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I recently had the opportunity to try out the Jackson SUPer Fishal for a week in Lake Powell and on the Colorado River near Moab, Utah. When I first saw the SUPer Fishal I realized this was something different. A SUP with a luggage rack (thats what we called it), storage for fishing rods, room for my dog, and even Gopro and RAM mounts for my GPS or other fishing accessories. Now, I am a very beginner stand up paddler. In fact I have only done it once before in a lake. This Jackson SUP was built like my kayak that I am familiar with. It will take some abuse and keep dishing out days of fun. Rocks, no problem – this thing is tough!

My first impressions on the water was how stable it was. I could walk around and adjust my position easily without feeling wobbly. My last SUP experience on the lake with the glass and inflatable boards resulted in many swims, and just as I seemed to get the feel I’d fall off. On the SUPer Fishal I didn’t fall off once all week. It is so stable that while doing an overnighter on the Colorado River we used the SUPer Fishal to haul firewood and two guitars across the river to our camp – everyting arrived safe and dry.

I do like to fish and think this would be a great platform for fishing. It was fast and tacked in a straight line well on Lake Powell. I think this is largely due to the deep channels on the hull. I also found it quite easy to turn for such a long board. Paddling next to the giant red cliffs that went straight into the water was a real treat.

On the Colorado River, in the small rapids, the board rode high through the waves. My friend Scott took it through the largest rapids (class II+) and was very suppressed how forgiving it was on white water. As a surfer and kayaker, I think he was sold on the SUP experience. It ferried easily across the river even with eddy lines and cross currents. I even managed to stay upright and dry even when I took my 70 lb. labrador Tucker across the river and back. I think he had less confidence in me than the board.

All in all it is a really fun tool in lakes or in rivers. We called it the SUP SUV as it can do so many things for you. A day fishing, easy. A day exploring rivers even with some rapids, no problem. A multi-day SUP camping trip at Lake Powell, no sweat. I’m looking forward to playing more on the Jackson SUP’s this winter and spring.