Airhead is coming out with some pretty cool accessories for stand-up paddleboards and the Stabilizer is one of my favorites.
The Airhead Stabilizer can convert any SUP into an ultra stable board. The added stability is ideal for:
- beginners who want a little added security
- plus-sized paddlers who would like more width and stability for their board
- SUP fishing
- paddling with your child or kids who are learning to stand-up paddle
- paddling with your dog
- extra stability in rough water
- or for SUP yoga which is becoming extremely popular
I have seen some inflatable stand-up paddleboards on the market that have what looks like a tube around the perimeter of the board. The extra tubing is meant to add extra stability.
However the problem with those boards is that even though they are quite stable, the tube is part of the board and can never be removed.
What I like most about the Stabilizer is that it can be easily added or removed so you can use it only when needed.
Construction & Set-Up
The Stabilizer is well made and has two sides of PVC bladders protected by a strong nylon cover.
There is a patented Speed Safety valve on each side. Most standard hand pumps or foot pumps can inflate each side in a matter of seconds.
It sets up extremely fast and deflates just as easily into a small little package that can be taken anywhere.
The rugged nylon straps get placed over and under the board – one strap on top and one on the bottom of the board. You can adjust the straps so that the pontoon sides of the Stabilizer hug the sides of your SUP.
Paddling With the Stabilizer
I didn’t expect my SUP to paddle as well with the Stabilizer attached but I was pleasantly surprised that in general I still moved along nicely and was able to paddle efficiently.
I found that my board was extremely stable with it attached and even when I purposely tried to rock my board from side to side, I felt very secure.
My dog who paddles with me all the time even seemed extremely comfortable as he walked from one end of my board to the other.
My dog is quite little so when he moves on my board it doesn’t affect stability much. However with a larger dog this can be a real issue. The Stabilizer is ideal for those who want to paddle with a medium to large dog on the board.
I’m not that great at yoga but I tried a couple of yoga moves and felt very stable.
There was a huge difference from when I have tried yoga in the past and always felt like I was going to end up in the water.
This time even though I still got the benefit of having to really use my core muscles for balance I felt much more stable, secure and comfortable.
Overall I was quite impressed. It’s a nice accessory that would be convenient for many people.
The only negative I found was that it does slow the board down slightly when paddling. However it’s not meant to be used for racing so to me this doesn’t really matter.
Personally I would use the Stabilizer most when paddling in ocean waves… especially when paddling in cold water where falling off my board is not very appealing.
Keeping the board stable for fishing, yoga, kids, dogs or newbies is what it does best. It’s a great SUP accessory to consider.
Click here for the best deal on the Airhead SUP Stabilizer at Airheadsup.com.
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Would these “training wheels” make entering and exiting kayaks easier?
Hi Linda, I’ve never tried them with a kayak, only with a paddle board but I don’t see why they wouldn’t work. They definitely add more stability.
Thanks to answer my question and thank you for all the work you are doing with this website 👏👏👏.
Hi :
Do you know the difference between SUP Stabilizers A005 SUP Inflatable Stabilizers Set
by Airhead and AIRHEAD AHSUP-A006 SUP Training Wheels Set?
Thank you for your reviews . They are really helpful
Yj
As far as I know they are exactly the same thing. I’m not sure why they have two different names. I notice the training wheel set is priced lower on Amazon. Kind of strange but I am pretty positive they are the identical item.
The Stabilizers have a nylon cover over the PVC bladders. The Training Wheels don’t have the nylon cover, just the PVC bladders.
The difference is that the training wheels are just a pvc bladder and the stabilizers have a protective nylon casing which protects them from puncture
I am residing in Costa Rica and was VERY EXITED to have my friend purchase and bring one of your stabilizers last week to Costa rica from the US. I was VERY DISSAPOINTED that when we unpacked the stabilizers and blew up…. one side had a a hole on the seems … so impossible to use and beyond repair as on the seem.
CERY VERY DISSAPOINTD NOT FOR THE LOSRT $ 50 BUT THE FACT THAT I CAN NOT USE. Especially as other people here in Tamarindo wanted to order.
Robert Hendrickx
“casa Azul”
50 Metros Antes Hotel capitan Suizo
Tamarindo Beach
Costa Rica
Hi Robert, We don’t actually sell the products on our website, we simply review them. You’ll have to contact the seller to help replace your damaged Stabilizer. Here is the contact page for Airhead… http://www.airhead.com/contacts/
I had the same problem. A hole right in the seam where it can’t be patched. Never used it once. Right out of the box it came with a tear on the seam. Very disappointed. I guess they don’t test them before shipping them out. Seems like a bad design flaw as the seam that leaks is right where you pull the adjustable straps.
But can it be taken on an airplane with the ISUP board easily? The main reason for ISUP’s is airplanes.
They deflate and fold up very easy, can go in the same bag you iSUP is in.
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