Thurso Waterwalker 126 – 6” and 4.7” iSUPs Reviewed and Compared | 2025

Thurso Waterwalker 126 iSUP Review – Overview

The Thurso Waterwalker 126 is a highly-versatile all-around inflatable paddle board designed for smaller paddlers. With a recommended maximum rider weight of 180 lbs for beginners and a total capacity of 300 lbs, the Waterwalker 126 blends a right-size board for smaller paddlers with the capability of a larger iSUP. The new 4.7” version of the Waterwalker 126 is an even sportier version, but with a reduced overall capacity.

For this updated review we are focusing primarily on the new 4.7” version, however the 6” version retains the same build, features, and much of the same performance.

— Thurso Waterwalker 126 iSUP Review – Ratings and Review Summary —

Thurso Waterwalker 126 iSUP Review – Construction and Durability

Thurso Surf has updated the construction of the Waterwalker 126 for this year to make it lighter while still providing great performance and durability.

The Thurso Waterwalker 126 uses a woven fabric base layer with a cross-woven drop stitch core. The drop stitch yarns sewn between the two fabric base layers in an ‘X’ pattern to improve rigidity, reduce weight, and set the thickness of the board and give it its flat shape once inflated.

The outer shell of the board is made of a dual-layer fusion PVC material that uses heat and pressure to fuse two layers of PVC together into one (versus hand gluing between layers of material). This lightens the board, reduces cosmetic errors, and still maintains great rigidity and performance.

The top and bottom layers are then joined together around the side of the board with a band of PVC material heat-welded to the deck and hull. This inner rail band finishes the air tight chamber of the board and the welding process creates a permanent mechanical bond that is more durable and heat-resistant than a glued seam. Another layer of PVC is wrapped around the rail of the board to completely cover the first to protect it and provide additional rigidity.

Lastly two strips of PVC material are glued over the top and bottom edges of the outer rail band to help further protect the board. Finally all of the other components of the board (deck pad, D-rings, etc.) are glued in place.

Thurso is now offering the Waterwalker 126 in a standard 6” thickness and a 4.7” thickness, both using the same construction and materials with the length of the drop stitched yarns being the only difference. Both boards have a 20 PSI pressure rating and weigh nearly the same at just over 20 pounds for the board only. The photos in this review are of the new 4.7” version only.

We put the Waterwalker on the saw horses for our static bend test. With a 170 lbs load, the 4.7” Waterwalker 126 bent 1.73” when inflated to its maximum 20 PSI. That is about ⅛” more than our current running average across all iSUPs, but is nearly spot-on average when only comparing it to other 4.7” thick boards. At only 31” wide, I wasn’t surprised that the Waterwalker 126 has a little more flex than it’s bigger brother the Waterwalker 132 (32.5”), but I was hoping for a little more rigidity in our dry land test.

While it is a fun comparison, it’s not the most important rigidity test – that happens on the water.

At 220 pounds I am over the recommended rider weight for beginner paddlers for the Waterwalker 126 of 180 lbs, but I am well under the maximum capacity of 240 lbs for the 4.7” version. The 6” version has a 300 lbs maximum weight capacity. Even with that weight difference, the Waterwalker 126 felt very rigid while standing on the board and paddling normally. I did notice some flex while paddling hard for the sprint test, though.

While bouncing up and down on the Waterwalker 126 there was some moderate flex, but with a very clean rebound that was smooth and short-lived once I stopped bouncing.

The 6” version of the Waterwalker 126 is more rigid than the 4.7” version and has less flex when paddling hard or bouncing, but with a springier rebound. And even though the listed maximum weight capacity of the 4.7” Waterwalker 126 is quite low, I feel that it is definitely a “performance” maximum rather than an evenly-loaded total maximum capacity.

Overall I’m very pleased with the new Thurso construction and how rigid the Waterwalker 126 feels on the water.

Specifications

Thurso Waterwalker 126-12cm/4.7” iSUP — Specifications

	Dimensions
	Length	10’ 6”
	Width	31”
	Thickness	4.7"
	Weight
	Max Capacity	250 lbs
	Board Weight	20.2 lbs
	Kit Weight	NA
	Buying Info
	List Price	$449.99 (Board Only)
	Warranty Period	2 Years
	Returns Period	30 Days

Thurso Waterwalker 126 iSUP Review – Features, Accessories and Versatility

The Thurso Waterwalker 126 iSUP is a versatile all-around board that’s great for smaller and average size paddlers looking for a nimble paddle board that can easily carry everything they need for a day on the water.

The Waterwalker 126 now comes with an electric pump included in the kit rather than a hand pump. This new internal-battery-powered pump makes the job of inflating your board hands-free, though it is slower than using a double-chamber hand pump. The quick-connect hoses are simple to use, though you do want to make sure they aren’t twisted where they can accidentally come off during use.

Thurso is offering the Waterwalker 126 in two different ways. First, you can purchase either the 6” or 4.7” version as a “board only” kit. This does include the fins, leash, and small accessory pouch/repair kit. You can add on any other accessories (pumps, paddles, and bags) at a discounted rate when buying the “board only” option.

Alternatively, you can purchase a full Waterwalker 126 kit, but only with the 6” thick board. In that kit you’ll get:

• Waterwalker 126-6” iSUP
• 3-piece carbon fiber/nylon paddle
• 1-9” fin and 2-4.5” fins
• Color-matched coiled leash
• Accessory bag/repair kit
• Electric pump with internal battery
• Wheeled SUP backpack

The Waterwalker 126-4.7” is available in turquoise only, but the 6” version is available in turquoise, orange, and blue.

Thurso Waterwalker 126 iSUP Review – Paddle

The thurso carbon fiber/nylon paddle is a great blend of materials and design for easy cruising, long distance, and even putting down some power for a faster workout session.

The Thurso hybrid paddle uses a carbon fiber shaft and fiber-reinforced nylon blade to create a lightweight, durable, and comfortable paddle. The blade is medium-sized with a slight angle and scoop shape. The fiber-reinforced nylon material is impact resistant and has a moderate amount of flex to help soften your paddle stroke for greater comfort while paddling.

The carbon fiber shaft is relatively lightweight and has the same attachment mechanisms on each side, so it does not matter which end you use with the blade or the handle, and you can easily swap the handle for another blade to use as a kayak paddle.

The handle section is also made of carbon fiber and has a length scale for easy setup. However, it does not have any indexing measures so you will need to manually adjust the handle to make sure it is in line with the paddle blade after each length adjustment.

The grip is a unique T-grip with a rubberized outer coating. This combination of shape and coating gives you a very secure feel when holding the paddle and, when properly aligned, gives you a tactile indication of how your paddle blade is aligned without needing to look.

Thurso Waterwalker 126 iSUP Review – Stability

The Waterwalker 126 is only 31” wide at its midpoint, but has a parallel shape and generous nose and tail for increased stability.

Thurso’s shape for the Waterwalker series is, in my opinion, spot-on for an all-around / cruiser style board. The rounded nose and square tail allow for plenty of volume and capacity and help increase the overall stability of the board. It’s comfortable and confidence-inspiring when standing and paddling normally, and it easily balances when tilted on its edge.

The new 4.7” version of the Waterwalker 126 shares the same size and outline of the traditional 6” version, but lowers your center of gravity and, for many paddlers, improves your overall stability. There are two potential downsides, though. The first is for heavier paddlers (myself included). The thinner profile does flex more than the thicker version, and that extra flex can reduce overall stability and comfort on the board, especially for newer paddlers. The second is that the lower profile is easier to “catch the rail” in the water when it does tilt to the side.

Rather than staying at or above the surface of the water like the 6” version, tilting the board can sometimes dip the rail beneath the surface and cause the board to hold, or “catch” under the water for a moment instead of smoothly rocking back flat. Or it can cause the board to dig into the water further if you are turning in that direction at the time. Both of these can throw off your balance, but it is also something that doesn’t take too long to adjust for.

Newer paddlers will experience this “catching” sensation more, but intermediate and advanced paddlers can actually use that to their advantage when playing on the water.

While walking around on the board I can feel that that 4.7” version flexes more than the 6” version, but not so much that it creates a significant difference in stability. But, when walking to the tail for a pivot turn, the difference in volume is very noticeable. The 4.7” Waterwalker 126 does not have as much volume in the tail and will sink far quicker as you put your weight back.

But, overall, I really like the 4.7” Waterwalker 126. I think it’s a fun, sporty all-around board that is stable when you want it to be, but can keep you on your toes as you develop your skills and play around on the water.

Thurso Waterwalker 126 iSUP Review – Speed

Most all-around iSUPs are designed to be cruisers – easy paddling at low speeds. The Waterwalker 126 offers that plus the ability to get up and go when you want it to.

We break our speed testing into four categories. First up are the sprinting speeds and top speeds. Here we find out how fast we can maintain a short distance sprint and what absolutely peak speed we can reach. With the 6” Waterwalker 126, I was able to sustain sprinting speeds around 5.2 MPH. That’s pretty typical for an all-around iSUP of this length. But I was also able to crank up the speed to a maximum 5.6 MPH, which is definitely on the high-side for boards of this size. While those are fun numbers to achieve and test for, they are definitely the fringe usage for this paddle board.

However, the 4.7” Waterwalker 126 takes a hit at these higher speeds because of its increased flex. In a sustained sprint, I was only able to paddle about 4.8 MPH with a maximum top speed of just 5.3 MPH. As I picked up the pace and energy during the sprint, the board flexed more, pressing down into the water rather than gliding across the surface.

The next part of our speed testing is cruising speed and efficiency. These are what most paddlers are (or should be) more concerned with unless you are interested in getting into SUP racing. Here we test the cruising speed by paddling at a set, moderate, cadence of 25 strokes per minute. This is basically a casually-continuous paddling rate with a slight pause between each stroke. The 6” Waterwalker 126 really surprised me with an average cruising speed of 3.7 MPH. That’s quite high for an all-around iSUP of this size (typically 3.3-3.5 MPH). The 4.7” Waterwalker was very close with an average speed of 3.6 MPH and no performance-altering bend.

Coming in with another pleasant surprise is the Waterwalker 126’s gliding efficiency. With each paddle stroke, both the 6” and 4.7” Waterwalker 126 travels an average of 19 feet before slowing down. That gives it a glide ratio of 1.8 board-lengths per stroke – once again very high for an all-around iSUP.

Overall the Waterwalker 126 is a very efficient paddleboard on the water and easy to paddle at moderate speeds. You can even crank up the speed for short periods of time to catch a wave or a friend with relative ease.

Thurso Waterwalker 126 iSUP Review – Maneuverability and Tracking

Besides the overall construction of the board, the biggest change for this year’s Waterwalker 126 is in the fin layout. This has made the Waterwalker 126 more maneuverable while still being easy to paddle straight. Both the 4.7 and 6” versions have similar maneuverability and tracking performance.

We test all of our iSUPs with “layman’s” setups – we use every piece the manufacturer includes with the SUP package. In this case that means using all three fins with the Waterwalker 126.

The previous version of the Waterwalker 126 was actually a bit hard to turn with all of the fins installed. But this year, that has changed along with the fin setup. Previously, the side fins were “toed in” – meaning they were angled to point toward the nose of the board rather than straight ahead. This year they are aligned straight with the board. They’ve also been brought slightly closer to the midline of the board.

Together this has made the Waterwalker 126 quite a bit easier to turn – needing about 6.25 forward sweep strokes to make a 360° turn from a standstill. That’s much better than the nearly 10 strokes it took the previous model. Using reverse sweep strokes will make the same full-circle turn in just 3.5 strokes. Both results are on the faster side of average for all-around iSUPs.

During our tracking test both the 4.7” and 6” Waterwalker 126 really surprised me with how well it did. Here we paddle toward a distant target, then once “on course” we take 10 paddle strokes on a single side and measure the heading of our new course using a compass. After 10 strokes on a side, the Waterwalker 126 managed to keep things tight by only changing an average of 12° from its original course. Once again that’s quite good for an all-around iSUP.

While paddling casually I found the Waterwalker 126 was easy to both keep heading in the right direction and easy to steer when I wanted it to. A simple forward sweep stroke or bow-draw effectively steers the board where you want it to go.

The Waterwalker 126 has a triple fin box (known as a 2+1 setup in the surf world) that uses standard US and Dual-Tab fin boxes and comes with a 9” all-around/surf-style center fin and two 4.5” side fins. The fin boxes are also positioned very far back on the tail of the board.

Though we did our official testing with all three fins, I did find that paddling with just the center fin alone helps better balance the tracking and maneuverability of the Waterwalker 126 on flat water. With the inclusion of standard fin boxes you can also swap out any of the fins for thousands of different options and setups to best suit your specific needs.

Thurso Waterwalker 126 iSUP Review – Warranty and Customer Support

Thurso Surf warranties their inflatable paddle boards for 2 years from the date of purchase. Additionally they also warranty the pump and bag for 1 year, and the leash and paddle for 60 days. If you do have any questions or concerns about your board, you can contact Thurso Surf through their website, via email, and on social media.

Thurso Waterwalker 126 iSUP Review – Final Thoughts

The Waterwalker 126 is a great all-around inflatable paddle board for paddlers within the recommended weight range (up to 180 lbs). Larger paddlers should size up to the Waterwalker 132 for up to 230 lbs, or the Thurso Max Multi-Purpose for newer paddlers over 230 lbs. The Waterwalker 126 is super versatile with a great set of built-in features, a great kit of accessories, and really good performance on the water. For smaller paddlers, or even beginner iSurfers, the Waterwalker 126 provides a fantastic value and is really fun to paddle.

The 4.7” version of the Waterwalker 126 does offer a bit more stability for paddlers under 180 pounds, but is a little slower when paddling long distances. However, that stability benefit is not as noticeable and may even be less stable for paddlers over 180 pounds. However, intermediate and advanced riders in the 180-220 weight range will appreciate the playful feel of this thinner board.