Travelling and paddling some of the best spots in the world, Steve West chose the Mistral inflatable sup range to accompany him whilst he stayed on the paradise island of Leleuvia in Fiji.

So why did Steve choose the Mistral inflatable sup

Both Steve and his wife Mandy were already aware of as they both had professional windsurfing careers back when Mistral was a key player.

Whilst Steve was finishing his book Stand Up Paddle – A Paddler’s Guide (www.kanuculture.com) back in 2012 he became aware of Mistral inroads into the inflatable paddleboard market and more so of the serious efforts they were making. Mistral have always been a strong force in whatever market they enter and this is certainly the case with SUP and iSUP.

The iconic brand had set out and succeeded in creating both a 14 and 12’6 one-design styled board that has shown its teeth as a very capable open ocean board as well as flat water racer.

Steve’s experience gained over an entire career of paddling OC1 canoes, paddleboards, windsurfers has given him a unique and solid understanding of board construction. That said Steve’s first impression of the Mistral inflatable sup. These boards are light at around 12kg for the 14′.

Inflating these boards to the correct psi is critical and over inflating does not automatically mean a more rigid structure. The pump is easy to use and makes pumping this board up a quick and simple process. Aiming for the recommended 15 psi is key.

The performance that Steve enjoyed

Steve’s passion is open water, downwind paddling as this board certainly met his needs.

The 14′ Mistral inflatable sup board has great speed and glide as does the 12’6 but for a bigger guy and real ocean glides the 14′ is the better choice. At 27 inches wide this board has plenty of stability.

This board does come with a few extras you won’t find on a rigid board and most importantly was the grab handles, deck webbing and paddle clasps.

Steve said that it was the attention to detail that really made this board stand out. The graphics are very Mistral and this keeps the board looking cutting edge.

IF you would like to try the Mistral or get one for yourself check out our Mistral shop online for uk purchases.