Weekender Tour XL
Pros
- Great stability for a touring board
- A usable set of fittings and features for multiple purposes
- Plenty of space for paddling with a dog or kid
- Compatible with kayak seats
- Excellent overall value
Cons
- The 3 fin system is OK for an all-around board, but we prefer single-fin setups for touring boards
- The aluminum paddle will be a limiting factor if you do plan on taking longer trips
Retrospec’s slogan is “Making Nature Second Nature,” and the Retrospec Weekender Tour XL takes that to a new level for the brand. The Tour XL sits firmly in the adventure/expedition camp, but with a twist that makes it genuinely unusual: it’s an expedition-capable board that a complete beginner can actually enjoy on day one, even if you aren’t setting off for an overnight trip right away.
The shape tells you a lot about what Retrospec was going for here. The nose has that classic “arrowhead” touring profile that is narrow at the front to cut through water with a wider, confidence-inspiring midsection that gives the board a planted, reassuring feel underfoot.
While most touring boards max out at 30” of width to prioritize speed, the Tour XL stays 32” for additional stability and capacity. Along with that capacity you get two sizable cargo areas, kayak seat compatibility, and paddling performance that makes it easy to load up.
We think the Retrospec Weekender Tour 11’6 would be a great SUP for paddlers who:
- Want a board slightly faster board without sacrificing comfort and capacity
- Like the idea of a touring board that can be configured for kayaking mode
- Looking for an expedition-style board on a budget
Retrospec Weekender Tour 11’6: Spec Sheet
- Board Category: Adventure/Touring
- Listed Board Dimensions: 12’6 x 32” x 6”
- Measured Board Dimensions: 12’6” x 32” x 6”
- Listed Board Weight: 25lbs
- Actual Board Weight (board only, not inflated): 24.5 lbs
- Full kit weight (measured): 34 lbs
- Listed Max Capacity: 350lbs
- Recommended PSI: 12-15psi
- Fins: 1 center & 2 side fins (all removable)
- Paddle: 3 piece aluminum/nylon paddle
- Board Shell Construction Materials: Dual layer fusion
- Drop-stitch type: knitted
- Price Range: $430
- Warranty: 50 day return period, 2 year warranty
Performance Review of the Retrospec Weekender Tour 12’6 Stand Up Paddle Board
Overall Score: 9.0/10
- Stability: 9.1/10
- Speed: 9.1/10
- Tracking: 9.3/10
- Maneuverability: 8.0/10
- Construction Quality: 8.1/10
- Features/Accessories: 8.9/10
Stability Rating: 9.1/10
Like Retrospec’s original Weekender Tour, the Tour XL prioritizes stability and ease of use for paddlers of all skill levels.
At 32” wide, the Tour XL seems like it would be as stable as many all-around boards, but the extra foot of length along with the board’s parallel midsection and square tail actually makes it feel noticeably more stable than many all-around boards.
That extra width is really the defining characteristic of this board’s personality. Most touring boards are narrower and optimized for efficiency and speed with a “serious paddler” feel that can be a little intimidating. The Weekender Tour XL feels more approachable than that. It rocks smoothly side to side rather than snapping back aggressively or feeling twitchy, and the whole board has a composed, forgiving quality that gives you genuine confidence even in light chop. When you are ready to move to the tail of the board for a more advanced maneuver, the Tour XL’s outline and square tail keeps the board feeling comfortable when lifting the nose out of the water.
The Tour XL has a maximum recommended weight limit of 350 pounds. We feel that this is very reasonable for this board, and individual paddlers up to 250 pounds will be able to use the Tour XL comfortably.
Speed Test: 9.1/10
The Weekender Tour XL is built around comfort and confidence on the water along with additional speed and efficiency, in that order.
The touring nose does its job well. That narrowing arrowhead point parts water cleanly, and once you’re at a comfortable cruising pace the board glides smoothly with each paddle stroke. The extra length over a standard all-around board gives you noticeably better glide between strokes and you can feel the board carrying its momentum. It’s not dramatic, but it’s real, and it rewards a relaxed, rhythmic paddling style.
Where you feel the trade-off is when you push the pace. The wide platform that makes this board so confidence-inspiring at a casual cruise generates more drag than a narrower touring shape would and you feel that resistance when you try to sprint. The board doesn’t accelerate with the same snap or maintain high speeds as easily as you’d get from a more traditional touring shape.
The aluminum paddle compounds this at higher effort levels. At a mellow cruising pace it’s perfectly serviceable, but push harder and the weight of the shaft becomes the limiting factor before the board does. If you plan to cover serious distance with the Tour XL, a fiberglass or carbon fiber upgrade will transform the experience far more noticeably than on a typical all-around board, precisely because the Tour XL’s length and shape actually reward the efficiency that a lighter paddle unlocks.
Tracking: 9.3/10
For a board with this much width, the Weekender Tour XL tracks surprisingly well. The longer waterline does a lot of the work here. A longer board simply has more hull in the water to keep it pointed in the right direction, and you can feel that stability of direction on every stroke.
At a comfortable cruising pace, the board holds its line with enough consistency that you won’t find yourself constantly switching sides or correcting course, which is exactly what you want on a longer paddle. The three-fin setup contributes to this, though not dramatically. In our experience, the board’s length is doing more of the tracking work than the additional side fins are. Paddling with just the single, center fin produces the same level of tracking during regular paddling.
Though the center fin is doing most of the work, and is really the only one you need for paddling on deeper water, having the two side fins does give you more flexibility if you often paddle over shallow sand bars, shallow rivers, or in areas with lots of under-water debris.
Maneuverability: 8.0/10
Touring boards are not known for being nimble, and the Weekender Tour XL is no exception to that general rule. The length means you are working with a longer turning radius, and getting the board through a full rotation from a standstill takes real effort with basic forward sweep strokes. Don’t expect the quick, playful feel you’d get from a shorter all-around board.
That said, the Tour XL is more maneuverable than its size suggests, and the shape deserves credit for that. The wide tail works in your favor here. When you step back and shift your weight toward the rear of the board, the nose lifts and the board responds comfortably and with enough stability that makes quick pivot turns easy for those just learning the technique. The well-positioned kick pad makes stepping back feel natural rather than precarious, and the stable tail platform means you can hold that position and actually steer rather than just scrambling to get back to center.
For beginner paddlers, cross-bow draws and other advanced turning strokes will open up more agility than sweep strokes alone. The board will reward a little conscious technique. Those who take the time to learn a few basic strokes beyond the standard forward paddle will find the Tour XL much more responsive than a first impression might suggest.
Construction Quality: 8.1/10
The Weekender Tour XL is built with Retrospec’s dual-layer fusion PVC construction, and on the water it feels like what it is: a solid, reliable board at an accessible price point. The dual-layer shell is heat-laminated rather than hand-glued, which gives it a more consistent bond and trims a bit of weight compared to older glued dual-layer builds. The rails get an additional wrap of reinforced PVC for added protection and rigidity at the edges, where most of the wear and tear tends to accumulate over time.
Fully inflated, the board has a firm, confident feel underfoot. At normal cruising loads you won’t notice any meaningful flex, and the board behaves like a rigid platform in the conditions it was designed for. Push it harder with aggressive paddling or jumping and you can generate some flex, particularly noticeable toward the nose and tail given the board’s length. This is expected behavior for this construction type and size, and it has no practical impact on how the board performs during a normal day on the water.
For the price, the build quality is genuinely impressive. The fittings feel secure, the D-rings are well-placed and sturdy, and the overall finish has a clean, considered look that doesn’t feel like corners were cut to hit the price point. Retrospec backs it with a two-year warranty, which is better coverage than most competitors offer in this segment. New paddlers can buy with confidence that this board will hold up through years of regular use with basic care.
Board Stiffness:
Stiffness Test: 1.25” Bend
The bend test measurement is where so many of the lower price boards fall down, as stiffness is very much a product of manufacturing quality, the materials used, and lack of any extra stiffening devices such as stringers in the construction. However, the Weekender Tour XL delivers reasonable rigidity for its class and size. There isn’t too much noticeable flex when you’re standing on the board, and it’s only when you really try to sprint hard at full power that the board flex becomes a bit more apparent.
To ascertain the rigidity of each board we review, we use our own specific laboratory bend test process. The board is inflated to its maximum recommended PSI and then placed across two sawhorses positioned exactly 7 feet apart. We then measure the distance from the middle of the board to the floor. Then, we place a 150 lb weight on the middle top of the SUP, and measure the distance to the floor again. The difference between the two measurements shows the deflection, or ‘sag’, that the board has experienced due to the added weight. We have been reviewing the stiffness of boards using this technique since 2021 and while it isn’t an exact replication of the weight distortion that occurs when a rider stands on a SUP board in the water, it still gives a very useful comparative tool in determining the stiffness of the board’s construction process.
Features/Accessory Review: 8.9/10
Features:
The deck pad on the Weekender Tour XL is comfortable underfoot, although not quite as grippy as the embossed pads found on many boards nowadays. For a typical touring board we’d be happy with a standard-length deck pad, but for the Tour XL it feels like Retrospec missed out on a great opportunity to capitalize on the XL’s stability and make a more kid- and pet-friendly option with a longer deck pad (and passenger handles).
There are three handles on the Tour XL for carrying the board off the water as well as attachment points for a shoulder sling (sold separately) for easier solo-carrying. There is a two-way accessory mount on the nose of the board (with a threaded insert and GoPro compatible base), as well as two large cargo areas. The rear cargo bungee is removable, but the front bungee is fixed. The Easy Link anchor points are easy to use and let you quickly attach the optional Retrospec kayak seat for seated paddling.
There is also a velcro paddle holder on the right side of the board for a spare paddle, second paddle blade for kayak conversion, or a fishing rod.
On the underside of the board there are three finboxes for slide-in style fins. On a board of this size and shape, our feeling is that the side fins are simply unnecessary, and a single center fin configuration would be more appropriate, allowing the use of a standard 9” touring fin, which would be more appropriate to a touring or expedition paddleboard.
Included Accessories:
The most important accessory with any paddleboard is of course the paddle. The standard 3 piece adjustable Retrospec paddle has an aluminum shaft and a nylon blade, and works OK. Indeed, it’s actually a whole lot better than many of the aluminum/nylon paddles that typically come with lower priced boards. It’s great to have those little extra bits of quality; the extension has the measurements printed on and is grooved so that it always lines up right, and the handle is particularly comfortable.
However, you can only do so much with an aluminum paddle, particularly when it’s being used in conjunction with a very decent touring-capable board like this. Aluminum paddles also have a tendency to bend out of shape if used for hard paddling or accidentally bent during storage or transport – and they can’t be reliably bent back. Our advice would be to put the dollars you’ve saved by purchasing this board towards a nice carbon/fiberglass paddle, which will be much better matched to the very decent performance this board can offer.
The kit includes a coiled leash, repair kit, waterproof phone case and a dual-action hand pump, with an electric pump as an option at checkout for an extra $100. The kit bag is back pack style, with padded shoulder straps, a hip belt strap and a separate front pocket for the fins.
Summary Review of the Retrospec Weekender Tour 11’6
The Retrospec Weekender Tour XL occupies a genuinely interesting and underserved corner of the inflatable SUP market. It is not a traditional touring board optimized for speed, and it is not a standard all-around board either. It sits in its own category: an adventure and expedition board that prioritizes stability, confidence, and real-world usability over performance numbers. Very few brands are making this shape at any price point, let alone under $500.
For the right paddler, this is a fantastic board. Beginners who want to cover more water, paddlers who bring kids, dogs, or gear along regularly, and anyone planning casual multi-day trips will find the Tour XL genuinely well-suited to their needs. The shape feels thoughtful rather than generic, and the overall kit represents strong value for the money.
Happy paddling! We hope you enjoyed this review of the Retrospec Weekender Tour XL. If you have any questions or comments please leave us a comment below!
Justin - Chief Paddler
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