Aqua Plus Thick Review

This board comes as a comprehensive package deal, including all the usual accessories plus a waterproof, floating phone pouch. Weighing just 18 pounds, the Aqua Plus Thick is exceptionally lightweight, making it easy to transport to and from the water. Its design and functionality make it a standout option for beginners looking to explore the sport.

Performance Comparison

Stability

This stand-up paddle board is average overall when it comes to stability. While it can rock side to side without tipping too easily, it has a lot of flex and bounces noticeably when standing or moving in the middle of the board. It performed well on a calm lake but felt unstable and like a rodeo in the wind. Despite its pointy nose, it bounced over waves more than expected, and it didn't feel stable in choppy conditions.

Stability was a little more difficult with two people on board. When the water was flat, it was fine, although harder to get the board moving. But when there was even slight chop both people felt like they might tip off at any moment.

Glide Performance

This stand-up paddleboard offers an average glide, which most beginner paddlers will be happy with on any calm day. This is no speed demon, and we did have a lot of issues with tracking and gliding on anything but perfectly flat water. This is due to the thinner construction quality and single-fin system of this board.

Under normal conditions with no wind or chop, we were able to get four or five paddles before needing to swap sides and maintained momentum briefly after we stopped paddling. While it performs well when paddling, its glide diminishes quickly when you pause. In windy conditions, the board's performance drops, requiring frequent side swaps every one to two strokes due to significant fishtailing back and forth. Overall, it provides decent glide while paddling on a calm day but struggles to maintain it in less-than-perfect conditions.

Maneuverability

Due to its lightness and thinner material, this board does not have ideal tracking or turning. As you can see in the video below, it takes a number of strokes to get the full 180-degree turn-in. When the water was calm and flat, our testers were able to get about two to three paddle strokes in on one side before needing to swap over to the other side to stay tracking in a forward line. When there was any sort of wind or waves, we had to swap paddle sides every stroke.

As mentioned above, we also had major issues when there was any wind. When the wind picked up, the board automatically turned 180 degrees on its own. Getting the board to stay on track or to turn back in line was extremely difficult, and we found we were spending more time paddling to stay in a straight-ish direction versus actually moving forward.

Ease of Use

This is where the Aqua Plus Thick scores highly for us. This board is incredibly easy to pump up, pack away and carry. It weighs only 18 pounds so whether it is in the carry pack or inflated and being taken down to the water, it's simple to transport. This SUP is also very simple to inflate, and the pump has a plug that you can take out to make inflating the last few PSI a little easier. Marketed as a beginner board, the ease of inflating and packing away this board is a major highlight when also paired with the low price point.

Construction Quality

The Aqua Plus Thick is made of high-grade military ultra-light PVC with drop stitch fabric. However, it does have that cheaper, thin feel that lower-end inflatables tend to have. While it makes the board lightweight to transport, it does allow quite a bit of flex in the board. The paddle it comes with came loose, so you will need to rotate the part that clips up and down. Apparently, this is part of the design, so you can tighten it, but we felt like the plastic piece might snap off and, therefore, didn't tighten it more than one twist. The stitching around the value thus far has given us no issues, but it does not look very sturdy, and we have some concerns about how it will hold up over time.

One of the notable manufacturer specs for this SUP is its carrying capacity, listed at 350 pounds. This board did just fine with two people on it and would also do well with heavier paddlers in terms of its float. The concern with more weight would be stability in any sort of windy conditions. Especially with two people, trying to stay balanced and move the board was quite difficult and felt shaky.

We were excited to see the addition of the phone pouch with this board. The phone pouch does float and comes with a neck strap. Unfortunately, on our first use of the phone case, both clips that keep it closed popped off. It was still functional; you could put the clips on by hand, but we wouldn't 100% trust this case to keep your phone dry if it took a tumble into the water. But for sitting and hanging out on a calm lake day, it was fine.

Should You Buy the Aqua Plus Thick?

If you are just getting into the paddle boarding world, this is an affordable SUP that will be excellent for chill paddle adventures or hangouts. It might not be your forever board, but it is a good starting point. With this board, you definitely get the quality that you pay for. For new paddlers who aren't looking for anything fancy and want to focus on the price point and ease of use, this is where this board shines. Keep in mind that this board is best in calm, flatter conditions and that days on the water with wind or waves might prove a bit frustrating.

What Other Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board Should You Consider?

If you are looking for a board that performs better all around but can often be found at a similar, if not better, price point depending on sales, check out the ROC Scout. Do you feel like you want a more quality board that is still great for beginners? Read our review on the Bote Wulf Aero, one of our favorite inflatables.