California Board Company renamed their 10'6" Classic board the 10'6" Hydra. The folks at Keeper Sports (CBC's parent company) assured us that the only changes to the SUP are the graphics and the name and that all other technical specs remain the same between the two. See the new version below, left, followed by the original version we tested last year.
The most economically priced board of the bunch, the CBC is a bit of a letdown. It's not very stable, maneuverable, or fast, but it's light, easy to move, and will withstand being dropped or falling off a car better than the rest of the group. It included a paddle, leash, and pads for roof racks, making this the cheapest option of the group. It doesn't perform well — but doesn't cost a whole lot of money either.
To determine which stand up paddle board is indeed the best, we bought the top models on the market today and put them through a series of head-to-head challenges. We assigned each board an overall score — from 0-100 — based on its results in our five rating metrics. These weighted metrics are Glide Performance, Ease of Transport, Maneuverability, Stability, and Durability. The sections below provide more detail on how the CBC did, where it disappointed and where it impressed.
We based our Glide Performance scored on the results of a time trial and a distance per paddle stroke test, conducted in both flat water and choppy conditions. The CBC earned a 3 out of 10 for its performance in this metric, worth 35% of the total. This was the lowest score of the entire group.
For the first time trial test on smooth water, the CBC hit an average time of 81.61. This was the slowest time of the entire group. Moving on to the rough water version of the time trial test, the CBC once again received the slowest average time of the group with 117.39 seconds. However, the CBC did narrow the gap between it and the next slowest boards, with the Pau Hana and the BIC all finishing the test with an average time within a second or so of each other. Moving on to our efficient paddling tests, the CBC once again locked down the last place position for the rough water version of the test. It took the CBC an average of 33 paddle strokes to cross our test course — over ten more than the BIC, the top scoring model. For the flat water version of the test, the CBC moved up in the ranking to the second to last position, edging out the Pau Hana.
The next most important metric in our test, Stability, made up 25% of the overall score. To evaluate the performance of each stand up paddle board for this metric, we compared their handling in rough water, the ease at transporting additional cargo, and the opinion of our novice testers. The CBC earned a score of 4 out of 10 for its poor performance, tying for the second-lowest score of the entire group.
This model was the worst of the entire group at handling in rough water. This model had us kneeling for every wake and wave that went by, at the risk of otherwise falling into the water. This board did a little better — moving up from last place — at retaining stability when transporting cargo, doing a slightly less than terrible job at having an additional passenger or a dog on board. The only boards the CBC surpassed were the pair of touring models in the group, the Raven.
For the final test of this metric, we had a few novice paddlers try out each board and give their assessment. The CBC was not their favorite by any means, tying for the second-worst score in the group, on par with the Raven.
For the Maneuverability metric, we conducted two tests: a timed slalom course and a U-turn in tight quarters. The CBC finally delivered an acceptable performance, earning a 6 out of 10 in this metric, worth 15% of the total score, putting it squarely in the middle of the group.
The CBC put up a time of 87.69 seconds in our slalom course. This was faster than three of the boards in the group and right on the heels of the Kraken, our overall top scorer and Editors' Choice award winner. The CBC also did reasonably well when tasked with performing a U-turn in tight quarters. It completed the turn in the area without back paddling or running aground, though it didn't finish the tightest turn of the group.
The CBC continued to improve in our Ease of Transport metric, also responsible for 15% of the total score. This SUP earned a 7 out of 10 for its performance in the four tests of this metric: ease of carrying, ease of loading on a car, weight, and a comparison between the ergonomics of the handle. The CBC weighed in at 25 lbs, 1 oz. making it the lightest boards of the group.
This meant that it was one of the easiest boards to carry, being so light and relatively short compared to the rest of the group. This also meant that it was very easy to load on a car, even without the assistance of a second person.
However, this board had the handle that we liked the least. It is the standard recessed handle, but located asymmetrically on the board, making it impossible to reach if you grabbed the board from the wrong side.
For the final metric of the review, we assessed the Durability of each board. We did this in two ways: reading through online reports and reviews to look for patterns of damage and examining each board for any injuries sustained in the course of our testing. The CBC scored very well, tying for the top score of 7 out of 10. This soft foam board didn't display any sign that we had tested it, with no dents or other damage. However, we found there were plenty of online reviews complaining about the foam scratching and fading over time. While we couldn't verify this in our testing, it did prevent this board from taking the top spot in this metric.
This discount SUP's main merit in our eyes is its relatively cheap price tag. It's fine for someone who wants to spend the absolute minimum and doesn't care all that much about paddling performance and is looking more for a beach toy than a performance SUP.
While this board is the least expensive of the bunch, it also scored the worst — not a good value option.
