Thurso Surf Waterwalker 126 iSUP Review
Pros
- Great all round performance
- Great set of fittings and fixtures
- Now available in either 4.7” or 6” sizes!
- Comes in 3 eye-catching designs
- Available as Board Only or Full Package
Cons
- We’d like to see Thurso Surf offer a choice to upgrade the paddle with the full package option
This popular all-rounder from Thurso Surf has been revamped with reduced thickness and a new construction. What would our verdict be?
The Thurso Waterwalker 126 has been a mainstay of the brand’s all-around board range for several years now, and deservedly so. It’s a great general purpose size and shape, and we’re delighted to see that Thurso have continued it for another season, but with some very interesting mods and tweaks. First and foremost, it’s now available using a thinner grade of dropstitch, bringing the rider nearly 20% closer to the water. It also features a new welded-rail construction. These are significant changes, so our review team was excited to get the board onto the water and put it through its paces. In this review we’ll tell you what we found, but without giving too much away at the start because we want you to read the whole review, we’ll give you a few clues.
We think the Thurso Surf Waterwalker 126 would be a great SUP for paddlers who:
- Small/medium sized paddlers looking for an affordable, high quality, all-around design
- Anyone wanting a general purpose board with a great set of fittings and fixtures
- Paddlers who like a great-looking board where the graphics just scream “yeah, I’m having fun!”
Thurso Surf Waterwalker 126: Spec Sheet
- Board Category: All around
- Listed Board Dimensions: 10’6 x 31 x 4.7
- Measured Board Dimensions: 10’5.5 x 31.25 x 5”
- Listed Board Weight: 23.7 lbs
- Actual Board Weight (board only, inflated): 19.6 lbs
- Manufacturer’s Recommended Capacity: 130-180 lbs
- Recommended PSI: 12-15 psi, max 20.
- Fins: Flexi 9” dolphin center fin, plus 2 side fins.
- Paddle: 3-piece carbon nylon (upgrade options)
- Board Shell Construction: Double layer fusion, welded rails
- Drop-stitch type: X-Woven
- Price Range: Low to Mid depending on options
- Warranty: 30 day full refund, 2 year full warranty (with conditions)
Performance Review of the Thurso Surf Waterwalker 126 Stand Up Paddle Board
The 2025 Thurso Waterwalker 126 is a great example of the conundrum that paddleboard brands face every year: how do you improve on an already well established design? Thurso’s Waterwalker range is already one of the most well structured in the industry; we love the simplicity and symmetry of this three board line-up. 10’ x 30” (the Waterwalker 120), 10’6 x 31” (this guy), and the 11’ x 32” Waterwalker 132; three essentially identical boards, just scaled up/down so that you can choose the size and stability best suited to you. It’s surprising how few brands actually approach the market like this, because it makes so much sense.
So anyway, back to that original question: what do you do when you have a well proven range, to give it a new look for a new season? The board already comes with an impressive set of fittings so there’s not much that can be done there. Improving the construction is one obvious route to take, and Thurso has ticked that box by moving to welded seams on the rails. However, this has also given them the confidence to take another, rather bigger, step – and produce the range in a choice of either the regular 6” thick dropstitch, or the new, thinner, 4.7” version. Losing an inch of thickness may not seem like a major difference but it most certainly is. 4.7” thick boards have up until now been something that only the premium brands (think Red, Honu, etc) have been able to do, because if you don’t get it exactly right, you end up with a very flexy bendy board with correspondingly poor performance. So we were very much looking forward to this review, to see whether Thurso had pulled it off. This review will be about what we found with the 4.7” version, and in the final summary we’ll discuss what the differences will be with the 6” version.
Overall Score: [9.5/10]
- Stability: 7.8/10
- Speed: 6.3/10
- Tracking: 8.7/10
- Maneuverability: 9.2/10
- Construction Quality: 9.5/10
- Features/Accessories: 9.4/10
Stability Rating: [7.8/10]
The stability score shown here is a global rating, based on comparative performance to all other sizes and styles of paddleboards (other than multi-person boards).
The Thurso Surf Waterwalker 126 is a great example of a board plan-shape where stability has been maximised very efficiently. With plenty of width in the tail and nose, and that long parallel-sided section in the middle area, the board offers excellent primary and secondary stability. Hmmm, so if it’s that great, you’re no doubt thinking, why is the score so low? This is simply because we give a ‘global’ rating for stability, so that you can see how the Waterwalker 126 compares to all the other relevant board options out there. And the reality is that a 31” board will always be significantly less stable than something with several inches more width, such as the Thurso Max for example. The overall width of a board plays a huge part in determining how stable it is, which is why it’s vital that when choosing a board you always start by ensuring that the width is right for your rider weight.
Thurso states on their website that the Waterwalker 126 is designed for paddlers in the 130-180 lbs range, and we’d give them top marks for that – it’s pretty much bang on. For sure, a more experienced rider up to 220lbs or more would be fine on it, but as this is a board designed very much with less experienced users (including complete beginners) in mind, this rating works really well.
So how will the 6” version compare in terms of stability? Testing the two versions of Waterwalker side by side, a slight but noticeable difference can be discerned. Being that bit closer to the water on the thinner version definitely enhances the stability. The 6” version is a bit stiffer but you’re also higher off the water which makes it feel just a bit more corky and less stable, which becomes considerably more noticeable in more bumpy water conditions.
Speed Test: 6.3/10
The speed score given above is a comparative rating to other sizes and styles of paddleboards, whereby 14’ raceboards would be scoring in the high 9s, and the widest all-round boards or surf-orientated shorter boards would be in the 5s or below.
Over the many years that we have been reviewing paddleboards at supboardguide.com, we have experimented with numerous different methodologies for speed testing, involving various hardware and software solutions. However, none have proved replicable; even using the same rider in the same conditions the numbers would vary from day to day, and of course when using different riders, or even just a different paddle, the results would change significantly. For this reason, while we still test all boards in cruise mode, fast cruise mode and then push them as hard as we can, we no longer give ‘absolute’ speed data (ie 5.5mph etc) – which ultimately doesn’t really matter unless you’re specifically looking to compete – and now report more on the general feel of the board when asked to perform.
While the shape of the Thurso Walkerwater 126 is not specifically designed for speed, it benefits from being relatively light, and the well balanced plan shape gives it a smooth and easy feel for recreational paddling.
Cruising
Fast Cruising
Going Hard
Overall
While it performs very nicely in cruise mode, sustaining higher speeds isn’t what this board is designed to do. So if ultimate speed is your main goal then a board with a more speed-orientated plan-shape such as the Expedition 138 will be a better bet, or indeed something longer like the Expedition 150 will of course always be faster, because board length is a primary factor in determining speed. But for general recreational paddling, the Waterwalker 126 performs perfectly adequately. If you did want to improve the speed performance slightly, losing the side fins and replacing the center fin with a stiffer blade would make a useful difference.
Does the 6” version fare any better in this respect? Being slightly stiffer it does indeed cope with harder paddling a bit better. So if this is a parameter that matters to you, the 6” version may well be a better bet.
Tracking: 8.7/10
Tracking ultimately comes down to board length; a longer board will almost always track better than a shorter board of the same general width. So our tracking scores are intended to show how a board compares to other boards in its size. In the case of the Thurso Surf Waterwalker 126 the scores compare to other boards in the 10’0 – 11’6 all-purpose/touring category.
The Thurso Surf Waterwalker 126 tracks reasonably well for an all-around board of this size. The plan shape plays a part in this; the wider square tail and relatively parallel sides work to keep the board on course, and the three relatively large fins on the underside also help lock it onto track.
How well a board stays on its course is down to many things, the board shape itself being just one of them. Check out our how-to video for a lot more information on the subject.
Overall, the Waterwalker 126 performs slightly better than average in this area of performance, compared to other boards of similar length and width. This parameter is largely unaffected by board thickness, so there isn’t any significant tracking difference to be observed between the two different thicknesses.
Maneuverability: 9.2/10
Maneuverability scores are based on comparative performance to boards of a similar general length and style. In the case of the Thurso Surf Waterwalker 126 the scores compare to other boards in the 10’0 – 11’6 all-purpose/touring category.
We were pleasantly surprised by the turning performance of the Waterwalker 126. Normally when a board tracks reasonably well, we find it isn’t particularly inclined to turn. However, the extremely well balanced plan shape of the Waterwalker 126 seems very happy to pivot, and from the rider’s point of view, being that bit lower on the thinner board also helps too.
For the less experienced paddler who has not yet progressed onto more advanced turning techniques, the Waterwalker 126 works well as it responds very nicely to turning input from the front of the board, such as forward sweeps. More experienced paddlers will enjoy turning it with crossbow/rudder strokes, and it’s comfortable with stepback turns too.
If you really want to have some turning fun with this board then take the center fin out. The board still works absolutely fine, the difference in stability is barely noticeable. But the turning performance is dramatically enhanced and you can really spin it on a dime.
As already mentioned, the extra feeling of stability that you get from the thinner version does make turning easier, and also means that there is less board to move around. So if you want the best possible maneuvering, go for the 4.7” board.
To understand more about turning styles and how to do them, check out our how-to video
Construction Quality: 9.5/10
For 2025, while the Waterwalker shapes remain unchanged, the construction has undergone a significant upgrade, now featuring welded seams. Even more significantly, all three sizes in the Waterwalker range are now built in 4.7” thickness. This 126 and the 132 are also still available in 6” thickness.
Inside the board
The drop stitch used inside the Waterwalker 126 is quoted at 4,7” thick, (we measured it at 5”). Thurso Surf are now using woven dropstitch in all their boards, which is lighter and adds extra rigidity too.
Top and Bottom Skin
The outer shell of the Thurso Waterwalker 126 is constructed from two layers of PVC fused together using heat and pressure. This fusion process is an industry standard and results in a light yet strong and rigid material, delivering good performance.
Side Construction
Thurso Surf have upgraded their rail construction to incorporate welded seams. The inner side panel that joins the top and bottom layers to create an airtight chamber, is now heat welded as well as glued, making it stronger and long lasting. An extra outer layer of PVC is then added to increase strength and durability, and the top and bottom edges of the rail are then fortified further with an additional PVC lape layer.
Board Stiffness Test: 1.54” Bend
We were interested to see how the result from our stiffness test would compare to the Waterwalker 126 from previous years. The 2025 board being 1” less stiff will for sure reduce the stiffness, there’s not really any way to avoid that. However, the change to welded rails has in our experience resulted in stiffness improvements with many brands, so would these factors cancel each other out?
What we found was a slight reduction overall in stiffness, but just over 1.5” is still a very reasonable result. On the water the board certainly didn’t feel particularly flexy. Paddlers at the heavier end of the recommended weight range will probably prefer the 6” version though, as it definitely feels more rigid on the water.
To ascertain the rigidity of each board we review, we have been using our own specific laboratory bend test process since 2021. The board is inflated to its maximum recommended PSI and positioned exactly on our measuring jig. 150lb weight is then applied to the standing area to see how much bend it causes. While this 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 relative stiffness of the various board construction processes.
Features/Accessory Review: [9.4/10]
Features:
The Thurso Surf Waterwalker 126 comes in 3 color options, turquoise (as shown here), tangerine (check our review of the Waterwalker 120 to see this), or ‘dusk’, a kind of lighter blue. We’ve seen all three, and they all work to give the boards a fun and lively appearance, the tangerine version in particular.
The EVA foam deckpad on the Thurso Surf Waterwalker 126 has the Thurso logo embossed into it, and gives pretty good traction underfoot, although we did find the main section, which is also grooved, to occasionally be a little slippery with bare feet when very wet.
So let’s now take a tour of the fittings and fixtures found on the deck and hull of the Waterwalker 126. At the nose of the board, there is a carry handle which is well padded for comfortable carrying. Directly behind this is a multi-compatible action camera mount that supports both slide-in GoPro-style mounts and accessories with M8 threaded connectors, suitable for a wide range of accessory mounts.
Positioned aft of the nose are three bungee-style cargo straps. This is a new feature for this year, replacing the elastic bungees used on the previous models. We found that the straps are quite stretchy, which limits the amount of tension that can be applied. Their wide spacing makes them suitable for securing soft or bulky items such as clothing or a dry bag but less ideal for smaller rigid items like water bottles or footwear.
Positioned equidistant fore and aft of the central carrying handle are the four stainless steel D-rings for attaching a kayak seat. At the front edge of the EVA deck pad, we find another update for 2025; two additional action camera mounts of the screw-in type, one on either side. (In our previous review we’d suggested that this would be a good idea so we are delighted to see that Thurso Surf concurred!). There’s also a set of paddle holder straps on each rail, adjacent to the main standing area. These mounts, like the kayak D rings, are positioned well out on the rail so as to minimise intrusion on the main standing area.
Aft of the primary standing zone is a substantial open deck area free from fittings. Then at the very rear of the board, we find a second set of two bungee cargo straps. Being so close to the tail these won’t be suitable for heavy loads but would be OK for shoes or some other lighter gear. Finally, on the tail section we have the rear carrying handle and the central stainless steel leash attachment point.
Underneath the board we find Thurso’s standard tri-fin configuration. The center fin utilizes a split-style US finbox, while the side fins are mounted in FCS-style boxes and are positioned relatively close to the board’s centerline, with no toe-in.
The center fin installation system includes the option to use a traditional fin bolt or up to three click-in tensioners. These allow for quick, boltless installation by simply pushing the fin into the box. However, the supplied fin is highly flexible, which significantly reduces the leverage available when attempting to insert it using the click-in method. We tended to prefer (and trust more!) the traditional finbolt/nut system.
A quick side-note on the fins. They really are flexy! This does mean that they’re extremely resilient, and can cope with being bumped into things or dragged over things very well.
The side fins fit into standard dual-tab FCS boxes. Installation involves inserting the fin tabs into the slots, clicking them into position, and then securing them with allen bolts using the included tool. While tightening the bolts is recommended for maximum security, we find that the fins generally remain in place once clicked in, without the need for the allen bolts (or at very most, tightening just one of the two). However, if you’re paddling on a shallow river or similar environment where the fins may be in regular contact with rocks etc, then it would definitely be worth doing them up properly.
Hats off to Thurso Surf for the great accessory carry case that now comes with their boards. It’s thoughtfully laid out with separate sections for fins, bolts, allen keys, repair tools, and all the other little extras. This makes it super convenient to keep everything in one place and do a quick check to make sure nothing’s forgotten before you head out to the beach—no more scrambling through the bag or hunting through various pockets like you’d usually have to.
Included Accessories:
The Thurso Surf Waterwalker 126 can be purchased board only (which includes the leash and fins), or as a package with the option of including any or all of the following accessories; the backpack, a rechargeable electric pump, SUP carrier strap, the very nice Thurso life vest, kayak seat, and the Thurso Surf Carbon Hybrid 3 piece adjustable paddle. Purchasing the accessories as part of the bundle is a smart move as the prices are typically around 20% cheaper than buying them individually.
It’s all good quality equipment too; the electric pump is reasonably powerful, and takes about 8 minutes to inflate the board. The backpack is spacious and has rucksack straps and wheels. The Carbon Hybrid paddle is a reasonably good beginner/intermediate paddle, but it would be great if Thurso could also offer the bundling option of their higher performance paddle options too, because the Waterwalker 126 is a nice all-round board that could and should appeal to a wider range of paddlers, many of whom would most definitely benefit from a higher performance paddle, such as the Carbon Elite paddle.
Summary Review of the Thurso Surf Waterwalker 126
The Thurso Surf Waterwalker 126 is a really well thought-out general purpose paddleboard. At 31” it’s slightly less wide than the average width for 10’6s (normally 32-33”), which gives it its own little niche in the market. For the below average weight paddler it will work absolutely fine as a first time board, and then offer plenty to grow into. With its great set of fittings and cargo options it can take on many roles, and its above-average performance in the all-around category ensures that it should remain a favorite with the family for many seasons.
As for the choice between the 4.7” and 6” models, we’ve discussed the pros and cons in each performance section. Overall, the 6” board wins in speed and stiffness, while the 4.7” takes the lead when it comes to stability and maneuverability. It also wins in terms of general feel – in our view, anyway. There are those who prefer the thicker boards, but whenever we get the chance, as with these Waterwalkers, to test boards of the same shape but different thicknesses side by side, we always find ourselves preferring the less thick one.
Overall then, Thurso Surf have done a great job in upgrading the Waterwalker 126 for the new season, and we look forward to seeing plenty of them on the water this summer. Great job Thurso Surf!
Happy paddling! We hope you enjoyed this review of the Thurso Surf Waterwalker 126. If you have any questions or comments please leave us a comment below!
Bill Dawes
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Hi there –
I’m wavering between this board and the Atoll 11′. Both boards are well reviewed and look like great choices.
I’m in Florida, and would mostly use the board in saltwater waterways and protected inlets that can occasionally have light boat choppiness. I’m 5’7 about 150 pounds.
Thoughts on which board would suit my needs best. They both look great, but I do like how Thurso has some nice add-ons like the paddle mount.
Siobhan,
You really can’t go wrong with either SUP – both are great. My personal recommendation would be the Thurso 126. I like the carbon fiber rails and how firm the board feels while paddling. The only downside is that the Thurso weights a few lbs more than the Atoll. So, if weight is a big consideration than I’d say go with the Atoll 11′.
Hi there! How would you compare it to irocker all around board? I noticed you graded irocker board slightly higher (9.9 vs 9.4). Is IROCKER a better buy in your opinion?
Greg,
That’s a great question. The main reason we rank the iRocker higher is because it’s lighter than the Thurso. However, the heavier weight gives the Thurso a really solid feeling on the water, and we really like that about Thurso. If the extra weight isn’t an issue for you, then I would feel very comfortable recommending you go with whichever board you like the looks of better. That might sound like a flimsy recommendation, but I do think the looks of the board matter a lot, and that is a personal preference 100%.
I’m 6ft 215ibs. Trying to decide between the iRocker All Around, Bluefin Carben 10’8 (since 12 is out of stock) and Thurso. Any recommendations. And I’m a beginner.
Steve,
As a beginner at 6ft and 215 lbs, I’d recommend that you go with either the Thurso 132, or the iRocker 11′ All Around. I don’t think the Bluefin Cruise Carbon 10’8 will be quite as good for you (although I think the 12′ would be a great option if it were in stock).
Between the iRocker and the Thurso it really comes down to your preference. The iRocker is a little bit lighter, has more accessory options, but the Thurso is a little cleaner design and also has a great feel in the water.
I hope that helps!
I am a first time SUP purchaser. I am 5’4 at 135lbs and am wavering between this and the Irocker 11 all around. I do want to be able to take a dog out with me and possibly another low weight rider like my daughter and am torn between the two boards. We SUP at lakes where boats frequent so being able to handle flat water and some chop here and there is a must.
Hi Sharon,
I’d recommend looking into the Waterwalker 132 instead of the Waterwalker 126. It’s 11′ x 32″. so you’ll have a little bit more volume/stability when you bring along passengers than you would on the 126. That being said, the main difference between the Waterwalker (both the 126 and the 132 versions) and the 11′ iROCKER All-around is deck pad space. Both are stable, fun to paddle, and come with a great kit, but the 11′ all-around from iROCKER has a longer deck pad. If you have a larger dog, this might be a factor to consider. You could also check out on page of Best SUPs for Dogs.