Tower Paddle Boards has been a long-time player in the paddle board industry. With their Shark Tank-backed business Tower quickly became one of the most well-known brands in the inflatable paddle board market in the early 2010’s. Since then Tower has partnered with many other brands to create special edition iSUPs, tweaked their designs, and now has a line up of three different styles of inflatable boards for different paddlers.
Headlining Tower’s iSUPs are its Elite Series, 8” thick, Xtreme and Xplorer boards built for higher weight capacities and a more rigid feel. The core of Tower’s offerings are the Premium Series iSUPs built with a hand-glued double-layer PVC construction. Newest to the family is the Starter Class All Around light weight and budget friendly option.
The Elite and Premium series iSUPs feature a double-layer hand-glued construction and double-layer PVC rails. The Starter Series uses a lighter weight, machine-laminated double layer PVC material for the deck and hull as well as double-layer PVC rails. All of Tower’s iSUPs have a recommended maximum pressure of 12 PSI, utilize a hook-and-pin fin box, and include the same set of accessories including a fiberglass/plastic paddle.
2024 Tower Inflatable Paddle Boards Compared
| section-hd | Tower Elite Series (8” Thick) iSUPs |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Xtreme | Xtreme | High Volume All-Around iSUP 10’4” x 36" x 8" 29 pounds | Read ReviewCheck Best Price |
| Xplorer | Xplorer | High Volume Touring iSUP 14’ x 32" x 8" 33 pounds | Review Coming SoonCheck Best Price |
| section-hd | Tower Premium Series iSUPs |
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| Yachtsman | Yachtsman | All-Around iSUP 10'4 x 32" x 6" 25 pounds | Read ReviewCheck Best Price |
| Mermaid | Mermaid | All-Around iSUP 10'4 x 32" x 6" 25 pounds | Read ReviewCheck Best Price |
| Adventurer 2 | Adventurer 2 | All-Around iSUP 10'4 x 32" x 6" 25 pounds | Read ReviewCheck Best Price |
| iRace | iRace | Touring iSUP 12'6” x 30" x 6" 28 pounds | Read ReviewCheck Best Price |
| section-hd | Tower Starter Series iSUPs |
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| All Around | All Around | Budget All-Around iSUP 10'4" x 32" x 6" 19.5 pounds | Read ReviewCheck Best Price |
Tower iSUP Reviews (2024)
Tower Xtreme
High Volume All-Around SUP | 10’4” x 36″ x 8″
The Tower Extreme is a high-volume, high-rigidity all-around iSUP. At 8” thick and nearly 36” wide (it measures 35.75”, but is specified to be 35”), the Xtreme has more volume than you can shake a paddle at. The extra volume increases the board’s carrying capacity for more comfortable tandem paddling or paddling with heavy equipment. The 8” thick construction also makes the Xtreme… extremely… rigid. That extra rigidity helps give a more solid feel under your feet and keeps the board performing as designed when paddling with a passenger or extra equipment.
Tower Xplorer
High Volume Touring iSUP | 14’ x 32″ x 8″
The Tower Xplorer is a super-high volume touring-style iSUP. At 14’ long, 32” wide, and 8” thick this board has an incredibly high weight capacity (800 lbs according to Tower). This makes it great for paddling longer distances with a partner (or two). For those looking for multi-day adventures, you’ll need to get a little creative for your equipment as there are no cargo bungees or tie down points built onto the board (however they are easily glued on with aftermarket D-ring patches). The 8” thick construction not only adds volume, but also rigidity so you don’t lose out on the Xplorer’s performance when loaded up.
Tower Yachtsman
All-Around iSUP | 10’4″ x 32″ x 6″
The Tower Yachtsman is one of three all-around paddle boards in Tower’s Premium Series. All three boards share the same size, shape, and double-layer construction, but differ in their appearance and features. The Yachtsman has a classic grooved deck pad that imitates the deck planks found on many boats. The Yachtsman has three carrying handles to carry the board, but does not have any cargo storage built into the board. The Yachtsman is packaged with Tower’s basic accessory kit that comes with each Tower paddle board.
Tower Mermaid
All-Around iSUP | 10′4” x 32″ x 6″
The Tower Mermaid shares the same size, shape and construction as the Yachtsman and Adventurer 2. The Mermaid features a grippy diamond-groove deck pad, light seafoam color, and a medium-sized cargo area on the front of the board. The Mermaid is highly maneuverable on the water and cruises comfortably along with the included fiberglass and ABS plastic paddle.
Tower Adventurer 2
All-Around iSUP | 10′4” x 32″ x 6″
The Tower Adventurer 2 is a cruiser-style all-around iSUP with a core set of features for a day on the water. The diamond-groove deck pad is comfortable to use barefoot or with shoes and the cargo bungee has enough room for a medium size dry bag, water bottle or other small items. The hook-and-pin fin system does not require any tools to install or remove the fin. In addition to the included 9” center fin, Tower also has a 4.5” shallow water fin available.
Tower iRace
Touring-Style iSUP | 12′6” x 30″ x 6″
The Tower iRace takes the same double-layer, hand-glued construction found in the Premium and Elite Series paddle boards and forms it into a touring-style board for those paddlers who want to go farther, faster. The longer, narrower iRace is Tower’s fastest Premium iSUP. For longer trips you’ll want to add a few D-rings or other methods to secure your gear as there is no cargo bungee on the iRace. The diamond groove deck pad is grippy and comfortable whether you prefer to paddle bare foot or in water shoes.
Tower S-Class All Around
Budget All-Around iSUP | 10′4” x 32″ x 6″
The newest product in Tower’s paddle board lineup is the Starter Series S-Class All Around. The S-Class features the same size, shape and features as the Adventurer 2, but with a lighter weight machine-laminated hull. This material is slightly thinner than the hand-glued construction in the Premium Series boards, but still holds its own in comparison in our bend test and in its performance on the water.
Tower Accessories
Each Tower iSUP comes with the same kit of accessories. With each board you’ll get a fiberglass/nylon paddle, a single-chamber hand pump, a 9” “dolphin-” or “surf-” style hook-and-pin fin, repair kit, and a copy of Tower founder’s book The Five Hour Workday. What doesn’t come with these kits are a transportation/storage bag or a leash. You’ll definitely want to purchase a leash for your board (if you do not already have one) as well as a well-fitting PFD. Tower also offers the following optional accessories.
- iSUP Backpack Storage/Transportation Bag
- 10’ Coiled Leash
- iSUP D-Rings
- 4.5” River Fin
- 3 Piece Carbon Fiber/Kevlar Paddle
Tower Warranty & Returns Policy
Tower offers differing-length manufacturing warranties for their inflatable paddle boards depending on the board’s “series.” Elite Series iSUPs (Xtreme and Xplorer) receive a 3 year warranty against manufacturing defects. Premium Series iSUPs (Yachtsman, Mermaid, Adventurer 2, iRace) get a 2 year warranty against defects. However the actual construction of these boards is the same other than the board’s total thickness. The Starter Series S-Class All Around gets a 1 year warranty against defects.
All of Tower’s boards have a 30 day return period for unused equipment. To contact Tower you can reach out by phone, email, social media, or in person at their San Diego, CA showroom.
