Andrew Piotrowski
Warm days may be winding down but it’s not too late to enjoy some time on the water. Fall is my favorite time to paddle, and the Isle Switch Pro SUP Kayak is a perfect choice. This stable beast of a SUP can be used as a traditional inflatable SUP or easily converted to a kayak. The conversion is easy and creates endless options for paddling adventures.
I have used it all summer, paddling everything from shallow protected rivers to big open saltwater bays. Some of my favorite days this year have been exploring the back bays and islands on Chesapeake Bay Region with my daughter. At four years old, she is a handful and almost never sits still. While she has already been on the water hundreds of times, I was nervous this season that her constant fidgeting would lead to us both going for an unplanned swim. However, the stability, deck room, and comfortable deck padding on the Switch kept us upright and happy all season!
Favorite Features:
Stability- this board is super rigid! It is significantly stiffer than any other ISUP that I have tried (when properly inflated). Isle uses a technology called InfinityFiber that makes this ISUP 3x more rigid than standard ISUPs. This technology is also used and trusted by the U.S. Navy. This rigidity makes for better control, a more balanced ride, and most importantly, also makes it way less sketchy with a toddler moving around on the front deck.
Durability- while I have only had about 25 days on the water with it, so far it is holding up really well. There is no stretch in the deck rigging, fading on the deck, or air leakage. The Powerfuse welded rails add life to the board by avoiding air leakage.
Versatility- The Switch Pro is grounded in being one of the most versatile ISUPs on the market. The most obvious feature is that it can switch to kayaking rather easily. In addition, the large foam base and 35.5 Inch width opens the door for: yoga, dogs, hauling gear, coolers, touring, and even stowaway riders. There are amble gear rigging points and the built in bungee system allows you to secure lots of gear in both the front and rear of the board.
MSRP- $1035
Check it out- https://islesurfandsup.com/pages/products/switch-pro-paddle-board-kayak-hybrid
Andrew Piotrowski
Andrew is a trail runner, climber, paddler, snowboarder, marketer, and most importantly a dog dad. Andrew grew up in suburban Philadelphia and now lives on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
While he lives pretty far from the mountains, he puts a heavy focus on preparing for them and inspiring others to do the same. He first fell in love with the mountains on family trips to the White Mountains and the Adirondacks. He spent the majority of his early life competitively running and leisurely paddling, however after college he began focusing on learning to climb, snowboard, and backpack.
Over the past ten years since then, he has been fortunate enough to gain some amazing experiences exploring North America. Some of the most memorable thus far are alpine climbing in the Sierra, trail running in Alberta, learning to splitboard in NH, countless days hiking in the Catskills, or a plethora of mellow days paddling the Chesapeake Bay with friends.
When he can’t be in the mountains Andrew is often running or hiking with his favorite training partners, his two rescue dogs Calvin and Enzo. Andrew is also a self-proclaimed gear junkie and confessed that his gear loft is the most organized place in his home.
Blog: Flatcityclimbing.com
Instagram: pack_mule_piotrowski
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