Bluefin Cruise 10’8″ SUP Review

Bluefin Cruise 108 Specs

The Bluefin Cruise has a length of 327cm (10’8″) and 82.5 cm (32″) width. With these dimensions, it strongly corresponds to a typical all-round SUP. That is, the focus of the board is mainly on stability and riding pleasure.

This is because an all-round SUP offers high tipping stability due to a large contact surface on the water. Which makes it perfect for beginners and novices who still find it a bit difficult to keep their balance on the board. Nevertheless, it remains very maneuverable with this length. Interesting about the Bluefin Cruise is the shape, which is more pointed in the front area (nose) than other all-round boards. 

Despite the somewhat minimized water displacement due to this shape, someone who wants to paddle very long distances or has decidedly sporty ambitions would not be well advised with such an all-round SUP. For this purpose, there are special racing and touring boards. These offer, due to their longer, narrower shape less resistance in the water, whereby more speed is achieved with less effort. However, this better performance must be bought with significantly more balance and a more difficult maneuverability, due to the long design. 

Although the exact volume (estimated at about 130 liters) is not specified, the Bluefin Cruise has decent buoyancy, making it equally suitable for heavier paddlers. Because, among other things, thanks to the thickness of 15cm (6″), the board is extremely stiff. In practice, this means that the board does not bend even under heavy load and the riding characteristics remain very good. The load capacity of 130 kg, which the manufacturer specifies, is realistic in our opinion. Thus, it can also be used well in pairs or with a dog, for example. 

With a weight of 11.3 kg, the Bluefin Cruse Board can of course not keep up with the lightest boards (+/- 9 kg). However, with its double-layer construction, it is also much more robust than many of its competitors.

Pro & Contra

Construction and quality of the Bluefin SUP

Due to the robust construction and high quality of workmanship, the Bluefin products clearly stand out from other cheaper boards.

An inflatable SUP (iSUP) is primarily made possible by a drop-stitch core. In this process, the bottom layer is interwoven with the top layer with a thousand threads at millimeter intervals. This gives the board the right thickness and shape when inflated.

According to the manufacturer, the Bluefin Cruise uses a particularly tight drop stitch process with even more threads. 

A PVC layer is then glued to this core, which creates the visible outer shell of a SUP. Again, Bluefin uses the higher quality double-layer construction. This means not just one PVC layer, but two, are glued together. In addition, the edges (rails) are reinforced with an additional layer. Due to the more material used, the board is heavier, but much more robust. 

The maximum pressure, which is specified by the manufacturer Bluefin with 26psi (approx. 1.79 bar), also speaks for the robustness of the board. Fortunately, in reality it only needs to be pumped up 15-18psi. Because most pumps would not even be able to build up such a high pressure. The 26psi is thus more of a marketing feature, with which Bluefin wants to show how much confidence they have in the construction of their board.

The 5 year warranty that Bluefin gives for the SUP also speaks for this confidence. 5 years is a long time for such a product and indicates that you will enjoy your board for a very long time. 

The Bluefin Cruise costs compared to other SUPs already a little more, but these can not keep up in terms of quality. In contrast to the cheaper models, the Bluefin SUPs usually do not have any glue residues, bubbles or other features of poor workmanship.

Performance in the water of the Bluefin Cruise

The aforementioned high-quality construction is also evident in the water, among other things, through extreme stiffness. If a SUP bends like a banana, this naturally has a negative impact on the riding characteristics. But not so with the Bluefin Cruise. Even at higher loads, only a minimal curvature is noticeable.

Thus, it is ideally suited for relaxed trips on the lake or rivers alone or in pairs. Of course, shorter trips are well possible with it, but the focus is certainly on “relaxed”. 

The high tilt stability ensures an optimal feeling of safety even for beginners. Only too well we can remember our first ride on a SUP. Although we have a good balance due to various board sports, it took some time until we had a secure stand and full confidence in this wobbly sports equipment. In these moments it helps extremely when a board is as stable on the water as the Bluefin Cruise. 

Thanks to the balanced length and the kick pad, the board is easy to turn and fast turns are possible without any problems. 

Thus, it offers, like many boards the all-round typical driving characteristics. A difference to other all-rounders can be seen with the slightly more pointed shape. In contrast to a completely round nose, the driving resistance is somewhat reduced due to the improved water break. This helps noticeably with the acceleration of the board. 

Even if we were never able to test it, we assume that you can ride smaller waves with the Bluefin Cruise. The slightly upturned nose prevents you from dipping the tip when riding down the face of the wave. A feature that also helps on a choppy lake. Because in choppy water you can ride over small waves effortlessly.

Bluefin Cruise Board Features

First, the common features that all SUPs offer today. For example, the standing surface is covered with an EVA pad. Thanks to the non-slip diamond structure, you have enough grip on the board even when wet. 

Various D-rings allow the attachment of additional accessories. Such as the kayak seat included in the scope of delivery. In addition, there is a luggage net in the nose area of the board. Thanks to these luggage elastics, smaller items such as drybags etc. can be stowed effortlessly. 

In the middle of the SUP is the classic carrying handle. However, Bluefin goes further here than many of their competitors. In addition, there are additional carrying handles at the front of the tip and at the back of the tail. Thus, the board can be comfortably transported by several people together and easily launched.

In addition, the board is equipped with a mounting option for a camera. Here can be mounted by an action cam mount, for example, a GoPro or via the ¼ thread a classic camera. Thus, it is guaranteed that you can effortlessly document all the beautiful moments on the water. 

The Bluefin Cruise has 3 fins, which can all be dismantled. The assembly is possible without any problem without tools. To do this, the robust plastic fins are inserted into the boxes on the SUP and fixed at the back with a lever. However, the Smart-Lock system used by Bluefin is unfortunately proprietary. That is, the classic plug-in fins, which many other SUPs have, can not be used here. Fins with the US finbox system can be used, however.

Accessories of the Bluefin Cruise Set

The Bluefin Cruise comes with a complete set of basic SUP equipment. Especially for beginners this is ideal. If purchased individually, all the accessories would easily cost about 200€. In addition, the included items are consistently of high quality, which is not the case with many other complete sets. 

The paddle is a three-piece fiberglass paddle. This is therefore pleasantly light and can be put together and fixed within seconds without tools. Of course, there are especially in the paddle area even higher-quality products, among other things, made of carbon: However, the supplied by Bluefin for the area of use with an all-round SUP long enough. 

As a special feature, it can be converted to a double paddle with the enclosed center piece and second paddle blade. Thus, one is also already equipped for a kayak trip. 

The kayak seat is included in the delivery. This can be easily attached with straps to the D-rings on the stand surface. Unlike many other seats, this one from Bluefin is surprisingly comfortable. A light padding gives the back a good support, so that nothing stands in the way of the trip with the SUP kayak. 

For inflation, you get a high-quality double-stroke pump. Something confusing is unfortunately the target pressure of the board. On the valve is a filling amount of 15-18 PSI indicated. The manufacturer says that the board can withstand a pressure of 28 PSI and on the pressure gauge display of the pump you are from 15 PSI in the “orange” range. We assume that Bluefin is simply doing good marketing by stating 28 PSI and that the pump was not made specifically for this SUP and is therefore not correctly marked with a higher pressure.

We trust the instructions. Inflating to the specified target pressure of 15-18 PSI can be done in about 7 minutes. However, the pump unfortunately does not have the function to pump out the air. 

The supplied backpack is, like everything else, also processed in high quality. Sufficiently large for the SUP and accessories everything can be stowed easily. Even if you certainly do not want to go on longer hikes with the weight of 11.3 kg of the board, the backpack offers a high wearing comfort thanks to the wide, padded shoulder straps. 

With the rolled up leash (Coilde Leash) to secure the board, the repair kit to the dry cover for the smartphone, the scope of delivery indeed leaves nothing to be desired.

Bluefin SUP the Brand

Bluefin SUP was founded in 2013 and is thus a relatively young brand. However, despite not being in the SUP sport for that long compared to many of its competitors, it offers extremely high-quality and innovative products. 

Based in West Yorkshire, UK you can tell that the company was founded by a group of water sports enthusiasts. This is because you can feel the ambition to offer good SUPs with a fair price-performance ratio. This is also supported by the extraordinary 5-year warranty that Bluefin gives on their SUP boards.

Conclusion

We can very well understand why the Bluefin Cruise is one of the best-selling SUP boards. The focus on a robust construction and high build quality including the extensive accessories is already an extremely good argument. However, combined with the manufacturer’s confidence in their product with a 5 year warranty makes this offer almost unbeatable. 

Is it the perfect stand up paddle board for everyone? No, clearly it isn’t. For those who like to go on long tours or are very athletic, this is not for you. But he would be in a review about an all-round SUP already from the beginning at the wrong article. 

Even those who are on the hunt for a bargain will find much cheaper boards. 

Although, if you look at the overall package, you could talk about a bargain despite the slightly higher price here. Because especially beginners, who have to buy various accessories separately, get with the Bluefin Cruise a complete set, which will give very long pleasure.