Travel and Paddle with Bluefin’s Best Inflatable SUP!

Sitting on the shores and watching others enjoy the water absolutely SUCKS!!! What’s worse, taking a trip into the backcountry and not being able to bring your hardboard, canoe or kayak because you don’t have a rack or the vehicle is too small and now you, your family and your pet are bored. No worries, we have the perfect solution to help curb the boredom and get you out on the water and enjoying what nature has to offer, it’s called and inflatable SUP!

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The Bluefin Cruise Inflatable SUP 10′ 8 is the perfect companion to realize your floating dreams. Being an inflatable SUP (stand-up paddleboard) aka ISUP, it can transform from a simple paddleboard to a kayak, enabling access to greater water adventures. Made for beginner paddle boarders, the Bluefin Cruise offers excellent stability and is a solid board. Best of all, the deflated board is the perfect travel size to carry through the woods or pack into your vehicle of choice. I say choice because we like to throw ours into the side by side to access water bodies off the ATV trails. Within the Bluefin Cruise 10’8 review, we’ll address the features that make this one of the coolest SUPs money can buy. 

Why Choose the Cruise Inflatable SUP?

Bluefin SUP is a company based in the UK. They set up shop in 2013 but didn’t actually release their first board, the Cruise, until 2018. That’s 5 years later, and it speaks volumes about the painstaking process they took. This means you are looking at one serious board from a brand that means business!

Since then, Bluefin has sold over 50,000 units of their flagship Cruise board. The juicy part is they have over 5,000 five-star reviews!! They claim it’s as stiff as hard paddle boards, which would set this leagues apart from other inflatable SUPs. We have spent the last few months testing Bluefin’s inflatable paddleboard and comparing it to our Akona hardboard SUP.

Bluefin SUP Cruise 10′ 8″ Specs

Specs can be pretty boring, but today, they’re more like features. The attributes here are interesting, and it’s what makes this a very special board.

Pressure

First and foremost, when talking about anything inflatable, pressure is one of the first things that comes to mind. The more pressure you put into an inflatable, the stiffer it becomes. This is always a desirable quality, especially in something like a “board” where stiffness is king. After all, the aim is to compete with a regular paddle board, and that’s a tall order.

Bluefin claims most of the cheaper inflatable boards inflate to 12-15 PSI (pounds per square inch). A quick search online confirms a popular range of 15-18 PSI, as is the recommended pressure here. The Bluefin Cruise however, is designed to inflate to a whopping 28 PSI!!! We never took it that far, our testing was at 17 PSI and it’s stiff as a hardboard.

Overinflating anything inflatable can lead to catastrophic failure, including this board. That wouldn’t be very pleasant in the middle of a lake – if you are unlucky enough to get that far. The fact that it’s rated for around twice the pressure of its competitors speaks volumes about the high-quality materials used and craftsmanship in the Bluefin Cruise.

Material & Stitching

Speaking of quality materials, let’s actually cover the subject. As Bluefin states: “Military grade PVC construction and thermostatic croco-diamond deckpad. Super reinforced composite drop-stitch and UV resistant HQ coating.”

If you think PVC, think of a flexible polymer of plastic. Everything here is marine grade and, of course, a very beefy version of PVC. We’ll pretty much leave materials at that but not skip over the UV coating portion. Any fabric or plastic that spends time in the sun will eventually disintegrate – trust me, I’ve learned that the hard way. So, a UV coating here is another good sign.

Lastly, our family has an extra member who loves tagging along for a ride anytime the paddle board sees use. That family member is our little Maltese dog, and it’s generally a funny sight. He’s our little SUP PUP! We can confirm he left not so much as a scratch on the deck pad of the Bluefin inflatable paddle board, even after several trips.

D-Rings

Are you seriously reading about D-rings? Yes, and you should because these are reflective! If you have ever boated in fog, low light or dark conditions, you’ll know that every item that makes you more visible on the water is a good thing.

I live on a lake full time, often seeing swimmers crossing who are smart enough to have a canoe, kayak, or something larger accompany them – so they DON’T GET HIT BY A BOAT!! In general, water sports have rules or guidelines that the average consumer might not realize – something that is monumentally important. It’s pleasing to see that manufacturers like Bluefin are incorporating these features.

But these D-rings serve a much bigger purpose. Check out the next feature!

Kayak Conversion Kit

Wait what??? Really??? Yes, you read that right! The Cruise 10′ 8″ in a Legacy Blue colour, and that model only, comes with a kayak conversion kit – right in the box! That’s pretty sweet. I don’t know about you, but I’ve NEVER seen a SUP be anything other than an SUP or “stand up” board.

My wife can take this board and do her stand-up paddle thing, which she loves, as do millions of people. As for me, I can take this board and toss a kayak seat on that connects to 4 D-ring attachment points. Transforming a paddleboard into a sit-on-top kayak! That means comfortably sitting on my backside, cruising or fishing off it. Now that’s pretty cool.

The SUP as we know it, is no longer confined to being a one-trick pony.

Webbing

The Cruise also has webbing or stretchy tie-downs for extra gear, such as a waterproof duffel bag, dry bags, lunch box, thermos or water bottle, and life jacket. I don’t care what you are doing on the water – you will take something with you! That’s already thought out and provisioned on this inflatable paddleboard.

Size and Weight

We already know we are dealing with a 10′ 8″ board. More specifically, the board is 325 cm long x 82 cm wide and 16 cm thick. Converted to imperial, that means 10′ 8″ x 32.3″ x 6.3″. Looking at the 32-inch width, it’s almost 3 feet wide, providing great stability and lots of room on the board.

Weight is 11.2 kg, meaning a nice even 30 pounds. Yes, it’s a little bit heavy. But that’s unavoidable if you’re going to use some beefy materials. Weight, however, is very subjective as this Bluefin paddle board is lighter than our hardboard! And testing by a 12-year-old proves he can easily carry the ISUP, while he struggles with the hardboard.

Before we move on, there’s one more number to review – 330 pounds. Weight capacity here means user weight. Frankly, these numbers are incredible. We just sold a 12′ tin boat rated for a 10 HP motor. But that boat has a capacity of 500 lb and you need to minus out the motor weight. When a paddleboard can effectively carry as much weight as a boat, that’s insanely impressive!!

Mount

As a blogger, THE MOUNT, by far, has to be one of my favourite features of the board. The mounts are on top of the board and is a placeholder for your CAMERA. How wild is that!! You can safely record all your water adventures without worry.

See the photo below in the next section. All three of the gray circles include threaded camera mounts in them.

What’s in the Box?

One last section before we get on with our actual test of the board. Ordering the Cruise doesn’t just buy you an ISUP rather it’s a very well-thought-out kit covering EVERYTHING you need!

Cut and paste from Bluefin’s site are the included accessories to the Cruise inflatable paddleboard:

We won’t get into too many details as it’s pretty self-explanatory. For those with zero to very little water experience, the ankle leash is there so your board doesn’t get away from you should you fall – and that can be a serious problem for a poor swimmer on a windy day.

Another quick clarification are the fins, which help with tracking and stability. Note that “smartlock” means removable, greatly enhancing the foldability of the board for storage and transport.

Unboxing

Watch our unboxing video to see what all the components above look like.

Real Word Testing of the Cruise

With all the fluff and technical speak out of the way, we can finally get to the really good stuff!

Getting There

An ISUP is useless without water:) The Bluefin Cruise Inflatable comes with an amazing backpack for storage and transport. It’s beefy and made of robust materials. With most products, the storage bag (if you even get one) is usually an afterthought. It’s quite the opposite here.

Everything needed to assemble, inflate and operate the Cruise inflatable SUP fits right in the Bluefin rucksack. Even if you live in an apartment and own a small car like a Honda Civic, you’ll be fine. We loaded, unloaded and lugged the Cruise around in its respective backpack and confirmed it stows and unstows with ease. 

For someone like myself living on a lake, it’s still a dream come true to have this level of portability. Unlike a hardboard, it can get you into backcountry lakes with ease! It’s as simple as tossing the bag into a side-by-side and hitting the trail to some uninhabited backcountry lake in what is the middle of nowhere!

Inflatable SUP Assembly

Putting it all together is really easy. Even a beginner or non-nautical won’t need to read the manual. The SUP is laid flat, and the pump connection is pretty self-explanatory. Next is pumping, which we’ll talk about in a minute.

With the board inflated to spec, all that is left to deal with is the adjustable paddle. The paddle is configurable as a single paddle (for SUP use) or a kayak paddle with blades on both ends. Locking tabs hold the paddle together, and there is some adjustability for length, which is perfect.

If kayaking, it’s a matter of tossing on the kayak seat and connecting it to the 4 D-rings. Assembly is that simple!

Pumping

Here’s the not-so-pretty part. Pumping does take a little while and a lot of effort! In all honesty, my son pumped until he got tired, and my wife took over. I finished since she was going out to use the board and didn’t want to tire herself.

Pumping the board is done in a bent-over rowing motion. For anyone who isn’t super fit, it is possible to tire yourself out before even hitting the water.

A simple solution is to add some time to take a break. Ie. Arrive on location, pump your board, and take a little break before hitting the water. Or even better, buy an electric pump from Bluefin. It’s probably worth every penny. Save the hand pump as a backup.

Rigidity

We inflated the Cruise to 17 psi as no one felt like pumping anymore. But by then, the board was harder than hard. Getting it on the water for the first time was interesting. There was only very little flex going on towards the front of the board as it took waves. You would have to look carefully to notice, and it would have to be someone watching from shore to spot it. For beginner paddlers, intermediate paddlers and so on, the Cruise is a great choice in terms of rigidity. And yes, it is indeed comparable to a hardboard. 

The irony is that as rigid as the board became, the feet always enjoyed a plush deck surface. The feedback from anyone who took the board out loved how soft and comfortable it was on the feet and toes, compared to a hardboard, where occasionally your toes go numb.

Stability

We put the Cruise through its paces on the May 24 long weekend. Anyone who knows anything about Canada knows this is one of the busiest weekends in terms of boat traffic. Even with the non-stop barrage of waves coming from the endless frenzy of boats whizzing by, no one fell off the ISUP. 

Our hardboard is admittedly slightly more stable. But it is a different shape and size than the Cruise. It’s not a fair comparison. Bluefin sells an array of boards in various shapes and sizes tailored to your needs, paddling style and abilities. All in all, though, the slight hit in stability is worth it, considering the portability and gain of kayak conversion. With the tri-fins in place, the board is a bit on the slower side. However, a smaller board with an extra wide profile does make it the perfect choice for touring or beginners looking to master maneuverability techniques. The fins help with traction. However, if you remove them, it seems to help with picking up speed, but you lose out on traction. Removal of the fins is made simple with its smartlock system. For a bit more speed, or if you’re taller (6′ range), I recommend going with the 12′ iSUP. 

I must admit that I’ve taken a break from paddling, laid down on the board and allowed myself to be blown by the wind and truth be told, despite the waves, the board was stable and super comfortable. So much so, that I almost snoozed my way down the lake. 

Note: Before going out on your first paddle with the Bluefin fibreglass paddle, make sure that you tighten the screw on the locking tabs, or you’ll find yourself fighting your paddle while paddling.

Kayak Mode!

The Cruise Inflatable SUP surprisingly makes for an awesome kayak. First off, I’m 6′ 2″ tall or, rather consider myself “a big guy” – yet I feel a little dwarfed sitting on the Cruise. There is plenty of room, comfort and stability. Yes, stability! The Cruise in kayak mode instills oodles of confidence.

In terms of maneuverability and speed, the Cruise performs quite well. In fact, it’s faster than anything I have ever paddled, perhaps in light of its tiny draft. The inflatable SUP responds immediately to each stroke and turns on a dime. It even went through lilly pads and heavy weed cover with ease, which can often act like brakes on the water.

If there is any con as a kayak, it’s options to change or add a function. You’re sitting on a board with a piece of fabric as a seat. It kayaks very well if that’s what you are looking for. But for let’s say fishing, you cannot add a rod holder, motor, tackle storage and so on. In fairness, a stand-up paddle board is minimalist by definition. In kayak mode, we need to remember that and expect the same here. However, I must admit when in backcountry with limited gear, having the option to transform one board into a kayak is incredible! From standing to sitting to lying to fishing, you have several options with one board.

Looks

Yes, looks really do matter! I don’t care who you are – if you are handing over hard-earned cash for something, you should LOVE how something looks and feels, not just functions. In fact, you should be proud of your new purchase. The Cruise is a nice-looking board, top, bottom and even sides. It won’t go anywhere unnoticed, and the blue is stunning.

Looks can inherently have some safety features as well. I spotted this board from a fair distance as it glided across the lake with its “special cargo,” ie. my family. If I can see it, so can boaters, and that’s a blessing.

What If You Leave the Cruise Inflated?

Like your car tires, anything inflated can fluctuate in pressure as the temperature changes. We have an annoying water trampoline – it firms up with the daytime sun and goes soft overnight and into the morning. And as you guessed, that’s not very bouncy. Nor could it be inflated further, as the daytime pressures would exceed safe levels, potentially causing severe damage.

We inflated the Cruise in the sun and left it out during the hot sunny days, and the cold rainy ones. Surprisingly, it was just as hard no matter what, even when the prior overnight temp was single digits. In other words, once inflated, you are good to go indefinitely. Our board has been inflated for a while now with zero fluctuation in rigidity and no leaks whatsoever.

Brand-new inflatables also have a stretch syndrome. As the new material stretches, it gets bigger. When it gets bigger, it has more air volume. What ends up suffering in the process is air pressure. This rather annoying quality can happen over multiple fills. I am happy to report that even on its first fill, the Cruise has ZERO stretch and has maintained pressure for an entire month!! Frankly, it’s outstanding and far superior to any inflatable product we have ever used.

Deflating and Packing

Deflating the Cruise is the polar opposite of inflating. I found simply connecting the pump to the board and unscrewing the hose on the pump side makes for a rapid deflate. Then by folding the Cruise with hose attached (as it keeps the valve open), pushes most of the air out fairly effortlessly.

Folding the Cruise up is also easy and it straps neatly into the provided backpack. Same for all the other accessories. It really doesn’t take long to breakdown and pack up.

If there is any complaint, once you load up the back pack it is a bit on the heavy side. Yes, the pack is comfy and designed right. And yes there is even a hip strap which helps carry the weight. Bluefin has done there part to make the experience as good as it gets. But at the end of the day, it’s a pretty heavy pack once loaded. Our tip is park as close as you can to your destination, or offload, park and come back. As you won’t be hiking the pack for long distances so to speak.

Cleaning

We left the Cruise outdoors for a month. It saw repeated use, of course, but otherwise sat on its side (on the ground), leaning against a tree. Naturally, it got dirty. So, how does it clean up?

We washed it the way we wash most items, drop it in the lake and wipe it with a rag. With no chemicals, 95% of the dirt came right off. The body cleans up easily with a little wipe or, if needed, light scrubbing. The croco-diamond deckpad is where you’ll need more elbow grease or mild soap. The texture, by nature, has anti-slip properties, which makes cleaning a bit harder. All in all, no complaints.

Inflatable SUP Comparison

The Verdict

As a reviewer, “trade-offs” are words that always come to mind. No one product generally does it all, at least not well. The problem is one attribute that is good for something, hinders something else.

The trade-offs here boil down to being inflatable. Can an inflatable stack up to what the real deal does? It is my belief to be a big yes, and I would wholeheartedly recommend the Bluefin Cruise 10’8 SUP. Even if you buy it with the intent of inflating and portability, but never get around to it, you’ll always have something that can beat a hardboard.

While pumping is a real PITA (and we highly suggest buying an electric pump to solve that), the result is a really nice inflatable SUP. Bluefin has worked some serious magic to make the “trade-offs” not a matter of sacrificing one thing for another. Rather, it’s just overcoming the inconvenience of pumping to get a product JUST AS GOOD as the real deal, only way more portable and stowable. It’s hard to imagine a better product out there, and we wholeheartedly recommend the Bluefin Cruise Inflatable SUP package. Plus, it comes with a 5-year warranty!

Disclosure

Our integrity is our future, and every BushLife review is based on real-world testing and use. In each review, we provide facts in addition to making every effort to put forward the honest opinions of our reviewers, at the time of writing.

Bluefin SUP graciously provided the Cruise Inflatable SUP at no charge to us. We thank Bluefin for valuing our opinions and trusting us to review their product. Links to products from our site provide a small affiliate commission to us at no charge to you. We really appreciate you supporting our blog by using our links. You can also support us by following us on social media and subscribing to our newsletter.

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