Retrospec Weekender Yogi
Pros
- Stacks of stability
- Good all round performance
- Loads of deck space to roam around on!
- Decent weight carrying ability
- Good accessory fittings
- Nice bright friendly design
- Very well priced at under $300 for the package
Cons
- Tiniest criticism, we’d prefer to see that tail handle mounted on the deck, rather than down on the rail.
While the Retrospec Weekender Yogi is marketed as a board for yoga, it’s actually an excellent general purpose all round paddle board at a very good price point!
The Weekender Yogi is a new addition to the Retrospec line-up, and as soon as we saw it, we thought OK, this board has way more to offer than just being seen as a board for yoga. It’s actually a great addition to the 10’6 all-rounder class; one of the most popular and relevant sizes in the iSUP market.
Full disclosure: our team has many talents but we’re not yoga gurus. For sure, we can pull off a downward dog or high lunge if we have to, but we’re very much aware that there is rather more to yoga than throwing some shapes, so we are not going to insult the yoga fraternity by attempting to offer an in-depth analysis of this board’s full yoga potential. We can say with confidence that it offers good stability and has a large unencumbered deck area, but we’ll leave it at that.
What we do want to talk about is the Yogi’s wider appeal as a rather nice and very well priced all round entry level paddle board. So that’s what we’ll be discussing from here on.
We think the Retrospec Weekender Yogi would be a great SUP for paddlers who:
- Want a board with lots of stability that is very suitable for learning on
- Like the sound of an all-over deck pad, for carrying kids, other people, pets, cargo or whatever
- Appreciate a board that is light and easy to carry
- Want to keep their expenditure to a minimum, but still desire something with a decent set of fittings and accessories
Retrospec Weekender Yogi: Spec Sheet
- Board Category: All-round
- Listed Board Dimensions: 10’8 x 33” x 6”
- Measured Board Dimensions: 10’9” x 33.75” x 6”
- Listed Board Weight: 19.7lbs
- Actual Board Weight (board only, not inflated): 22 lbs
- Full kit weight (measured): 34.6 lbs
- Listed Max Capacity: 300lbs
- Recommended PSI: 12-15psi
- Fins: 1 center & 2 side fins (all removable)
- Paddle: 3 piece alu/nylon paddle
- Board Shell Construction Materials: Single layer
- Drop-stitch type: knitted
- Price Range: $299
- Warranty: 50 day return period, 2 year warranty
Performance Review of the Retrospec Weekender Yogi Stand Up Paddle Board
Overall Score: 8.5/10
- Speed: 8.7/10
- Tracking: 8.7/10
- Maneuverability: 8.7/10
- Stability: 9.0/10
- Construction Quality: 8.0/10
- Features/Accessories: 8.6/10
Speed Test: 8.7/10
| Board | |
| Sprint Speed: | 4.9 MPH |
| Average Cruising Speed: | 3.4 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 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.
While the Weekender Yogi is not designed to be fast through the water, it actually cruises at a surprisingly respectable pace due to its lightweight. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to get it moving, and keep it moving.
Indeed, it actually showed slightly better speed overall than the regular Weekender. It’s slightly longer (which always translates into more speed), and the wider tail and nose on the Yogi create a more parallel-sided plan shape, which more than compensates for the extra width.
We should add a note of caution that being able to access this speed is dependent on the paddler being tall enough to maintain a vertical paddle shaft. Shorter paddlers will find the board’s speed less easy to achieve. In general we’d suggest that this board will be better for paddlers of 175 lbs or more.
In choppy water the wide nose and relatively flexible construction start to become noticeable, and make paddling rather more like hard work. The board is definitely more suited to flatter water.
If sustained faster paddling or use in rougher water is of importance in your board choice, then check out the Retrospec Weekender Tour, which is designed much more with this in mind.
Tracking: 8.7/10
Tracking is generally considered more important for boards designed for paddling longer distances or at higher speeds, rather than those intended for all round general use. Nevertheless, if you are into yoga-like activities you might also wish to use the board for some harder paddling to get the heart rate up into the aerobic levels. In which case having a board that can hold a reasonably straight line does become rather more important.
The Weekender Yogi actually performs reasonably well in this department, due to the extra waterline length and the relatively parallel sided plan shape, both of which help hold it onto its course. The three fins under the tail also provide plenty of directional stability. We’re not talking touring-board quality of tracking, but as all-rounders go, it’s not bad at all
Maneuverability: 8.7/10
While it’s not quite as quick to turn as the regular Retrospec Weekender due to its extra length and plan shape, the Yogi still performs pretty well in this department. Again, the light weight gives it a fun responsive feel for all types of paddle and pivot turns. This will be a great board on which to learn to turn properly.
The wider tail is also great for walking back to sink the tail, get the nose in the air, and have fun pivoting the board around.
And if you really want to have some fun with turning the board, take the side fins off. It’ll respond even quicker.
Stability Rating: 9.0/10
At nearly 34” wide, the Retrospec Weekender Yogi offers plenty of stability. It’s wider than the regular Weekender in the nose and tail, and the area of maximum width extends a reasonable distance behind and in front of the central standing area. All of this goes together to create a stable platform for those yoga moves, which of course also means that it’s very well set up for loading up with extra people, pets or cargo.
While Retrospec lists the maximum weight capacity as 300lbs, this should not be taken to refer to actual rider weight – we’d suggest a maximum rider weight of around 230-240 lbs for a complete beginner, slightly more for a paddler with some experience.
Construction Quality: 8.0/10
The Retrospec Weekender Yogi has a single layer construction. A layer of PVC is attached to the dropstitch core to make it airtight. It’s a simple, low cost manufacturing process that delivers a very lightweight board. The down side of single layer construction is less rigidity and less durability. So treat the board gently, and it should reward you with a good few years of service.
The sides (rails) of the board are constructed from two layers of PVC, adding additional durability where it’s most needed.
The Yogi is available in just the one color scheme, the cheerful and airy light blue as shown in our pix in this review.
Board Stiffness:
Stiffness Test: 1.5” Bend
This is a reasonably good result for a board with single-layer construction. It’s slightly less flex than we recorded on the Weekender, largely due to this board being a bit wider, which always helps with the rigidity.
On the water, the board has a little bit of bend when a rider is standing on it, but you don’t really notice any significant flex until you start paddling hard, or hit bumpy water. If you do intend to paddle in a more choppy environment or you want to push your board along harder, then we’d recommend the double-layer Retrospec Weekender Tour, or the Plus models.
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: 8.6/10
Features:
The deckpad on the Retrospec Weekender Yogi goes pretty much from nose to tail, giving plenty of space for fitness and yoga work as per the stated purpose of the board – but it’s also equally great for carrying other people or pets. Or indeed cargo. You’ve got a whole lot of space to work with!
The bungee at the nose is great; making it easy to carry spare clothing, shoes or anything else that needs to be fixed down.
The action camera mount can be used with a slide-in go-pro attachment, or anything with a ¼” screw-on fixing.
As can be seen, there is no central carrying handle – the center area of the deckpad is kept clear so as to be as comfortable as possible for laying-down type poses or exercise positions. The side handles work fine but many people find it quite awkward carrying the board that way; the bottom handle is too far away while the top handle is too high for comfort. So it’s a really smart touch by Retrospec to also include fixing points for an over-the-shoulder carrying strap.
Finally, there’s a pair of paddle holder velcro straps, so you don’t lose your paddle while you’re exercising.
All in all, it’s a very impressive set of fittings considering the ultra low price point on this board, and adds even further to its all round appeal.
Our only slight niggle with the set-up is the position of the rear carrying handle. We’re not big fans of handles put onto the tail like that, they’re uncomfortable to use and not easily accessible on the water, when it’s nice to be able to raft up with other paddlers by holding on to their nose/tail handle.
On the underside of the board we find the standard Retrospec three fin configuration, featuring a medium sized center fin and a pair of smaller side fins. The fins are of the slide-in style, then held in place with a locking pin. And full marks to Retrospec for using fins that do actually slide in easily, rather than requiring brute force to get in or out.
Included Accessories:
The 3 piece adjustable Retrospec paddle has a nylon blade and an aluminum shaft. Alu paddles are usually pretty awful but Retrospec’s offering is actually quite nice. It looks good and has a very functional adjustment system, calibrated so you can easily set it to your desired height, and grooved so that it maintains the correct alignment. The handle is nicely embossed too, giving good grip and comfort in the hand.
The rest of the kit includes a coiled leash, repair kit, waterproof phone case and a dual-action hand pump, which works fine. However, if the idea of manually inflating the board fills you with horror, you can upgrade to an electric pump at checkout for $99. The backpack kit bag has padded shoulder straps, a hip belt strap and a separate front pocket for the fins.
Summary Review of the Retrospec Weekender Yogi
As we said at the start of this review, we’re not going to make a specific judgment about how good this board is for yoga. To our untrained eyes it seems to tick all the right boxes, but we couldn’t say for sure. What we can say though, is that it definitely ticks a whole lot of the right boxes as a general purpose all round paddle board.
It’s the logical next step up from the Retrospec Weekender. It’s more stable, has more deckpad area so is better suited for carrying extra people, and it has a whole lot of extra really useful fittings such as carrying handles, paddle holder and action camera mount – yet it’s only $50 more.
It’s a bit too wide to be the best choice for smaller and lighter paddlers, but otherwise, if you’re wanting to keep your expenditure below $300 it’s definitely a board that you should be considering. Whether you’re looking for yoga capabilities or not.
Happy paddling! We hope you enjoyed this review of the Retrospec Weekender Yogi. If you have any questions or comments please leave us a comment below!
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