Aqua MarinaGlow

Who is it for?

If you’re looking for an incredibly unique inflatable paddle board that has the ability to glow in the dark you’ve gotta check out the Glow from Aqua Marina. This board is well-suited for paddlers of all skill levels and is designed for paddling in flatwater conditions.

This paddleboard is best for paddling shorter distances and is going to be something unique to have whether it’s your first paddle board or a new addition to your SUP quiver. Priced at €699 the Glow is incredibly affordable and comes with a ton of add on’s that will allow for a fun unique experience.

First Impressions

Wow!!! That’s honestly our first impression here. This board is so unique and unlike anything we’ve seen before. It’s in a category of its own, that’s for sure. Yes, we’ve seen accessories that you can add to your board that give fun lighting effects but nothing that has been built into the board. The thoughtfulness that the Aqua Marina team had here was quite impressive. And for the price point you’ve got yourself something really special and unique. Now when it comes to the graphics of the board, the muted gray tones really work well here to allow the glow in the dark (GITD) effect to take all the attention. But even without the GITD the graphics are nice and clean.

Let’s move on to features. Obviously the GITD is the main feature here but the way it's incorporated is quite interesting. The board uses an ambient light system that is controlled by a mount on the nose of the board, and also an included remote that is easy to use. And even cooler, there are a bunch of different lighting options to play with and choose from. It’s not just a static glow feature. Very nice touch! But what’s more, and even more impressive is that the board still features and includes some great elements to it.

First, the all-new Iconic Red Bungee strap system which really helps to further secure and hold down any gear to the deck of the board. The thick straps are awesome. Then, they’ve also upped their game on their toolless fin system, making it even easier to attach the fin. Very nice touches and additions here. One of the only downsides here is that we wish it came with a paddle. Maybe even a matching one that had some sort of glow effect as well. But that’s wishful thinking. Another downside that we gotta mention is the included leash. It’s made up of more of a mesh/fabric material so it’s not quite up to industry standards here but it should serve its purpose in keeping you safe and attached to your board. When it comes to the performance of the board on the water it felt very stable and durable and had a fairly nice glide to it but once we started to pick up speed there was a bit of a drag to it.

So if you’re looking for a board that can go longer distances this probably isn’t your best option. However, if you’re looking for something that cruises around where you can hang out and paddle with leisure this works well for that. But again though, this boards biggest draw and design intent was for nighttime paddling and an experience and it does just that. During our evening session to get more of the glow effect from this board we were blown away by the experience. The lighting effects were really bright, not dull at all and the safety light on the nose of the board was very apparent and made us feel safe knowing that we were in fact visible to other watercraft.

Overall, the Glow is truly one-of-a-kind. The innovation alone warrants the board to have an A-grade. Amazing job to the team at Aqua Marina.

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