If you're in the market for aggravation, disappointment, and bamboozlement by way of price gouging, then purchasing from ISLE is for you!!!
Let me see if I can wrap all this up in a brief package, as Im truly not one to spread negativity (this is the 1st negative review Ive ever written), but I feel it necessary to share my experience about this product so that the public has experiences to make informed decisions.
To be fully transparent, I bought my inflatable paddle board from ISLE in 2015. Yes, thats 5yrs ago, however I admittedly mildly used it, probably a total of 12 times over the course of those years and it lives in my bedroom, so it has been kept in impeccable condition. Within the first year of buying it, both the paddle and the gauge on the foot pump broke. The paddle broke the 2nd time I used it and the gauge broke the 3rd time I used it. Aggravating, but because it was within the 1st yr and warranty, ISLE replaced both items.
Well, fast forward to present time. I pumped my board up, conservatively within the recommended limits of psi, picked it up to walk it to the water, took two steps and the board exploded in my arm. It was a terrifying sound like a gunshot and a violent jarring, as you'd expect from something inflatable withholding so much pressure, but NOT what you should expect from a product, and mind you, one of the most expensive paddle board products on the market, supposedly built for this design.
I spent $714 on this ISLE paddleboard.
There are exceptional ones on the market for just $300, which I'll get to recommending later.
To make matters worse, in explaining this to ISLE, the consistent response was "here's 30% off your next ISLE purchase, thats all we can offer you." Did I mention the product exploded while I was carrying it!? It was on my person. thats dangerous! Further, that 30% off, which I certainly would not invest anymore money into this company, was unusable as all the inflatable paddle board options on their site are either "coming soon" or "preorder now."
When you invest your money, its not only in the product but in the customer service and the expectation that the company values goodwill and the customers that support their business. I did not experience that, despite my best efforts to find a compromise benefiting both parties involved. To their credit, amidst my several emails expressing this experience and disappointment, there was was customer service rep that did keep responding, albeit with the same lame offer to "rectify" the issue, but at least they didn't ghost me...??? This is where I landed... lower my standards of customer service.
Disappointed is a gross understatement.
You're free to make your own decisions, but ISLE products are EXPENSIVE and of POOR QUALITY.
That said, if you're looking for an inflatable paddle board, I would recommend Retrospec (https://retrospec.com) Their "Weekender" board is $300 and a dream. I didn't realize what a literal drag my ISLE board was aside from all this nonsense with poor quality, but it was so heavy I had no idea until I had contrast. Im athletic and strong and was constantly wondering why I couldn't keep up with my friends and was always working so hard. On the Retrospec I just glide with delight. It comes complete with a back pack (I had to buy that as extra from ISLE), a leash (ISLE did not provide one), a pump, the board, the paddle, the fins, and they even included a waterproof pouch for you cell phone! All for $300!!! Thoughtful good customer service and product.
And you know what, if this board explodes in 5 yrs, I won't care, bc I spent $300, not $700+ which felt like highway robbery and trickery. read more