An Unfiltered Review of The Wild Tribe’s Stand-Up Paddleboards
My Review of The Wild Tribe’s Boards
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)
Pros: Rugged build, top-tier rigidity, thoughtful design, great transport bags, Canadian-made, easy-to-navigate website.
Cons: Premium price (but worth it).
Best For: Backcountry paddling, fast water, flatwater touring, gear-haulers, photographers and people who value gear that earns its keep.
Learn more here.
Sometimes, as consumers, we need companies to tell us exactly who they are and then back it up with rigour. When it comes to adventuring, I value that tack. Climbing hundreds of metres to paddle a mountain cirque with an inflatable stand-up paddleboard (SUP) requires a degree of trust. If the gear I rely on fails to perform, you can be sure it will be a long hike down with plenty of time to think. If it sounds like I am speaking from experience with my last inflatable SUP, then you would be on the mark.
Frustrated with that experience and exhausted by the word ‘tariff,’ my gaze turned northward. Enter The Wild Tribe. As I am apt to do when researching gear, I navigated right to their ‘Who We Are’ section on the company’s website. “It’s about people who venture where most don’t dare. People who willingly step out of their comfort to live, to experience and to thrive.” And with these two sentences, the company had my attention.
Like most of our readership, The Wild Tribe’s owners, Nicolas Bedard and James Bourassa are based in Canada. Although there are many advantages to living here, business owners who require extremes to evaluate their products have an advantage. Putting their product through its paces up here provides me with a sense of security on the remote adventures I pursue.
Using The Wild Tribe’s ‘Preference’ graphic I began to narrow down a good fit. As a general rule: the longer the board the better it tracks (holds center) and the faster it goes. Conversely, shorter boards can get you into fast water, waves and are thus easier to turn. I use SUPs to surf all over the continent, to backcountry camp and to access adventures previously inaccessible. So, I put in an order for two standup paddleboards, the 11′ Columbia Blue and the 12’6 Athabasca to round out my quiver. Before I go any further, full disclosure—my frustration in my previous wholesale club-style inflatable board experience began with the “backpack” it came in. Hauling an inflatable to a remote location (or even from your vehicle to the water) is, in my opinion, a make-or-break experience.
I am happy to report to you that the premium transportation bags that came with my new boards are bombproof. Adjustable shoulder straps and hip belts to distribute weight are integral. I chuckled to my partner that the wheels on the bags are on there for the last hundred steps when the satisfaction of a trip completed meets the urgency to flop down into the seat of the truck! I can confirm your investment is safe with The Wild Tribe. I run my gear hard and have notoriously unfair, high expectations of it. I believe choosing to invest $1,000 or more should come with a commensurate experience.
With that in mind, I took the 11’ Columbia Blue (the perfect length for touring while remaining highly maneuverable) to an abandoned dam I had been wanting to explore. It is a perfect example of a playground whose main attraction is the crushing hydraulic force of water. It is also known for its rock gardens which, for my money, is a perfect place to run a standup paddleboard sold to me on its ability to tour and take a pounding. And a pounding it took.
Here is the first thing I noticed on the water—I had to remind myself I was on an inflatable. Built to inflate to 20 PSI means industry-leading rigidity in the frame. Side note: inflation with the dual-action pump included took just under eight minutes to reach 20 PSI. I recommend investing in their portable electric pump for frequent use, but the included manual pump is more than capable in the field. I found myself giddy at the prospect of how many new adventure opportunities would open up now that I owned two of them. I smashed. I crashed. And with each paddle stroke, I joined the converted. My observation is that this board is robust and maneuverable yet stable and fast. It tracks well in flatwater and, if you are into this kind of thing, the colour scheme and branding look gorgeous in pictures.
Next, we took the 12’6 Athabasca and the 11’ Columbia Blue on a flatwater camping and fishing trip. The trip requires passing through large swaths of open water, accessed via a network of caves. My partner, who is 5’3 and 135 pounds, had no trouble managing the longer board. While navigating current through the caves with light gear, the Columbia Blue remained composed—no taco-ing or flexing even when laterally broadsided by current. In stiff wind across the bigger open water, the Athabaska held course admirably with only minor correction strokes. The longer silhouette of the Athabaska also gave her the speed advantage which allowed for parity in our pace. It bears mentioning we used every square inch of real estate going into the backcountry, tapping into the network of high-end elastic straps and D-rings to lash down our gear.
As a younger man working in the agency business, I helped represent companies like The North Face, Patagonia and Thule. I will never forget those sales meetings and outdoor shows where it became obvious that the devil was in the details. It is what separates ho-hum products from the superior ones. I immediately noticed a similar ethos with The Wild Tribe. For example, the company heat welds the side rails of their boards. Heat welding creates a cohesive frame which enhances the integrity of the hull, backed by extra layers of PVC and Dropstitch. This is where other inflatables may cut corners. Translated: I can run that board down a set of rapids, bounce it off a boulder and be confident that I am finishing my touring trip. That’s as high a compliment as I can give. I have put many miles on these boards without incident, and my trust runs deep.
My kids use them as a place to sit and take a breather between games of water tag. As a father I’m happy they have a headquarters to return to when they are out of breath! I am a heavy user of these boards in both flatwater and whitewater, so I fully support your decision to invest in The Wild Tribe brand. Their commitment to ethically sourced materials and local environmental protection rounds it all out for me (and I have not even mentioned the warranty). When I chose my boards, I based my decision on who The Wild Tribe are in this market. I am happy to support a Canadian-made brand whose philosophy it is to challenge me to be bold, backed by gear I can trust. In the end, choosing gear is about more than specs.
For me, it is about choosing the kind of adventurer I want to be. The Wild Tribe gets that. With their boards, I am committing to a new course of adventure. So, if you are anything like me, pack that trusted gear, pick your line, and go!
This article is supported by The Wild Tribe
It’s about people who venture where most don’t dare. People who willingly step out of their comfort to live, to experience and to thrive. TWT was created to help them achieve this with affordable and quality gear that is designed and tested here, in the harsh climate of the wild wild north.
