Thurso Waterwalker 132 – 6” and 4.7” iSUP Review and Comparison – A Jack of All Trades | 2025

Thurso Waterwalker 132 iSUP Review — Overview

Thurso has refreshed their classic all-around Waterwalker iSUP series this year with updated construction, features, kit builder, and a brand new 4.7”/12cm thick version! In this review we’ll go over the new Waterwalker 132’s build and performance as well as explore the differences between the standard 6” thick Waterwalker 132-15 and the new 4.7” Waterwalker 132-12.

Throughout this review you’ll see images of both the 6” and 4.7” versions. The 6” version is a darker blue and I’m wearing a green shirt. The 4.7” version is a turquoise color and I’m wearing a blue shirt.

With a stable shape and great performance (and now two sizes), the Waterwalker 132 makes an excellent choice for an all-around paddle board for just about any paddler. Thurso also makes the Waterwalker in a few other sizes that are not just shorter, but scaled down, for a more custom fit for smaller paddlers and even kids – the 10’6 Waterwalker 126 and the 10’ Waterwalker 120.

— Thurso Waterwalker 132 Ratings and Review Summary —

Thurso Waterwalker 132 iSUP Review — Construction and Durability

This year Thurso has updated their Waterwalker series boards both in their construction and in their size offerings.

One of the major updates for this year is the new cross-woven drop stitch core. This inner core uses a woven fabric base layer for the top and bottom layers, then connects them with thousands of fibers stitched through at intersecting angles making an X pattern inside the board. This allows Thurso to use less material, making the boards lighter, without losing their rigidity. In fact, the Waterwalker 132 actually lost over 2 pounds in board weight while becoming slightly more rigid than the previous version!

Besides the change in core material, Thurso is also offering the Waterwalker 132 in two different thicknesses by adjusting the length of those drop-stitch fibers from 6” to 4.7”. More on that difference in a bit.

The Waterwalker’s outer shell is made with a fusion-lamination of two layers of PVC material. Fusion lamination uses heat and pressure to mechanically bond the PVC to the fabric layers of the core and eliminates glue from the process. By mechanically bonding the materials they become lighter, stiffer, and more reliable than older hand-glued constructions. a

To seal the board into an air-tight chamber, Thurso has upgraded from hand-glued to heat-welded inner rails. This welding process again eliminates glue and mechanically bonds the PVC into a single, continuous, material all the way around the board. A second, wider, layer of reinforced PVC is glued to the rail to provide additional protection and rigidity.

All together the Waterwalker 132’s new construction keeps the full board weight (including all of the exterior accessories) to a very manageable 21.8 pounds. The new construction has a maximum pressure rating of 20 PSI.

We ran both the Waterwalker 132-15 (6” thick version) and the Waterwalker 132-12 (4.7” thick version) through our standardized bend test.

I don’t think you fully understand how excited I was to do this. See, I’m a data nerd. I love to compare apples to apples and any time we can adjust one variable at a time it can really help highlight what that variable changes. In the past this has been basically impossible to compare only board thickness as SUP brands have not been building the same SUPs with only different thicknesses. Now that Thurso has 4.7” versions of several of their most popular iSUPs – without changing anything else – we can really explore what that means.

It is well known that 4.7” boards tend to flex more both in our bend test and on the water. So how big is that difference when the boards are the exact same otherwise?

The Waterwalker 132-15cm/6” bent 3.6cm or 1.417” with 170 pounds of weight. That’s a great result for an all-around iSUP and is about 0.5cm or 0.2” better than our running average. Off to a great start! Next, it was time for the Waterwalker 132-12cm/4.7”. With the same pressure and same weight, the 4.7” thick version bent just 3.9cm or 1.535”. That’s less than a 10% difference in flex and still almost 0.3cm or 0.1” better than our average across over 150 iSUPs. But, things can sometimes feel very different on the water, even when they are close in our dry-land bend test.

Out on the water, the difference between the two boards became more apparent than what their bend test results imply. I’ll get into how it affects stability and performance later in the review, but for now I’m just going to talk about how the boards feel.

The Waterwalker 132-15cm/6” feels very familiar to me. There’s no noticeable bend when standing on the board, moving around on it, or paddling normally. I also didn’t really notice any performance-altering flex when paddling a hard sprint. While bouncing on the board there is a moderate amount of flex, but it does have a very tight and springy feel when settling back down.

On the Waterwalker 132-12cm/4.7” I noticed a few different things. There still wasn’t much flex when standing or paddling normally, but I could feel it flex more when walking on the board and I definitely noticed it while paddling hard. Bouncing on the board also created more overall flex, but it had a much smoother and mellow rebound as it settled back down.

Overall, the build quality on the Thurso Waterwalker 132 (either version) is great. The fusion PVC and welded rails offer good durability and longevity, the cross woven drop stitch is light and rigid, and the different thicknesses give you an option in how you want your board to feel, without changing how its built.

Specifications

Thurso Waterwalker 132-12cm/4.7″ iSUP — Specifications

	Dimensions
	Length	11’ 0”
	Width	32.5”
	Thickness	4.7"
	Weight
	Max Capacity	260 lbs
	Board Weight	21.6 lbs
	Kit Weight	NA
	Buying Info
	List Price	$499.99 (Board Only)
	Warranty Period	2 Years
	Returns Period	30 Days

Thurso Waterwalker 132 iSUP Review — Features, Accessories and Versatility

Along with the construction updates, thickness options, and a few changes to the on-board features, Thurso is also offering the Waterwalker 132 as a board only or as a full package.

Other than the thickness, the Waterwalker 132-15cm/6” and Waterwalker 132-12cm/4.7” boards have no other difference in size, shape or features.

The Waterwalker 132 kit now comes with a battery-powered electric pump rather than the double-chamber hand pump that was previously included with it. Electric pumps are great options for paddlers to get their boards ready without breaking a sweat (literally). They also let you continue to get anything else ready you may need (sunscreen, changing clothes, organizing gear, etc.).

With an internal battery, the Thurso electric pump does not need to be plugged into your vehicle to operate, though it does come with a 12v DC plug that you can use if you run out of juice in the battery.

While convenient to use, the electric pump is slower than the old hand pump, so expect it to take about 12 minutes to inflate the Waterwalker 132 to 15 PSI, and about 16 minutes to inflate to the full 20 PSI. You can inflate the board twice (or inflate two boards) to 15 PSI on a single charge, but may struggle to inflate it to 20 PSI two times in a row.

The Waterwalker 132 is available as either “board-only” (though it does come with fins, leash, and the small accessory bundle) for both the 6” and 4.7” versions. However, only the 6” version is available as a full kit at this time. The full kit includes:

• Waterwalker 132-15cm/6” iSUP
• 3-piece carbon fiber/nylon paddle
• Electric pump with internal battery
• Wheeled carrying bag
• 1-9” and 2-4.5” fins
• Color-matched leash
• Small accessory pouch with repair kit

You can still add these items separately when purchasing the 4.7” version of the Waterwalker 132. While those items are discounted at that time, the overall cost of building this kit out is still higher than purchasing the 6” full kit option.

Lastly, the 4.7” version of the Waterwalker 132 is only available in turquoise, however the 6” version is available in turquoise, blue, and red.

Overall, the Waterwalker 132 is built with a highly versatile set of on-board features and the accessories available from Thurso do make this board a true Jack of all trades.

Thurso Waterwalker 132 iSUP Review — Paddle

Thurso’s carbon fiber/nylon paddle is a great accessory that comes with the Waterwalker 132. It’s light, built well, and is interchangeable with a spare blade for kayak conversion, a carbon fiber blade for a lighter and more powerful paddle, or both!

The Waterwalker 132 comes with Thurso’s carbon fiber/nylon paddle. I really like this as a kit paddle for a few reasons. First, the carbon fiber shaft is lightweight and has a really good balance of strength and flexibility. That allows you to paddle efficiently without stressing your shoulders or back.

The fiber-reinforced nylon blade is very durable (you can see how much I’ve been using it in the photo above!). The blade itself can feel a little bit large, though it’s more of a truly medium size, but it has just enough flex to be comfortable to use for long periods of time. The modular design of the paddle shaft also allows you to swap this nylon blade for the Thurso Carbon Elite blade without needing to buy a whole new paddle.

The handle is also a little bit different with a rubberized T-grip instead of a more traditional palm grip. The T-grip gives you a more secure feel in the hand and allows you to easily feel the orientation of the paddle blade without needing to look. The adjustable handle section does have a height scale, but is not indexed, so you’ll need to make sure the handle and blade are properly aligned each time you adjust the paddle.

Thurso Waterwalker 132 iSUP Review — Stability

The Waterwalker 132 offers a good amount of stability for an all-around iSUP. There is a different feeling between the two different versions, and paddlers of different sizes should take those into consideration.

The Waterwalker 132 is the largest in the Waterwalker family at 11’ long, 32” wide, and 6” thick. While paddling on the Waterwalker 132-15cm/6” board my overall thought on stability is “this is exactly what I was expecting.” It feels comfortable, doesn’t roll or twitch around, and offers a consistent feeling when standing anywhere on the midsection of the board.

I did notice that the 6” version feels a little over-buoyant or “poppy” when I rock the board side to side – almost like it wants to correct itself back flat faster than I expected. But it was really something I only noticed while I was specifically testing stability, not while I was paddling normally. It was also quite easy to hold in a tilted position without feeling like it wanted to tip one way or the other.

Moving around on the board is easy, and there is plenty of volume and support at the tail of the board for a stable and comfortable pivot turn.

The thinner version of the Waterwalker 132 has a different feeling when it comes to stability.

Most paddlers will likely agree that it does feel more stable overall when standing and paddling normally on the board. The thinner profile lowers your center of gravity and also gives the board a more “connected” feeling on the water. It’s hard to describe what this really means to someone who hasn’t experienced it. The board doesn’t feel stuck, but it does feel more subdued. Where the 6” version sort of “popped” back and forth when rocking from side to side, the 4.7” version transitions more smoothly.

There is a downside to the thinner profile, though. The thinner board isn’t as rigid and flexes more, so heavier paddlers may not feel any stability benefit, or may even feel less stable than on the 6” version. And while the transition from side to side is smoother, the shorter rail height also means that you can more quickly submerge the edge and sort of “catch” the water with the rail unintentionally.

Overall, the stability of the Waterwalker 132 – either version – is great. I would say that paddlers over 220 pounds are likely going to find the 6” version to feel noticeably more rigid and more stable than the 4.7” version.

Thurso Waterwalker 132 iSUP Review — Speed

The Thurso Waterwalker 132 offers a good blend of speed and efficiency along with its other performance characteristics. The 15cm/6” version does clock in at higher speeds than the 4.7” version due to its rigidity.

The previous generation Waterwalker 132 was one of the faster all-around iSUPs that we tested, however it was also an inch narrower than it was specified to be (31” vs 32”). This year, the Waterwalker 132’s width does match its specification better, but is actually a touch wider at 32.5”. Width plays a huge role in board speed, so it wasn’t a surprise to me that it did test a little slower than before. But, it is by no means a slow paddle board.

In our sprinting test, the Waterwalker 132-15cm/6” iSUP with the standard Thurso paddle clocked an average 5.3 MPH at a sustained paddling rate of 75 strokes per minute. When turning up the pace without restriction, I was able to reach a peak speed of 5.6 MPH for a couple of paddle strokes at a time. However, when I swapped over to the 12cm/4.7” version of the Waterwalker 132, the loss of board rigidity did reduce its speed. As I paddled hard during the sprint, I could really feel the board flex under my feet and push down into the water rather than glide across it. This gave the 4.7” version a sustained sprint speed of just 5.2 MPH on average and a peak speed of 5.5 MPH. While 0.1 MPH may not seem like a lot, it is noticeable when comparing side by side.

However, once you slow things down to a cruising pace, the two boards offer the same speed performance. At a casual 25 strokes per minute, both versions of the Waterwalker 132 averaged 3.7 MPH. From that cruising speed a single paddle stroke propelled either board an average of about 19.5 feet before I could feel it slow down. That gives the Waterwalker 132 a gliding ratio of 1.8 board-lengths per stroke and is among the top performers of its all-around paddle board peers.

Thurso Waterwalker 132 iSUP Review — Maneuverability and Tracking

This year Thurso made a small change to the fin setup on the Waterwalker 132 which helped improve its maneuverability without drastically changing its tracking performance. Both the 15cm/6” version and 12cm/4.7” versions tested identically for us in our maneuverability and tracking tests.

In our maneuverability stress test, the new Waterwalker 132-15cm/6” did noticeably better than its previous version, and needed an average of just over 7 forward sweep paddle strokes (paddling in an arc from nose to tail) to turn a complete 360 degree circle from a stop – or about three fewer strokes than the previous version! Of course, paddling in reverse speeds things up as you work against the fins and takes only 4 reverse sweep strokes to complete the same circle.

The Waterwalker 132-12cm/4.7” performed exactly the same in our maneuverability testing. I wasn’t really surprised by this as board thickness doesn’t really play a part in how quickly the board can turn (unless it’s so flexible that the entire board is bent at your feet)

Where the two differed in maneuverability really is in how comfortable their pivot turns are, and even that is more subjective and will depend on the paddler. Walking to the tail on the 12cm/4.7” version does produce a little more flex and bounce, which can feel less stable, and there is less volume in the tail to support you when lifting the nose. This difference is really only noticeable when you first switch from a 6” to a 4.7” board and is easy to adjust for.

While the small changeup in fin position improved maneuverability, I was very impressed in how well the board kept its tracking performance. Both the Waterwalker 132 15cm/6” and 12cm/4.7” also had the same tracking performance on the water.

In our tracking test, both boards only deviated an average of just 12 degrees on average after 10 paddle strokes on a single side. That’s well within normal, and actually a bit on the better-than-normal, range for all-around iSUPs like these.

While paddling both versions I found them to track very easily during casual paddling. The 12cm/4.7” version did wander a little more while sprinting as it flexed more with each stroke, but overall they both did great.

The change in the position and toe-angle (how the front of the fin box is pointed toward the center line of the board) did help improve the maneuverability without decreasing the tracking performance.

We always do our official testing with all of the included fins, but since the small position change helped maneuverability so much and didn’t harm tracking, for comparison’s sake I took the side fins off of the Waterwalker 132-15cm/6” and re-did my testing. What I found is that the maneuverability improved by just under one paddle stroke on average (forward sweeps) and the tracking performance basically stayed the same.

Having three fin boxes on a board can open up some versatility out of the box (literally), but for most people on flat or relatively calm water (not surfing or downwinding) a single center fin is going to be doing the vast majority of the work as we see here.

Thurso Waterwalker 132 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 132 iSUP Review — Final Thoughts

The Waterwalker 132 has, once again, remained one of my top picks as an all-around iSUP. It’s well built, stable, performs well on the water, and is reasonably priced for a quality inflatable paddle board.

The new 12cm/4.7” version opens up the Waterwalker for those who want a sportier board with a more connected feel to the water. It offers a bit more stability for most paddlers, but is more playful for intermediate and advanced paddlers. The thinner profile will surf better than a thicker one, though the mostly flat rocker means you’ll be limited to some knee-high waves for the most part.

Who should get the Waterwalker 132-15cm/6” and who should get the Waterwalker 132-12cm/4.7”? That’s going to come down to if you need the extra rigidity and capacity of the 6” board as a larger paddler (over 220 pounds) or if you plan to bring a passenger or lots of cargo, or if you want the more connected and sporty feel of the 4.7” board and don’t mind a little more flex and slightly slower top speeds.