California Board Co. 11′ Inflatable SUP Review

paddling the California Board Co 132 Current

California Board Company makes several different SUP’s and surfboards and now they have one very cool 11′ inflatable stand-up paddle board.

This paddle board is well made and versatile.  It comes with a seat attachment and can be paddled standing or kayak style.

It comes with a comfortable seat that attaches to the D-rings on the center of the board and a SUP paddle that can be converted into a kayak paddle.

This ISUP is stable and durable. It paddles well and is a lot of fun to use.

Specs

  • 11 feet long
  • 32” wide
  • 5.5” thick
  • weighs 24 lbs.
  • can hold up to 200+ lbs.
  • air pressure: 15 PSI
  • two attached side fins and one removable large fin

Material: Three-layer PVC coated and reinforced drop-stitch fabric

Pros: Stable, durable, bungee cord system up front, lots of D-rings, nice fin system, versatile, paddle standing or kayak style, package includes a combo SUP/kayak paddle, a board leash and a comfy seat

Cons: Not super fast, pump is basic

Check prices for the California Board Co 11′ SUP at Amazon.com.

More In-Depth Info

I really like the look of this ISUP. It is well made and has all the right features and some great accessories.

The shape of this board gives it a nice glide.  The 6″ thickness makes it very stable.  When inflated it feels rigid and durable.

It’s a board that anybody could use and it is ideal for cruising around on lakes, rivers or ocean bays.

It handles well in the wind and I imagine would be a lot of fun in surf as well.

Features

This board has all the basic features that you could want covered.

It is functional, comfortable and versatile for a lot of different people.

132 Current inflatable SUP

Removable Fin

Besides the two smaller side fins, there is also a large removable fin included in the package.

The removable fin is great to use in open water as it really helps with tracking.

The fin slides in easily and is secured with a push in clip. Once secured it is solid and durable.

If you were paddling in shallow water you would remove the fin and simply use the two side fins.

132 Current removable fin

Bungee System

I personally like boards that have a bungee system; I find I use it all the time.

The bungee system on this SUP is just in front of the traction pad, which makes it very easy to access.

It is great for securing your water bottle or any gear that you would like to bring with you.

California Board co SUP bungee system

6” Drop-Stitch Material

The 6” thickness makes this ISUP very stable and rigid. It can hold a lot of weight and still paddle well.

The material felt strong and durable. It seemed well made and with a little care will last a very long time.

Loads Of D-rings

I like all the D-rings on this board. D-rings are always handy to have for securing anything you need to take out with you.

The 132 Current has a D-ring at the front, which can be used for towing, as well as one at the back that is ideal for attaching your SUP leash.

There are also four D-rings around the center of the board (two on each side). These are used for attaching the seat.

Then there are four more D-rings being used for the bungee system.

Lots of D-rings to work with, which I think is awesome.

ISUP D-rings

Seat

There are a few ISUP’s now that provide the option of attaching a seat.

I like that this one includes the seat in the package price. It is one of the more comfortable SUP seats I have tried.

There is quite a bit of padding on the bottom of the seat and once attached to the D-rings the back support is excellent. I really enjoyed using it.

The board still felt stable when seated and I found when paddling kayak-style I could zip around all over the place. It was very easy to paddle this way.

The seat is perfect if you would like to fish from your board. It is also nice for those who think they might want to take a break from standing and have the option to sit.

132 Current ISUP seat

Carry Handles

There are three carry handles. There is one at the center of the board for when you are carrying it by yourself and one at each end.

The carry handles are pretty standard and made of strong nylon.  Weighing only 24 lbs. this board is easy to carry.

Backpack

The backpack that comes with this inflatable SUP is very functional.

  • It is large enough to easily get the board in and out of and to carry all the accessories.
  • It has side mesh panels to allow the SUP to breathe.
  • It has a bungee system at the front of the bag that can be used to secure and carry the pump.
  • The shoulder straps are slightly padded. I found the straps to be a little flimsy for a heavier load but they seemed solid and overall fairly comfortable.
  • There is also a waist strap for added support.

I could fit the board, the fin, the paddle, the seat, the repair kit, the SUP leash and the pump in the bag.

california board co backpack

132 Current mesh backpack

SUP/Kayak Combo Paddle

I’m not a huge fan of the combo SUP/kayak paddles but they do serve a purpose and are very convenient for those who want to paddle their SUP standing as well as sitting.

The SUP paddle breaks apart into 3-pieces making it ideal for traveling and then there is a 4th piece that is the extra kayak paddle part.

SUP/Kayak combo paddle

When used as a SUP paddle I loved it. It is basic in design  but it felt good and was easy to use.

It has some rubber padding around the shaft for added comfort. I loved the added padding, it’s a great feature that I have never seen before and I really noticed the difference in comfort while paddling.

The SUP paddle is adjustable making it easy for people of different heights to use.

Seth and I paddling the 132 Current ISUP

When you want to use the paddle as a kayak paddle you simply remove the SUP handle part and attach the extra kayak paddle part.

It only takes a second to switch them and could be done from your board while out on the water if needed.

When used as a kayak paddle I found it worked well. It feels different than using an actual kayak paddle, which I find is usually the case with the combo paddles.

However it worked well and as mentioned I really enjoyed paddling this SUP kayak-style.

paddling the 132 Current kayak style

paddling inflatable SUP kayak style

Setup

Setup is quite easy. Take the board out of the bag, unroll and inflate.

With the hand pump I found it took me about 10 minutes to get the board inflated to 15 PSI.

The hand pump comes with a pressure gauge so you can check your progress.

It takes awhile for the pressure gauge to show any air pressure but keep pumping and soon enough you’ll see it show up.  Inflating it to roughly 7 PSI is fairly easy but I found it got much harder after that.

It took a bit of effort to get it right up to the 15-PSI mark but it’s doable.

I prefer to use an electric pump personally to eliminate the sweat before hitting the water.

Once inflated you can attach the fin and your board leash then you’re ready to go.

132 Current paddle board backpack

California board company inflatable stand up paddle board package

inflating the California Board Company inflatable paddle board

inflatable SUP

Weight and Versatility

This board weighs 24 lbs. I found it easy to carry and it is the perfect weight for traveling. It would be easy to bring anywhere.

The size makes it quite versatile. It would suit a large variety of people and is perfect for taking your dog paddling with you.

It paddles well on flat water, tracks and glides nicely. I had it out a couple of times in some heavy wind and it handled the chop with no problem.

I didn’t have the opportunity to use it in any real surf but I imagine it would be a lot of fun.

The Negative

There aren’t any major negatives. It is not the fastest board on the water but overall it paddles well and is easy to handle and maneuver.

I think the pump could be improved upon as I found it to be a little tricky to get it fully inflated with it, but there are other pump options out there such as the K-Pump or an electric pump if you chose to upgrade.

More Pics

132current

inflating the Cali Board Co 132 Current

Seth decided to make himself comfortable as I was trying to inflate the board.

getting ready to take the 132 Current ISUP paddling

paddling the Cali Board Co Current ISUP

halkey roberts valve on inflatable paddleboard

paddling the 132 Current inflatable SUP with Seth

Where To Buy

Click Here For The Best Deal On The California Board Co 11′ Current At Amazon.com.

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Comments

  1. Els P Strickland says:

    I bought an inflatable CBC paddleboard last fall, love the board but on our second use the pump broke. The hose broke off and the board deflated immediately. We taped the hose back on the pump but have issues pumping the board now past 10 due to air pressure excaping where taped no matter what.
    How can I get another handpump and/or are there better options?

    • Allison says:

      Hi, I’m sorry to hear that your pump broke! There’s a couple options. Are you in the US? Amazon.com sells a bunch of hand pumps if you want a replacement. The NRS Super Pump tends to work well and should work with your CBC paddleboard. Or another option is to upgrade to an electric pump. I have been testing out the OutdoorMaster Shark electric pump and it works really well. It connects to your cars 12V DC connector. It’s a little pricier but honestly so worth it.
      Last suggestion… Did you try contacting the company? The pump should definitely have lasted more than 2 times out. Worth a try to see if they’ll send you a new one.
      Good luck!

  2. Mona saunders says:

    It’s been great fun but the rubber may on the top came off. What do I glue it back on with

    • Hi Mona, If you still have the repair kit that came with the board you can try the glue in there. However if that isn’t strong enough a good option is Aquaseal Flexible Repair Adhesive. There’s a few different types of glue you can use but the Aquaseal is one of the cheaper options and tends to work well.

  3. Debrah Shaver says:

    Hey Allison. Thanks for all of the great information. We just bought our SUP. We purchased the display model and don’t have an owners manual. We live on the bay and would like to leave the board inflated for multiple days. Do you know if this is ok to do? We would store it under the lower balcony — out of the sun, but not the heat.

    • Hi Debrah, No problem leaving it under the balcony inflated if it is out of the direct sunlight. If it is really hot the air pressure will increase over multiple days. So I would recommend just letting out a slight bit of air before storing it so that it doesn’t over-inflate itself. When you go to use it again, just top it up. Otherwise should be totally okay. Hope you enjoy your SUP, happy paddling!!

  4. Jared van cleve says:

    It seems we lost the owners manual and we seem to be losing air at the cap. Is there a certain way to air it up? I notice there is a nozzle that can be pushed inside of it. Any help would be great!!!

    • Hey Jared, before you inflate the board push the valve in and twist so that it pops up. It should be in the ‘up’ position when inflating so no air leaks out. When you deflate the board push the valve in and twist it down so the air comes out. If you are doing this correctly and it is still losing air definitely contact California Board co.(Keeper Sports) directly and let them know so hopefully they can help.

  5. Brian Butterworth says:

    I also have the CBC Inflatable 132. I used 3 times, flat river in early spring, Memorial Day weekend at Outer Banks, NC, and last week again at Outer Banks, NC. I had no issues on the river, nor the 3 day weekend over Memorial day. Last week, the waves were about 1 to 2 feet, and glassy. However; the temperature was mid 90s. We were at the beach, so it was not possible to keep board out of the sun, but I had it on its side with the fin side facing the sun more than the top. The middle fin came off on day 5 of my vacation. The board got knocked over, and landed on the fin. I immediately picked it back up, and the fin was at a 45 degree angle. Fin was still in the channel, but just barely. I think the channel was warm enough that it allowed the fin to come out. I removed fin, and re-installed since everything looked normal. However; when I went in the water, the fin fell out and never to be seen again. I was having a great time with it until then. I am going to check with company to see how much replacement fin costs, and see if there is a way to make sure the next one does not fall out and get lost. If there was a hole in the fin that you could attach cable to rear D-ring, then if fin fell out, you would not lose it. It would just drag behind the board until re-attached.

  6. jeanine says:

    My paddles are fused and no longer extend, how can I get them to work again? Do you sell replacement paddles?

    • Allison says:

      Hi Jeanine, We don’t sell them you would have to contact the company directly for new paddles. Or hopefully they can help you fix them.

  7. Just took my current 132 out of the box and partially inflated it. The two permanent fins are bent over at about a 45 degree angle. How can I straighten them up

    • Hi Jim, My initial thought is just to try and bend them back, they should be fairly solid. I have had other boards where the fins get a little bent and I just work at bending them the opposite way, it has never been an issue. However to be on the safe side I would suggest contacting the California Board Co. to get their opinion.

  8. Steve Brown says:

    What electric pump do you like to use?

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