Samoa

The Samoa is a great beginners board. It is a decent width, so it is pretty stable. It's really nice to have out on the lake, but is a little more challenging on the river. I like that it's inflatable because it's easier to transport for a smaller person like myself. Pros I like the transportability and how stable it is. Cons Kinda slow moving due to width and not so good on rivers. Usage I use it for recreation at the lake

Great for traveling. Heavy ,not for racing but sturdy! Fun Pros Easily stowed Cons Usage Touring

I travel to Florida frequently and didn't want to rent a board every time. I found the Samoa @ a local Walmart for less than $500 & thought I couldn't go wrong. The board came with a pump/manometer/paddle so I have everything I need to walk out and hit the surf in the mornings. I can deflate, roll it up and store it in my owners closet of my condo & it is there ready for fun the next visit. So happy I have something waiting for me to paddle the beautiful beaches of Panama City, FL! Pros portability, convenience of inflatable for storage Cons I am starting to race, therefore would like a more advanced board for other uses. Also, the paddle is a basic paddle. Usage I catch the calm waters of the ocean in the morning & as the surf develops, I catch surf back into land. It is great for casual paddling and exercise.

I’ve had the Samoa by Sevylor for probably four years now. It has taken 3-4 international trips on the plane with me so far. It is a great multi-purpose board that the whole family can have fun with. I’ve taken it to the Potomac for easy white water and tried to learn ocean wave surfing with it. I’ve paddled it standing-up with a SUP paddle, and sitting or kneeling down with a double-bladed kayak paddle. I’ve taken it as a swim support craft too. I inflate mine to at least 12 PSI and it becomes fairly rigid – more rigid than many recent offerings such as from Aire. I am 190lb and I think this is near the weight limit for flat water paddling. In surf it could take a heavier person just fine. It can actually carry way more than 200ln, close to 400lb in fact, if the weight is distributed: 3-4 average healthy-sized (on the big end of things) kids (9-12 years old) can sit on it and paddle around with their arms or a double-bladed kayak paddle in calm water just fine. My 190lb along with my daughter’s 110lb are also fine, even in some choppy water near the reefs in the ocean. The SUP has been a great platform to get me close to the reef to do some snorkeling with friends: where they on occasion could not swim against the tide flow, I had no problem paddling to the snorkeling spots (and get them one by one in tow on the rear of the board there too). The board comes in two versions. I have had the original (white and grey), which came with a somewhat flimsy pump that took forever to pump-up to 12+ PSI. Now the newer version (green and white), which has a much better pump that only takes a couple of minutes (of hard pumping) to be done (still, a small/light person might have some difficulty pumping beyond 10PSI with that pump, so investing in a dual stage pump might be a good idea for those – not an issue for the average male though). Both versions came with the same manometer that is a bit awkward to use but does the job once you figure out how to properly insert it in the valve. The SUP has been absolutely leak-free and mine holds pressure without dropping for more than 10 days of use and car-topping. The manufacturing quality laves something to be desired – there are small air bubbles all over the board that have leaked between the layers, however, so far they have not popped and I have not had to repair the board. The side lines of the board are also not perfectly straight, but it does not affect performance. The older versions tended to be twisted a bit if you look at them from the front. This newer version is not and it is symmetrical. It comes with three removable fins (the SUP has to be deflated to do install or remove) and you can install 1, 2, or 3 of them. Avoid the paddles that Sevylor sells with this board – they are very basic and heavy, though they work for general recreation and easy paddling. I use an inexpensive Cannon 3-piece for travel and there are many other better options out there. The included backpack is fairly sturdy and fits everything inside (including my 3-piece paddle). I stuff that backpack plus a PFD, a yoga mat, and some sunscreen and other small check-in luggage items in it in a military style canvas duffel bag and, while due to the paddle and other items it measures a bit more than what airlines are supposed to allow, it weights at about 40lb, looks normal, and I have had no issues checking it in so far. An upgrade to this board would be a more specialized design for touring, surfing, or river running, however this one does all things well enough for general use and can be bought inexpensively (under $500, I paid $260 for mine slightly used-as new). The board is not terribly fast on flat water (as most inflatable SUPs aren't), but get some bumps to push its tail and it moves fine. For a heavier than 200lb person I would think a 6" thick board would do better. 4-stars due to the air bubbles, the rest of the board is fine and compares well to other options out there. Pros Portable, sturdy, FUN Cons Air bubbles Usage Exercise, kids play