What is a SUP/Kayak Hybrid? Are they any good? / Aqua Marina Cascade 11'2 VLOG
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- Опубликовано: 29 авг 2024
- Our initial thoughts on SUP/Kayak Hybrids was that the whole thing is a bit of a joke...but when we got one on the water, we began to have a more positive attitude....
We got sent the Aqua Marina Cascade and have been using it for a few months. Initially we didn’t have much time for this concept, knowing that kayaking on a SUP with a detachable seat is a poor kayaking experience, we looked at the Cascade and thought it was more of the same. However, when we got the Cascade on the water we began to see the benefits and applications of this type of board. If you want to see if a hybrid board might work for you, check out Will’s Vlog.
As well as seeing pros and cons of this type of design of SUP in the Cascade, we also saw some of the potential innovations in the inflatable touring board design that got Will a little excited. Follow Wills journey using this board to learn if the Cascade is right for you.
“The innovation we see in the construction of the Cascade is really exciting for the future of SUP touring. It's different, but sometimes different is quite exciting....” Will - SUPboarder Tester
Read and watch more here:
supboardermag....
I did silent water speed kayaking when I was young (I am 53), this hybrid is like training with brake. It keeps the direction very well, no issue. Stability is fantastic. I replaced their paddle with my racing one from one single reason - the paddle blades of the original are not turned at an angle to each other. For effective paddling sitting as high as possible is required, so I prefer to sit on deck, however for colder days I will put a seat cushion and go inside. Sitting on a deck has one drawback - no foot support so which forces you to use different muscles than should be. Overall - if you want to strenghten your deep muscles (understard - get rid of your groving belly), learn how to paddle proper way. And than I don't know better and more natural sport than this to help your body. Body load is pretty intensive, I am paddling with Garmin and chest strap. Very quickly I reach high intensity training level. One warning - a week after purchase my Cascade started to twist (visible when on a ground upside down) later it started to turn more and more not keeping straight direction. I was going to send it back, fortunatelly I found out, that if you inflate middle insert while not correctly positioned inside the cayak, than it has a power to twist it. Sitting on top means, I can sit my wife down and make a "tours" - (it help to keep home calm after such an investment :-) ). I put inside already two children, dog, wife with dog.... Any combination you can imagine :-). For stand up paddling I prefer to stay behind the hole, not within. On a ponds (we have hundreds of ponds in the Czech republic), sometimes I tend to stop in the middle, lay down to the hole and relax or sleep. Purchasing a pure SUP would be investment (to me) for a holiday fun only, purchasing kayak just a single use for me, not involving family. Aqua Marina hybrid is exactly and the only solution for me, which I was looking for, combining possibility to train and have fun with family. Aqua Marina made me happy with this hybrid and in fact, after ruining my knees with bad running habits, this hybrid got me back to active life. Big thanks to them. Hey, they don't pay me, I am simply happy and want to share it :-)
Thanks for sharing your experience with the board Rostislav - this will be super helpful to the SUPboarder community! Consider dropping a review of the board here too:
supboardermag.com/equipment_guide/aqua-marina-cascade-sup-kayak-hybrid-112-x-35-2021-reviewed/
review posted. I am happy to share :-)
Exactly what I was thinking of buying it! Thanks
@rostilav psota Dobrý den, můžu se zeptat jak dlouhé máte kajakové pádlo? Potřebuji taky pořídit jiné, než které bylo přiloženo. Ale nevím, jak dlouhé zvolit. Podle výpočtů vzhledem k mé výšce (170) by mělo stačit 210 cm, ale nevím jestli není třeba delší, sedím také raději nahoře než uvnitř + šířka kajaku.
I have an Aqua Marina Cascade and I LOVE it. My husband also has one, and at 6'6" he's really comfortable SUPing, he hasn't been comfortable at all standing up on other boards. I love the versatility of it and it's so stable. I have a kayak sail for the front and a cooler/dry box with rod holders for the back for fishing. I always bring an anchor, which is also great for leaving it in the water at the beach between sessions. I don't really like leaving it sitting on the 2 fins on the beach with my added gear weight.
I couldn't be happier with my Cascade because of all the functions and versatility. We're more for touring and just enjoying ourselves than going fast, but I love taking a lot of gear with me and this one has the room. There isn't anything I don't love about it.
I've been waiting for this review, so Thank You. Since it's new out this year, and my first board, I've been wanting to know what more experienced people thought of it. I'm happy you liked it!! Wonder Is All Around
Hi Annie, Great to hear you enjoy the Cascade so much. Thanks for sharing your insights.
I have one and love it mainly for kayaking. I bought a Pilates Foam Roller and cut it down the middle so I had two d shaped pieces. I then cut one a little bit wider than the cut out section of the cascade and jammed it in as a foot support for paddling. Works great. Allows you to use your legs to get more power in your stroke. All up cost was $10
Wow, that's a really cool hack John. Thanks for sharing. Glad you're enjoying using this product. Cheers, Beau
can you describe me more easily? video up-load of your casecade would be great.
That middle insert looks like it could be used as an inflatable bodyboard. At least for the kids.Wonder if they had that in mind:)
Thats a very good point - another sport that it can do!!!
Or tow it behind with the dog or child on top!
it is very "sturdy", double stich technology here as well, it will survive everything. I think they name it somewhere in the manual as a bodyboard.
Nice to see an informative proper review which wasn't a like sales pitch.
Glad it was helpful!
Really useful video. I've been looking at essentially the same board but with a different brand (Coasto, Altai). Looks like the both boards are likely made by the same manufacturer, currently on Decathalon for just €300 including most of the accessories.
Thanks for the comment and glad you found it useful - Will - SUPboarder Team
best review o this so far...;)
Glad you liked it!
I have one, and I agree to all the positive statements in the video and in the comments - lot of fun, especially for the family. Only downside is, that the boat is of course not so fast compared to a slimmer kayak. That is why I sometimes use it with an electric engine (I use one from Scubajet)
Thanks for sharing!
@stocktvab: Hi! Can you tell me the length and width (preferably in cm) of the central cockpit in which you sit to kayak? I wonder if it is long enough to stretch and bend the legs, which you need to do when kayaking. Thanx!
Great review with super useful details. Thank you
Glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks, Beau
I kinda really like this one! A bit expensive in Canada, but tempting...
They're surprisingly fun and worth it!
I had the same thought regards touring
It would be good to see something like this, even as a prototype on some solid touring shapes.... i'm sure it will have some cons, but would be great to try it :)
Great video! Looks as if it was filmed in Cornwall or Dorset? I am thinking about purchasing this SUP-Yak, as I like to SUP (in the summer) and maybe use it as kayak in the winter. I wonder how comfortable it is when you are sitting inside the kayak, as you seem to have to bend your legs quite a lot, and this is not the ideal position for kayaking (as you need to use your legs and would need a footres, too). Do you know the length in cm of the inner part of the Aqua Marina Cascade? I could not find any information about it. I am 172cm (high or small :)), thus I don't know if I will need to bend my legs too much in order to fit in... Thanks for your information!
Filmed in beautiful cornwall :) Yes, you do need to bend your legs - I am 5'10. We would need to measure the internal chamber to fully wander your question. When the Cornish rain stops, I will get out the boat and measure it for you :) Thanks, Will - SUPboarder
@@SUPboardermag Hi Will! Thank you for your kind reply. No need to measure the internal chamber anymore. I got an answer from Aqua Marina. The length is 109cm and the width is about 47cm, thus a bit too short for doing real kayaking, and I got the impression that it is neither really suitable for real supping. I had then thought about purchasing the Tahe SUP-Kayak, which seems to be more suitable for doing both types of paddling (due to the elevated kayak seat and foot rest the Tahe offers), but then I decided to purchase an iRocker All Around 11' and ordered the kayak seat with a kayak booster seat which is also quite high, so I guess I can do both and will have a more speedy and good sup board. Say hello from me to beautiful Cornwall. I hope to be able to visit Cornwall again next spring (for the 8th time from Germany by car.) It depends on whether there will be sufficient fuel supply in your country... ;-)) Cheers! Marcelo
@@SUPboardermag hi, I'm in Devon and like the look of this, but the company have said no demo models around and when they are, won't be my area.
Any chance I could come and have a look at it?!
I would say that The Wall from Starboard is leaning toward this area. Since I started paddling I keep asking why can’t a paddle board be made the same shape as the hard boards, the raised front and sunken deck, it just feels like they are missing something here. This boat/board looks fun but when I get in my board I want to stand up as much as possible and only go to knees if I really have to. Also just a note but in their advertising they have a guy supping on this and he isn’t standing on the floor but instead on the outside walls which means he is 8inches off the water, I’m not sure if this was intended but that doesn’t seem right.
Great comment and thanks for sharing your thoughts. We are always talking to brands about how they can produce an iSUP that is like a hard board. Still lots of work to do from the manufacturing process as although it can be done, brands tend to worry about warranty issues and how they can best avoid quality complaints too.
And yes, you can stand on the side walls of the kayak as it has grip there especially for it.
Thanks again. Beau
Great video and great explanation. I am about to buy it for vacation in the South of Spain in spring, but I am wondering what are the original packaging measures (before unpacking all the contents from the carton)? The reason why I am asking is that airlines do often not allow baggage with dimensions exceeding 160 cm (height, depth, width) or, alternatively, you have to check it as much more expensive bulky baggage. Do you know the package size? Thanks for sharing.
Hey Chris, not sure if this is still useful, but the box dimensions our Cascade came in are: 92cm x 43cm x 34cm
I wish I had seen this product earlier, I completely missed this one, I bought a Bluefin Cruise 10.8, which don't get me wrong, I love, but I totally would have bought this instead. I have no interest in the standup boarding aspect, this does exactly what I use my Bluefin for and the price is not that different. These are even on direct from AM right now for half price with free shipping. There is for sure a market space for this if I'm in the customer survey pool 😄, older but very fit paddler, live in the city, have a small vehicle, nowhere to store a hard shell kayak but don't like any of the inflatable kayaks in my budget, this thing ticks all my boxes, and I'm sure it's got to be at least as good as my Bluefin to paddle, the Cruise is like paddling a war canoe dragging a 10 pound anchor behind it, she's a tad heavy in the water.
Yes these are great Boat/boards that have a great place in the market for many. Because the AQ is light it does seam to paddle well. The Bluefin are tough but heavy. Thanks Reuben
I have the bluefin cruise 10.8ft, a 2 person ver. AM cascade 13ft, and a 14ft red. I primarily use the bluefin cruise for a bit of surfing in the sea due to its maneuverability, speed wise not much different to the Cascade and with poorer tracking. (Possibly due to my Cascade being 13ft). The cascade is great for family touring in calm water with plenty of cargo and offers great balance. While the Red 14ft is my fav. for long distance travel say 15-20km paddling with the best speed and tracking. So imho they aren't mutually exclusive and one can certainly have both if the storage space allows.
А можно ли вдвоём на нем плыть , выдержит ?
We think it would be possible to paddler together on this board so long as there's a lighter weight rider.
Thanks for the video ☺️ keep up great work.
Could I ask for fishing, would you go for a drift or this, stability, and comfort wise
Thanks
I use my AM Cascade for fishing and love it. I have a cooler with rod holders strapped behind the kayak seat (or where the Kayak seat sits if I go without it) and my fishing rods, net, and extra paddle piece goes in the rod holders. When I'm fishing I can use the cooler as my seat and I have an anchor on board to keep me in my fishing spot. I LOVE this board, or boat I like to call it.
Good question. The Drift is specifically designed for fishing and has the attachments needed. The Drift is also 38" wide so offering plenty of stability if standing up and fishing. You also have the d-rings on the deck for added storage of cool boxes, fishing gear, etc.
However, as Annie has mentioned, you can set up the Cascade for how you want and the dugout design may be useful for sitting down or using the space for storage. It really depends on how you want to use it and how you want the set up to feel.
Hope this helps. Beau
@@anniestjohn appreciate the information :), that's what I was thinking about, to kit it out myself and use the extra capacity to have fun with family etc.
@@SUPboardermag very good points :) thanks for reply
I was hoping to see you paddle with the seat inside the kayak... also, was the seat comfortable...and could knee-straps be added ?
I would like to see (buy) a 17 foot Sprint version of this board. I was hoping since a couple of years that someone would make such boards.
Good work Aquamarina :-)
Hi Philip, I didn't actually think of putting the seat inside, but it would go in ok, but wouldn't be able to be fixed in to D rings. The seat was very comfortable. I liked it compared to other kayak seats we have seen here. I would also like to see a few more models in this type of board, I think it has some real scope...... even as a dedicated SUP, the concept could be nice as you can go narrow as you are standing so low..... Lets see what comes out ;) Thanks, Will
@@SUPboardermag Thanks
I think this is the first of a new wave of hybrids. A longer narrower version with a hard, sharp nose, would be my ideal type. So, Aqua Marina, please sort that out for me
Muchas Gracias
:-)
@@philipkelleher2853 Lets hope they listen!
@@SUPboardermag it is a niche market for sure. These days when SUP is becoming a fashion and you can buy 3SUPs for the cost of Cascade in a supermarket (whatever quality, mainstream market doesn't care), Cascade sales will grow slowly. Unless Aqua Marina doesn't make enough profit somewhere else to finance hybrids development, hybrids evolution will be slow. My guess :-)
2' longer please. 13' is a nice all-around length for a kayak or SUP. At least make it a 12'6"!
For sure - it would be great to see a longer model in this style of board..... Cheers, Will | SUPboarder
@@SUPboardermag there's a tandem hybrid kayak made by Tidal King that is 12'2".
Pretty neat honestly however only worth it if you are going to be utilising it's versatility. If you are only going to be paddle boarding then getting an actual SUP will always be better.
Well said
i think i like tis Cascade.. would like to see how it functions with single and dual Bluedrive S.. 😆🥳
Now thats a good idea. I would imagine it would work well. Thanks Reuben
Could you test the Tahe Sup-Yak ?
We will look into this - thanks Nicholas
It would be easy for them to include a clip in foot brace.
Great suggestion. Thanks for the comment. Beau
Would it work to fit 2 people in it? Slim people :))) of course, not going over the max rated capacity
It would be a tight squeeze for two people. Possible one sitting on the back and one inside would work.
Perception do a fantastic hybrid
Which model is it?
Is it suitable for the sea with big waves?
We wouldn't recommend it for safety reasons. Safe paddling, Beau
@@SUPboardermag how about lite waves in sea?
As a first sup for catching waves and also paddling.
Or is it better to go for a hard sap?
Can you recommend something please?
Weighs 90
We wouldn't recommend for paddling in waves or catching them. Look for something like the Aqua Marina Beast for all round performance in different conditions. Thanks, Beau
Why o why do they always make these designs so wide? This makes any form of paddling very inefficient.
It's definitely for the mass market in terms of creating something that is stable for almost everyone. A narrower version would be good for those wanting some extra performance. Thanks for the comment. Beau
Take a pure SUP ... Money for nothing.
Yep, the concept isnt for everyone for sure