Tower 10'4" Adventurer iSUP Review

Honest, real reviews about Tower's most popular inflatable paddleboard - the 10'4" Adventurer SUP.

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TOWER'S ADVENTURER 10'4" INFLATABLE SUP REVIEW - 2021

This week we brought in the Tower 10’4” Adventurer to review. Tower is known by many in the industry for their appearance on “Shark Tank” back in 2012 when they got Mark Cuban to bite on investing in the company. They’ve been known through the years as a more affordable option to some of the other established brands.

The Adventurer sells on the Tower website for $499 on their website and comes with a pump, 3 piece fiberglass paddle and a center fin. Conspicuously missing from this bundle is a safety leash and a backpack to transport the board. The board does have two small side fins that are permanently attached.

As one of the original “Direct to Consumer” SUP companies, we were anxious to try their inflatable offering out.

ABILITIES

Our main criteria is as follows:

1. Stability

2. Glide/Tracking

3. Maneuverability

Stability - The Adventurer was quite stable for those under 230 lbs. Of course, this also has to do with the paddlers experience level. Tower tells us the board can support up to 350 lbs. The board is known for its rigidity even at lower PSI and our testers echoed this assessment.

Glide/Tracking – At 25 lbs, the Adventurer was one of the heavier boards that we tried out which did seem to help with the tracking. Paddling in a straight line was not difficult at all. The 3 fin system helps as well (assuming you don’t break off one of the permanent side fins.)

Maneuverability – The maneuverability was a bit compromised by the heavier weight as Tower does not use the newer fusion composite technology that some of the other boards we trialed use. At this price point, however, most novices will find it maneuverable enough.

BOARD DESIGN/SHAPE

The Adventurer has a fairly standard inflatable SUP design. The pointy nose gives it a familiar feel to the iRocker All Around 10. We’ve found that these types of designs are fairly versatile as long as you are looking for a board to mainly use on lakes. The nose will help you cut through lake chop somewhat but is less useful if you are looking to surf ocean or river waves.

The D Rings are limited mainly to the bungees on the top of the board so there isn’t a possibility of adding a kayak seat. The bumps on the deck pad do help with traction but were only appreciated by half of the staff as some found them a bit hard on the feet.

The Adventurer comes with the understated look that has been a hallmark for Tower, namely white board with grey stripes.

FINS

As mentioned previously, the Adventurer has two fixed side fins and a removable center fin. The fin box for the center fin is proprietary to Tower so you are not able to install the fin in various positions which is fine for a beginner, not so great for experienced paddlers.

ACCESSORIES

As mentioned, Tower includes a 3 piece fiberglass paddle, center fin, and pump. You can order a carrying backpack for $59, which is strictly a backpack without wheels that we’ve seen on upgraded packs. The lack of D Rings means that you can’t attach a carrying strap or kayak seat at a later date.

CONCLUSION

Tower has been in the SUP business since 2012 and builds a quality product at an affordable price. The Adventurer is a great board for someone that is just getting into SUP and on a tight budget. They haven’t been innovating like some of their competitors but at the price point they offer, that is to be expected.