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For more information, reviews from other people or to buy this ITIWIT touring inflatable kayak, please head over to Decathlon’s website here.
ITIWIT Strenfit X500 inflatable kayak – carry bag
The Decathlon ITIWIT Strenfit X500 inflatable kayak comes in a large and sturdy carry bag. The carry bag is large enough to pack the kayak back in easily after use. For an inflatable kayak of that size (380 x 65 cm), the bag is relatively concise (94 x 50 x 27 cm) and fits easily in the boot of a QashQai. The amount of spare room in the bag allows to store accessories. I keep the fin, the leash and bits and pieces in the front pocket. A manual pump (purchase separately) will fit in the main compartment of the bag. The adjustable two-part paddle (comes separately) is a bit too long to fit IN the bag but both parts can be tucked in the bag side pockets and tied with the compression strap. At about 18kg, it is obviously not the light but the bag is comfortable enough and well balanced. Don’t go on a hike with it on your back but it’s fine to take it to the shore.
Practical design
The front of the bag shows in big the pressure required for the x500 inflatable kayak. Love this feature. It’s so simple and practical. It tells you exactly what you need to know right in front of you.
As mentioned above, this inflatable touring kayak does not come with a pump or paddle. This adjustable paddle from Decathlon that was suggested to go with it. And I highly recommend to get a buoyancy vest too.
Inflating the Decathlon ITIWIT Strenfit X500 inflatable touring kayak
Having inflated quite a few inflatable SUP kayaks manually in the past, I decided it was time to get an electric pump. The electric pump is great and versatile as it can also be used with my inflatable SUP boards. Be aware though the pump only goes up to 15psi. Luckily enough the pressure required for the Strenfit X500 is only 10psi. But it’s worth bearing in mind if you get the electrical pump and get products that require higher pressures. With the electrical pump, inflation is quick and easy. Simply plug the pump in your car 12V auxiliary power outlet (aka cigarette lighter socket), connect the pump to the valves (one by one) of the kayak, set the require pressure on the pump, press OK and let it do its job. Super easy.
ITIWIT touring inflatable kayak out of the bag
The kayak
The kayak tested here is the ITIWIT inflatable touring Strenfit X500. As its name suggests, it is an inflatable touring kayak. Inflated, it measures 380cm in length and 65cm in width. The kayak can support a weight of up to 125kg. It is suitable for touring and is approved for sea touring beyond 300m. Being long and narrow it is a much faster kayak than the average inflatable kayak used for recreational purposes. Being streamlined however comes with its downsides. It’s a lot less stable, it’s a harder to turn but it flies in a straight line. The plastic rail at the front (see the photo above) and the fin at the back keep the board in a straight line.
Material used
This kayak is made of 95% Polyéthylène (PE) and 5% Polyester (PES) using the dropstitch technology. Dropstitch is a “material”. Two layers of PVC are connected by thousands of polyester strands. During high-pressure inflation, these strands stretch and create a rigid chamber, preventing the kayak from distorting. Which is what makes our inflatable kayak extremely rigid but easy to stow in a backpack once deflated.
Touring with the ITIWIT Strenfit X500
Kayaking
As mentioned previously, using a touring kayak is very different than a standard recreational kayak most beginners use. The biggest difference is the stability. You’ll notice straight away it’s not as stable as but with a bit of practice you will adapt quickly. If it feels really unstable, reduce the pressure of the bottom chamber of the kayak a tiny bit (especially if you’re light), this should reduce the center of gravity and help you with the balance. It will however increase drag and make the kayak go a bit slower with the added friction.
The other big difference is the speed! It’s actually impressive how much speed you can gain by simply changing the shape of a kayak compared to a standard one. Being narrower and longer makes the kayak a lot more streamlined and as a result every stroke propels you further and faster.
And finally, the other big difference is turning. It’s harder but again you get used to it.
This is a touring kayak after all and it will be used cover long distances, with little to no turns.
Deflating the ITIWIT Strenfit X500 inflatable kayak
Deflating this kayak couldn’t be easier, simply undo the valve covers (turn it anti clockwise) and press the valves to their “down” position. You can help the kayak deflating by pushing the air out from the furthest point to the opened valves. That’s it! It’s that easy.
Cleaning the ITIWIT touring kayak
This is super easy too. It takes 5 minutes max with a hose to give this kayak a good clean. Simply rinse the kayak with clean water inside and outside. Don’t use any chemical, soap or detergent to clean your kayak, just clean water.
I washed mine with my pressure washer the first time which worked OK (minus dirt splash back), but it works just as well if not better with normal garden hose pressure (no splash back). Basically, stick to clean water, a garden hose, pressure washer or buckets of water will do just fine and neither will take very long.
Drying the Decathlon touring kayak
You’ll need a bit of space (around 4m by 60cm) to lay the deflated kayak flat on the floor to dry. On a sunny hot day, it doesn’t take very long to dry. When one side is dry just flip it over for the other side to dry too. Drying time will obviously depend on weather conditions but on a reasonably warm dry day it doesn’t take long. For the inside, try to remove as much of the excess water as possible, let it dry normally. Before packing or if you are a bit in a hurry to pack it, grab a dry clothe and wipe the kayak dry.
Overall review of the Decathlon’s ITIWIT Strenfit X500 inflatable touring kayak
At £599.99 (at the time of writing), the Stenfit X500 is a good quality touring kayak. It’s great to use on flat water and calm seas once you get used to its stability, or its lack of.
It comes with a 2 year guarantee.
You can buy the X500 from the Decathlon online store here
For more information, reviews from other people or to buy an ITIWIT inflatable SUP board, please head over to Decathlon’s website here.
ITIWIT inflatable touring SUP board’s bag
The Decathlon ITIWIT inflatable touring SUP board comes in a big and resistant bag with enough space to pack your board back in easily after use. For an iSUP board of this size (381 x 74 x 15 cm), the bag is relatively concise (90 x 44 x 24 cm) and fits nicely in my car (QashQai). The amount of spare room in the bag allows to store accessories. I keep the fin, the leash and bits and pieces in the front pocket. A manual pump (purchase separately) and an adjustable two-part paddle (comes separately) will fit in the main compartment of the bag. At about 12kg, it is obviously not light but the bag is comfortable enough and well balanced. I wouldn’t go on a treck with it on my back but it’s fine to take it to the shore.
Decathlon ITIWIT inflatable touring SUP board in bag
Practical design
In its front pocket, the bag continas the instructions inside of it and a repair kit. The front pocket of the bag shows in big the pressure required for the board. It’s a very simple but really useful feature! It’s simple and practical, tells you what you need to know right in front of you.
As mentioned above, this touring iSUP does not come with a pump or paddle. I got this adjustable paddle from Decathlon that was suggested to get with it. And I highly recommend to get a buoyancy vest too.
Inflating the Decathlon ITIWIT inflatable touring SUP board
After inflating a few inflatable SUP boards manually in the past, I decided to treat myself to an electric pump for another ITWIT sup board. The electric pump has been really good for me for other iSUPs, BUT it only goes up to 15psi. Unfortunately this board needs 17psi, so you will need a manual pump. I have both a manual and electric so I go up to 15psi with the electric and get to 17psi with the manual pump. It’s quite a flaw in my view but it can always be worked around. And it’s nothing to do with the board, just the actual pump. So if you can only get one, get the manual one as it can go up to 20psi.
ITIWIT inflatable touring iSUP board rolled out of the bag
The iSUP board
The paddle board tested here is the ITIWIT inflatable touring stand up paddle board 500/12’6-29”. As its name indicate it is a touring SUP board and it is 12’6 long (381cm). The board is 29″ wide and 6″ thick and can carry a weight of 130kg. It is suitable for touring and also racing. Being long and narrow it is a much faster board than a all rounder one but it comes with its downsides. It’s a bit less stable, it’s a lot harder to turn but it flies in a straight line. The plastic rail at the front (see the photo above) and the fin at the back keep the board in a straight line.
Material used
This iSUP board is made of 50.00% Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), 50.00% Polyester (PES). There was an obvious new plastic smell when I first opened the bag, not bad at all, just noticeable (not dissimilar to that of a new car – not the actual smell, just the fact you notice it). The deck has a grooved foam top for comfort and added grip and is made of 75.00% Polyéthylène (PE), 25.00% Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA). It also shows measures near the central handle to help you find your perfect position on the board and stick to it. The padding feels nice, comfortable and durable.
ITIWIT inflatable touring SUP board ready to go
What it comes with
The board comes out of the bag with a large fin and a leash as mentioned above. You simply slide the fin under the board and place the plastic safety pin to keep it in place. Attach the leash at the back of the deck and the other end to your “back” foot once you’re in the water.
Usage
The board is made for one person but you could in theory have a small kid with you on the board as long as the total weight is below the recommended 130kgs for this board.
All in all, this ITIWIT inflatable touring SUP board is an affordable piece of equipment when it comes to touring board. It’s recently been reduced in price too! It is fast, well made, easy and light enough to carry for a little while, easy to inflate and of good quality. It’s packed with almost all you need to get started. It’s a bit of a shame the pump and paddle need to be bought separately. Then again, these items are relatively affordable and you can choose from various options to suit you. Electric or manual for the pump. Adjustable, detachable, adjustable carbon or detachable carbon paddles depending on your needs and budget. Check here for some of the best electric pumps for inflatable paddle boards.
SUPing with the ITIWIT inflatable SUP board
Paddle boarding
As mentioned above, using a touring inflatable board is very different than a standard all round board most beginners use. The biggest difference is the stability. You’ll notice straight away it’s not as stable as but if you have experience with an all rounder then you should adapt quickly.
The other bi difference is the speed! It’s actually impressive how much speed you can gain by simply changing the shape of the board compared to an all rounder. Being thinner and longer makes the board a lot more streamlined and as a result every stroke propels you further and faster.
And finally, the other big difference is turning. It’s harder but again you get used to it.
This is a touring board after all and it will be used cover long distances, with little to no turns.
ITIWIT inflatable touring SUP board
Touring
One of the joys of paddle boarding
Deflating the ITIWIT inflatable SUP board
Deflating this SUP board couldn’t be easier, simply undo the valve cover (turn it anti clockwise) and press the valve to its “down” position. You can help the board deflating by pushing the air out from the furthest point to the opened valves by folding the board over from the back. That’s it! It’s that easy.
Cleaning the ITIWIT inflatable SUP board
It’s a doodle, it takes 5 minutes max with a hose for a thorough clean. Simply rinse the board with clean water on each side. Don’t use any chemical, soap or detergent to clean your board, just clean water.
I washed mine with my pressure washer the first time which worked OK (minus dirt splash back), but it works just as well if not better with normal garden hose pressure (no splash back). Basically, stick to clean water, a garden hose, pressure washer or buckets of water will do just fine and neither will take very long.
Drying the ITIWIT inflatable SUP board
You’ll need a bit of space to lay the deflated board flat on the floor to dry. On a sunny hot day, it doesn’t take very long to dry. Lay the board flat and keep an eye out. When one side is dry just flip it over for the other side to dry too. Drying time will obviously depend on weather conditions but on a reasonably warm dry day it doesn’t take long.
Repacking the ITIWIT inflatable SUP board
Once your SUP board is clean and dry, lay the board flat on its bottom part, flip the board from the back in bits of about 50cm. When you reach the middle of the board, rehiterate the operation but this time from the front. Both groups of folded sections should now join roughly in the middle. Fold these 2 groups on themselves and you should be good to go. All you have left to do is to place the bottom of the bag over the rolled board, then flip the whole thing over and finish zipping it up.
The video below from Decathlon shows how to inflate, setup, dismantle and repack the ITIWIT inflatable SUP board.
Repair and replacement parts for the ITIWIT inflatable SUP boards
The bag comes with a repair patch and there replacement parts available on Decathlon’s website as listed below.
Overall review of the Decathlon’s best selling 9’8 orange ITIWIT inflatable SUP board
At £399 (recently reduced from £499), it is a very good quality touring board. Perfect to use on flat water and calm seas to cover longer distances. The carry bag doesn’t take too much room in a car boot.
The ITIWIT inflatable SUP board comes with a 2 year guarantee and lots of spare parts are available online if you ever need any.
You can buy the ITIWIT inflatable SUP board from the Decathlon online store here
Wife and friend trying the touring and all rounder inflatable boards from Decathlon
You may also be interested in this blog post where a few friends and myself tried inflatable kayak and SUP in Tynemouth.
Decathlon best selling inflatable family tent sale, the QUECHUA AIR SECONDS 4 XL FRESH & BLACK FAMILY CAMPING TENT | 4 MAN is currently in the sale on their website. It is available for £99.99, that’s 50% off the original £199.99 price. An absolute bargain for this inflatable family tent that gets so many great reviews.
Decathlon inflatable Quechua tents are some of the best inflatable tents for family camping you can get for your money. They are obviously reasonably priced, they are durable and most support winds of to to 60km/h (Force 7). Most of them now have the Fresh and Dark technology leaving the bedrooms very dark, even in bright daylight, and also relatively cool.
Inflatable family tent
This inflatable family tent sale is an awesome opportunity and an amazing bargain for any family on a budget in the market for a quality 4 man inflatable tent for their next family camping trip.
Living room
The living room consists of a 4 sqm sit-down living area with maximum height of 1.55 m. It has 2 small windows on each side of room.
Pitching
The Quechua Air Seconds 4 XL inflatable family tent is an all in 1 inflatable structure (bedroom and pre-assembled flysheet) with 2 inflation points. Easy pitching simply by setting the 4 corners with the” V “sardines and then inflate.
Ventilation
This Air Seconds 4 XL has a lined living room flysheet to ventilate and limit condensation. Side vents in bedroom.
Wind resistance
Quechua test all their tents in a wind tunnel on a turntable to expose each side of the tent to the wind. A well-assembled tent with all the guy ropes properly deployed around the tent should remain habitable with a wind speed measured at 60 km/h near the ground .
Waterproofing
Like all Quechua tents, special care has been given to the waterproofing. It has been tested and verified in lab tests with the whole tent tested under 200 litres of water/hour/sqm (200 mm of rain per hour!) and on field tests.
For official information, reviews from other individuals or to buy the ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak, please head over to Decathlon’s website here. You may also be interested in our top 10 best inflatable kayak reviews.
ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak bag
The ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak comes in a strong bag and the kayak is not fitted too tightly inside of it. The bag itself is not huge and does fit easily in an average car boot. The bit of extra room in the bag makes it easy to take the kayak out.
The ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak in the boot of a Qashqai
The bag comes with a top handle to carry it. It also has 2 straps at the back so it can be carried around like a back pack. The straps are not the comfiest so I wouldn’t recommend carrying it on your back for a long a time. The weight of the kayak is 14kg so you can definitely feel it on your shoulders. For a short stance to the river or the beach this is perfect though.
When I first put mine on my back I thought it was pretty heavy and uncomfortable but after 2 minutes walking towards the sea I forgot the kayak was on my back.
The bag also has a front pocket with the instructions inside of it. A simple “feature” but a very useful one, the pressure required for the kayak is written in a big clear font on the front pocket. I love Decathlon products in that regard. It’s simple and practical, tells you what you need to know right in front of you.
The bag contains 3 keels to go on the kayak to help with stability and direction. The front pocket also contains a repair kit.
It does not however come with a pump or paddles. This dual action pump is recommended by Decathlon, and you will also need 2 sets of kayak paddles (I would advise to get collapsible ones) and 2 buoyancy vests.
Inflating the ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak
After inflating various inflatable SUP boards in the past, taking what seemed like forever, I was not looking forward to inflating this kayak. Being over 3 metres long, I thought it would take ages. I was wrong!
I literally could not believe how fast you can inflate this ITIWIT! It has 3 chambers, 2 for the sides, 1 for the bottom. With the dual action pump it took about 5 minutes to inflate the whole thing!
As previously mentioned, you inflate the kayak at 1.5psi. That’s where the difference lies with inflatable SUP boards as they usually require around 15psi which obviously takes longer (and more effort) to reach.
The kayak
The kayak weighs 14kgs, is 3.40m long and just over 1m wide. It is made of 3 main bladders, 1 for each side and 1 for the wide floor. This setup improves the kayak’s stability. There are 2 other bits to inflate, which are the seats. Once inflated the seats are very comfortable and add height to the seating position, improving the paddling experience.
All these inflatable bladders are protected by a tough looking, water-repellent canvas which can be unzipped (or detached from the velcro attachment). This allows access to the bladders so they can be taken out for repair or replacement. On the sides, there are some printed instruction again to remind you of the pressure you need in the bladders.
The kayak comes with handles at the front and back and on both sides to help carry it when inflated. The end bit also boasts an elasticated net where you can slide an ITIWIT watertight dry bag for example.
The 3 keels provided with the kayak are safely secured to the bottom (2 at the back and 1 at the front) with a plastic pin keeping them in position.
The kayak can accommodate 1 or 2 people to a maximum load of 150kg (about 330 lbs). The seats are adjustable so they can be placed along the length of the boat in a well balanced position for either a 1 person or a 2 person situation. This is a nifty little trick that can come in handy.
All in all, the ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak is an affordable, practical and well thought through inflatable kayak for recreational use. It’s packed with lots of little features really helping the kayakist(s) to make the most of it.
Kayaking
With its raised and very comfy seats, this kayak provides a very good position for a comfortable kayaking experience.
Because the seats can be moved along the length of the kayak, the center of gravity and balance of the embarcation is always optimum.
The patented bow shape of the kayak gives a great gliding performance. The 3 keels provide good stability and manoeuvrability.
See below this short video from the Decathlon website showing the ITIWIT 2 in action.
Deflating the ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak
Deflating this kayak couldn’t be easier, simply undo the Boston valves and help expel the remaining air by pushing it out from the furthest point to the opened valves. That’s it! It’s that easy.
Cleaning the ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak
Simply rinse the kayak thoroughly with clean water. Don’t use any chemical, soap or detergent to clean your kayak, just clean water.
I haven’t tried with my pressure washer, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Stick to clean water, a garden hose or buckets of water will do just fine.
Drying the ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak
It takes a fair bit of space to lay the kayak flat on the floor to dry. A garden patio is a perfect place if you happen to have one.
Being in the UK, weather can be unpredictable and so to help with the drying process, I recommend removing the floor from the kayak and remove the bladder from it too. This way each element can dry a bit faster.
Little tip from my own silly mistake; there was water left in the floor canvas where the floor bladder goes. Remove the bladder, and at one end of the canvas there will be a hole. Simply lift the other end of the canvas so the remaining water goes out from that hole. This helps the drying speed.
The hole in the floor canvas to get the water out
Repacking the ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak
Once your kayak is clean and dry, replace the bladders in their containers. The floor in the kayak and the seats on the floor. Laying the kayak flat on its bottom part, flip the sides towards the middle of the kayak so the overall shape is now almost a rectangle.
Now roll the end of the kayak which doesn’t have the valves towards the end with the valves. This will help remove the last bits of remaining air from the bladders. About 2/3 of the way through, roll from the other side. Then flip both rolled bits together. Simply place the bottom of the bag over the rolled kayak, then flip the whole thing over and finish zipping it up.
Have a look at the video video showing how to setup, dismantle and repack the ITIWIT 2.
Repair and replacement parts for the ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak
We touched on repair and replacement above. All the inflatable bladders are removable so you can repair them with the repair kit provided. You can also purchase replacement parts. See below a list parts you can currently buy from the Decathlon website.
Overall review of the ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak
Very pleasantly surprised with the quality of this kayak. It is well packed and doesn’t take too much room in the car boot. It is relatively easy to carry on your back (but maybe not for hours). Inflation time is super quick – about 5 minutes.
It’s definitely worth its second place in our top 10 best inflatable kayaks for recreational use. If it wasn’t for the price difference, it would be on top. But it might be a better investment in the long run. So a very close second.
The kayak comes with a 2 year guarantee offering spare parts essential to the use of the product.
You can buy the ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak online from the Decathlon online store here
For more information, reviews from other people or to buy an ITIWIT inflatable SUP board, please head over to Decathlon’s website here.
ITIWIT inflatable SUP board’s bag
The ITIWIT inflatable SUP boards come in a strong and resistant bag with plenty of room to easily pack your board back in it after use. Although big in the inside to fit the board with ease, the bag itself is relatively small and sits nicely in most car boots. It measures 90 x 40 x 22 cm. The amount of extra room in the bag allows to store accessories such as the fin, the leash, a manual pump (purchase separately) and even an adjustable two-part paddle (comes separately) for example. At around 10kg (depending on model and size), the bag is really light which makes it really practical and easy to transport.
The ITIWIT 9’8 inflatable SUP board bag in a Qashqai boot
The bag comes with a handle to carry it one handed. It also has 2 straps at the back so you can wear it as a back pack. The straps are comfy enough considering the overall weight of the product. The weight of the paddle board I tried (the ITIWIT 100 inflatable 9’8 stand up paddle) is 9kg, so it is reasonably light. Perfect for a short walk to the river, a lake shore or the beach.
Practical design
The bag also has a front pocket with the instructions inside of it and a repair kit. The front pocket of the bag shows in big the pressure required for the board. It’s a very simple but really useful feature! is It’s simple and practical, tells you what you need to know right in front of you.
Pressure indicated directly on the bag
The bag comes with 1 big fin to go underneath the SUP board to help with direction. There is a leash in the carry bag, please remember to wear it in pretty much all situations. More to follow on the fin and leash further down.
It does not however come with a pump or paddle. Because inflatable boards need to be inflated to high pressures (15psi for this board) I decided to get the electric pump from Decathlon that can be plugged to your car 12v. I also got this adjustable paddle from Decathlon that was suggested to get with it. And I highly recommend to get a buoyancy vest too.
Inflating the Decathlon ITIWIT inflatable SUP board
After inflating a few inflatable SUP boards in the past, taking what seemed like forever, I decided to go for the electric pump as mentioned above. Although the manual pump works just fine (it’s also very good for warm-up), I thought the electric pump would be quite handy to use. It does its job whilst I put my wetsuit, the boots, and the buoyancy vest on.
The pump is really good, simply plug it in the 12V socket of your car (engine running – as mentioned in the manual) select the pressure your require (in our case 15 psi) and plug it to the valve on the board. The valve must be in the raised position. Securely attach the pump to the valve press the “on” button and just wait for the board to fully inflate. The pump will stop itself when it reaches the desired pressure. Check this article for some of the best electric pumps for your iSup.
The SUP board
The ITIWIT paddle board tested here is the ITIWIT 100 inflatable 9’8 SUP board. As its name indicate it is 9’8 long. The board weighs 9kgs, is 30″ wide and 6″ thick and is suitable for paddlers between 60 and 80 kg. It is an all rounder SUP board that could also be used for touring.
Material used
This SUP board is made of strong PVC (Polyvinyl chloride – 70%) and PES (Polyester – 30%). There was quite a new plastic smell when I first opened the bag, not bad at all, just noticeable (not dissimilar to that of a new car – not the actual smell, just the fact you notice it). The deck has a grooved foam top for comfort and added grip and is made of PE (Polyethylene – 75.00%) and EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate – 25.00%). The board feels robust and sturdy, and the deck of the board feels comfortable under foot too.
What it comes with
The board comes out of the bag with a large fin and a leash as mentioned above. You simply slide the fin under the board and place the plastic safety pin to keep it in place. Attach the leash at the back of the deck and the other end to your “back” foot once you’re in the water. In the middle of the deck (like on most inflatable SUP boards) there is a handle to help you carry the board around. Being bang on in the middle of the board helps with the balance when carrying it.
Usage
The board is made for one person but you could in theory have a small kid with you on the board as long as the total weight is below the recommended 80kgs for this board. However I would recommend getting the blue 10’7 ITIWIT inflatable SUP board which is more suitable for 2 users as described on the Decathlon website here.
All in all, this orange 9’8 ITIWIT inflatable SUP board is an affordable piece of equipment. It is very practical, well made, easy to carry, light, easy to inflate and of good quality. Perfect for recreational use. It’s packed with almost all you need to get started. It’s a bit of a shame having to buy the pump and paddle need to be bought separately. Then again, these items are relatively affordable and you can choose from various options to suit you. Electric or manual for the pump. Adjustable, detachable, adjustable carbon or detachable carbon paddles depending on your needs and budget.
SUPing with the ITIWIT inflatable SUP board
Paddle boarding in the river
That’s the part where the fin and leash get mentioned again. You should use them in most situation if not all situation. In my case, when I tested the board on the river, the water level was quite low so decided NOT to use the fin as it would have been dangerous hitting the river bed and fall in shallow water on rocks. Similarly, I didn’t use the leash so it would get tangled in branches or other debris in the river. On lakes or in the sea, you should always use both. Basically use your common sense to decide if using the fin and/or the leash is safer than not using them.
The river experience was quite interesting considering the fin wasn’t in place. I was expecting to struggle with frequent changes of direction but it wasn’t bad at all. I could feel I wasn’t going as straight as I would have been with the fin on but I wasn’t going left/right left/right either. Testing the board on the river was pleasant, easy. The board felt well balanced and easy to control even without the fin. It felt remarkably effortless especially working with the current.
Paddle boarding in the sea
In the sea however, this is another story. It was my first time SUPing in the sea and when I turned up on the beach, the local surf shop guy said it was the perfect conditions to surf! It wasn’t Hawaii monstrous waves but it was definitely NOT flat water. There was a lot of “kneeling on the board being pushed back towards the shore by the swells” involved. Once on the flatter water past the waves, it was all back to normal.
SUPing in the sea is a lot harder physically as you have to use your legs a lot more to keep the balance because the water isn’t calm. You also are more prone to move with the wind and the currents. Nothing to do with the board itself. It’s just the choppier the water, the harder you’ll have to work to stay balanced. The board is suitable for the job although I presume the 10’7 blue ITIWIT SUP board would probably offer more balance considering its size. Towards the end of the session, on the way back to shore I even ventured in the waves trying to surf (and fell miserably). But surf sup’ing is another set of skills altogether though. A inflatable surf SUP board would probably be more appropriate. I will hopefully get hold of one in the future to test. Watch this space.
Deflating the ITIWIT inflatable SUP board
Deflating this SUP board couldn’t be easier, simply undo the valve cover (turn it anti clockwise) and press the valve to its “down” position. You can help the board deflating by pushing the air out from the furthest point to the opened valves by folding the board over from the back. That’s it! It’s that easy.
Cleaning the ITIWIT inflatable SUP board
It’s a doodle, it takes 5 minutes max with a hose for a thorough clean. Simply rinse the board with clean water on each side. Don’t use any chemical, soap or detergent to clean your board, just clean water.
I washed mine with my pressure washer the first time which worked OK (minus dirt splash back), but it works just as well if not better with normal garden hose pressure (no splash back). Basically, stick to clean water, a garden hose, pressure washer or buckets of water will do just fine and neither will take very long.
Drying the ITIWIT inflatable SUP board
You’ll need a bit of space to lay the deflated board flat on the floor to dry. On a sunny hot day, it doesn’t take very long to dry. Lay the board flat and keep an eye out. When one side is dry just flip it over for the other side to dry too. Drying time will obviously depend on weather conditions but on a reasonably warm dry day it doesn’t take long.
Repacking the ITIWIT inflatable SUP board
Once your SUP board is clean and dry, lay the board flat on its bottom part, flip the board from the back in bits of about 50cm. When you reach the middle of the board, rehiterate the operation but this time from the front. Both groups of folded sections should now join roughly in the middle. Fold these 2 groups on themselves and you should be good to go. All you have left to do is to place the bottom of the bag over the rolled board, then flip the whole thing over and finish zipping it up.
The video below from Decathlon shows how to inflate, setup, dismantle and repack the ITIWIT inflatable SUP board.
Repair and replacement parts for the ITIWIT inflatable SUP boards
The bag comes with a repair patch and there replacement parts available on Decathlon’s website as listed below.
Overall review of the Decathlon’s best selling 9’8 orange ITIWIT inflatable SUP board
Not surprised it’s Decathlon’s best selling inflatable SUP board. For under £300, it is a very good quality board for beginners and intermediates. Perfect to use on flat water and calm seas. The carry bag doesn’t take too much room in a car boot. It is easy to carry it about with the relatively light carry bag.
It’s definitely worth its third place in our top 10 best inflatable SUP boards below the market leaders Red Paddle Co. Being around a third cheaper than the Red Paddle boards, it could be the board of choice for many beginners.
The ITIWIT inflatable SUP board comes with a 2 year guarantee and lots of spare parts are available online if you ever need any.
Practical design
