I've been SUPing for over 20 years. Hardboard have been my standard. I've had just a few experiences on inflatables and have been underwhelmed with the boards. Since I bought my rv, I decided to invest in an inflatable SUP that I could easily transport and that wouldn't be as heavy as my hardboard. I did a LOT of research. Wild Tribe continually came in as a top choice for the most hardboard like experience. I prefer long boards, and found a nice selection on the website.
When I received the board, I was impressed with the storage bag and how neatly everything fit inside. Even after first use, it was easy to repack the board. I honestly expected to have to work hard to make it fit back into the pack, but it all fit back in with very little effort.
The ride: compared to the other cheaper boards I had previously tried, The Sequoia was surprisingly more stable and easier to maneuver. I still had the sensation of bobbing on top of the water like a cork, but it was a surprisingly more stable ride than I expected. Hard boards still have a more solid ride in my experience, but I am happy with this inflatable. The advertising boasts about being able to pump up to 18psi, but then there is a sticker on the board that if you are paddling in hot, sunny conditions to only pump to 12psi. That is perfectly understandable because of how hot air expands, but I felt it touched on false advertising, because they don't mention that in the advertising. I did enjoy the stiffness of the board at 13psi (it was hot and sunny) and surprised that it didn't feel at all like an air mattress, but very much like my hard boards. The deck was solid, perfect width. Love all the tie downs and D rings. The paddle was decent, but I chose to use my own. Once I got accustomed to the extra bouancy of the inflatable, I quickly settled into a very enjoyable afternoon of paddling. At one point my adult daughter and I both rode the board to see how it would handle a heavier load. I actually liked having more weight on the board, made it less reactive to every little wave. I was more pushed around by wind than I would have been on my hard board, but not as badly as I had expected to be. The Sequoia glides through the water nicely and is easily maneuvered. I appreciate the adjustability of the main fin, allowing for different rides.
Inflating the board took me just under 7 minutes with the provided manual pump. The last 4+ minutes were challenging. Deflation was a breeze!
Overall I am nicely surprised by how much I enjoyed this board. I am super happy with this purchase and am excited that I will be able to paddle no matter where I travel to in my rv. I highly recommend Wild Tribe for SUP products.