Jackson Kayak SUPerCHARGER Review

So you may have heard of this whole SUP thing that is gaining in popularity right now in the paddlesports scene. I have never tried it before but my husband Kevin has been getting pretty excited about getting into it. Well, we are big fans of Jackson Kayaks and they have come out with a new range of SUPs. The one Kevin was interested in the most, of course, was the whitewater oriented SUPerCHARGER and he quickly ordered one once they became available. 

This past Saturday, we loaded up the FJ with the SUPerCHARGER, along with a Liquid Logic Versa Board (review to follow), our gear and our dog Willow and headed to Murfreesboro to meet our buddy Clint at the Stones River Crumbles to do some reviewing. Kevin is currently recovering from shoulder surgery so much to his dissapointment, I would be doing the testing while he took photos. This was my first time ever to be on a stand up paddle board so I was a bit anxious. Although this was the first real beautiful day of spring and the sun was shining, I knew the water was going to be ice cold. I geared up in my Stohlquist Dry Suit (g-POD w/ tunnel dry suit), helmet and Stohlquist BetSea Life Vest and headed toward the water. 

First of all, the SUPerCHARGER is a pretty hot board. Kevin ordered it in the new Blaze orange and while I'm generally not a big fan of orange, it looks awesome on the SUP. The board is also very substantial looking and made out of what looks like the same kind of plastic as Kevin's Jackson Kayak Karma creek boat. There are two handy straps criss-crossing the front of the board, an integrated GoPro mount, lots of very soft and grippy padding, multiple grab/safety handles and a drain plug located on the stern. 

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Let me give you some quick stats on the SUPerCHARGER. At 9'8" it is a bit shorter than a lot of the more rec oriented boards, which helps it turn quicker but makes it a bit harder to keep straight without a current, especially for a newcomer like myself although you get the hang of it quickly. This is a river-running board so its' ideal environment is in a good current, however it does come with fins you can attach for better tracking if you want to go relax on the lake. The fins will also help you in whitewater and do not detract from its' awesome manueverability. The fins are also very flexible all the way through. This helps them absorb rock hits, etc without breaking. The board is pretty wide at 36", which helps give it incredible stability. It was even very stable when I had our dog Willow on it for a ride with me.

Now to the weight... Let me just tell you, its' dimensions plus weight makes it feel even heavier than its' 55 lbs. However the weight comes from its' solid build. It also adds to the stability of the board. So while it makes it more cumbersome to move around on land, it does end up helping you out in the rapids, which is what this board is made for. As far as rider weight is concerned, the stats say it can handle up to 250 lbs. Our friend Clint demonstrated that you can go above that but you will most likely loose some of the performance in whitewater. I weight in at 110 lbs so you can imagine how stable it was for me. 

So what do I have to to say about my time so far on the SUPerCHARGER? It's a freakin' blast!  I was able to go out in the water with ease - glide and turn quickly; yet still felt stable enough to do some Yoga poses on it.  I even took it through some small rapids, which the SUPerCHARGER barely even noticed. The board's ability to maneuver thru the water quickly will definitely be a plus when dodging rocks, finding lines and catching eddies.  Also, the padding is so comfortable to stand on, which was really nice when you are literally standing on your feet the whole time.  I loved this board.  I will say it does take some practice balancing; especially down some whitewater, but this board was made for that.  I think my husband has just lost his new toy, sorry sweetie.  I can't wait to take it out on some river adventures this spring. S.Y.O.T.R. 

Pros: 

- Very stable

- Very maneuverable

- Comfortable

- Durable

Cons: 

- Heavy

Click here to see more of our Jackson Kayak SUPerCHARGER coverage and check one out for youself over at JacksonKayak.com.