REASONS TO BUY
Fast
High-quality construction
Stable
Electric pump included
REASONS TO AVOID
Difficult to pack up
Heavy
iRocker Blackfin Model V Review
An affordable touring board built for speed that doesn't sacrifice stability and will make a range of paddlers happy
This board quickly became one of our go-to SUPs.
Credit: Katie Young
By Katie Young ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ August 5, 2025
Our Verdict
Not often are touring boards known for being easy to stand up on, but the Blackfin Model V doesn't sacrifice stability to achieve speed. Although on the heavier side and 12.5 feet long, this SUP doesn't feel difficult to transport or use and even comes with its own electric pump, making use even easier. All ranges of paddling abilities will find joy in this inflatable. Our one qualm with this board is its difficulty to pack back up, but its other qualities outweighed this one con, and this board became a high scorer in our ranks.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Touring SUPs are rarely beginner-friendly, but the Blackfin Model V manages to defy expectations. This 12.5-foot board blends impressive speed with a level of stability that's hard to find in its class. While it leans on the heavier side, it's far from cumbersome, especially with the bonus of an included electric pump, making transport and setup feel refreshingly effortless.
An added bonus to this board is that it comes with its own electric pump.
Credit: Katie Young
Stability
The Blackfin is more of a narrow, touring style board. When we first unrolled it, we figured this board would be a little harder to stand up on than the average board. But we were wrong. This board is incredibly stable and felt great for even our beginner testers.
It is hard to highlight just how stable it is, but we were able to put 90% of our weight on one leg while standing and not even remotely feel like we were going to tip off this board. On choppy days, the pointed nose of this board cuts right through waves, making it a smoother ride and not as bouncy.
This SUP also has one of the highest weight limits we have ever seen, at 485 pounds, meaning that paddlers of all shapes and sizes should find this to be a great board.
Even though this board is on the narrower side and built for speed, we found it to be incredibly stable. You can see at the end of the video that our tester leans most of her weight on one leg and has no issues with tipping.
Credit: Ryan Gasper
Glide
The Blackfin is built to move. Built longer and narrower than most touring boards, this SUP is stellar for touring. It is smooth, no matter the conditions, and easy to keep momentum.
We took this board out on some pretty windy days where the water had a lot of choppiness. This board impresses and keeps moving even in a strong headwind. It slices through waves, which means you lose less momentum and are able to keep moving even in less than ideal conditions. Even on the windiest days, this board tracks incredibly well. This quickly became our go-to board on days we knew we would have less than ideal conditions.
This board has excellent glide and keeps its momentum well, even when you stop paddling.
Credit: Ryan Gasper
Maneuverability
This board can make tight turns, but not quickly. As you can see in the video below, the Blackfin is able to turn 180 degrees without taking up too much space, but it does require several paddle strokes to complete the turn.
It certainly feels like a big board when you are trying to turn. It'll get there, you just have to be patient. Beginner paddlers did complain a bit about the difficulty of turning this board. We noticed that if you leaned into the turn pretty hard, it turned around a little faster, but this might be harder to accomplish for those new to paddling.
Due to its size and slow turning, this might not be a go-to board if you plan to be frequenting waters where tight navigating is necessary.
This board is slow to turn but does make a tighter turn than would be expected of a board this size.
Credit: Ryan Gasper
Ease of Use
The removable fin system on this board is unique to most inflatables we have tested. It has 3 removable fins that use a locking lever system, as you can see in the video below. We found this to be easy to use and really appreciated being able to take all 3 fins off when we went to roll the board back up.
This fin system is a unique one and our testers really liked how secure yet easy it was.
Credit: Katie Young
One downside of this board is that it is difficult to roll back up. We found it quite stiff and had to use our knees to hold the rolled portion down while using our hands to force a fold so it could roll. Once we got it rolled up, our testers had a hard time getting it to fit back into the storage bag, along with its accessories. We often could get the board to fit and zip, but once we added the paddle and the large electric pump, it became difficult to zip up the bag.
Although this board is quite long and on the heavier side, none of our testers ever complained about transporting it. It certainly doesn't feel like the big craft it is to put on top of a car or carry down to the water.
The Blackfin packs up into a backpack that features adjustable straps and a waist belt, making it easy to walk around with.
Credit: Katie Young
Construction Quality
You can tell just by looking at this board that it is meant for adventures. There are numerous tie-down points/ D rings as well as sturdy cargo straps and multi-media mounts. Although it is touring-focused, with the ample cargo straps, d rings, and weight limit, you could easily load this SUP up with gear.
Many testers mentioned that they liked the paddle that comes with the Blackfin. They said it felt comfortable in their hand and felt it properly matched the build of the board, strong enough to paddle this beast of a board around.
The pump that comes with it is quality and pumps up the board slightly faster than the electric pump we have. It does have an auto start and stop on it, so you can let it fill to its max PSI on its own. The power cord stores into the pump itself, so you don't have long cords getting tangled up in the rest of your gear.
The cargo straps on the front and rear of the board are perfect for bringing along a lot of gear and can be unclipped and moved to create cross straps.
Credit: Katie Young
Should You Buy the iRocker Blackfin Model V?
If you're looking for a fast touring board that is at a more affordable price point, you'd be hard pressed to find a better inflatable option. For those newer to paddling who might be looking to expand their abilities and get a faster board, this would be a great option since it doesn't sacrifice stability.
iRocker mentions this board is best for taller paddlers, and we did notice that the board felt smoother for our taller testers.
Credit: Katie Young
What Other Inflatable SUPs Should You Consider?
If the size and weight of this board deters you, check out Bote Wulf Aero or the Isle Pioneer 3. Another great touring board that we have tested is the Red Paddle Co Voyager+ MSL, although it is at a higher price point. Want a fast, hard-shell board? Read our review on the Surftech Catalyst Tuflite V-Tech
This board has a lot of thoughtful touches that make it useful for many types of adventures.
Credit: Katie Young
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare iRocker Blackfin Model V versus top competing products:
—Katie Young
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