Four hours on the stand up paddle
11.4.2019
Translation: machine translated
With the two boards from Fanatic in my luggage, I'll show you our first paddle attempts on a SUP.
We're not completely unsportsmanlike, but we're complete SUP beginners. Nevertheless, we wanted to take on the challenge. I thought to myself: it's 27 kilometres from Zurich to Rapperswil. I can run that distance in two and a half hours. I add a little more, so I'm at a maximum of four hours. I can't be that slow on a SUP. Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy after all. I found out when I first enquired with Fanatic: "You need at least eight hours on a single board to cover the distance from Zurich to Rappi. And that's in optimal wind conditions." I wish I had enquired before the challenge.
I don't care. We wanted to give it a go and just see how far we could get in four to five hours. On Fanatic's recommendation, we opted for two touring boards. Alessandro tried out the Pure Air Touring and I tackled our challenge with the Ray Air Premium. There is practically no difference between the two in terms of dimensions and shape. What sets the Premium model apart is the double layer technology. A second PVC layer makes the board stiffer and more stable.
The boards were easy to transport in their rucksacks to the Tiefenbrunnen swimming centre. Once there, we got to work. We were already sweating profusely while inflating and no, the pump display is not broken just because the board looks "fully inflated".
Our boards are characterised above all by their gliding properties and stable width. Thanks to their length, we were also able to travel at a good pace with the boards and had enough space to attach our rucksacks and water bottles to the board in front of us. We had a lightweight carbon model with us as a paddle. It floats on the water during a break and doesn't sink if you move away from the board for a few strokes.
Passing swanky villas, we left Zurich far behind us after about two hours and reached the Küsnacht lido. We had covered five kilometres and Rapperswil was still a long way off. After a short break, we decided to tackle the way back. In total, we were out in the blazing sun for a good four hours and kept looking to cool off in Lake Zurich. We swam certain parts of the route or paddled sitting down. Every now and then we needed a change of pace.
Conclusion
I spent four hours on the Fanatic Ray Air Premium and the board delivered what the manufacturer promised. It glides well, offers plenty of space and is stable enough for beginners to have fun right from the start. For really long tours, however, you need the right board as well as experience. To gain this, I can recommend the Fanatic Ray Air Premium.
You can find the following comparable models in our shop: [[productlist:10057834,10702989,10846304]]
Here you can find all our touring models.
Header image: The outstanding view of the mountains.
Oliver Rinderknecht
Leader Portfolio Development FMCG
Oliver.Rinderknecht@digitecgalaxus.chWhether in sports, everyday life or on my travels around the globe, I'm always on the lookout for a new adventure. My passion for action has no limits - I love riding the waves on a board or with a kite, cycling across Switzerland on my bike and scoring goals on the football field every week. My job as Sports Marketing Manager at Galaxus gives me the chance to bring my passion to the workplace.
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