When late-spring days with clear skies and rising temps start to take over the weekly weather forecast, I peer out my office window, and the thought creeps in: I’d rather be paddleboarding. Just a few blocks from home I can drift miles on the Willamette River, and within a 60-mile drive, there are half a dozen lakes backdropped with forest climbing up mountainsides. All perfect places to spend an afternoon floating or cruising around.
Over the past few years, my preference for paddling has been shifting. I’ve spent decades in the seat of a kayak, then caught the bug to jump on fiberglass standup paddleboards, and now, what I find myself reaching for most for days of paddling lakes and rivers are inflatable standup paddleboards. Recently, I had the opportunity to test out Niphean’s Clovis Point 10’6” inflatable paddleboard, taking it for after-work town floats, meet-ups with friends beneath city skylines, and lounge sessions on sunny lake days at the foothills of the Cascades.
Review of the budget-friendly Niphean Clovis Point 10’6” inflatable paddleboard
Niphean Clovis Point 10’6″ Specs
Length: 10’6”
Width: 33”
Thickness: 6”
Maximum Recommended Capacity: 450 lbs
MSRP: $299 USD with kayak seat; $249 without
niphean.com
It’s well established inflatable SUPs are easy to throw in the back of the car, and take up little space to store, but what I love most about inflatable paddleboards is that, unless you plan to crank out miles or run rapids, you don’t have to spend much money on one to be able to enjoy it. Thumb in a few keywords and there are endless inflatable boards to choose from, and, fortunately, if a board follows certain fundamentals in shape design and material construction—reinforced seams, drop-stitched interior and capable of being inflated beyond 10 PSI—then it is likely all someone will need to check out of work and spend the rest of the day on the water.
Let’s cut to the major detail that makes the Niphean SUP stand out. This board costs just $299 with the most comprehensive package, and at this low cost, I have enjoyed paddling it, and it has already held up to diverse days of leisure. Over the past year, I’ve tested a dozen inflatable paddleboards, and what I will reiterate is this: unless you are seeking a high-performance aspect for touring, surfing or running rapids, an all-around inflatable board only needs to follow a few rules to be a fun, stable and capable shape.
The Niphean follows this mold. It has a rounded nose which has a slight lift (rocker) to keep it above the water. At the back is a rounded tail which is meant to provide the board a nice arcing feel turning over distances of flatwater, yet it can still be loaded up to swing the nose around. And the board has enough width and depth at 33 inches and six inches, respectively, to provide stability for new paddleboarders. The board reaches 15 PSI, providing a solid high-pressure platform, cruises around with ease, has a comfortable carrying handle, and is well-constructed at its price range to withstand years of use.
Standout Niphean board accessories
The bonus of the Clovis Point board is for the price it includes everything someone needs for recreational paddleboarding except a life jacket. I tested the 10’6” version which came with a seat to transform it into a sit-on-top kayak. Beyond the board and seat, the box also included a breakdown paddle that can be setup for SUP or kayaking, a high-pressure manual pump to reach the proper PSI, a backpack, three fins for the tail of the board, a centerboard fin, a coiled leashed for use on flatwater or a surf break, a repair kit, and a waterproof phone case—a fantastic little bonus to keep your phone dry and floating should you drop it.
StabilTrac centerboard fin
An interesting component of the Niphean SUP and its performance is the inclusion of a centerboard fin in addition to the commonplace center fin and side bites at the tail of the board. This centerboard fin, which Niphean calls the StabilTrac fin, is unique, and I don’t recall seeing this extra fin box and fin on a board that wasn’t intended for other uses, like windsports. A centerboard or keel on a sailing craft provides hold to keep it from sideslipping in the wind so the energy can instead be transferred into propulsion in the direction of travel. In concept, Niphean has included the fin on the board to improve the board’s tracking beyond the usual 2+1 in the back, helping to avoid spinning out and providing better glide and travel in a straight path.
In practice, the StabilTrac works a little too well for the application of paddleboarding. Notably, as I went to step back on the board and swing the nose around with sweeping strokes, the central keel kept the board locked in, making the process slower going. Also, because it extends deeper than the tail fins, the StabilTrac makes it much more likely you’ll tag bottom when SUPing along the edges of lakes or down slow-moving rivers. Perhaps it takes time to adjust to using a board with the StabilTrac; but personally I find the traditional fin setup takes care of the stability, tracking and turning you need for recreational standup paddleboarding. Fortunately, all of these fins are easily removable, so you can experiment with different setups, and spend time seeing if the StabilTrac is beneficial to you.
Storage and transport board backpack
Just about any inflatable paddleboard comes with a storage bag, many of which are oversized and ruggedly built; these are admirable attributes, but with the Niphean I love how compact the backpack is, and how easily the board and accessories roll up to fit inside it. With a smaller bag, I often worry about whether there is enough room to fit all the gear inside. When you’re tired at the end of a trip, the last thing you want to have to do is re-roll a wet board five times to make it fit in the bag. But the Niphean backpack reminded me how wonderful and well-sized a bag can be. Measuring around 34 by 16 inches and 10 inches deep, it stores the board compactly with less space for items to swing around inside. I could see myself jumping on a bus with the Niphean SUP without whacking unsuspecting riders with a giant unwieldy bag.
Inflatable paddleboard seat
The Niphean board also has the option to come with a kayak seat and a multi-piece paddle, the ladder which can be set up as either a single-bladed SUP paddle or a double-bladed kayak paddle. Paddleboard setups with inflatable seats are becoming more popular, and I’m here for it. You’ve essentially bought both an inflatable standup paddleboard and an inflatable sit-on-top kayak in one click. The seat for the Clovis Point reaches up to 10 PSI in air pressure for a supportive feel, and clips onto the board’s D-rings. The option means on windy or long days, you can choose to skip standing and take the seat to go for a kayak excursion.
Where to buy the Niphean Clovis Point standup paddleboard
There are plenty of hurdles to navigate in order to spend your days paddleboarding. Fortunately, with the Niphean inflatable SUP, the cost of a board you can enjoy isn’t one of them.
The Niphean Clovis Point 10’6” is available at online retailers including Amazon. The board is also available in 10-foot and 11-foot models. Find more information at niphean.com.
Feature photo: Owen Roth
