Review of the SIC Maui 12’6″ x 31″ Okeanos Air Glide inflatable touring paddle board

Out of stock

SIC 12’6″ x 31″ Okeanos Air Glide

From: $929.00

In 2019, SIC Maui launched the Okeanos composite stand up paddle board to much fanfare and praise, surpassing the expectations of fitness and touring paddlers of all abilities. So, by popular demand, SIC Maui introduced the Okeanos Air Glide, the inflatable version.

The SIC Maui 12’6″ x 31″ Okeanos Air Glide takes its dimensions from its composite counterpart and follows its beautiful aesthetic styling for what has become another classic in the SIC range. It can carry a wide variety of paddlers from small to large, and can also be loaded up with gear on the ample forward and rear cargo areas.

This SUP can be run with a single center US Box Fin or with two FCS side fins for stability and tracking (included). It can also be run with just the two side fins in shallow water, fast water, and even white water. Using just two side fins also provides a stable resting platform for the board when placed on the beach and loaded up with gear.

The full Okeanos Air Glide range features the 11′ x 29″, the 12’6″ x 31″ and the 14′ x 30″. In this rapid review, we’ll take a closer look at the SIC Air Glide Okeanos 12’6″ x 31″ inflatable touring SUP and see why it has been so popular.

SIC Maui Inflatable SUPs #BOUNDBYWATER

From the SIC Maui catalog:

Paddling is a dance with the flowing tides, it is tranquility, and it is the exhilaration of venturing out into the vast expanse of the deep blue.

Even if you are taking your first strokes away from the water’s edge, deep within, you have always felt the sea allure and chased after it from your earliest memories.

For most of us we have felt the sea’s allure from an early age and have chased after it in our own ways. While we all answer the same call, we are likely from infinitely varied backgrounds, and yet we all find our common likeness when we gather at the water’s edge and venture out beyond the shoreline.

We may have chosen different instruments to play out our adventures; however, we each seek to harmonize with the elements in a symphony of water, wind, and waves.

We seek individual experiences, and yet we are united in our common quest. We are more alike than we are different. We are a community of watermen and waterwomen, and we are all #BOUNDBYWATER

SIC Air Glide Wheelie Bag

The wheeled back pack by SIC is a fairly no fuss affair. A bit light on features compared to other bags on the market but that keeps it nice and lightweight. Comfortable to carry. Plenty of room inside for your board and extra bits and pieces. Personally, I prefer a tighter more structured fit for the bag as they typically wheel more easily. This one does the job though, and protects the board well.

• Durable fabric for transport wear and tear
• Large storage pockets for fin, leash, and additional gear storage
• Padded back pack shoulder straps which provides comfort while carrying
• Bag configures to a back pack and wheel it on the ground. Carry it when you need to, or wheel it when you can

SIC Air Glide Inflatable SUP Pump

SIC Maui’s double action inflatable SUP pump is also a simple, yet functional and effective inflatable SUP Pump. It features 2 way pumping for up and down stroke inflation initially, and then you switch to down only to finish off the board. A robust PSI gauge shows the pressure of your board as you pump your way to the recommended pressure of 20 PSI. Simple, easy to use and pretty standard fare for quality inflatable SUP packages.

SIC Coiled Leash

The SIC Maui 8′ Coiled leash attaches on either your calf or ankle. The coil keeps the leash out of the water reducing drag and prevents entanglement with feet while moving on the board. We use a coil leash for most paddle outings outside the wave zone. This one does the job as well as all the others we’ve tried.

• Molded coil leash for durability and to keep coil shape
• Double Swivels for easy mobility when moving on the board
• Quick releaser 1 1/2″ calf and ankle cuff for easy release and flexible wearing options
• Key pocket in cuff for secure key storage while paddling

SIC 12’6″ x 31″ Okeanos Air Glide – The Board

Taking inspiration from the composite Okeanos boards, the Air Glide or inflatable versions, are a brilliant recreational fitness and recreational touring board. With an outline shape that is stable yet sleek and fast, the boards are very popular. A little wider in the forward and mid section than most touring boards, which follows through with parallel rails to a wide 17″ tail, the width provides stability, while the parallel rails promote good straight line paddling, or tracking, and glide.

SIC have not just taken inspiration from the composite versions for the shape of the board, they’ve also transferred the graphics over. The Okeanos Air Glide is one of the best looking iSUPs on the market these days. A grey wood grain print up front, polynesian style wave print above the deck, all combined with teal and contrasting orange accents (the 11′ Okeanos features light blue accents), the Okeanos ticks all the boxes for a stunning looking paddle board.

Load up your board with the ample 4 ring cargo area up front or the large 6 ring cargo area on the tail, this board has plenty of width, deck and cargo space for a decent load of gear, or kids and pets. The fuller outline shape helps in this area too, providing a stable board.

Built from SIC Maui’s Fusion Skin Technology, the board inflates to 20 PSI and has double sealed rails for a durable, stiff and high performance board.

Technology: Fusion Skin Technology

FST is the stiffest outer skin material you can build an inflatable with. This material has a lowstretch/high tensile skin which is heat fused onto the back of the outer PVC outer skin. This stiffer skin, when inflated combined with the compound curves of the rails makes this board super stiff at only 15 psi although the board can also be inflated to a maximum of 20 psi.

Probably one of the only range of boards on the market to offer a 2+1 fin configuration on a touring board, the Okeanos offers some neat options for your paddling adventure. First up, there is the general use case of large 9″ touring center fin – how I used the board. Second we have the 3 fin mega tracking and stability configuration – but with extra drag – which could be used when carrying gear and/or paddling in choppy and side on wind conditions. Third, and the most unique, is the dual fin option. Two shorter surf style fins offer a configuration that provides great tracking but allows you to enter shallow water without running around and snagging obstacles below the surface. A bonus in this configuration is a balanced platform if you’ve got gear on deck and the board on the beach, it won’t topple over like single fin boards do.

Round it all off with a nose positioned accessory mount and d-ring, the board features almost everything you would need. I say almost, as I feel it lacks a few handles. Of course is has the center carry handle, but a tail handle at least I think is pretty standard for inflatables these days in the all round and touring world and a nose handle is a nice-to-have also, but not essential. Add a tail handle and you’ve got the perfect touring all rounder.

Okeanos 12’6″ x 31″ Features:

• Fusion Skin Technology: the stiffest outer skin material you can build an inflatable with
• 9.0” Weedless fin (nylon) and 2x 4.5 Nylon side fins
• Diamond grooved EVA deck pad
• Center carry handle
• Bungee tie downs on fore and aft deck
• Dual action pump
• Leash
• Wheelie backpack
• Repair kit with spare fin plates
• All boards come equipped with Air7 polycarbonate fin box which is stiffer, stronger, and easier to repair. Its low-profile design reduces drag and makes you go faster.

On the water

The board has excellent glide and tracks well. Has more nose rocker than the SIC Maui RS Air Glide race boards which enables it to go over chop or rough waters rather than pierce through it, this helps with general stability and comfort in paddling. The wide forward section and tail provide an exceptionally stable platform for general purpose paddling and touring. Parallel rails give the board excellent tracking ability so in general, it is a real pleasure to paddle.

SIC were one of the first to market with the fuller nose and wider tailed touring style boards and after the success of the composite versions, the inflatable Air Glide version were bound to be a hit as well.

The board features a large deck pad, running from well forward of the cargo area and right through to the very tip of the tail. It runs completely under both cargo areas meaning none of your gear will slip or slide around. The large deck pad also offers ample room for kids or pets to ride with you, without slipping off either. Lightly textured in a honeycomb pattern, the deck is comfortable and grippy enough to use with confidence. Speaking of the cargo areas, a 4 ring area up front and a 6 ring area on the tail, both with bungee cord.

I paddled this board with just the 9″ single fin, I ran it on the ocean in gentle chop. I’m 190lbs and this board was a dream to paddle. I had an older 12’6″ x 31″ Starboard Touring and while the dimensions are the same, the shape is very different. More width up front and a wider tail make the SIC Okeanos much more enjoyable and easy to paddle.

Moving around on the board, taking advantage of the large deck pad, was quite easy with no wobbles. The overall width and wide tail work well here. That width though, did not hamper the cruising speed, glide or tracking. Overall a pleasure to use, just jump on and go.

Vitals

• Length: 12’6″
• Width: 31″
• Thickness: 6″
• Weight: 26.8 lbs
• Volume: 340 liters
• Max payload: 250 lbs
• Inflates to 20 PSI
• Warranty: 2 years

Likes

• Great colors and graphics
• Large center fin for great tracking and twin fin option for shallow water
• Ideal for all round, recreational touring, recreational downwinding, paddlers looking to load gear, fitness and yoga enthusiasts
• Stiff board at 20 PSI max inflation pressure
• Large forward and rear cargo areas
• Large deck pad
• Included action camera/accessory mount on the nose
• Coiled leash comes in package

Dislikes

• Extra fin boxes might add some drag
• Could use a tail handle
• Bag is a bit simple in today’s market, but it is lightweight…

In conclusion

The SIC Maui Okeanos Air Glide 12’6″ x 31″ won the SUPConnect gear of the year award, among others, and this is a competitive area of the SUP market. We love the stable yet fast outline, and the large deck pad and cargo areas make it a versatile do-everything touring and recreational board. If you’ve out grown your all rounder, or want to start out immediately with a great do-it-all board that is fast and sleek, but still stable and with good carrying capacity, you can’t go wrong with the Okeanos 12’6″ by SIC. Plus, it looks awesome too.

One of our favourite boards we sell, and one of the most popular too. The word is out, join the club!

Related posts:

Review of the SIC Maui 14′ x 30″ Okeanos Air Glide inflatable touring paddle board Detailed video review of the 2019 SIC Maui 14′ x 26″ RS Air Glide board First look at the SIC Maui 14′ x 26″ RS Air Glide board Review of the 2019 Fanatic 10’4″ Fly Air inflatable paddle board Review of the 2018 Starboard 12’6″ Touring Deluxe Double Chamber inflatable paddle board