Bestway Hydro-Force Aqua Journey iSUP Review

Starting in 1994, Bestway chose Fun to be their primary business and they began what’s now a huge success with different products for all different activities including winter activities, water sports and above ground pools.

In our present day, Bestway offers over a thousand products to anyone who’s interested anywhere in the world with good services and continuous efforts to build innovative and durable products that’ll contribute to users’ daily lives adding more fun and practicality to them.

The Hydra Force Aqua Journey is the inflatable stand up paddle board that’ll be under the spot light throughout this review and we’ll try to cover all the aspects and features that we think anyone who’s reading so far should get to know.

Bestway Aqua Journey iSUP Review – Features & Specs

Measurements

The Aqua Journey is 9 feet long, 30 inches wide and 6 inches thick; it’s definitely not considered a large board but it’s guaranteed to be a perfect choice for many users out there.

The width factor is always something that we need to appreciate about iSUPs; it’s what makes them as stable and safe as they are. That being said, the Aqua Journey, though it might not strike you on the length aspect, it is really roomy for all different positions. You can sit, lie down or even practice yoga if you’re experienced enough and it would still feel comfortably spacious.

Now a large rider is obviously not going to opt for a 9 feet long board, that’s why the Aqua Journey is highly recommended for female paddlers given the biological fact that their bodies are somewhat petite compared to males’.

To make sure this board delivers its best performance, Bestway gave it a solid 6 inches for thickness to boost stability and float, and honestly; it all came together very nicely presenting us with a great value inflatable board.

Quality

Bestway uses heavy duty PVC material to make all of their inflatable products but in a traditional way at all. The Hydra Force Aqua Journey is quite a unique inflatable board, along with its siblings, and that’s because of the Inflatashield, the Tritech and the Fortech technologies.

The latter is ‘the fusion of dense polyester mesh and high gauge PVC. This application of the two materials makes for a lightweight yet durable material that is resistant to puncturing, stretching and smooth to the touch.”

The Tritech material or technology on the other hand strengthens the iSUP’s core thanks to the multiple layers of polyester mesh and PVC that cover and laminate the board for a dense and stiff body.

And finally, the Inflatashield works on getting the perfect finish that guarantees a stronger and smoother texture for the iSUP’s outer-body which will eventually impact its performance and life span.

The Aqua Journey is quite the board if you’re looking for something that’s big on quality rather than size. That being said, you only have to make your mind about wether it’ll work for you or not because simply there isn’t something not to like about this board.

Features

• For a good price, the Aqua Journey is equipped with a great set of features that make a lot of difference when it comes to standup paddle boarding.

• Let’s start with color and design, the Aqua Journey is mainly white with an orange/gray traction pad that looks super sharp with a perfect cut that reflects the quality built of the board. The colors match very nicely and they’re somehow neutral to suit both male and female users.

• The traction pad here is great; it’s thick and super grippy with two different textures to it; the orange area is smooth while the gray one is grooved.

• Also, there are carry handles, a central one to help you carry the inflated board around and another on the board’s tail to allow you to easily drag the iSUP when you’re coming out of water.

• The navigation system consists of 3 fins that are all fixed. They’re pretty rigid and they’re all the same size as to not bother you while packing the deflated board.

• Now the thing about Hydra Force Aqua Journey is that it’s featured with 2 D-rings only; one beneath its nose for toeing while the other is at the end of it for safety leash attachment. In other words; there is no tie-down system or storage area on this board and that frankly is quite comprehensible. The Aqua Journey is not a large board, thus, it only made sense that Bestway thought that it’s best to do without this feature in order to offer more free space on the board.

Performance

As far as we’re concerned, this is Bestway’s smallest iSUP and given our humble experience with inflatable SUPs, the Aqua Journey would do a great job for an entry level board. It’s extremely easy to handle either in or out of water, it’s impressively stable which a beginner would appreciate the most and it’s as durable and tough as any larger board.

The Aqua Journey performs best in flat water; however, it will not disappoint you on the beach or river because it can definitely handle some waves and choppy water if you’re experienced enough.

Responsiveness and control are not to worry about here; the Aqua Journey is a pleasure to wheel and it doesn’t require any big deal of effort to get it going.

Packaging

The Aqua Journey’s package is a simple yet a complete one except for the missing repair kit. Once you make your order, you’ll get a box that includes:

• The board with fins attached to it.
• A hand pump.
• A 3-piece adjustable paddle (85”).
• An ankle leash.
• And a travel bag.