Dec 06 2011
NRS Big Earl Stand Up Board Review.
The Big Earl is a great inflatable board! It has everything you need in an inflatable.
- Very stable design
- Removable skegs
- Extremely Rigid
- Bombproof pump and carrying bag
- Great price…$995
We took our SUPs to the Little TN river. It was a medium flow with plenty of technical class 2 rapids. Lake levels were down so we were able to paddle the narrows which added 3 more class 2+ rapids.
I removed the skegs knowing that the river was shallow. The Big Earl handles just fine without the fins. It turns well, grabs eddies and you don’t have the fear of getting superman’ed off the board in the shallows.
I was able to strap my Watershed drybag to the front tiedowns and there were no problems. This board was designed to haul your gear. It is wide and stable allowing you to take gear and not lose stability.
I love the weight of inflatable SUP’s! At 29 lbs you can take this board anywhere.
I filled the board to 15psi and it was perfect for warm water and a 60 degree day. That was 2 weeks ago and the board is still inflated. It hasn’t lost any pressure.
If you are looking for an economical and rugged inflatable SUP, look no further. This board from NRS will do the trick.
I haven’t tried it on anything above class 3, but I’m looking forward to paddling it down some great rivers in Mexico this year.
You can find the NRS Big Earl at:
http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp?pfid=1854&pdeptid=2363
and
http://www.coloradokayak.com/NRS-Big-Earl-Package.html?sc=26&category=37836
All photos courtesy of www.adriftimages.com
Have a great winter everyone!
See you on the water!
Aaron