02 Retro 10'6" Inflatable SUP Package

I had a positive experience with Glide's customer service team. Thank you Kai for helping me pick out our Retro boards. The shipping was crazy fast. I was happy we got to try them out before taking them on our road trip. There is a strong plastic smell when unpacking them, we just let them air out on our porch. My partner got his inflated in about 4 minutes... took me double the time. We enjoyed paddling, relaxing and doing yoga on them. Brought a hard cooler out with no problem. Can't wait to take these all over. SO MUCH FUN! STURDY BOARDS!

This is my second Retro, good experience with the first that I bought for my son last year, decided to buy one for myself this year. Tried my new board this weekend, it was easy to inflate and comfortable to ride. My issue is with the paddle. It does the job but doesn't seem nearly as high quality as the board. I've used many higher quality paddles and wish that Glide had package choices that include a higher quality paddle That said, great board and be sure to carefully inspect all new equipment!

I love my Retro board! I did lots of research and talked to experienced paddleboarders before making this purchase. It is the perfect board for me! I take my board to all kinds of beautiful inland lakes in Northern Michigan and it's THE BEST! I can inflate it and deflate it and pack it up in minutes. It's super stable and has straps to bring my drinks, snacks and music. I've seen lots of wildlife including turtles, herons, eagles, beavers and muskrats. I'm looking forward to many more adventures! Thank you Glide for your excellent customer service! You all are wonderful to work with! Keep up the great work!!

I wasn’t sure what to expect from an inflatable board, but I was pleasantly surprised by how sturdy it is! It doesn’t feel like you’re standing on anything less than a rigid board in my opinion. The best advice I could give to anyone buying this is not to worry about puncturing it. Glide uses top level fusion technology to weather hard use. The inflatables come with repair kits in the event of a real problem, but you’d really have to go for it to do that kind of damage. It tracks nicely and handles well, easy to carry, and I love that it comes with a leash and a good paddle. All I had to buy separately was a PFD and I was ready to go. One thing that might be cool to add to the package is a small watertight pocket for a phone or sunglasses.

Previously owning only rigid boards, we bought a pair of Retros to fit our downsized life (smaller home, smaller garage, smaller yard).

Our first excursion was a four mile paddle down the Cocohatchee River in North Naples, FL to the gulf. What a BLAST.

This board checks all the boxes.

Convenience. Two boards fit nicely in the back seat or rear of a small SUV. (incidentally, I would dispute the claim that they can be taken on a plane as carry-on, as I don't think the dimensions comply).

Inflation. I used the included handpump and an electric pump I bought on Amazon. The handpump is faster (I preferred the single airflow direction choice) but a lot of work. The electric pump takes over 10 minutes but is effortless. The valve is easy to open and close.

Carrying. Much lighter than a hard board.

Rigidity. The Retro is plenty rigid at 15 and 16.5 psi. I quickly got used to the slight difference in feel compared to a rigid board, to the point where it felt normal.

Glide. Very good. Retro is not a racing board, but at 11'6" it moves forward nicely.

Tracking. Very good with the included long fin (maybe 9"). With no wind influence, I get 6-9 strokes per side before switching.

Paddle. A nice, light 3 piece carbon hybrid. My only suggestion is to make the lower collar a clamp, like the upper collar. There is no sweet spot that allows the blade section to slide into the mid section and still be tight enough to have no wiggle. The solution of carrying a small Phillips head, to loosen and tighten the collar, in the front pocket of the carry bag is easy enough. But I don't see any reason why that collar couldn't be a clamp.

Accessories. Use the front bungies for your dry bag and water bottle. Use the back bungies for your PFD. The bag that holds the fin, leash, valve tool and some other things doubles as a dry bag. Nice touch, Glide.

Carry bag. Sturdy and well endowed with cinch straps in all the right places. Wheels would be nice, but of course would result in a more expensive product.

Deflation. Fast with either the hand or electric pump.

Overall. We had a thoroughly enjoyable paddle with these. There is no appreciable on-water difference compared to our rigid boards. Of course there is a trade-off between weight, small storage footprint and portability on the one hand and time from car to shore and shore to car on the other.