Portable Fun On The Water With Options To Add-on
Monsoon season is in full effect here in the Southwest. It’s been a particularly rainy week. Every day by late morning, the clouds roll in, and the storms come. The dark clouds dump heavy raindrops, with the occasional thunderclap and flash of lighting. The rain feels cleansing and a welcome break from the summer heat, but it also makes me want to get out on the water.
As the rain pours late into the evening, I plan to take the new Bote Rackham Aero Inflatable Paddleboard out the next morning. It’s just what I need for the window of clear weather before the afternoon storms.
The following day I wake up early, grab the Rackham Aero in its carrying case, and roll it out to my car. This paddle board comes neatly packed in a case with roller wheels. It’s not too heavy, only about 50 pounds when loaded with the paddle, pump, repair kit, and the paddleboard itself. But, wheeling 50 pounds to my car is much easier than carrying it on my back.
Setting this paddleboard up is quick and easy. It inflates with the included hand pump, which looks like a bicycle floor pump. There are two chambers to fill with air. After both chambers are pumped to 15 psi, all that’s left to do is attach the removable center fin. After assembling the included three-piece fiberglass SUP paddle, it’s time to grab a PFD and get paddling.
On the water, the Rackham Aero is very stable. The adjustable paddle is lightweight, and the board maneuvers without issue. If you’re used to stand-up paddleboarding or kayaking, you’ll be able to move across the water with this quickly.
But, the stability of this paddleboard makes it equally useful as a fishing platform. Every Bote paddleboard is compatible with a set of accessories to transform this board into a fishing boat. Add the SUP Paddle Kit, an inflatable seat and kayak paddle; the Tackle Rac, a rack to hold your fishing poles and hold onto for stability; and the KULA 2.5 Cooler, which nests underneath the Tackle Rac. There’s also an option to add the Sandspear, which allows you to stake the board in place to keep you from drifting off in shallow waters.
The Rackham Aero has two shock cord lash points for a PFD, jacket, or anything that isn’t already designed to fit on the board.
I didn’t avoid all the weather, and was wearing a rain jacket within an hour on the water. Fortunately, the Rackham Aero Paddleboard is easy enough to pack away. The hand pump is reversible. It will suck all remaining air out of the paddleboard after you open the valves to deflate.
The most challenging part of using this paddleboard is folding it to fit in the travel case. As the rain falls harder, I again realize this. You’ll probably have to try a few times to find the correct configuration for everything in the case. But, the learning curve is fast. Every subsequent time spent packing this away will be easier.
$1,349 | boteboard.com
For further details or to check out some add-ons to the Rackham Aero, visit boteboard.com.
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