I got this last year as my first SUP and love it! My Aussie (40lbs) sits in the front (mostly) and goes with me (170lbs) if the water temp is warm enough. I have been enjoying SUPing in local lakes, and took it once to Oriental, NC in the Pamlico river..beautiful, but the jelly fish were thick and it was very motivating to not fall! I use the pump, but it IS a workout to inflate. Love the convenience of throwing it in the car and going. It is light weight, and I am a 60 year old female, but can handle it fine. I did have to patch it. I had stupidly draped it over shelving to dry and the shelf had a sharp edge. Patch is holding fine and Freein sent me a larger patch of vinyl to get a better seal. I added a rubber dog mat on the front which did OK at first but now is not sticking very well after wintering. I like the kayaking option but honestly I have not used the seat or kayak paddle much. I usually opt for the paddle board but I do enjoy sitting some in coves to watch deer, osprey, eagles..etc. Looking forward to season 2 of paddle boarding!
