Review - Lidl’s Mistral inflatable paddle board
In 2021 we picked up a stand up paddle board from the middle of Lidl. Each year they come back with a vengeance and sell out like hotcakes. It’s now 2024, they’re about to drop in stores (09.06 – 15.06), and we’re certain their popularity will continue. Especially with the lowest price we'’ve ever seen.
We are India & Joshua, qualified Paddle UK SUP Coaches, who run a Stand Up Paddle Boarding School in Surrey: Paddle Up. Here we deliver Paddle UK Awards, teach beginners, coach those looking to improve, and run social day SUP trips. Check out what’s on for 2024 here.
So, we bought a lidl board back in 2021 out of curiosity. Once we’d conducted our review we raised money for MIND by running a competition, and the lucky winner won the paddle board and a SUP lesson with us.
This seasons Lidl board appears to be almost identical to last seasons, and the seasons before that. People tend to buy them and sell then for nearly double what they paid on Facebook - which obviously we disagree with. Luckily some stores limit purchases to one per person. The beauty of SUP is that it’s an accessible water sport, and you don’t have to pay thousands of pounds on kit to get you started.
If you want to know our thoughts on the Lidl / Mistral SUP, then check out the original blog below.
Yesterday (29th April 2021) the middle of Lidl displayed their new range of Mistral water sports gear, including dry bags, wetsuits, wet shoes, and rash vests. However hidden behind the bakery - yes the bakery, they had a few pallets of Mistral inflatable paddle boards. Before the tills had even opened all the paddle boards had been snapped up.
Specifications
10’6” x 33” x 6”
Weight 10.8kg
Max rider weight 150kg
Single skin construction
Double chamber
15 PSI for chamber 1 & 2
2 year warranty
Price £199
Double chamber say what?
The Mistral inflatable stand up paddle board is double chambered, which means it has two valves, one at the tail (the main chamber) and one in the middle. When testing the board, we noticed that this certainly helped with rigidity and stability. There was minimal flexing. Double chamber boards are a relatively new technology and are said to represent the feeling of a hard board.
There is also an added safety benefit, for example if you were unlucky enough to experience a puncture or leak, it offers secondary floatation.
It’s not often you come across a double chambered iSUP, especially for £199.
US fin box
The Mistral iSUP boasts a three fin set up, two fixed side fins and one centre fin. Emptying the contents of the box onto the floor revealed the biggest surprise, a pleasant surprise of a US centre fin! This could only mean one thing, this £199 board from Lidl has a US fin box, a feature normally reserved for pricier iSUP’s. Admittedly the fin itself isn't the best quality but the beauty of the US fin box is that it gives you the option of using a variety of different fins. In the second photo below we’ve tested out attaching our Loco honeycomb GRP fin, which fitted just fine.
For the SUP newbies reading this, a US fin box and fin is normally slid in and held in place with a thumb screw and plate arrangement, making them strong and robust. A clip in fin is what you’d expect to see on an entry level paddle board and are normally more flimsy.
We’ve had a quick go on the Mistral and we can confirm that it’s definitely not a lilo. The deck pad is comfortable, the board paddles nicely and handles well. It’s not the fastest, but it is an all rounder board so speed was not to be expected. We did use a different paddle during our test as the one included looks pretty poor but it should do the job to begin with.
Accessories
Carry bag - Usable but we’ve seen better
Dry bag - Unopened, but what could go wrong here?
Seat and footrest - Bit of a gimmick
Paddle - Convertible aluminium shaft paddle with plastic blade
Pump - We think the one included is double action, we actually used our electric pump to inflate the Mistral
Leash - Standard coiled leash, not the best quality we’ve seen. Note: quick release belts are recommended for flowing water
Puncture repair kit - Glue included!
Surprisingly not all repair kits include glue, ridiculous we know. Although we have not tested out the glue, surely it's better than none. If it does turn out to be pants then we recommend Poly Marine two part PVC adhesive, photographed above.
The not so good stuff
Overall we’re pretty blown away by the quality of this board, however there are a couple of negatives we’re going to point out, the main one being the seams.
We noticed that some of the edges of the seams had come slightly loose and we have since seen Facebook posts from other buyers also complaining about the seams. This could potentially be very dangerous, so we do recommend a VERY thorough check before embarking on your maiden voyage. It’s worth pointing out that this can happen to any board.
As previously mentioned, the quality of the paddle could be better - we’re guessing that it doesn't float, so please watch out for that and upgrade your paddle pronto. If you do find yourself on the water and without a paddle, you can prone paddle back to shore; which is where you lie down on your board and paddle using your hands.
We personally feel that the kayak seat is a bit of a gimmick. It seems like such an added bonus to be able to have the option, however the quality is poor and it’s uncomfortable. Like we said, the paddle quality is also poor so you’d probably need to get yourself dedicated kayak paddle. We’d suggest buying a kayak if you want to kayak.
The carry bag quality could be improved, it’s fine if you’re using your car to get to and from launching destinations, but if you’re thinking of carrying this on your back then we wish you luck. We personally don't have too much faith in the stitching holding the carry straps.
Single layer does mean it could tear more easily - be careful and look after your paddle board.
All round board in general are a little pedestrian.
Conclusion
There's been a lot of controversy around the Lidl iSUP with comments like “Have fun on your lilo”, “Buy cheap get cheap”. However after actually unboxing and trying it out on the water, we’re pleasantly surprised. We’ve tested many different brands and honestly we feel the Mistral SUP is up there with some that cost up to £500. If even handled Joshua’s step back turn - video here. The Mistral is a bit of a bargain. If you’ve had a few lessons but haven't purchased your own due to cost - then this is a great option.
If you’ve never paddled before and you've purchased then that's cool too. We’d highly recommend booking yourself a lesson with your local SUP school before getting on the water.
WEAR A BUOYANCY AID
We like the fact Lidl are/were linking to the Go Paddling website which features some tips and safety advice. However whilst writing this blog, the Lidl webpage with the board's information and links has disappeared. It’s so important to wear a buoyancy aid whilst paddling and we wish Lidl made a a more of a splash around SUP safety.
Want to know more about what type of Bouyancy aid / life jacket to wear? Have a read: What Flotation Device to Wear Paddle Boarding
Who is Mistral?
Mistral were originally a Swiss company founded in 1976, they actually started off producing wind surfing boards. Read more about their history below.
Mistral’s success story starts in 1976, when, due to its passion for water and wind, the originally Swiss brand develops an innovative concept: surfboards with a sail. A new surfing dimension is born and proves to be an international hit. Mistral sets the tone in the development of windsurfing boards. Technological innovations rapidly follow, new materials are developed and tested. Mistral turns windsurfing into an international sport and even launches the Mistral World Cup Team. The brand becomes synonymous with windsurfing: Mistral is windsurfing, windsurfing is Mistral!
shop.mistral.com
Help setting up your first iSUP
If you’ve recently bagged yourself a Lidl (or any other branded) paddle board and you have no idea where to start, then feel free to book in a set up session with us (paddleup.co.uk) where we can go over safety and your boards features with you.
We’d also like to take this opportunity to remind you that all paddle boards need a license on most inland waterways. You can get a Paddle UK (British Canoeing) Membership for roughly £45 for the year. This covers you for a lot of UK inland waterways - get yours here.
Aside from the negative press, the Lidl iSUP is certainly making waves. Cheaper brands are making the sport of stand up paddle boarding more accessible, which we believe to be a positive thing. In recent weeks we’ve seen the news articles referring to the benefits of paddle boarding on people's mental well-being. So knowing that this sport is bringing joy to many can only be a good thing. SUP has certainly done wonders for our own mental health, we don’t know where we’d be without it.
Here are some launching spots to get you started, check them out.
Stay safe, have fun, get a lesson!
