Boardworks Badfish MCIT Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board Review

We've been getting a lot of questions about, and interest in, inflatable stand up paddle boards since we got into SUP this spring.

Jared, our expert in paddle sports, picked out the Boardworks Badfish MCIT as the best in the bunch, and brought in a few for the shop.

What sets this board apart? The 3 chamber design with tapered rails really makes this inflatable SUP stand out, giving it surprising rigidity and stability.

When they arrived, we eagerly unpacked the boxes, finding large backpacks containing board, fin, repair kit and pump - and immediately set to work on inflating one.

You inflate the deck and the rails separately, and with no more than 14 PSI, it was surprisingly quick to inflate.

And in spite of that low pressure, the board felt incredibly solid. One person could stand on the deck with another person lifting the bow, and the board actually lifted instead of bending or buckling!

So why would you want an inflatable paddle board instead of a traditional one? The most obvious answer - packability. two of these can fit in the trunk of a car instead of handing off the ends of your roof, making them easy to take traveling. Once you get where you're going, you don't have to carry an unwieldy board all the way from the car to where you're launching either.

But beyond that, the inflatable design makes these boards uniquely suited for taking on rivers and rocky shorelines that might beat up a fiberglass board.

Jared has run up to class III whitewater on an inflatable stand up paddle board, and others have used them for the unique sport of rock hopping - paddling through swells on the ocean to get over, through or around intertidal rocks - bouncing off sharp, barnacled outcroppings without any ill-effects.

The three chamber design of the Boardworks Badfish Inflatable also makes for a stable ride and good tracking on flat water. We were surprised how little this board gave up on its rigid counterparts when we paddled on Donner Lake. The removable fin is a must on flat water. Deck rigging rounds out the specs, making it great for carrying gear along on longer paddles.

Boardworks recommends the 10'6" length for novices up to 225 lbs, intermediates up to 240 lbs, and advanced paddlers up to 250 lbs, and the 11'6" for 250, 260 and 275 lbs respectively.

For anybody who isn't close enough to the Start Haus to swing by and check out our stand up paddle boards, the Boardworks Badfish also has the added perk of being shippable, so you can order one online here!

And while you're checking out the Boardworks Badfish, take a look at the Boardworks 3 Piece Paddle, the perfect packable paddle to go with an inflatable stand up paddle board.