Author Topic: Imagine Surf Compressor Mission 12'6" - anyone use one?  (Read 4420 times)

cyclocross

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Imagine Surf Compressor Mission 12'6" - anyone use one?
« on: April 25, 2015, 12:20:14 PM »
I'm looking at picking up the Imagine Surf Compressor 12'6" and wondering if anyone has any experience with them. I'm looking for an inflatable board which will be mostly used for rivers where I dare not take my wood board. I also plan to use it for one way trips where I can deflate the board and then take public transit to get back home. Finally, it would be nice to have a board to take with us on our annual Hanalei trip. I know Red and Uli boards are nicer but $1000 is my absolute limit in terms of budget. The Imagine looks better than the budget boards from Isle or Tower. Any others worth considering in the sub-$1000 range?

cyclocross

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Re: Imagine Surf Compressor Mission 12'6" - anyone use one?
« Reply #1 on: May 05, 2015, 01:16:29 PM »
I went ahead and ordered this board and it arrived today. I looked at this board, the Tower 12'6" and the Isle Touring boards. Went with the Imagine for the following reasons:
1) It came with what I wanted and nothing I didn't want. With the Tower board I'd have to buy a pump, bag and D-rings (which I'd have to install). With the Isle I'd have to buy a bag and be stuck with a paddle I don't need and wouldn't use.
2) Seattle instructor/blogger/author Rob Casey recently posted a brief review of the 14' version of this board. Normally I don't give much weight to reviews but Rob does most of his paddling on the same waters I paddle on so that is pretty relevant.
3) I ordered it from REI so if I'm not happy with it I can easily return it to my local REI store.

First impressions:
The bag is really nice. It has wheels and hidden backpack straps. It also has a place to strap the pump, a pocket for the fin, and external straps. It unzips on 3 sides which makes loading/unloading a breeze.

The fin is a rubber model and mine was pretty warped to one side. I warmed it in the oven and put some bricks on it while it cooled to straighten it out. I'll use my Future Fins JB Keel most of the time though the rubber fin could be handy on rivers. The fin has a stainless thumbscrew which makes for tools free installation which is pretty handy in a iSUP. The box is a standard 9" box and all my fins fit perfectly.

The pump is a Bravo SUP Pump HP. It comes in it's own bag. I was able to inflate the board to 15 PSI in 5 minutes with a lot less effort than I anticipated. The first 5 PSI were more tiring than the last 5. I plan to take my board on public transit and then inflate it make downwind runs to home and for that I'll probably invest in a small K-Pump. 

The board itself is blue with orange accents. This is odd since the 2014 Imagine Surf catalog shows it as being orange and white. Either way it looks good. It has 4 D-rings and a bungie up front and a D-ring for the leash in back. The board can inflate to 18 PSI. I only took it up to 15 PSI and when I stand on it on the living room floor it feels very solid. The deck pad is pretty thin but the board gives a bit. It feels like a solid board with a thicker deck pad. As Rob Casey mentioned in his review the carrying handle will be a bit snug to grab when wearing gloves. Not a surprise since Imagine are based in Florida so they probably never need gloves unlike Seattle where we get out even when it snows. All the seams are straight and the board has no twist to it which I've heard can be an issue with cheaper iSUPs.

Hoping to get it out on the water in the next day or two. Pesky work...

 


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