Note: This review is for the 2017 Expedition. Click here for the latest 2019 review for the Thurso Surf Expedition.
The Expedition is a touring board that moves swiftly and is great for longer straight paddles where you want to cover more distance efficiently.
It is well made with durable double layer construction, looks great with the same classic Thurso Surf wood-style top layer PVC material and is very functional.
At 11’6” long it offers quite a bit of room for gear or paddling with your dog or kids!
Specs For The Thurso Surf Expedition
- 11’6” long
- 30” wide
- 6” thick
- weighs lbs.
- can hold up to 200+ lbs.
Material: Two layer construction – Military Grade PVC layer on top of a drop stitch internal fabric layer.
Best Suited For: Touring, lakes, rivers, ocean
Pros: Easy to paddle, glides well, versatile, great accessories, 2-year warranty
Cons: There’s not much to complain about with this board.
More In-Depth Info
The Expedition is a classy looking board and it paddles well. We have really enjoyed reviewing it.
The three removable fins allow you to customize it for the type of water you are in making it quite versatile.
We found we got the best performance out of this SUP as far as tracking and turning goes with all three fins attached.
Once you get moving it glides quite well and as the name implies it is ideal for touring expeditions.
The 30″ width provides a good balance of stability and efficiency without being too wide causing the board to be sluggish. The tapered nose and tail really help the glide.
Although we preferred paddling the Expedition on flat water lakes and rivers, we did find it to also perform well in ocean chop. The slightly turned-up nose helped plow through waves..
Overall it is quite versatile but it excels in straight long distance paddling.
Of course one of the things that we love about Thurso Surf is how much they include in their package price.
Just like their other inflatable SUP’s, the Expedition comes with:
- a lightweight carbon shaft 3-piece paddle
- a leash
- a double-action hand pump
- an insulated cooler deck bag
- a very functional backpack carry bag
- and of course a repair kit
They provide more than most for your money and we feel their whole package is a fantastic deal.
Important Features
Tapered Nose & Tail
The tapered nose and tail design of the Expedition is very common for a touring board.
You still get some width in the middle for stability but the tapered design greatly helps to keep the board gliding well and moving fast.
The longer length will make turning a little harder and slower, which is very common for touring SUP’s.
However for straight line touring, this is the type of board you want.
Traction Pad
The traction pad helps with grip and comfort. We found this one to be a good length and there were no issues with glue as I have sometimes seen in the past with certain boards from other companies.
Deck Bungees
The front deck bungees are ideal for securing a dry bag, your PFD or any gear you want to bring along.
These bungee cords stretch right to the edges of the board and are large enough to store quite a bit of stuff.
I almost always use the deck bungees on my boards and I find them really handy to have.
The deck cooler bag that is included with this package fits under the bungees perfectly with room to spare.
D-Rings
Besides the four D-rings being used by the front bungee cords, there are also two on either side of the traction pad as well as one at the back for securing your board leash.
All of the D-rings are made of stainless steel and are very strong. They are ideal for securing more gear or a seat.
Fins
There are three durable plastic fins included with the Expedition. All three are removable and easily click into the fin box.
They are quite solid with little to no flex and very secure once attached.
They greatly help with tracking and we definitely recommend using them.
Carry Handle
There is one padded center carry handle and there is also a handle at the nose of the board that can be used to grab your board if you are in the water.
The neoprene cover on the center handle can be used to secure your paddle when not in use.
Included Accessories
As mentioned before the Expedition comes with some really great accessories, all included in the package price.
Deck Cooler Bag
We love this bag. It is insulated, water resistant, has a heavy-duty zipper to seal it tight and an outer zippered mesh pocket for storing items that you don’t mind getting wet.
You can fit ten cans inside the bag and the insulation will keep your food or drink cool even on a hot day.
The bag also comes with suction cups and bungee cord that can be used to secure to the top of your board if you don’t want to store the bag under the deck bungees.
The bag is not completely waterproof so anything that absolutely can not get wet should be stored in a dry bag that can then be placed inside the cooler bag is wanted.
Backpack Carry Bag
The backpack zips on all three sides so it is easy to take the board in and out of the bag.
The bag is large enough to fit the board, the fins, the three-piece paddle and with a little maneuvering you can also fit the pump.
We love that you can store everything in the bag. Makes it really easy to travel with either by car, RV, airplane, boat or even by bus.
SUP Leash
The 10′ coiled SUP leash attaches to your calf or ankle and the other end can be secured to your back D-ring.
The leash is an important safety item so you don’t lose your board if you should end up in the water.
Double-Action Hand Pump
The double-action pump works really well. It is sturdy and strong and makes it fairly simple to inflate the board to 15 PSI.
The first 5-8 PSI is easiest then once it gets harder you can flick the switch to single action to make it easier. With steady pumping you can have the board inflated in 5-8 minutes.
3-Piece Paddle
The paddle is a good one. It has a carbon fiber shaft making it lighter than your usual stock aluminum paddle.
We noticed right off the bat that it was a fairly decent paddle to be included in the package price.
We also had friends comment on how much they liked it when they tried it out.
It is height adjustable and very portable since it breaks apart into three pieces.
Repair Kit
Every inflatable SUP comes with its own repair kit that includes a patch, glue and valve lightener.
Set Up
For setup, take the board out of the bag and unroll it. Take off the valve cap and push on the valve tip and twist until it ‘pops up’.
Then attach the pump and inflate until you reach the 15 PSI mark.
Once inflated you can secure the fins, your leash and the deck bag.
Once you know what you are doing the whole process takes roughly ten minutes.
Performance
With a touring board you want the performance to be decent.
With an all-round SUP you expect your board to be fairly versatile but not always that fast.
However a touring SUP should glide well and move swiftly. This one does just that.
We found it took little effort to get moving and it really excelled when paddling straight.
It tracks well and we didn’t notice any drag whether on ocean, lake or river.
Overall we were quite happy with the performance. It moves well and feels good to paddle. That’s all you can ask for!
The Negative
There really aren’t any major negatives with this ISUP package.
It is not the fastest board out there but for the length, width and weight it performs quite well and strikes a nice balance in being user friendly yet efficient.
There is no kick tail for doing pivot turns but that is not at all critical.
We feel that most people from beginner to advanced would be quite happy with the Expedition.
Bottom Line
You get a lot for your money with this ISUP package and it would suit a wide variety of people.
The touring design is very similar to many others on the market but we really like the look and feel of the Expedition.
Bottom line: You really can’t go wrong here and we feel this will be a popular board for the price!
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Hi there! I’m trying to narrow down my choice for paddleboards and need a little help deciding. I’m 5ft 0in 108lbs with low center gravity. I plan to have 1, maybe 2 dogs on my board. They are border collies between 32-38lbs and we will be chasing geese from lakes, ponds, and rivers as part of wildlife management. The dogs will jump on and off the board so I’m trying to decide if an inflatable will be able to handle this or should I stick with a standard board? I’d also like to know which board can get me moving quickly but still sharp on turns as I need to make adjustments to my position in correlation to the birds. Thank you so much for your input!
Hi Jenn, Sorry for my late response! Your border collies have a great job! I think you’d have no problem with an inflatable. They are quite durable and I have never heard of any issues from dogs jumping on and off. The larger the board the more stable it will be, especially if your dogs will be jumping a lot. However a wider board will also move more slowly through the water and be harder to turn. So for your situation you really need a board that offers a bit more stability but not too much so that it slows you down. This Thurso Surf Expedition could work especially if you have some paddling experience. The 30″ width and pointier nose will feel less stable with the two dogs moving around for sure though.
Another option would be the Hero SUP Crusader. It is 31″ wide so it will feel slightly more stable with the dogs but isn’t so wide that it drags. The rounder nose will also provide more room up front for the dogs. It won’t be as fast as a touring board with a pointy nose but it still moves quite well and is easy to turn. Another option would be the Hero SUP 12’6″ Dynamo. It is a similar shape and design to the Thurso Surf Expedition but a foot longer. It glides and turns well but the extra length will provide more space and stability with the dogs.
The Sea Eagle Longboard would be another one to consider. It is only 30″ wide but has a rounder nose and is quite versatile. It comes in an 11′ or 12’6″ length. We’ve used this one a lot with bigger dogs, it handles well.
Hope that helps, good luck with your choice!
Hello! Thanks for you awesome review. I am going to buy one of the Thurso iSOP boards soon. Just curious if you could shed some light on which one you recommend. I will be with friends who have standard boards and we will be in the intercoastal waters of Florida. There will be chop from the waters and boats. Also some strong currents at times. We will be exploring around, the spoil islands and lagoons. I may use this at the beach with family, too. I definitely want to bring my little mini dachsund along and, when it’s safe, my children. And I may try some yoga. Again, thanks!
Hey Jamie, If you have a bit of experience I would say go for the Thurso Surf Expedition. The longer length and tapered nose will help to glide faster and smoother in the water, even in choppy water. If you are concerned about stability the 11′ Waterwalker is 2″ wider and a bit more stable even with the shorter length. The 32″ width will be a little better for yoga but you will find it slower when touring with friends. Either would work well for paddling with your mini dachshund or with your children, especially in flat water. My feeling is that the 11′ Waterwalker might feel more secure initially but you will likely be happier with the Expedition in the long run as it performs better. Either way you can’t really go wrong. I have been using both quite often lately and I have been really happy with them. The third option the 10’6″ Waterwalker is the lightest and most portable but I think might be a little small for your needs. Hope that helps!
Thank you Allison!
I started learning how to kayak fishing 12 years ago due to an MVA. I liked it so much, I sold my Ocean kayak and upgraded to a Hobie Adventure Island which I learned how to sail. Last year I bought my first Epic V7 surfski and thoroughly enjoy that and continue to love the water. I’m now in the process of getting into inflatable paddle board as I would like to take it with me on vacation. I’ve narrowed down to the Thurso Surf Expedition and the Tower Adventure 2. I would love to order through the link you provided but, Unfortunately, neither ones can be shipped to Canada. I’m guessing I’ll have to order it when I’m in the US.
Can you kindly tell me which is the better of the two? I’m a 5’7 180lbs male, I would be using it for ocean, some surf and lakes, and the occasional SUP camping as I love the portability. I have a fair bit of experience in the water sports and consider myself an intermediate. Not afraid of getting wet or capsized so narrowness is not an issue. hope you can help me decide. Than you very much!
Stehen Tran
Vancouver Island
Hi Stephen, I prefer the Thurso Surf Expedition over the Tower Adventurer 2. I find the Tower boards a bit basic and I have had a couple issues with their construction in the past. I think the Thurso Surf is a more durable ISUP and it also comes with higher-end accessories. Performance wise either would suit your needs, they are both quite versatile but I feel better about recommending the Thurso Surf. The Thurso Surf Waterwalker is also another good option for you. It is slightly shorter and wider than the Expedition, not as fast but a little better suited for surf whereas the Expedition excels on straight longer paddles. Both can be quite versatile, just depends on your preference. Hope that helps, happy paddling!