The Thurso Waterwalker 120 is an all-around iSUP for smaller paddlers or as a beginner surf sup for larger paddlers in small waves.
Thurso Waterwalker 120 iSUP Review – Overview
The Thurso Waterwalker 120 is the smallest in the brand’s all-around paddle board range. But rather than just shortening the board and calling it a day, Thurso has actually scaled their excellent Waterwalker board shape to create a paddle board that is truly designed for smaller paddlers.
The overall smaller size and lower weight is easier to handle off the water. The narrower width is easier to paddle with correct technique while the shape provides great stability for smaller paddlers. And the shorter length also makes the board easier to turn with less leverage.
— Thurso Waterwalker 120 iSUP Review – Ratings and Review Summary —
THURSO SURF Waterwalker 120
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Construction & Durability
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Features & Versatility
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Stability
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Speed
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Maneuverability
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Tracking
Summary
The Waterwalker 120 is an all-around board ideal for paddlers under 150 pounds.
Pros
- Lightweight construction allows the board to remain stiff while still being easy to carry and paddle
- Increased durability and longevity thanks to the welded rails
- Carbon fiber hybrid paddle is light and comfortable to use
- Standard fin boxes
- Electric pump option takes all the work out of getting ready for a day on the water
- Accessory storage bag keeps all of the small, but important, pieces together and easy to find
- High maneuverability and surfable shape
- 2 year warranty
Cons
- The new electric pump is a little bit slower than the old hand pump, but allows for hands-free inflation
- The small board size is limited to paddlers under 150 pounds, but can also be used more effectively for surfing than larger boards
Thurso Waterwalker 120 iSUP Review – Construction and Durability
Thurso Surf has updated the construction of the Waterwalker iSUPs making them lighter while still providing great performance and durability.
The Waterwalker 120 uses a heat-welded rail for increased durability.
The Thurso Waterwalker 120 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.
This year, Thurso has spec’d the Waterwalker 120 as a 4.7” thick board only.
The Waterwalker 120 has very little noticeable flex when standing and paddling normally, but it is more apparent when walking around and paddling faster.
In our 170 pound bed test the Waterwalker 120 bent 1.62” when inflated to its maximum 20 PSI. That is exactly on average in our test across all iSUPs, and is slightly better than average when comparing it to other 4.7” thick boards. At only 30” wide, I was actually quite surprised by how well the Waterwalker 120 did in this test.
There is significant flex while bouncing on the board, in large chop, or while paddling hard with lots of body movement.
At 220 pounds I am definitely beyond the recommended beginner rider weight for the Waterwalker 120 (150 pounds), but well under the listed maximum capacity of 260 lbs. I could feel the Waterwalker 120 flexing slightly while paddling normally, but not in any way that I felt impacted its performance.
Walking on the board, paddling hard and bouncing on the Waterwalker 120 created progressively more flex with each increase in intensity. During sprint paddling it was very apparent and was impacting the board performance for me (at well over the recommended rider weight).
Even with this weight discrepancy, I was still impressed with how the Waterwalker 120 handled for me on the water, and our lighter testers found it to feel more similar to the Waterwalker 126 and 132.
Thurso Waterwalker 120 iSUP Review – Specifications
Specifications
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 10' 0" |
| Width | 30.5“ |
| Thickness | 4.7“ |
| Weight | |
| Max Capacity | 260 pounds |
| Board Weight | 18.8 pounds |
| Kit Weight (SUP & accessories) | 28.5 pounds |
| Buying Info | |
| List Price | $599 |
| Warranty | 2 years |
| Returns period | 30 days |
Thurso Waterwalker 120 iSUP Review – Features, Accessories and Versatility
The Thurso Waterwalker 120 is an all-around board for smaller paddlers with a great set of features. It can also double as an entry-level longboard for larger paddlers surfing smaller waves.
The Thurso Waterwalker 120 is 10’ 0” long, 30.5” wide, and 4.7” thick. It has a maximum weight capacity of 260 lbs and a recommended rider weight of 150 lbs.
The Waterwalker’s nose has a wider, rounded shape for increased volume and stability.
There is an action camera mount (accepts standard GoPro-style “feet”) that also has a threaded insert for screw-in accessories.
The front cargo area is fairly large and uses adjustable flat elastic straps across three pairs of D-rings. There’s plenty of room for medium to large size dry bags and larger items can easily be tied down to the D-rings.
The Waterwalker 120 is compatible with kayak seat attachments with four D-rings around the center of the board.
There are two threaded mounts near the front of the deck pad for phone holders, cameras, and other small accessories.
Each side of the board also has two velcro paddle holders. These can be used to hold a spare paddle, kayak paddle conversion, fishing rods, or other similar items.
The main section of the EVA foam deck pad is logo-embossed and grooved for excellent traction and comfort. There are three padded carrying handles on the board as well (nose, center, tail).
At the tail of the board you’ll find the inflation valve, leash D-ring, and a smaller cargo area with two elastic straps threaded through four D-rings.
The tail is medium sized with a square shape. Square tails provide more stability than rounded or pin tail shapes.
Under the tail of the board there is one US fin box for the center fin and two standard two-tab fin boxes for the smaller side fins.
The Waterwalker 120 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.
The Waterwalker 120 kit comes with an electric pump rather than a hand pump
The Waterwalker 120 is available as a complete kit, shown here with the double-chamber hand pump.
Thurso is offering the Waterwalker 120 in two different ways. First, you can purchase it 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 120 Package. In that kit you’ll get:
- Waterwalker 120 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 number and variety of features and accessories on the Waterwalker 120 make it a true all-around paddle board that is capable of just about everything you can think of from fishing to surfing, though its size does limit its overall capacity.
Thurso Waterwalker 120 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 carbon fiber paddle has a large, fiber-reinforced nylon blade and rubberized T-grip handle.
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.
The paddle is a little large and heavy for most paddlers who will like the smaller size of the Waterwalker 120. Thurso does make the hybrid paddle compatible with the Carbon Elite paddle blade. This is a slightly smaller blade size and noticeably lighter – a worthwhile upgrade for anyone, but particularly smaller paddlers.
Thurso Waterwalker 120 iSUP Review – Stability
The Waterwalker 120 is 30.5” wide at its midpoint, but has a parallel shape and generous nose and tail for increased stability.
The Waterwalker 120 offers good stability for its size, though is difficult for larger paddlers to use easily.
Thurso has really nailed the shape for an all-around paddle board with their Waterwalker series. By fully scaling the design – not just the length – their progressive sizing options allow everyone to find a board that fits them and works well regardless of their size.
The Waterwalker 120 is a small board, and is only available in the 4.7” thickness. This limits its capacity and stability for larger paddlers. At 220 pounds, I’m well beyond the paddler size this board was designed for, but it still works for me as an advanced paddler. From my perspective, the stability of the board was low and it felt quite twitchy, but because the shape is maintained while the size is scaled, we know that this is actually a stable board for smaller paddlers.
I found the Waterwalker 120 to be a little twitchy for my own use, but the scaled design lends great stability for smaller paddlers.
Our rating system is developed for universal use – comparing pretty much all the boards we test to each other. So while the Waterwalker 120 didn’t receive high marks in our universal rating for stability, paddlers under 150 pounds can expect to have the same level of stability performance (about 4.3 / 5) as the Waterwalker 132 for larger paddlers like myself.
Thurso Waterwalker 120 iSUP Review – Speed
The Waterwalker 120 is lively on the water, but its shorter length doesn’t lend itself to higher speeds.
The Waterwalker 120 offers decent speed performance for its size, but won’t keep up with longer boards.
Speed is impacted by a lot of factors on a paddle board. Width, length, and rigidity all play a part (as do the paddle and paddler!). While I didn’t have any real issues paddling the Waterwalker 120 quickly, the size mismatch between myself and the board wasn’t doing us any favors.
In our sprinting tests, I was able to sustain a speed of 4.6 MPH while paddling at 75 strokes per minute. With no limit on cadence, I was able to hit 5.3 MPH for a very brief moment. For a board this size, that is right about what I expected. It’s not particularly fast, but it’s also not terribly slow. I did feel a lot of flex while sprinting, and I could feel it impacting the board’s speed and tracking performance, but a smaller paddler won’t have the same issue.
At cruising speeds, I kept an average speed of 3.4 MPH at 25 strokes per minute. That’s a decent speed for a very casual paddling cadence. I did measure a lower gliding performance with the Watewalker 120 compared to its bigger siblings, though. One paddle stroke from a cruising pace only moved me about 17 feet before I could feel the board slow down – or about 1.7 board lengths. That’s not a bad result by any means, but the shorter waterline and slightly more flex for me makes the Waterwalker 120 not quite as efficient.
Smaller paddlers will be able to squeeze out some faster speeds as they won’t be flexing the board as much while paddling. But this is more of a cruiser/all-around rather than a touring hybrid (like the Expedition 138), so top speed isn’t as critical to begin with.
Thurso Waterwalker 120 iSUP Review – Maneuverability and Tracking
The Watewalker 120 is quite easy to maneuver, even with all three fins installed, but the downside is a lower tracking performance.
The Waterwalker 120 is quick to turn even with basic strokes.
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 120.
Even with all three of the fins installed, the Waterwalker 120 was extremely easy to turn with basic paddle strokes. Forward sweeps (paddling in an arc from nose to tail) spun the Waterwalker 120 in a full circle with just under 5.5 strokes on average. Reverse sweep strokes (paddling in an arc from tail to nose) moves around the same full-circle turn in just 3.5 strokes.
I did have some difficulty with pivot-turning the Waterwalker 120, but this, once again, comes down to the size mismatch between me and this board. The reduced size and volume made the Waterwalker 120 feel very squirrely and uncomfortable for me to stand on the tail and turn. But I do have to stress – this board is not made for me! The scaled-up versions of the Waterwalker 126 and 132 both feel great for me, so I have no doubt of the same level of performance for smaller paddlers.
That high maneuverability and versatile fin setup also make this board a good choice for a beginner SUP surfer learning on smaller waves. There’s not quite enough rocker for handling larger surf, but on those knee-to-hip high waves most people learn on, it will handle fine as you learn the basics.
The Waterwalker 120 does struggle to track easily, even with all three fins.
In our tracking test, the Waterwalker 120 struggled to keep up with its larger versions. After 10 paddle strokes on a single side, the Waterwalker 120 was an average of 20° off course. That’s on the low side of tracking performance for an all-around board, but makes sense when you take into account the board’s maneuverability and overall length.
The US and Dual-Tab fin boxes of the Waterwalker 120 give you nearly unlimited possibilities for fin setups.
The Waterwalker 120 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.
If you do want a bit more tracking performance, I would recommend using a touring-style fin in the center fin box for a bit of additional surface area under the board. While it won’t turn the Waterwalker 120 into a touring board, it will help you paddle a bit straighter.
Thurso Waterwalker 120 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 120 iSUP Review – Final Thoughts
The Waterwalker 120 is a great all-around board for smaller paddlers.
The Waterwalker 120 is a great all-around inflatable paddle board for paddlers within the recommended weight range (up to 150 lbs). The shape is versatile and comfortable, and the board has a full set of features and fittings for all sorts of activities.
Larger paddlers should size up to the Waterwalker 126 for up to 180 pounds, or the Waterwalker 132 for up to 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 iSUP surfers, the Waterwalker 1206 provides a fantastic value and is really fun to paddle.
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