ROC Paddle Board Review

The ROC paddle board offers a cheap and complete package for beginners

UPDATE: After testing a lot of Amazon’s choices / best sellers, I would choose the Goosehill Sailor paddle board over this one. Still in doubt? Check out my Best cheap paddle board (under $325) guide.

Most suitable for:

I would recommend the ROC paddle board only for beginners, as this is a real basic board and package. If you want to start paddling without spending a lot of money and want to start on a decent board with a complete package, the ROC paddle board is the way to go.

The board is pretty stable with the size of 10′ long and 32″ wide. For speed this is not an ideal size, but that is not what most beginners are after. This board offers good value for money and if this is your first time getting on a paddle board, you will not be disappointed.

This board is good for starting out for a couple of years of paddling, until you are completely sure you love the sport and want to continue this in the future. At that point, you can still invest in a more advanced board like iRocker/Blackfin/Red Paddle etc. and experience the huge difference it can make.

If you happen to not like paddling (yeah sure ;-)) or if you happen to not be able to paddle due to circumstances (while I’m writing this a lot of people are in quarantine), you do not have a really expensive paddle board just lying around that is not used.

As the board is not that long and doesn’t have the best paddle included, I wouldn’t recommend it for long tours. This board is more suitable for relaxed paddling along the shore or on a quiet river or lake.

Length

10' / 305cm

Width

33" / 84cm

Thickness

6" / 15cm

Weight

17.5lbs / 7.9kg

Max Rider Weight

300lbs / 136kg

Max Air Pressure

15PSI

Board type

All-around

Skill

Beginner

Primary use
All Round / Relaxing

Speed on the water
The board is designed for beginners with an all-around purpose, speed is not what it is aimed at. It is alright as far as speed goes, but nothing special here.

Transport
The board is very light, even for an inflatable one. The board weighs 8 kg / 17.5 lbs, this makes it easy to carry along everywhere.

Stability
The 32″ width makes the board more stable than your average 30″ width board, which is good for beginners to start on.

My own experience

When I first stepped on the ROC paddle board, it felt almost like a throwback to the days when I started with paddle boarding. It reminded me a lot of the Aqua Marina Fusion paddle board I first started on which almost made this a nostalgic experience. (Jeez I’m getting old)

As I have tried many other brands after, the experience is of course different than that first time with no referential. Now I realize how high-quality inflatable paddle boards actually can be. And in that time, inflatable paddle boards have evolved a lot and feel very different. In a good way of course.

What I like about the board is the stable feeling and the ease to keep a straight line, the two small fins and the big fin help a lot during this process. Speed-wise this is of course not your best board, but to relax and just paddle around this is perfect for beginners.

After testing out the Goosehill Sailor, I would choose that board over the ROC.

Click to read the Goosehill Sailor review

The board is of good quality compared to other paddle boards in the same price range. ROC themselves claim it is military-grade PVC and they use advanced welding technology. This makes the board very stiff, but still light. Especially for a 6″ thick board.

Swipe from right to left to view the rest of the table

Product image
Product	Goosehill Paddle Board Sailor 10’6 Review	ROC Paddle Board Review	Bluefin Cruise 10’8″ Review
Build	Inflatable	Inflatable	Inflatable
Skill	Beginner	Beginner	Beginner
Price		$199.99	Price unknown
Score	9.8	8	10
All-round
Touring
Surfing
Yoga

I enjoyed this board mostly on quieter waters and on the nearby lake and river close to my home. After work, I go out and paddle around for an hour or two, and this is a great budget board to do this on when you’re starting out. Less suitable for the rough work though, when the river got a bit wavy the board felt a bit more wobbly.

The ROC paddle board is also a bit harder to turn since you do not have the luxurious option of a kick pad on the back of the board and with a 6″ board it is a bit harder to carve a turn then with a thinner board. (The main reason why hard boards will always be better for this purpose.

Important features

Setup

• Lightweight military grade polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material and Advanced DuraWeld Technology
• Embossed Diamond Grip EVA Deck Pad
• 7 D-rings. One D-ring to firmly secure your leash, 6 D-ring bungee system for easy and secure storage of your stuff
• Comfortable grip handle in the middle of the board

Fins
This board has 2 small fins and one big fin, of which the big fin is removable.

Material
The boards are constructed with military grade polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material and Advanced DuraWeld Technology. This makes them very light, but really rigid.

Inflate / deflate
The ROC Paddle Board is inflated in about 15 mins with the supplied ROC single chamber pump.

Warranty
ROC offers a 1 year warranty on all of their boards.

Design
Playful and fun with a big ROC logo, available in 4 different colors

In the package

Paddle

The ROC paddle is a lightweight aluminum paddle which is adjustable in height. So if you purchase this for children of if you want to take turns paddling, you can adjust the height so it always suits the individual. But as I said in my Best Paddle Guide, aluminum is not the best material and it can bend and break over time.

Pump

The ROC pump is just a typical cheap one chamber pump. In the end this will do the job and get the right pressure in your board, but it will be a lot of hard work! If you do not mind the work out that is fine, but if you are looking for a better (double chamber) paddle board pump or even a cheap electric one you might want to check out my Best SUP Pumps guide.

Leash

The ROC paddle board leash is a coiled leash, which is great because it only extends if you actually fall in the water. So it is never in your way when you are paddling. This is easily connected to the board, the best accessory included.

Backpack

The ROC paddle board backpack is also a standard backpack without any special or extra options, as you can see below. The board fits in there when rolled up well and when the large fin is removed, so it suits it purpose. The carrying handles could have been a bit less rough though!

Optional accessories (not included)

Restube classic
Because extra safety measures never hurt anyone!

Buy Restube Classic

Electric SUP pump
For those who don’t want the exercise before getting on the board.

Buy Electric SUP pump

Difference between an Inflatable board and a Hard board

Frequently Asked Questions about the ROC Paddle Board

Other reviews of the ROC Paddle Board online

The ROC Paddle Board is a very popular paddle board all over the internet, where it has gathered thousands of reviews.

A short overview of some of these reviews below:

Paddlelove.com: “All the main features you’ll find on the ROC iSUP and they are considered to be the standard for all quality iSUPs with no exception. This board lacks nothing for it to be a great travel companion that’ll make water time a better time.”

Paddleboardssale.com: “The Roc inflatable paddle board is, for the price, a pretty good option. The brand may be fairly new to the market, but it seems there are plenty of satisfied customers that having nothing but good words to say about this paddle board.”

Globosurfer.com: “The ROC 10’6” is an excellent stand up paddle board that one can use in a variety of water activities. It can be used both in calm and wild waters, and it is an excellent choice for beginners.”

Amazon.com: Rating 4.8/5. “This is my first SUP board, and I’m very happy with it! The size of the board is perfect, great quality board, bag, paddle, the works… they definitely did an amazing job with this paddle board!” – Based on 1.216 customer reviews as on 26th of March 2021.

Conclusion – Should I buy this board?

The ROC Paddle Board is a great and complete package for a really low price, which is obvious why it was the number one board in my list of cheap paddle boards. If you are a beginner and want to buy a good complete set to try it out and see if you like the sport, the ROC Paddle Board is the best choice for you!

If you are a more advanced paddle boarder or you have different expectations, for example if you’ve practiced before on a rental Red Paddle or Blackfin, this board will disappoint you as it is not comparable in quality to the boards of these premium brands.

This board is the budget option for new boarders only. You get what you pay for, but in comparison to the low cost this is quite a lot. But if you have a bigger budget and really want the best quality for your money, pick the iRocker All-Around 11′ Paddle Board or the Blackfin Model X 10’6″.

So depending on your situation and experience this could be a great board for you, but do not expect the same quality as a board that is double the price. Again, for a beginner this is a great board and a complete package for (currently) only $350.

What do you think about the ROC Paddle Board? When you started paddle boarding, did you purchase a higher quality board right away or did you first try out the sport on a cheaper model?

For me personally I started out on Aqua Marina boards, which are cheap and quite comparable to the ROC Paddle Board. But as a student I did not have a huge budget and the bigger brands were not an option for me.

After testing out the Goosehill Sailor, I would choose that board over the ROC.

Click to read the Goosehill Sailor review

Did you also start doing this as a student, or maybe earlier or a lot later? Let me know in the comments, I’m curious to get to know you!