The Body Glove Performer has been popular for quite a while. People love its features and the occasional irresistible discounts. Recently, the paddleboard was upgraded to make it even better and harder to resist. Body Glove says that the adventure-ready Performer is built for paddlers of all skill levels for all purposes. They say it is incredibly durable and stable. But is it? You are about to find out in this in-depth Body Glove Performer 11 review.
Before we get into that, learn a little about the company.
Body Glove is a beautiful story of inseparable twins, Bill and Bob Meistrell. Their first product was a wetsuit designed in 1953— the first functional wetsuit ever. The brothers loved the water from a young age. They even designed a diving helmet from a tire pump and vegetable can at age 14. In 1944, they moved to Manhattan Beach and could not get enough of the ocean. There, they bought a dive shop that later became Body Glove.
Back to the Performer…
If you’re in a hurry, here is a summary of the pros, cons, and board specs.
- All-inclusive SUP package
- Woodgrain color, looks amazing
- Upgraded construction, durable
- Improved fin design, more surface area
- Triple-layered side rails, super rigid
- Slight difficulty maintaining course
- No long center fin
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Paddle Board Specs
- Length: 11’
- Width: 34”
- Thickness: 5.4″
- Weight: 24 lbs
- Weight capacity: 320 lbs
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Who Should Buy The Body Glove Performer?
The Body Glove Performer is ideal for fitness enthusiasts, beginners, families, and adventurous paddlers.
The Performer is 11 feet long and 34 inches wide. It offers a stable platform for your fitness routines. Some yoga poses are hard enough on land. Imagine how much harder they would be on the water. You need a wide enough platform to ensure that you don’t keep taking a swim. And the Performer offers that. The deck is partly covered in a soft EVA traction pad too. It is as comfortable as a yoga mat.
Like yoga enthusiasts, beginners also want a stable paddleboard. Learning how to stand on a SUP is challenging. A stable platform makes it easier for beginners. Additionally, The Body Glove Performer comes with everything you need to start paddling. You only have to buy a paddle board life jacket and you’re good to go. It’s great if you don’t know what accessories to buy.
The Performer is big enough for two adults or an adult and a child/dog. Family paddleboards should be able to handle more than one person. This ensures that even the non-paddling family members, like your furry friend, are not left out.
Adventurous paddlers love to explore. They get out of their comfort zones to look for challenges and excitement. And for that, you want a paddleboard that can take anything. Due to the pointed nose and general shape of the Performer, the board is remarkably fast to paddle and a good choice for casual touring. Its new construction is solid and you won’t have to worry about denting it.
Performance
1. Stability
The Body Glove Performer 11 is stable. It is long and wide, as already mentioned. Stability is one of its strongest points. It is what makes it suitable for beginners, yoga enthusiasts, families, and even anglers.
A paddleboard’s stability is greatly determined by its width. The wider it is, the more stable you can expect it to be. At 34 inches, the Performer is very wide, compared to many other single-person paddleboards. You will appreciate the stability when paddling with a dog that keeps jumping off or a restless child.
Another thing that affects stability is thickness. Have you ever been on an iSUP that bends in the middle when you get on? Or one that sinks instead of riding above the water? It creates an annoying and unstable situation.
This mostly happens with thinner boards. They are less rigid and have a lower volume. The lower volume results in a lower weight capacity, making the board unsuitable for heavier paddlers.
The Performer is 5.4 inches thick. It is ultra-rigid and can hold up to 320 pounds.
2. Maneuverability
The Body Glove Performer handles well, based on my experience. It is easy to control in most conditions and you can make quick turns. This, however, may not be the case for very small paddlers or teens. At 11 feet long and 34 inches wide, it might be too bulky for them.
3. Tracking
While paddling the Performer, I noticed that the tracking is not impressive. This mainly has to do with the shape of the board. It has a pointy nose and a very wide center, creating an awkward shape that hinders performance. The fin system doesn’t help either (more on that below).
The Performer makes a fantastic board for many SUP activities. But it may not be ideal for touring.
4. Speed
The Body Glove Performer is an all-around iSUP. Typically, all-around paddleboards are not designed for speed. So lower your expectations.
It is wide and that increases resistance— which contributes to a board being slow. However, it is also long and has a pointed nose. These two features facilitate speed. For an all-around SUP, the speed of the Performer is decent.
Build Quality
The Performer features a triple-layer PVC construction that enhances rigidity and durability. One thing that would cause a paddler to prefer a hardboard to an inflatable board is the possibility of an iSUP not being sturdy.
Some brands will sink in the middle even when they are fully inflated. This is not something anyone wants. The triple-layer design eliminates the possibility of that problem and lets you have the best time SUPing.
The updated version also has triple-layered side rails and carbon-reinforced stringers. It is more rigid than before. When fully inflated, it will be just as stiff as a solid SUP.
Design
One of the most noticeable things about the new board is the wood grain color. The iSUP is more beautiful than its predecessor. The paddle blade also has this wood grain color. The blue deck pad colors make the SUP more radiant and gorgeous.
Board Features
a. Fins
The Performer has a three-fin system. Unlike most iSUPs, it doesn’t have a large tracking center fin. All three fins are small and fixed.
A longer central fin helps a paddleboard track straighter, especially on flat water. Body Glove increased the fins’ surface area by 30%. Although tracking has improved, we would still love to have a large center fin.
b. Deck Pad
The Body Glove has an EVA foam traction deck pad. It is soft but quite grippy. It keeps you from slipping, more so when your feet and the board are wet. The pad also provides a soft platform for yoga and it is pet-friendly.
c. Handles
The Performer comes with only one handle, a center carry handle. It doesn’t include a nose and/or tail handle. The available handle is pretty nice though. It works as a bottle and paddle holder too.
d. D-Rings
This inflatable paddleboard has a D-ring at the tail for your leash. You don’t get additional D-rings for customization. But there is a bungee cord for your paddle board cooler or SUP deck bag.
SUP Board Accessories
The Body Glove inflatable SUP package includes all the basic accessories. It comes with a pump, paddle, bag, leash, repair kit, and phone dry bag.
The paddle is lightweight and collapses into three parts for storage. It is adjustable 70 inches to 85 inches. It has a woodgrain blade that matches the paddleboard.
The high-pressure, dual-action pump inflates the paddleboard in five minutes only. Manual inflation is one of the downsides of owning an inflatable SUP. It can wear you out before you get into the water. This pump makes the process much easier.
The carry-all backpack has been redesigned and looks much better than before. It has a clean design and is big enough to fit the board and accessories.
The provided leash is 11 feet long.
What User Are Saying
As mentioned in the beginning, the Body Glove Performer is popular, mostly because of the regular crazy discounts.
So let’s see what paddlers have to say based on their experiences.
A Redditor wrote a post telling his fellow SUPers about a Body Glove Performer discount.
Someone in the comment section asked people to share their reviews about the board.
Ovirto replied that they paddle reservoirs and lakes. The paddleboard is great. They added that it comes with all the basic accessories, expect a PFD. They have used their Body Glove Performer for over three years and it is still going strong.
AlaskaJ1 said that he has used his Performer a couple of times. He finds it stable and fast enough. The fins, however, are his main complaint. He wishes they were removable and a little longer.
In another post, joeyGibson went on Reddit to share how happy he was with his new Performer. The first few minutes on the water were wobbly because he was used to solid boards. (iSUPs ride above the water). But he soon got used to it and had an awesome experience. It performed well and inflation wasn’t that hard.
Another guy replied that he got the same board and he loves it.
Moving on…
Maggie says she has been using her Performer for all kinds of adventures. She has paddled rapids, lakes, and oceans. One time, she had someone on board and they exceeded the weight limit. It remained stable. The SUP is still as good as new.
Kristin says that inflation is easy. And once the Performer is inflated, it feels extremely stable and sturdy.
Body Glove Performer Alternatives
Body Glove Performer Vs Atoll 11 Inflatable
The Atoll 11 SUP is another well-loved inflatable paddleboard. It seems to have everything that SUPers like. It comes in muted colors and measures 11’ x 32” x 6”. Its SUP package includes a bag, pump, paddle, leash, and a large center fin. The paddle is made of carbon fiberglass and has a nylon blade.
The main difference between the Atoll and the Performer is in the shape of the boards. The Atoll has a regular, more all-around board shape. The Body Glove Performer has a more extreme shape with a sharper nose and very wide center.
Both boards are fairly fast and stable, but I found the Atoll to track better and to have a better balance between speed and stability.
The Atoll can hold up to 700 pounds while the Performer has a 320-pound capacity.
Both paddleboards have a six-point bungee storage area at the front. Unlike the Performer, the Atoll’s bungee is attached to D-rings. It has extra D-rings for customization too. In addition to its center handle, the Atoll features a tail handle.
Body Glove Performer Vs iRocker Cruiser
iRocker is a household name. Paddlers praise and recommend their iSUPs left, right, and center.
The iRocker Cruiser paddle board is available in six different colors. It has two six-point bungee storage areas at the front and back and extra D-rings.
There are three grab handles, at the front, center, and rear as well as three fins, all removable. The board comes with a bag, paddle, pump, and a leash.
The Cruiser measures 10’6 x 33” x 6”. It is narrower and shorter than the Performer. They are not very different when it comes to performance, but the Cruiser tracks impressively. You can’t say this about the Performer.
The Cruiser is also more maneuverable and features four action mounts.
Verdict
In my opinion, the Body Glove Performer is an awesome paddleboard, especially for beginners and intermediate riders. Advanced paddlers can use it too. It comes with everything you need, including a dry bag for your phone.
We would love to see a longer center fin to help with tracking. Extra D-rings would also be quite helpful for people who want to attach something like a kayak seat. Other than that, there isn’t a lot to complain about.
Do you have any questions about the Body Glove Performer? Feel free to ask us below. Happy paddling!
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My wife & I purchased this board a few weeks ago after doing some paddle boarding at Stanley Lake, Idaho. Good packaging & directions. Paddle is sturdy. About 250 pumps to inflate to 15 psi. The board is stable & easy to maneuver. Bought it through Costco for $324, including Washington state tax. Now we’re considering buying an inflatable kayak so both of us can be on the water at the same time.