Ozoboard Cross-over 906

General Impressions:

The Ozoboard Cross-over 906 is a very interesting concept for stand up paddle boards. The roots of SUPs are based in surfing and stand up paddle boards have evolved into many different shapes and sizes for many different uses from flat water to aggressive surfing. The 906 in my opinion does one of the best jobs at molding all of these different activities together into one board that can be enjoyed by nearly everyone, from someone who is first getting on a board to someone who is looking to get out there and rip up the face of a wave. I think Ozoboard has made a great utility board that can be paddled on a cruise in the flats, in the surf, knee paddled, and even skurfed behind a boat.


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Performance:

Maneuverability
The 906 is relatively short when it comes to paddleboards. With this short of a board it does make the maneuverability of the board very responsive to the rider if you are out cruising in flat water. If compared to a surfboard of this size out in the waves, I would say that it does lack some of maneuverability of a long board surfboard, but it is almost to be expected as this board can do so much more than your average surfboard. It does have 3 fin boxes, so that anyone can add their own variation of fins for better maneuverability. The rails are fairly thin which does add some maneuverability in the surf.


Stability
The most impressive thing I find about the Ozoboard Cross-over 906 is the stability. Like I mentioned earlier, this board is pretty short when it comes to paddleboards and often times with such a short board you sacrifice some stability for more maneuverability, but the 906 has a domed deck that adds more volume to the board which greatly increases its stability. The top of the deck is also concaved which makes it very comfortable and stable when you are on your knees paddling with your paddle or with your hands. Its is fairly narrow as far as SUPs go, but it is also wider than a lot of long board surf boards out there, so I think again Ozoboard has struck a nice balance if you will.

Materials/Durability:
I am classifying this as a soft board SUP because it does has a nice soft outer shell that is easy on the knees and also gives you a good grip on the board while your paddling. Usually I would suggest intermediate or advanced riders shy away from soft boards because there is usually a lack of quality when compared with harder construction materials, however, in this case I would suggest any rider of any skill level to jump on the Ozoboard 906. The soft skin not only makes it a softer landing in the surf, but it makes it less susceptible to scratches and dings that are inevitable when you’re out there in the waves.

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Summary:
This is exactly what it is labeled as – a cross-over. It is not the best surf SUP out there nor is it the best cruising SUP out there, but I do think it does give you the best of both of those worlds all in one board. There are so many uses for the 906, I would think it would be a must for anyone who is looking to get the most out of their SUP: from fitness to paddling to surfing. There is more than one size to the Ozoboard Cross-over, so if you are looking to get one make sure it is the correct size that you want (906, 80,706,606).

Choosing a Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP)

There are lots of areas to consider in selecting your stand up paddle board. SUPs can be versatile and many can also be very individualized for particular tasks and functions. For this reason, it is vitally important to not only take into account the size, weight, shape, design, and color of a board, but in addition what activities it was actually built to do.

Truthfully, many stand up paddle boards may be used for activities it is not necessarily specified for, but it might not be your best choice when reviewing things such as maneuverability, stability, construction materials, and functionality.

Before going inside the particulars of a certain board, you'll find two key elements that anybody ought to think of if you are going to benefit from your SUP at all. The first is you need to be able to stand up on the board with ease. The second element is basically that you need to be prepared to haul the board with little stress. This usually means the paddle board will have to be light enough and small enough to satisfy your transportation preferences.

Selecting a Stand Up Paddle Board you'll be able to stand on.
To be safe, a novice will quite possibly just go and have a good time on any sort of paddle board which is at the bare minimum 10’6” long x 30” wide x 4” thick. That’s 10’6 x 30” x 4” or bigger. Being able to stand up on your board in comfort is a function of volume. Volume is dependent upon the length, width, and thickness of the board. The earlier mentioned measurements supply you with suitable volume for a beginner. If you are looking for an even more stable board go wider, thicker and longer, however recognize that as those things grow, on certain boards you are going to lose some maneuverability in the water.

Another great rule of thumb is often a 9’4” paddle board can handle about 130lbs, 10’4” - 180lbs, and 11’4” - 220lbs. This isn’t correct for all boards, however it offers a good standard to go by.

Finding a Stand Up Paddle Board that is Simple to Transport
Weight can certainly be determined by volume, but it may also be affected by the type of material the board is made from. Logic tells us that the bigger the board is, the bulkier it's going to be. In some instances this is accurate, but there have been some terrific enhancements in design materials which make various boards lighter than others. Therefore, any time checking out SUP Reviews make sure to keep in mind the weight of the board.

We’ve already mentioned what makes a board more stable. An additional aspect is just how a board will perform in its maneuverability in the water. Various boards react different inside the surf as opposed to in flat water. Some boards stay in a lot more of a straight path (track) while paddling up wind. While several other boards make turns much easier as opposed to others. In short, just about all paddle boards will be maneuverable to some extent if not they wouldn’t be out there. Maneuverability is typically considered more severely for anyone with an intermediate to pro skill level for which you could very well be racing near buoys, long distance racing or surfing inside the surf.

Construction Materials
A SUP can be made of wood, fiberglass and epoxy, EPS foam, ACS plastic coatings, many more and a range of these grouped together. Generally, many paddle boards type of foam core and they are covered with a certain amount of hard material to safeguard it from the outside conditions. Certainly, there are far too many to talk about on this page, but when reading through the SUP Reviews make it a point to take into consideration the building components for the reason that some materials make the boards far more durable and many other materials could make the board a lot heavier or lighter than you would probably initially believe.

Finally, there are many things men and women use their particular paddle boards for whether it's cruising, racing, surfing, fitness, or fishing. Each of these various activities have specialized boards while some boards can be used across many categories. It can be beneficial to find a board that is developed for the functions you will be doing, however, not always necessary. If you can’t find that perfect board I often say utilize all of the remaining factors which go into creating a proper SUP for you personally and then make an educated decision.

SUP Reviews can be a great resource when searching for your prefect SUP.  Be Sure to check out our SUP Reviews at SUP Reviews Headquarters.