Tower Yachtsman 10’4” - Review 2023

Review

• DiveIn Score: 4/5
• Construction: 4/5
• Stability: 4/5
• Maneuverability: 4.5/5
• Portability: 3/5
• Price/Quality: 3/5

The Tower Yachtsman 10’4” inflatable paddle board was built for maneuverability and comfort. It’s length, thickness and lifted nose rocker is designed to easily pick up speed while making quick turns and contributing to the fluid maneuverability of the board.

The result of these design components is a paddle board that is accessible and easy to use. Additionally, with a capacity of 400 lbs, it’s also ideal for tandem paddling.

The Tower Yachtsman 10’4” is a great board for recreational paddle boarding as it’s lightweight and really easy to transport. The board deflates and can be rolled up to be very compact, further adding to the portability of this iSUP.

Nevertheless, the Tower package of accessories is somewhat lacking, as they only provide their consumers with a 3 piece adjustable aluminum paddle and a manual double action hand pump. This package could be improved with the addition of a leash, a travel bag.

Features

• Tower EVA traction pad on deck of the board with parallel lined grooving, allows for better grip.
• Tri-fin setup, provides maneuverability and allows for better control when turning the board.
• Useful handle at the center and nose of the board for easy transportation and portability.
• The D-ring on the back of the board can be used for towing or mooring paddle or for attaching a leash.

Accessories

The Tower Yachtsman inflatable paddle board package is quite limited and only includes the bare essentials necessary for functionality. That said, these accessories are of good quality and should be considered in the medium range of the market.

Along with the Yachtsman board, Tower provides a 3 piece adjustable aluminium paddle and a dual action high pressure pump.

• Paddle: The 3 piece adjustable aluminium paddle provided by Tower is great for moving about on the water. It provides a flexible blade that is reinforced with metal ribs, in order to make powerful strokes easily manageable. This paddle is not as durable as carbon fiber paddles
• Pump: The dual action, double-chamber high pressure pump is a much wished-for upgrade on the previous model. A lot of boarders found the older, single-chamber model cheap. The new one is more effective and can inflate the board within 5-7 minutes up to the recommended 11 PSI.

Stability

The Yachtsman has a good level of stability compared to other paddle boards in this price range. The high rigidity of the board means that as a rider you feel supported when on the water and the EVA pad is really comfortable making it easier to maintain your balance thanks to the parallel grip lines.

Additionally, the 4 inch rocker on the front allows you to take on small waves straight on. That said, in harsher conditions as is the case with bigger waves, we noticed that stability is much more difficult to maintain.

Maneuverability

The Tower Yachtsman offers paddle boarders a high level of maneuverability making the board ideal for intermediate paddle boarders as well as beginners looking to upgrade their skills.

Making technical maneuvers like back step turns is relatively easy as the shape and light weight of the board afford the rider easy steering.

Although the Yachtsman tracks well enough on flatwater, maintaining your course becomes a challenge when waves are involved.

Portability

At 26 lbs, the board is really lightweight making it ideal for just about anybody to transport. The center handle allows you to pick up the board and easily transport it to and from the water. The Yachtsman’s portability could be improved with the addition of a tail handle or even a shoulder strap.

When deflated the board rolls up very tight and can be stored in the boot of your car or even a backpack or beach bag. Tower don’t provide a travel bag with this package and for this reason you will need to find another bag or box to contain the board as well as the paddle and pump. That said, you can buy a Tower bag here.

Price/Quality Ratio

The Tower Yachtsman is a high quality paddle board. It’s immediately clear when looking at the seams, where no sign of sloppy gluing is apparent. The Tower company is known for putting its boards through harsh testing.

With a capacity for carrying 400 lbs, quite a bit for a board of this length, the quality of this board is unquestionable.

That said, there are some essential things missing from this package, such as the travel bag and ankle leash that take away from the value of the package.

However, the fluid maneuverability and good stability that this board provides is the reason that this is a very popular paddle board for beginners and intermediate recreational paddle boarding. Paddleboarders looking to get an awesome recreational paddle board will be more than satisfied with what the Tower Yachtsman has to offer.

Just remember to have a leash.

About Tower Paddle Boards

One of the first brands to design and sell inflatable paddle boards online, Tower paddle boards was founded in 2010 and funded by Mark Cuban after a successful presentation on Shark Tank in 2011. Since then, Tower paddle boards have managed upwards of $30M in sales and offer high quality inflatable paddle boards at affordable prices.

Tower has a range of 4 basic inflatable paddle boards which are made for all levels, they have also extended their lines including a few spin-off products and their hard paddle board range. Tower inflatable paddle boards are renowned for their durability and stability.

The drop stitching construction on all their boards provide a very rigid frame for these boards. The boards are all also made of military grade PVC material called Hypalon, and this multi-layered fabric is what makes these boards so durable.

Tower has a great reputation, their products are made out of the best quality and will last you a long time. We like this company quite a bit. They don’t sell through any retailers, ensuring that all their products are bought directly from them and that they can provide each customer with good quality customer care as well as offering a 2 year warranty for each board.

Optional Accessories from Tower

• Tower 3 piece adjustable carbon kevlar paddle
• Tower 12v electric paddleboard pump
• Tower iSUP D-ring accessory

Do we recommend it?

We recommend the Tower Yachtman for paddle boarders looking for an outstanding all round recreational paddle board that is easy to portable and easy to maneuver. However, you will need to get yourself a bag for the Yachtsman to make it more travel friendly and add a leash for safety.

Once you unroll and start pumping up this inflatable paddle board you can be on the water within 10 minutes making this board extremely quick and easy to set up. Overall the Tower Yachtsman inflatable paddle board is a fantastic recreational paddle board iSUP that is accessible and versatile.