However, we don't envy them because it's getting more and more difficult to find ways to make inflatable paddle boards better. There are only so many features that you can add until you've reached the limit.
If you read our other reviews, you know that we're a big fan of anything iRocker produces. This is because this company takes great pride in the product that they produce as well as maintains a strong relationship with the people that end up using them.
One of the biggest names in the game since the beginning is iRocker which eventually went on to form their Blackfin line of paddleboards. If you’re unfamiliar with Blackfin, you could think of it as the Lexus to a Toyota or the Acura to a Honda. You can count on the same dependability of the manufacturing and design but just about every feature is premium compared to its iRocker or counterparts.
With these sorts of iSUPs, we need to give a disclaimer before talking about their performance: this is not a performance board and is not designed for racing or anything of that sort. This is a board designed to be more of a means to an end. That being said, the changes this year do actually make for a better-performing iSUP.
In the paddleboard world, a 10’6 board is considered the standard size since it’s right in that Goldilocks zone — not too short, not too long. So, it makes perfect sense that the 2020 ISLE Pioneer is a board designed their truest all-around iSUP, would come in at that very standard length.
Since this board is extra wide and on the shorter side, it’s no surprise that it doesn’t come in at the top of our speed tests. So, we would say this is better for someone who just wants to get out on the water without too much fuss.
Ford has Lincoln, Toyota has Lexus — so why shouldn’t iRocker have Blackfin? A step up from the standard iSUPs on the iRocker line, Blackfin boards have traditionally been the choice for the paddleboarder who’s looking for that extra something in their experience.
