Hi Hillary,

I think given your husbands height/weight and the fact that you’re wanting to take one of your children on board board, you should look into the Cruiser Ultra instead. It’s more stable than the 11′, and more similar to the XL (though still not quite the same). You could also look into the Gili Meno 11’6, or the ISLE Switch.

Hi Paul,

The 11′ Ultra would be a great option if you’re looking for a fast all-around to get a decent workout in. It is a bit more responsive, and less stable than iROCKER’s original 11′ all-around, but it’s nothing insurmountable. Once you get a couple of practice sessions under your belt, the board is a ton of fun.

Hi Michelle,

That’s definitely a tough decision, but the good news is that you cannot go wrong with either board – they just have a few notable differences, and I’ll try to tackle your questions one at a time.

– The 5 piece paddle does have a little more flex/wiggle in the shaft than Thurso’s 3-piece paddle; it’s more noticeable if you’re really trying to go for speed.
– The 2 fins on the Ultra series are a really unique shape, but they do enable the board to track fantastically (though the 11′ is slower to turn). The 3 fins on the 11′ Water Walker don’t contribute to tracking that is quite as good, but that’s likely only noticeable if you were testing these boards back to back. The Water Walker tracks well for an all-around, and is easy to turn.
– The split deck pad isn’t exactly uncomfortable to lay on, but it’s definitely different, and I wouldn’t say it’s as comfortable as a full size deck pad.
– Either of these boards will do well on a lake or pond.

Hopefully this helps!

Hi Terry,

I think the price difference, especially with the discounts, is warranted. The electric pump is usually between $130-150, so a bit of the price difference on the Ultra series comes from that. They’ve also used a more advanced construction technique on the Ultra series in order to make them lightweight without compromising their overall rigidity (we’ve actually found them to be more rigid than the original all-arounds).

(We are looking to get two boards and thought it would be most convenient if they were the same for accessories/pumps, etc)
Thanks,
Hillary

Hi Mark,

The 11′ Ultra will be stable enough for a beginner, it just will come with a little more of a learning curve then the Cruiser Ultra. It’s nothing that’s insurmountable, and we’ve found that once paddler get used to it and gain their balance, they more enjoy the speed and tracking capabilities of the 11′ AA Ultra.