SIC Maui Tao Surf 10'6'' x 31.5'' SUP board

The Tao Surf series is built on traditional surf design. A full nose and rounded pintail help you drop into waves and carve down the line; generous width keeps the board stable — useful punching through shore break and just standing out in the line-up. A moderate rocker line tracks and glides nicely, so the Tao Surf doubles as a cruising board.

Fins: a single US box plus an FCS system — ride it as a single or a thruster. Ergo-Grip handle, deck attachment points and bungee.

Ten and a half feet is the middle of the series: enough float to carry an adult confidently, still short enough to turn in a wave.

Tough-Tec. A moulded, watertight EPS core provides stiffness, with a polyethylene skin thermoformed over it — essentially the same plastic kayaks are made from. It shrugs off impacts, which is why these boards end up in rental fleets and schools: they don't collect dings from car sills, rocks or other boards. Inserts are moulded in and never penetrate the outer shell, so water can't get in even if the deck is damaged. On top, an embossed EVA pad.

Made in France: EPS cores are produced on site, offcuts are recycled, there are no polluting emissions, and the board itself is 100% recyclable.

Who it isn't for. Racers and long-distance paddlers — that's what the Okeanos and XRS are for. A thermoformed board is heavier than a composite of the same size: that's the price of being nearly ding-proof.