AQUATONE HAZE 11’4 TEST REVIEW
Verdict
Aquatone’s Haze is a smart cruiser-tourer with enough features and style to set it apart from its peers. The graphic design brings to mind warm lazy days in the Mediterranean. The elegant fittings from offset handle and inflate valve and low-key cargo bungees set the tone for a sleek board that will suit your ambitions of longer adventures.
Overview
The Haze is a clever board. It has an obvious touring outline with a supportive squared off tail and tapered nose.
As part of Aquatone’s Compact range it folds lengthways before rolling up to. It comes in a neat, small cuboid backpack with components all designed for travelling. The four piece aluminium paddle and hand pump are contained within, plus a substantial leash and two slot-in tool-free 5.0 fins.
Despite the clean appearance, the Haze packs in two cargo bungees and a segmented EVA deckpad either side of the reinforcing ‘stringer’. Carry handle, leash point and inflate valve are ipsilateral and off centre, and with the two side-fins permit lengthways folding when packing.
Brand Claim
A perfect travel buddy on any adventure, the HAZE is versatile enough to handle all sorts of water conditions, especially in flat water or small waves. A tough yet lightweight core and unique deck construction allow the board to be packed down to only half the size of a conventional air board. The smart compact design offers convenience for frequent travellers, making it the perfect long-distance board in the Aquatone family. Pack light, travel far!
Performance
As the dimensions show, the Haze is a big board. It feels more compact, thanks in part to its modest weight. Weight has been saved with a single-layer construction that is reinforced with the encircling PVC stringer. More importantly, this reinforcement gives the Haze a taught, responsive feel on the water.
We like the aluminium travel-savvy Allstyle paddle. Some people may expect to see a carbon but unless it’s done properly carbon can be brittle across four pieces. The Allstyle should stand up to seasons of use without problems. To suit the travel them the pump is of course smaller than non-travel versions but it works fine.
The clever Compact design which gives you a complete package in a box slightly bigger than a Henry vacuum cleaner (and more glamorous) but with no compromise on the water. 11’4 is a great touring length; you’ll get the full-size board experience at your destination instead of poking around on a 9’er. There’s really no reason to leave this board at home whatever your means of travel.
Convenient logistics aside, the Haze would make a great next-step board for existing paddlers or progressive first board for those who want to get into the sport a bit ahead of the baseline.
AQUATONE HAZE 11’4 TEST REVIEW
Vital Stats:
Price: £419
Length: 11’4
Width: 32”
Thickness: 6”
Volume: 300L
Fin: 2 x 5.0