The Sol Flyer SUP- What is this crazy new shape all about?

The Sol Flyer SUP- What is this crazy new shape all about?

 The Sol Flyer hybrid all around longboard is a new board style by Sea Gods for 2024. 

The Sol Flyer is for a different riding style than most other boards.  It is for the folks who like to stand up tall and take really long strokes with a long paddle.  I see them out there, and whenever I try to teach lessons there are always folks who don’t want to bend at their hips and stack their hands-  they want to feel tall and long, hold their face up to the sun and just feel like they are walking on water.  These folks want to just take it easy, cruise along, stand up tall and look good.  They don’t stop the paddle at their feet.  They don’t bend at their hips. They just want to cruise around with a peaceful easy feeling.

 This type of riders wants a stable board that will span the chop, give great tracking and stability while they just cruise along from one friend’s dock to another. 

sol flyer bottom view

We call it an “All-Around Longboard Hybrid”

 

The ride is like the style-  Smooth and good looking.  It’s not built for speed.  Its stable because of the width up front.  It tracks great because of the extra length.  It is smooth and easy because the tail tapers out to keep that glide.  If you want to stand tall with a long paddle and put your face up to the sun and hum banana pancakes by Jack Johnson as you cruise around for an easy ride, this board is for you.

From the show stopping art to the innovative new deck pad, all new board shape and the best technology in materials and construction, the Sol Flyer  is an absolute pleasure to ride.  It performed even better than expected-  smooth flow, easy handling and great stability.  It is sure to be a new favorite in the SUP reviews and for the Sea Gods riders.

Sea Gods makes premium inflatable stand up paddleboards with artwork commissioned by independent artists.  A limited number of boards is printed with each piece of art and build our boards in small batches;  it takes a minimum of 3 days for each board to be built by master craftsmen.  Shape samples are designed and tweaked until the performance is perfect and only the best materials are used.

 

The Sol Flyer combines several new technologies:

  • CX technology- cross weave drop stitch laminated to the durable light weight PVC to be the lightest and most rigid of SUPs  (not to be confused with the CX name that iRocker started using after Sea Gods' CX became popular)
  • Heat laminated seams and extra rail tape for longevity
  • New carved EVA pad
  • Split fin box in Signature Green
  • Brand new hybrid all-around longboard shape

A Pacific North West cruise on the Sol Flyer 

A warm February day at the Pacific Ocean in White Rock BC where Sea Gods calls home (close to Vancouver) the conditions were fair to take our new board out for a rip! I was super impressed with the way it performed exactly the way we designed it to- it had excellent tracking, easy maneuverability and the placement of the widest portion in front of the feet made for incredible stability well not sacrificing the efficiency.  The board tapers from where you naturally start your paddle stroke and allows for a long smooth, uninterrupted stroke for continuous power.  It was a windy 10 knot day my first ride out, and so with the speed and the waves, it really does feel like you are flying.

Performance in the wind and waves:

sol flyer SUP paddling

The colours are incredible and put a huge grin on my face that I just could not shake although there was a strong wind an modern amount of chop the board performed incredibly well in each direction - head on into the waves creating a splash out to the sides when they break on the widest part.  Taking the waves cross side it was easy to lean on a rail and keep the board moving straight, but best of all cruising along downwind with the chop was that effortless, calm glide to melt all of life's problems away.

Hybrid Longboard Shape:

standing with sol flyer by sea gods

The way that the Sol Flyer tapers back makes it incredibly easy to have long smooth paddle strokes while keeping great tracking so you can switch sides less an enjoy a smoother flow. The tapering in the nose tracked very, very well - cutting through the waves instead of letting them turn the board.

Artwork:

eduardo bolioli artist of the sol flyer by seagods sup

The Sol Flyer features art painted by Eduardo Bolioli, the original user of the  Posca Pen for surf boards, his use of dayglo paints and hand drawn Mololo's (flying fish) make this board stand out in even the darkest of waters.

EVA Pad:

eva pad on sol flyer by sea gods

EVA is the soft, water tight foam that the top deck is covered with for grip and comfort under your feet.  The new Eva pad was very comfortably grippy under my bare feet- like the way a siped tire sticks to a wet road. The banana leaf cutouts did a great job of keeping traction well the top layer was very smooth on the bottom of my bare feet and overall was very effective and super comfortable.  But we must talk about the looks of this innovative new pad technology!  With splice bonded colours of the tequila sunrise beneath a solid top of smooth black, with the banana leaf carved out, the design is incredibly attractive and the bonding of the EVA is permanent and will definitely hold up to the Lifetime Warranty. 

Fin Box and Accessories:

The fin box is split into two pieces so the board takes less effort to fold because you don't need to be so mindful of where you place your folds when putting it back into the included wheelie backpack carry bag.  It is a beautiful, sturdy back with a handle or two on each side, signature green wheels that feel with a strong and soft like grippy rollerblade wheels.  The new fin box holds the included flex touring fin very securely-  it takes some pressure to lean on it to pop the fin into the box (no tools needed) and there it stays until you are ready to grab the tip of the fin and yank it out.  The included carbon fiber paddle is well crafted, lightweight and has a great catch and stroke.  The dual action, two chamber pump has different sized chambers to make inflating at the top pressure easier than ever.  The total accessory kit is high quality and includes everything you need to get going.

So what is a hybrid longboard?

This board is a hybrid between an all around with great maneuverability well giving the tracking of a touring board and also the stability by giving the added width where it will make the most affect right in front of the standing area.  This is for riders who want a smooth ride and love standing tall and taking long strokes.

I am over the moon in love with not only the colours and the visual appeal of the shape but the performance exceeds my expectations and the Sol Flyer is a very enjoyable board for long cruises.  It is sure to be a favorite with the reviewers and our Sea Gods Family alike!

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