After owning an Airbis Stubby…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 4/1/2015
After owning an Airbis Stubby for a year and realizing it was never going to be able to go through the chop on my lake I decided it was time for a more appropriate board that suited my needs. I spent about 12 hours researching boards, materials, factories where they --or the foam cores-- are made, Yolo, Tahoe, King, Bounce, Three Brros, etc. I also decided that a direct-to-consumer board was going to work for me because I'd save 40-60% on a comparable, if not better, board than one that is sold via retail outlets. I looked into the handful of direct to consumer companies. Creed was nice, but I was afraid I'd messup the bamboo, and then it wouldn't look so nice after all. Anchor was cool, but they didn't list too much info on thei site, and I was thrilled about their selection. Tower, just no. I saw C-Ride and the 11' Tour Hybrid suited my needs perfectly. I was impressed with their very detailed description of the materials used and their designs. I went to order one and discovered they were located in Tampa Bay--my area. I drove there and talked to the owner, Corey, who was incrediblly helpful and purchased my board. I took it out today and it went through my late-afternoon choppy lake with ease. The UV cioating will protect it from yellowing in the sun (I wanted to make sure the coating was UV, and C-Ride was one of the only companies who mentioned this on their website). I 100% recommend thuisSt. Pete, FL -based company and their boards. They design/shape/glass/paint/repair onsite.
Pros
Price, materials, design, sturdiness
Cons
Usage
Touring with plans on training to start racing, cardio, exercise