Isle Switch Pro
Pros
- Incredible weight carrying ability
- Unbelievable rigidity for an inflatable board - they simply don’t come any stiffer!
- Awesomely stable platform thanks to all that width
- Total versatility; it’s set up for SUP mode, Kayak mode and even electric motor mode, and with no less than 20 different fixing points down each side you can set up your bungees and accessories however you want.
Cons
- Not the fastest or most maneuverable due to its width (but still surprised us with how well it performed in these areas nevertheless, compared to other boards of similar size)
The Isle Switch was a big success last year, so much so that Isle has now released two new versions of it – and we love them both. The Pro version reviewed here gets some of the highest scores we’ve ever given out. Yep, it’s really that good…
Last year’s Isle Switch set new standards as a super versatile SUP/kayak hybrid, with the emphasis very much on stability. This year, Isle has added two new versions, the Switch Compact (slightly smaller in plan shape and packing up super small) and the Switch Pro being reviewed here. The Pro is essentially the same as the original Switch but features the new construction technology with the InfinityFiber stiffening system.
In our review we’ll tell you all about how the board performs, and as we said in the intro, there are some seriously high scores going down in this write-up. This has to be one of the most versatile SUP packages you can get.
We think the Isle Switch Pro would be a great SUP for paddlers who:
- Like the hybrid SUP/kayak concept
- Want lots of flotation and stability in their board in order to carry more cargo or to support the heavier rider.
- Are interested in the idea of attaching a motor in order to increase range and/or endurance, or simply to kick back and relax even more
- Want a board that offers all these things but still has some spirit and a lively fun feel underfoot.
Isle Switch Pro: Spec Sheet
- Board Category:Hybrid SUP/Kayak, Large paddlers, Fishing, Adventure
- Listed Board Dimensions: 11’6” x 35.5” x 6”
- Measured Board Dimensions: 11’6 x 35.625” x 6”
- Listed Board Weight: 23 lbs
- Actual Board Weight (board only, not inflated): 23 lbs
- Listed Max Capacity: 475 lbs
- Recommended PSI: 13-17psi
- Fins: 9” touring fin
- Paddle: 3 piece carbon nylon with additional kayak blade
- Board Shell Construction Materials:
- Drop-stitch type: woven cross stitch
- Price Range: $1095
- Warranty: 5 years (with conditions)
Performance Review of the Isle Switch Pro Stand Up Paddle Board
Overall Score: [9.7/10]
- Stability: 9.9/10
- Speed: 8.5/10
- Tracking: 8.5/10
- Maneuverability: 8.6/10
- Construction Quality: 9.8/10
- Features/Accessories: 9.9/10
Construction Quality: 9.8/10
We usually start our reviews with a discussion of the performance characteristics, but we’re going to change things around a bit for the Isle Switch Pro review, because we really need to kick off with a look at the construction of this board, because it’s so fundamental to everything we have to say in the performance section.
We were very close to awarding the Switch Pro the full 10/10 in this category; it’s certainly pretty darn close. So, what’s going on?
Well, the interior woven drop stitch, and the welded rails are indicative of excellent construction, and the board certainly looks and feels really well made. But what really sets this board apart is Isle’s ‘Airtech Pro’ construction, specifically the InfinityFiber rails, which have taken the Isle Pro boards into hitherto uncharted new realms of inflatable board stiffness.
The InfinityFiber material – apparently a US navy innovation – wraps around the rails and creates an incredibly rigid exoskeleton when the board is inflated, yet it can still be rolled up normally when the board is deflated. Isle are clearly very proud of it and we love the way they’ve built their board rails so that you can clearly see the InfinityFiber stringers and how they’re working along the rail (see pix above).
The material does add a bit more weight to the construction, but even with this and the additional fittings as described below in the Features section, the board still weighs in at no more than a typical double-layer fusion paddleboard. And of course, it’s in a completely different league in terms of stiffness. Even more amazing when you consider that this is essentially a single-layer skin that we’re talking about.
Indeed, this is the only reason we’ve held back from giving out the perfect 10 just yet. The single layer construction that Isle has now moved to is something of an unknown quantity. It’s undoubtedly a huge advancement over the single layer construction of old, in that the single layer skin is fused directly to the dropstitch substrate rather than just glued on, resulting in a much more solid construction than the traditional single-skin method. Isle are clearly very confident in their new process, and back the board with a 5 year warranty. But it’s going to take a couple of years before we really know the full story as to its longevity and durability, so we’ll lock in at 9.8 for now. Which is still the highest score we give out for construction. So don’t get us wrong, we love it!
Board Stiffness:
Stiffness Test: 0.25” Bend
So just how stiff are we talking about here? Let’s look at some numbers. Just a quarter of an inch deflection when the board is under 150 lbs of load is simply extraordinary. It’s the lowest deflection figure we’ve ever recorded. We’re excited by any board that comes in with under an inch of bend. But this is next level stuff.
And you really can feel it on the water. The Isle Switch Pro is just astoundingly rigid. You bounce up and down in the middle to get it flexing, like you would on any other inflatable board – and it doesn’t. It’s quite disconcerting. Eventually, if you keep trying, you can find a bounce frequency that does get a bit of rippling going, but who does that? In normal paddling, there simply isn’t any noticeable flexing going on at all.
So what’s going on here? Essentially it’s a combination of two things. Firstly, Isle’s unique construction method incorporating the curved ‘InfinityFiber’ stringers along the rails is absolutely, unquestionably, leading the way in board stiffness technology. Other brands use battens, rods, cables, and stringers of all sorts of different materials in all sorts of different places, but none have come close to achieving what these InfinityFiber rails do.
The other factor is plan shape. Wider boards are stiffer, even more so if you make the tail wide too. So what we’ve got here is a combination of a naturally stiff plan shape anyway, due to the Isle Switch Pro being one of the widest recreational boards on the market, particularly in the tail area, plus all the magic from the InfinityFiber technology. End result; the stiffest inflatable we’ve ever encountered. And it’s definitely a game changer, because it’s raising the performance of the board in so many other ways too, as we’ll be detailing later in this review.
Indeed, we think Isle are under-selling themselves a bit in their marketing here. They describe the InfinityFiber system as ‘increasing rigidity by up to 300% compared to typical inflatables’, which we understand to be based on them comparing the same shape of board with and without the InfinityFiber rails. However, based on the results from our own bend measurement system, where a typical average bend deflection is around 1.5” but we’re only seeing ¼” on this Switch Pro, so Isle can legitimately claim this board to be 600% stiffer than typical inflatables! OK, so you can do anything with statistics. The bottom line is, this board is crazy stiff.
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.
Stability Rating: [9.9/10]
The Isle Switch Pro is just extraordinarily stable. We’d give it a 10/10 but that could be taken to imply that it’s perfectly stable, which is an impossibility as of course you can always fall off a paddleboard if you try hard enough. But it’s genuinely hard to imagine a more stable 11’6×35.5” design. Maximum stability has been extracted from the planshape, especially with regard to that super wide tail. Both primary stability and secondary stability (the board’s ability to ‘correct’, and return itself to equilibrium) are fantastic. You can wander around on the board and it simply doesn’t want to tip over.
However, there’s something else going on too – the incredible rigidity of the board is also playing a part. There’s no flex, no bend, you’re on a solid platform, and it makes a real difference.
The stability is very noticeable if you move around from front to back, too. You can walk up and down the center of the board back towards the stail, and the board hardly seems to notice.
The result of all this stability is that you can have huge confidence in loading this board up with a ton of stuff. Or people. It’d be a great board to put a couple of kids on. In kayaking mode it will be super stable and a nice dry ride. It’ll be a fantastic board for heavier paddlers or those with stability issues too.
Speed Test: 8.5/10
| Board | |
| Top Sprint Speed: | 5.35 MPH |
| Average Cruising Speed: | 4.2 MPH |
To obtain our speed test results, we use a Speed Coach Sup 2. This gives us accurate readings on how fast we are paddling and our current stroke rates. For the top sprint speed, we paddle as hard as we can for approximately 10-15 seconds and then record our average speed. For the casual test, we paddle at 35-40 strokes per minute for approximately 30-60 seconds and record the average speed.
Width is one of those absolutes in board design. Increasing the width increases the stability but also increases drag – which reduces speed. It’s physics, there’s no escaping it. No-one is ever going to win races on a 35.5” board (unless it’s against other 35.5” boards). Another factor also kicks in once you start getting much wider than 32”; it becomes increasingly difficult to get your paddle shaft vertical enough to achieve a proper stroke. And the more angled your paddle is, the more your stroke becomes a turning stroke rather than a forward propulsion stroke.
So we weren’t expecting rocketship velocities from the Isle Switch Pro. However, it does have a couple of design factors working in its favor. At 11’6 it’s a bit longer than most all round boards, and longer = faster. Plus which, the pointed nose and wide-tailed plan shape is much faster than the round-nosed, round-tailed all-round board plan shape that most boards of this size tend to utilize.
And these factors do make a difference. While the Switch Pro won’t win races, it does actually hold its own against other all round SUPs surprisingly well. The 4.2mph cruising speed is really quite respectable, considering the mighty width.
There’s enough nose rocker to allow the Switch to progress comfortably over small chop, and the rocker works well with the arrowhead nose shape in general. In rougher stuff, particularly short steep chop, you’ll feel the effects of the wider plan shape a bit more. However, this is where the board’s incredible stiffness once again pays off, preventing the board from distorting as it tries to track through the bumps. Indeed, the board has surprisingly decent glide in general; the rigidity definitely goes a considerable way to counteract the negative effects of the extreme width.
The same happens when you go to pick up the pace. The extreme stiffness once again works for you, reducing the amount of power that gets lost to board flex, which is the usual problem when you try to push an inflatable SUP along at a good pace. This can clearly be seen in the speed numbers, particularly in relation to the other Isles we’ve tested this year, where the typical difference between cruising and sprinting pace would be around 0.8mph. However, on the Switch Pro we were able to push it easily up 1.15mph, despite the board being quite a bit heavier than those other Isles.
The board also doesn’t feel slow, which is quite a big thing in itself. Interestingly, this has been a factor with all the Isles we’ve tested this year, albeit for two very different reasons. The boards have either been incredibly light, or incredibly stiff – both factors that make a board feel good on the water. Unless you’re actually racing side by side with someone else, speed is a surprisingly relative factor.
70mph in a Porsche Cayenne feels like you’re barely moving, whereas the same speed in a Nissan Leaf feels like you’re about to get airborne. Likewise, if your recreational/cruising SUP feels fast, who cares if it actually really is or not?
So, while our speed score reflects the essential point that the Isle Switch Pro is simply not built for speed, it certainly doesn’t feel sluggish. And that absence of flex when needing to put the hammer down a bit and find some more speed is actually really something!
Tracking: 8.5/10
This is perhaps the only category where the Isle Switch Pro scores at a more average level. The board’s extreme width, while wonderful in terms of stability and weight-carrying potential, works against the tracking.
As described in the Speed text above; if you can’t get your paddle shaft vertical enough, your paddle stroke becomes a turning stroke rather than a forward propulsion stroke. So this naturally moves the bow around that bit more. Obviously this won’t be a problem at all when you’re in kayaking mode, but for stand-up single bladed paddle work, the width can definitely be felt.
Despite this though, the tracking capabilities certainly couldn’t be described as a problem – there are plenty of all-round recreational iSUPs who fare far worse in this department. The plan shape is actually pretty good in terms of tracking; the extra length helps, as does the pointed nose, and those long parallel rails in the rear half make a definite contribution in holding the board on course very nicely.
And once again, that extreme rigidity seems to contribute something. You can put in a good 6-8 strokes each side before veer more than a few degrees off course, which is perfectly acceptable performance for an all-round board.
Maneuverability: 8.5/10
Again, you may be thinking, hmmm, 8.5 doesn’t sound like this board is exactly throwabout. This is always the problem with the maneuverability score – inevitably, a shorter, smaller board is going to be easier to pivot and push around. Yet again though, if we compare the Isle Switch Pro to other designs of similar size, what we actually find is some very impressive performance.
The board feels smaller than it actually is.
The rigidity gives it immediacy.
What do we mean by that? If you’re a sound engineer or IT buff you’ll understand latency; that slight delay in the system between input and output. Inflatable boards have it, due to their innately flexible nature. It’s one of the little differences in feel between iSUPs and hard boards that causes some SUP ‘purists’ to say that they don’t like inflatables.
Well, the Switch Pro doesn’t do latency. Ask it to turn, and it will. Despite being relatively long, and having a whole lot of volume, it turns as well as boards considerably smaller. The subtle diamond tail helps in this respect, as does the single fin configuration, allowing the board to respond readily to turning strokes. It feels good underfoot when you’re turning it.
Step back turns are extremely easy to achieve also, because the board has so much stability when you walk back to the tail. It should be noted that really extreme stepback pivot turns aren’t so easy because you’ll end up stepping on those motor attachments if you try to get your back foot right back. But you can certainly get far enough rearwards to raise the nose a respectable level, and enjoy spinning that board around in style.
Features/Accessory Review: [9.9/10]
Features:
As with all the boards in the Isle range this year, one of the first things you notice when looking at the Switch Pro is that lovely open expanse of deck. Pop the bungees off (which takes a few seconds) and you’ve got a vast amount of uncluttered deck area to do whatever you want with, and all with a nice comfortable deckpad underfoot. Should you decide to carry some cargo or put the board into kayak mode, the 20 (yes, 20) Isle Link webbing fixings down each side allow you to configure your board however you want.
The board comes with a kayak seat and footrest, while Isle also offers other accessories to utilize the ‘Isle-Link’ system, including fishing crates, waterproof backpacks and more. Our only very slight concern is that traditionally, white has not proven to be the best color for webbing, particularly in a salty, sunny environment. Hopefully this won’t become an issue in years to come.
The board has paddle holder velcro straps on the right hand rail, allowing you to store the paddle well clear of the deckspace area, or carry something else such as a fishing rod or speargun.
The afore-mentioned deck pad is nicely textured, and set out in multiple pieces with drainage gaps between the main sections. The four handles positioned around the deck hold a bit of moisture after getting wet, but are otherwise light, comfortable and lay flat easily. The nose handle has an action camera/accessory mount attached.
Looking at the deck shot above, you may well be wondering why there are two handles at the tail – probably closely followed by some more wondering about those white rectangles. This is where Isle is really pushing the boundaries of the whole Hybrid concept. Anyone who has ever worked on an iSUP display stand at a boat show or outdoors show will attest that one of the most common questions asked is ‘where do you mount the motor?’.
Well, Isle can now answer that question.
Not only can this board easily be configured in kayak mode, but you can also mount an electric motor (up to 3HP) and battery pack on the back, using those plastic fixings. And that’s why the extra handles are there, to allow you to easily lift the board up onto its side, and carry the board with the motor in place.
So it’s going to be really interesting to see what the take-up is on this particular feature. All those people asking about the motor at the boat shows; is this going to be their route into SUP? This innovation now effectively means you’ve got a complete boat in the trunk of your car. Having said that, the plastic motor mounts add slightly to the board weight, and for a large proportion of buyers will never actually be a thing they need, so in future years we may see Isle introduce a separate Switch Pro model without them, to reduce the weight and manufacturing cost.
Before we move on to the underside of the board, it’s worth noting that there is no obvious attachment point for your leash. However, it’s no problem to attach it to one of the side handles, which we assume is what Isle expects you to do.
Moving now to the underside of the Switch Pro, and there are no real surprises here. The split fin-box makes it easier to roll the board up. The standard 9” fin clicks in without the requirement for a fin-bolt and screw. You can adjust how readily it clicks in/out of the box, with the addition or removal of friction discs that mount into the base of the fin. We found it best to use at least 2.
but the fin-box is based on a standard US box system so any alternative US-compatible fin can easily be used. The only other fitting on the underside is the towing eye under the nose.
Included Accessories:
The Isle Switch Pro accessory kit is impressively comprehensive. It all fits into the generously sized 3 Series Wheeled backpack, which has backpack straps that can be tucked away when not needed, and plenty of carry handles.
The 3 piece adjustable length paddle has a carbon shaft and nylon blade. It’s not amazingly light, and the additional clamp to lock the blade section in place adds a few extra ounces down low, so if you’re really wanting to extract maximum performance from the board you would probably want to use something lighter and with a bit less flex in the blade. But for general recreational use the modern high aspect profile of the blade works well for a broad spectrum of paddler weights and abilities.
To convert the paddle to kayak mode, you simply replace the handle with the second blade.
The Totora double action hand pump has a removable base for easier storage.
Isle also includes a waterproof accessory bag (for carrying spare clothes, food etc) as part of their standard kit, which is a nice touch.
The kayak seat base inflates to your required degree of firmness and comfort, as does the footrest. Putting them into position and adjusting the tension is easy and quick. All in all, it’s a very well thought out package.
Summary Review of the Isle Switch Pro
Isle has set the bar extremely high with the Isle Switch Pro. If you’re after a Hybrid package then this is really hard to beat, particularly if stability and ease of ride is your priority, rather than maximum boat speed. If adding an electric motor is on your check list then you probably aren’t needing to look any further.
To summarize everything we’ve covered in the performance sections, what we have here is a very big, wide, super stable platform that doesn’t feel as big as it actually is. And the reason for this is the incredible rigidity that the InfinityFiber construction gives the board. The board responds immediately to your input, giving it an extremely precise and responsive feel. It’s almost as lively in feel as the Compact version of the Switch, which is considerably smaller. Isle really has done a fantastic job in making a big board feel much smaller.
Happy paddling! We hope you enjoyed this review of the Isle Switch Pro. If you have any questions or comments please leave us a comment below!
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