Surftech Lido Utility Armor Review

The Surftech Lido stands out in the world of stand up paddle boards with its blend of stability, maneuverability, and thoughtful design features that cater to a wide range of paddlers. Its lightweight yet rugged Utility Armor construction offers durability without sacrificing portability. Despite its 11'6" length, the Lido glides effortlessly across the water and turns with surprising agility, giving it the feel of a much smaller board. Add in convenient details like an integrated ledge handle, a 350-pound carrying capacity, and a lockable nose hole, and you have a board designed for real-world versatility and everyday adventure.

Glide

The Lido feels like butter on the water. It is quite easy to keep this board moving, and we never felt like we were working too hard while paddling. While it is a long board at 11' 6", there is no sense of dragging or slowing down that some of the longer boards sometimes get.

For a single-fin board, it tracks well and does not have a lot of back-and-forth movement between paddle strokes. On calm flat days, we had no issue paddling 5-7 times on one side before having to swap paddle sides. On windy days, we had to swap back and forth more often, but were extremely impressed with how well the board kept its direction in non-ideal paddling conditions.

Additionally, the Lido has a natural tendency to catch and ride small waves, accelerating smoothly when it does, which adds a fun, surfy element to its performance that many testers enjoyed.

Stability

Our beginner-level paddlers loved this board and felt confident on it from the start. This board quickly became a favorite for our dog-owning testers, too, because even with a dog on the front or moving around, they felt comfortable standing up and paddling.

One thing we noticed with this board was that even on windy days with choppy water, it was still easy to stay standing on the board. Sometimes those windy days can make you feel like you're going to get bounced off, or a broadside wave is going to knock your board out from under you, but we had no issues with that on The Lido.

A feature that stands out on this board is its carrying capacity, which clocks in at 350 pounds, placing it among the highest we have seen for a rigid SUP. While this is obviously great for larger paddlers or those looking to double up, it also affects the stability of the board. We had testers come out who were taller and heavier than the average person (see photo below of our tester who is 6'5" and also has a dog on board), and they loved this board. It did not feel or look like it was sitting too low in the water, and its stability wasn't reduced with the extra weight. This feature is huge and significantly expands the audience that can purchase this board.

Maneuverability

The Surftech Lido does not feel like an 11' 6" board when it comes to maneuverability. This SUPs responsive handling is enhanced by how quickly it initiates turns. When it comes to turning, our testers could get turned around 180 degrees with just one back paddle and two forward paddles. Whether you're out with multiple friends and need to navigate other boards or are in small channels trying to maneuver around obstacles, this board behaves and moves like a smaller board, making it easy to take almost anywhere.

This board takes on broadside waves like a champ, and doesn't feel like its going to tip you off. It does, however, want to surf, so you may find yourself fighting the board to not turn with the waves more so than you would on other boards.

Ease of Transport

One of the best features of this board is its ease of transportation. With its tail handle and lightweight build, we found no issues transporting this SUP, even when loading and unloading alone.

Weighing just over 32 pounds, this board is well within the range of easy to transport. All of our testers felt comfortable carrying this board for a good distance before needing to swap hands.

The carry handle is an integrated ledge handle, which we found far more comfortable for carrying than just a regular single slot. Just don't forget that it holds a lot more water in it, and you might get dumped on when loading it back up after a paddle session.

Construction Quality

The Lido shares much of the same DNA as one of our other favorites, the Surftech Catalyst, yet its Utility Armor construction gives it an extra bit of durability. This ABS/PC plastic “armor” that completely encases the board's core and rails helps set it apart. While this full-coverage shell provides more protection to the board, we did notice that it still got scuffs and dings fairly quickly. While this does not affect the board's performance, it is important to note.

That said, this more rugged exterior does come with trade-offs. The armor adds a bit of bulk, contributing to a slightly heavier feel and a softer flex than some of the other boards in our lineup. But for paddlers seeking longevity and minimal maintenance, it's a welcome compromise.

The deck padding on the Lido was not only comfortable for long periods of time, but we also appreciated that the whole deck is wrapped. This makes your gear stay on more easily when strapped under the tie-downs and is great for multiple people or a dog friend to join.

A unique feature of this board that we have not seen on any other SUP was a very simple yet useful one. At the tip of the board, there is a hole, large enough for a bike lock, so that you can lock your SUP to something. This is a great and simple idea that makes it lovely for beach hangs, or if you need to shuttle cars, or simply want to leave this down by a body of water where you're paddling.

Should You Buy the Surftech Utility Armor Lido?

This board would be stellar for a beginner looking for a reliable board that will last them a long time. It is easy to transport and very stable, two characteristics that are great for beginners to consider. Avid paddlers will also love this board for its speed, thoughtful build design, and quality.

What Other Stand Up Paddle Boards Should You Consider?

If you are looking for a board that can take more of a beating than the Lido might offer, check out the SIC Maui TAO Fit AT or the BOTE Breeze Gatorshell. Both boards are tough as nails and offer great stability as well. For experienced paddlers wanting a more advanced SUP of a similar style, check out the Surftech Catalyst. This board is similar to the Lido, but offers more advanced features and is a little less balance-focused.