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I absolutely love the Starboard 12-6 x 30 touring board!

This board is Tony the Tiger grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat for those days when you just don't feel like standing on a narrow race board and working all the time to maintain balance. Today was trash pick up day so I needed to stay upright and keep my eyes on the lake floor in order to pick up any trash I could find in the shallows. Obviously I didn't want to use my MHL because I didn't want to keep spilling all the trash back into the lake I had just picked up so I brought out the Starboard Touring model for the morning expedition. It was a wise choice.

Obviously from the picture you can see that the board is ready to carry a good amount of gear. I haven't even put in a bungee system on the stern because anything I need to carry can be stored on the bow. For any type of distance paddle I would use this board because it has the capacity to carry any amount of gear you would need for a day expedition or even an overnight journey. (On the way home from the trash pick up I had a full trash bag and a pool side umbrella stowed on the bow and plenty of room to move around the board and switch sides paddling.)

The board is very stable. I went out on Lake Michigan just before a storm rolled in so there was a tiny bit of chop forming on the surface of the water. I was able to concentrate on my garbage collecting, looking straight down into the water, without having to worry about tipping over, even with small ankle high rollers trying to form in the shallows. The bottom has some concave to it so there are a few catch points to aid in stability. Overall the board did amazingly well in keeping me afloat, even in the shallow water.

I was quite surprised at how shallow a depth I could navigate through, and I am on the heavy side of this boards capacity. At 276 liters this board can float a very heavy person. I bet this board can float a 185 pounder and a lab-sized dog no problem. I squeaked through mere inches of water by putting my weight more toward the bow and paddling with very little of my paddle blade in the water. I would say I went through ankle deep water with very little adjustment.

This board retails for just UNDER $1300. You cannot beat that price for a board you can do everything on. I bought one of these for Even Keel SUP FIT's demo fleet because I strongly feel that this is the best type of board for Lake Michigan. I am also a fan of this board for the Eastern Shore of Maryland. You can spend the day exploring, ride downwinders, take a yoga or fitness class and even race competitively on this board. The displacement bow moves quite nicely through the water and picks up a nice bit of speed. It tracks well even with the stock fin. I bet you get better tracking with a Larry Allison or FCS fin of your preference. I can see this board doing well on an Oxford to Cambridge expedition or being able to handle exploring both coastlines on Assateague Island. For Lake Michigan you are covered paddling in any type of conditions.  

I have paddled the Wood versions and the AST White and I favor the AST White because not only is it more pocketbook friendly; it is much lighter than the Wood. The Wood version is a bit better looking but the advantages of the lighter weight and lighter price tag for the AST White far outweigh the looks of the Wood. I did have to add a pad for the deck of the AST White because doing any kind of distance without one hurt the bottom of my feet.

This is the go-to board in my demo fleet and I highly recommend one to anyone looking to buy a new board or add a board to their quiver. This board could be a one-board quiver no problem. The Starboard Touring board is ready for anything. I am able to offer these Starboard Touring boards for sale. Contact me for details.

You can try this board for free on any Monday you would like to pitch in and help with Even Keel SUP FIT's trash pick up on Lake Michigan. Next Monday Even Keel SUP FIT will be in Oxford, Maryland looking to help maintain one of the beautiful coastlines on Maryland's Eastern Shore. The board will be on the east coast available for a demo if anyone is interested.

By the way, a milk crate makes for a great portable trash can!  Set one up on your on board today and help keep our waterways healthy!