In a country where versatility is of the utmost importance, the SIC Recon 11.4 for me is the perfect companion. It is an all-round fitness/surf/touring/SUP board, which can be used in any type of water. When it comes to stand up paddleboarding or surfing, I would like a board that can do both. With the Recon, I am able to do just that. It has the width to assist with balance but not too much width that it ruins the manoeuvrability needed to surf.
The shape of the board is built that when it comes to surfing you have full movement back and forward on the board. It is also wide enough that you can stand up paddle on it on flat water for a beginner and on open water for a more intermediate/advance approach. This isn’t a board that I would recommend for a stand up paddleboarding beginner who has never done SUP before, due to it being slightly thinner than a normal board. It is however good for a surfing beginner as it has a little more stability than a Malibu. Furthermore it is also more suited to a surfer who prefers to longboard.
When stand up paddle boarding you want a board that has some stability, moves and handles relatively well in the water and is also fairly light. The Recon is light and easy to carry, is slightly smaller in thickness than a normal SUP but thicker than a surf board. Here in Dubai, a board like this is perfect as it handles very nicely on calm waters like the ones near Riva Beach Club and Ignite Surface. It is just inside the Palm and the water is flat — very comfortable to go for a gentle tour around the fronds or handles of the Palm nicely should you want to go for a fitness, high intensity paddle.
Out in the more open waters like Kite Beach, on a good day when it is smooth, the board handles smoothly. However, should the water be choppy and rough, the board becomes a little more challenging for its pilot. This is due to the width of the board, when it comes to standing on it and paddling during a small to medium swell it proves to become much more of a challenge.
The padded non slip top makes it easy and comfortable to stand on for long periods of time, making it a great touring board. The width of the board is like that of a surfboard meaning it glides through the water much more swiftly and is easier for the pilot to paddle. I personally like this type of board as I can take it for a surf or surf paddle and at the same time I can convert to stand up paddle boarding. This board however makes it slightly more challenging to perform fitness exercises on, but that is easily fixed by doing it on the beach and then heading out on the board. For someone who loves the water like me and spends a lot of time each week, this board is great. The only challenge I have with this board is the transportation of it due to the length of the board.
The board: The SIC Recon 11.4 is from the SIC brand, newly launched in the UAE and is exclusively available at GO Sport stores across the region for 4,725 AED.
About the author: Blake is an SUP enthusiast and Instructor at Ignite Surface. He is the Group Marketing Manager for Ignite Group and along with being a PT and Group Fitness Instructor. Loving water so much instructing SUP was the next logical add on to his career.
Words by: Blake Stemm
Photos by: Daniel Birkhofer
