Leleuvia Island, Fiji
Stardate: 7TH August 2013
In July of 2012, we spent some time in Bermuda. Up to that point, the idea of owning an iSUP was the furthest thing from our minds, let alone our budget. However when you begin considering travelling overseas to spend time in warm waters, the reality of having to leave your hard board quiver behind, balanced with the cost of rental or purchase on arrival, brings complete sense to the existence of iSUPs, as does ownership.
The boards we took to Bermuda, a well-known brand, were frankly heavy at near on 17kg, leaving just enough weight limit for toothpaste, toothbrush and a change of board shorts.
In addition they had all the qualities one associates with a springboard, but it’s reasonable to say they served the purpose, up until the point one blew a seam and no amount of repair work made any difference. Down to one board we pressed on, while the blown iSUP was used at max pressure until a return to shore was made essential every 40 minutes or so as it blew bubbles into the warmth of the Atlantic Ocean. It wasn’t a complete disaster and we had little to complain about when all was said and done, but I had hoped for more. My view of iSUPs remained dim as I am sure many first time experiences may.
Since July of 2012, much development of the iSUP has taken place and much has been said for and against, but I remain a pragmatist in believing iSUPs have their place in the pursuit of travel first and foremost, because they are fundamentally a convenient alternative, not a substitution or replacement for the rigid board per se, regardless of what their manufactures may market to us.
With plans to travel to Fiji for 4 months stint on Leleuvia Island Resort (www.leleuvia.com) to spend time with my long time friend Colin Philp who is currently managing the island, Mandy and I wanted to travel again with iSUPs in order to teach, demonstrate, enjoy downwind paddling in the trade winds and travel between islands.
The Mistral name is something we are both very familiar with on account of both having once been professional windsurfers through the late 70s and through the 80s.
Associated with quality and a sense of style, it came to my attention while finishing my book, Stand Up Paddle – A Paddler’s Guide (www.kanuculture.com) late in 2012, that Mistral were beginning to make serious headway with their SUP board development. Mistral have never done things by halves and with all the fuss being made of other brands, I was intent to find out what their iSUP boards were like.