boarders. It is a great entry level board to get the hang of paddle boarding. It’s especially helpful for novices who lack the balance for less stable paddle boards.

The affordable price point along with all the essentials makes it a great choice for entry level paddlers.