BOTE Breeze Aero 10’8″ Full Trax Citron Inflatable Board – Small but Might SUP

 

The Kayak Off Your Back – Literally! 

Devan Michael

Warmer months are upon us, and summer is in full swing, and that means trying to soak up as much time on the water as possible! Hopefully, travel is filling your calendar, whether that be with trains, planes or automobiles. If you are like me and are wondering how you can combine your love for the water with the practicality of traveling with limited space, you need to check out the BOTE Breeze Aero 10’8″ Full Trax Citron Inflatable Paddleboard!

BOTE Breeze Aero 10’8″ review

 

Weighing in at 26lbs with both BOTE & Bag, the Breeze Aero 10’8” Full Trax Citron Stand-Up Paddleboard may be small, but oh how mighty it is! Crafted with AeroULTRA Technology, BOTE has created a great-looking, extremely lightweight, inflatable board that is fun to paddle and super stable. It’s the do-it-all, everyday grab-and-go SUP, made for first-timers, part-timers, or weekend warriors.  

 

When you purchase your BOTE Breeze Aero 10’8” Inflatable Paddle Board, it will come with (1) 3-piece Adjustable SUP Paddle, (1) 10” Removable Aero Center Fin, (1) Aero Repair Kit, (1) Hand Pump and (1) Travel Bag – all you need to have a heck of a time on the water! It also comes with MAGNEPOD™ magnetic base, which is a revolutionary, tool-less drink retention system that makes securing your BOTE magnetic accessories a snap.

 

Before we hop into my favorite aspects of this specific Standup Paddleboard, let’s quickly take a trip down AOTD memory lane so you can understand why BOTE is so special to me! 

My first exposure to the inflatable water sport industry was while I was in college at the University of Oregon. I remember one afternoon laying on the dock at Dexter Lake (our athlete safe-haven that was the best escape from the hustle & bustle of college-athletics), watching a few students roll down the hill with what looked like those iconic green air mattresses (you know, the one from Lindsey Lohan’s The Parent Trap?). Apparently it was one of the first “models” of inflatable paddle boards. And let’s just say it did not go well. I watched (probably with a grin on my face) as these kids were struggling to stand up on the half-pancaking air-mattress-trying-to-pass-as-a-paddleboard, not being able to bear their weight. That’s when my skepticism of inflatable water-sports started. Fast forward a few years, peak COVID times, and all I am hearing is how nobody could get their hands on inflatable kayaks due to such an increase in demand. Remembering Dexter Lake, I was wearily listening to family members raving about these. Eventually, I finally tested out my Aunt & Uncle’s inflatable SUP, and low & behold, it held my weight and was my gateway into the inflatable watercraft industry.

So when the opportunity to test out BOTE’s SUP came around, I eagerly jumped on it! And I will say – I was absolutely blown away by the high-quality materials BOTE uses to construct their watercraft, their diverse inventory of all shapes, sizes, models, and products that bring the easy-going water lifestyle to life. But even more so, I have fallen in love with how BOTE has helped to solve the problem that I did not even realize we battled as a kid, showing that watersports could now be inclusive to all! 

 

In 2008, BOTE was born out of Destin, FL. Corey Cooper and his family knew a life centered around the water. Learning about paddle boarding, they realized a space in the industry that was calling their name. As Corey puts it:

 

“I wanted a board that was stable enough to fish from, yet paddled efficiently. A board that could hold a cooler for my beer… that was simple, fresh and fit our lifestyle. A board that virtually anybody at any age could paddle with ease. It needed the capabilities of a boat, with the simplicity of a board. And it needed to look good … really good!”

 

And with that, a leap of faith, and a mission that drove this family forward, BOTE was born. BOTE’s mission is simple: 

 

“Stand Apart through industry-shaping innovation, fresh ideas and simplicity to create a product that defines a lifestyle.” 

With the mission to redefine a lifestyle & provide access and opportunity to enjoy all that the water brings you to any potential user, let’s get back to the review. Here were some things that stuck out most to me about the BOTE Breeze Aero 10’8″ Full Trax Citron Inflatable Paddleboard:

 

• Puts the Fun in (Fun)ctional: My favorite part of my experience with the BOTE Breeze Aero SUP was the fact that it allowed me to gain confidence and mobility to explore more of the Pacific Ocean in front of me, elevating my beach experience from great to out-of-this-world. Getting to push further into the unknowns of the ocean while feeling confident in my ability to stay on the board, I felt so lucky to get to experience pods of dolphins up close as they leaped within a foot field from me. I also loved the looks and comments I would get from fellow surfers or SUPers as they asked what type of board I had; all of them were shocked when I told them it was inflatable! 

• High Quality, User-Friendly: Immediately, you can tell the superiority of the materials BOTE uses for their products. I was curious how the Breeze Aero 10’8” inflatable SUP would handle the choppiness of the Pacific Ocean, especially as wind picked up every afternoon, which brought in more whitetops. However, once fully inflating the board, it handled the ocean like a champ. Buoyant enough to coast over the waves, while light enough to carry fully inflated the quarter mile from car to beach without having to drop it, it was the perfect marriage of durability, style, and functionality. Not to mention the material was not impacted by the saltwater after a quick rinse after each dunk. A quick fun fact – BOTE has excellent customer service and provides great resources for proper Maintenance & Care of your BOTE products so they will last for all of your adventures! 

• Compact & Portable: As we loaded the Jeep to trek 19+ hours to live out our Cali dream, it was so nice to be able to easily fit the BOTE paddleboard on the car, with its compact & portable bag. Throwing it on top of the cargo net of the car, it was made to transporting this a Breeze (get it, since it’s the “Breeze” model…?). It was also great to easily store the paddleboard in the house or on the balcony of our small Airbnb Bungalow, without taking up too much space! 

 

The only recommendation I would have if you plan to add a BOTE boat to your outdoor toy inventory (which I highly recommend) is paying the extra money to get the AeroPump Auto Electric Pump II that plugs into your car. When testing out the BOTE Zeppelin Inflatable Kayak (see that review here), I had used the hand-held pump to inflate the kayak, but then had to rely on manually deflating, which probably resulted in not all of the air being fully deflated.

This led to a significant struggle of me vs. bag (with me eventually winning, but not without the bag putting up a good fight). However, using the electrical pump for the paddleboard was a GAME CHANGER and truly made the experience that much better!

 

Overall, though, I have been thrilled with my experience with BOTE’s products, and if you are in the market for a stand-up paddleboard to explore the ocean, the lake or the river, or simply to float around a body of water on these summer days, I highly, highly recommend the BOTE Breeze Aero 10’8″ Full Trax Citron Inflatable Paddleboard! It exceeded my expectations, handled the Pacific Ocean like a champ and I am excited to see where else it takes me on my water AOTDs moving forward! Happy adventuring! 

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Devan Michael

Growing up in Massachusetts, Devan has been an athlete all her life. Starting at the age of 4 as a competitive gymnast, she learned quickly the joy that comes from hard work, determination, and a jammed packed schedule. Eventually, gymnastics led to competitive lacrosse, which resulted in her growing some wings and going to the PNW to pursue a DI College Lacrosse opportunity at the University of Oregon. 

 

On the single off-day each week, she quickly learned to see Mother Earth as her playground and wanted to use every second of free time to find chase AOTDs (Adventures of the Days). These AOTDs were the inspiration for her blog Dabbling in Traveling & youtube channel. 

 

From waterfalls, to snow covered mountains, to sand dune hikes – one thing was certain, something always went awry on these AOTDs. But hey, memories were always made! Not only was UO an incredible college experience, Oregon sparked her love for the outdoors & traveling across the country for games helped introduce her to Colorado in 2014. Staring up at the Flatirons on CU Boulder’s campus, she knew one day she would call Colorado home! 

 

After returning to the east coast upon graduation, Devan’s heart never stopped longing to live in Colorado one day. But luckily the pandemic brought a newfound acceptance for remote work and in Nov. 2021 her dream came true!

 

By day, Devan is a Product Manager at Capital One. By afternoon, she is a personal trainer, coaching group Crossfit classes at Axistence Athletics (the best Adventure gym you will ever find!). By evening, she pours her heart into nonprofit work, specifically focused on driving sustainable change in Haiti through the Brace for Impact 46 organization (Fun fact – she has been traveling to Haiti since 2015, accumulating 7 trips and 7 months of living down there!). 

 

Brace for Impact works in Northern Haiti to provide sustainable, multifaceted approaches to support child development, education, medical care, job development, and implementation of clean water & sanitation across the community, which touches 40,000 people each day! (Want to learn more? Check out their website www.braceforimpact46.com )

 

As her friends would tell you (despite trying) Devan does not slow down and is always trying to fit AOTDs into each open moment. Whether it be hiking, paddleboarding, road-biking, running, Crossfitting, weight-lifting, snowboarding or simply exploring different parts of CO with her favorite furry friend Bailey, it’s safe to say Devan has found her “Home” here in Colorado!

 

Fun fact – Devan had reconstructive hip surgery in 2016 (actually called a Periacetabular Osteotomy… but that’s a tongue twister), where doctors said she may never run or walk again. After a 22 month recovery period, she proved doctors wrong and uses that motivation to encourage everyone she interacts with to truly treat movement as a gift and to never take it for granted. With that being said, to keep her body active, she needs to make sure her gear can support her so she can remain #PAOStrong! 

 

Devan is excited to join the Engearment team!