SANDBANKS STYLE SPORTS TOURING ART 12’0
Verdict
Paddlers looking to step up from their all-round boards to a competent coastal cruiser should take a close look at Sandbanks Style’s Touring Art. The buzzed-down 12’0 overall length gives a practical mix of glide, tracking and high wind handling and the pronounced nose-rocker fits into wave troughs for beach landings and downwinders. The Sports Touring is strong, efficient and very nice to paddle.
Overview
The Sport Touring features a classic tourer outline: drawn in square tail and a sleek piercing nose connected via a gentle parabola in the rail. At 12’ x 30”, this board has forgiving width and being a bit shorter than standard 12’6 length, is a little easier to manage in wind without losing out on tracking.
The diamond deck pad is easy on bare feet and knees and features a kick tail which is a nice sensory aid, for the pronounced nose rocker suggests the Touring Sport may be used for downwind and rough beach landings.
The deck is uncluttered, a comfy carry handle is partnered with a lateral handle over the tail which doubles as a leash point, and a simple 4-point bungee is fitted forward of the deck pad.
The supplied carbon paddle is easily adjusted, matches the board’s elegant looks and feels dutifully strong to handle many years of hard touring.
Brand Claim
This slimline iSUP is designed for speed. Narrower than our Ultimate board at 30 inches, it packs a powerful 12ft length, features a rocker at the front and comes to a streamlined point. This design enables you to cut through calm or rough water, allowing you to reach impressive speeds whatever the weather.
The glide on this board is exceptionally good – and that’s because of its hydrodynamic shaping. This means that you go further for your paddling efforts, making the Sports Touring iSUP ideal for longer journeys.
Plus, the board comes with a 5 year warranty as standard
Performance
We instantly liked the Sport Touring’s uncluttered form: the intention is for the paddler to get on the water quickly and not waste time clipping non-essential brick-a-brack all over it. The compact touring length and practical width make this board an ideal partner for fast coastal cruising, beach landings and punching through sea-breeze chop. The tough double-skin construction, strong paddle and Sandbanks Style’s hoofing 5 year warranty add to the sense of security.
At near 300 litres, this is a voluminous board with an upper carrying capacity of 130 kg and maximum inflation of 25 psi, it will float anyone and any dog that want to be on the water. At 12’0 and just 10 kg carry weight though it is a great match for smaller to medium weight paddlers who want a board that tracks well without becoming a handful in wind.
A bit tick from us. The Sport Touring is an elegant, durable board that places function before artifice and is ready for fast day touring on coastal water.
Vital Stats
Length: 12′
Width: 30”
Thickness: 6”
Volume: 297L
Board weight: 9.5kg
Fins: Easy fix central fin
Price: £699