Kokopelli Chasm-Lite Review

Designed with the minimalist adventurer in mind, the Chasm-Lite stands apart from the average inflatable SUP. Built to be ultra-light and compact, it's a dream for travelers hopping flights or trekking into remote areas. However, that portability comes at a cost: stability. It's not a board for beginners, casual cruisers, or taller paddlers, but for those chasing off-the-grid waters, it outcompetes other boards with its portability.

Stability

While the Chasm-Lite is quite unique and does have some great factors, this board is quite difficult to stay standing on in anything but calm water. Even our head tester had a hard time staying upright on this board.

This board only weighs 12.5 pounds, making it incredibly light but also giving paddlers an odd feeling of not having much beneath their feet. It almost felt like standing on air, which might sound cool, but in practicality, is not as fun. While its lightness made it easy to get speed on and to turn, it did make it difficult to find decent stability. We took this board out on some windy days and some lake days where there were boat wakes, and it was a bit of a rodeo. This board sends you launching with any broadside wave, and our testers felt like they had to try very hard to stay upright with any choppy water (many ended up falling in). This board is certainly not for beginners or casual paddlers.

One thing we did notice was that our taller testers had a harder time standing up on this board than some of the shorter ones. So this might be a factor for those looking into this board.

Glide

When we were able to get out on calm days to test this board, it kept its momentum and moved quickly. It takes almost no effort to get this board going or to keep it moving, as long as the water is flat.

Since it doesn't weigh much, if you can find a nice, calm day to be out, you get almost no fatigue from paddling, which is quite nice. We had one afternoon where we paddled around an alpine lake for about an hour with no issues and got used to the board. It kept up easily with the other boards that we were testing.

When there is chop, this board bounces with the waves; it does not cut through them. It gets caught with the wave and turns rather quickly if you're going against the current. The board is just too light to give it any momentum through the waves. For a single fin board, it tracks very well on calm days. But any form of wind or waves, and the board gets moved around a lot.

Maneuverability

Since this SUP weighs almost nothing, it turns like a dream. This is both great and terrible. When you need to turn, it takes very little time and effort, as you can see in the video below.

The bad news is that any form of wind or waves has you turning instantly as well. While we do try to test all of our boards in a variety of conditions, we only took this board out in choppy water a handful of times because we couldn't stay up for long on the board and would end up sitting to paddle.

If you were on a flatter, calmer current and needed to maneuver this board, it would be fairly easy to move it around rocks or other objects.

Ease of Use

Since there aren't a ton of pieces, this board is quite easy to set up and get on the water. It only has one single center removable fin and no accessories besides the leash, paddle, and small pump.

We were unable to get an electric pump to lock onto this nozzle. We could hold it on there, but it wouldn't reach its max 15 PSI. Something to note for potential buyers. The pump that comes with it is quite small for portability purposes, which makes sense, but adds to the struggle of manual pumping. You can see in the photos below the size of the pump versus a regular one and how much you have to bend over when pumping it up.

The bag/ backpack the Chasm comes in is pretty tight and is a top load. You have to roll this board up very tightly to get it back in the bag. Getting the pump, paddle, and other pieces in as well is another story. We were constantly cramming pieces into the bag to get it all to fit. Again, portability and size are huge selling points of this board, but it does make packing it back up quite the task.

Carrying this board to and from the water is a literal breeze. It weighs so little, you can walk a long way carrying this in one hand, no problem. It was also nice that it didn't take up much room in our car once packed. This board is built for easy transport and would be ideal for flying with or hiking up to an alpine lake.

Construction Quality

Kokopelli is known for making pack rafts built for tough adventures. So we would assume that their SUPs are meant for the same. The two are made of different materials; the Chasm is made of 500 Denier Woven Drop-Stitch PVC, which is a robust material construction that offers a balance between strength, durability, and portability. Knowing this and feeling it are two different things. The Chasm is so light, we were nervous to risk too many bumps or dings. It is a high-quality construction SUP, but it does not feel as burly as some other inflatables.

The Chasm only has one set of cargo straps on the front of the board, which is fine since this board is small and you wouldn't be able to pack much onto it anyway. The cargo straps do have a clip to unhook them if you want to make it easier to get gear on and off, which we appreciated and don't often see on boards.

There is only deck padding on the area where you stand, as you can see below. This helps the board cut down on weight. We would not recommend two people on this board or even a dog, as there isn't a ton of space and there is not a lot of deck padding space that offers grip.

Should You Buy the Kokopelli Chasm-Lite?

If you are looking for a board that you can travel the world with, or easily hike around, and you are a solid SUP user, this would be an excellent option to look into. Unfortunately, since it is such a niche board, we think that most users won't be as happy with it, especially those looking for something with good stability.

What Other Inflatable SUPs Should You Consider?

Looking for a SUP that is lightweight and super stable? Check out the BOTE Wulf Aero. If you want a board that is adventure-friendly and fast, check out the iRocker Blackfin Model V, although it is quite a bit heavier. Think a rigid SUP might be better? Read our reviews on Stand Up Paddle Board Reviews.