REASONS TO BUY
Amazingly stable
Durable
Glides well in rough water
REASONS TO AVOID
Extremely heavy
Hard to move
BIC Ace-Tec Cross Adventure Review
This board is the top pick for families that want to move extra gear or passengers
BIC Ace-Tec Cross Adventure 11'
Credit: BIC Sport
By Marissa Fox ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ July 10, 2017
RELATED: The Best Hard Paddle Boards
Our Verdict
The BIC Ace-Tec Cross Adventure might not be the fastest board of the group, but it's amazingly stable, durable, and an all-around solid board. This stellar performance earned this board a Top Pick for Families award. This is the board that we would recommend for those who want a stable board to take their little ones on, take their canine companion out on the water, or transport lots of gear. However, this stability comes at a cost — maneuverability and glide performance aren't this board's strong suits, and it can be a bit difficult to transport. All in all, this is a great board, with its pros outweighing its cons and one we would strongly recommend. The 12-foot version of this board is our top recommendation if you weigh more than 250lbs.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Cross Adventure didn't do exceptionally well in our maneuverability tests, being somewhat clunky to steer, and was a little on the slow side. However, it handles rough waters and wakes without missing a beat and is astonishingly stable. Its durable plastic construction can be a little heavy to transport and load into a car, but it can take a beating. This board is awesome for carrying passengers or cargo, earning our Top Pick for Families award.
The BIC Cross Adventure is a great option for families. Credit: Marissa Fox
Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing Practices
If you've got an especially keen eye for detail, you may notice that the board we tested has slightly different color scheme than the photo above. When we inquired about this, BIC Sport shed light on the fact that they practice sustainable manufacturing and never waste any material. So, you may find that the colors on your board are inverted or slightly off from the main photo above, and that's because BIC Sport doesn't throw away foam just to have each of their boards look exactly alike. We applaud companies who strive for zero waste and responsible sustainability practices. Well done, BIC Sport! If you'd like to read more about their zero waste/zero emissions manufacturing processes, you may do so here.
If you've got an especially keen eye for detail, you may notice that the board we tested has slightly different color scheme than the photo above. When we inquired about this, BIC Sport shed light on the fact that they practice sustainable manufacturing and never waste any material. So, you may find that the colors on your board are inverted or slightly off from the main photo above, and that's because BIC Sport doesn't throw away foam just to have each of their boards look exactly alike. We applaud companies who strive for zero waste and responsible sustainability practices. Well done, BIC Sport! If you'd like to read more about their zero waste/zero emissions manufacturing processes, you may do so here.
Glide Performance
The performance of the BIC was mediocre in our flat water paddle test, Averaging the results of two trials, this board took 48.5 paddle strokes to cover the same distance that the top board — the Raven — covered in about 37.
However, it was an entirely different story when it came to distance per paddle stroke in rough water. The Cross Adventure did exceptionally well in this test, performing the best of the entire group with an average of only 22.5 paddle strokes to traverse our course. This board's large size and heft meant that it wasn't bogged down by waves like the rest of the pack and its fantastic stability allowed us to take full advantage of each paddle in the choppy conditions, gliding more per paddle and requiring less energy expenditure.
The BIC was exceptionally stable, even for first time paddlers. Credit: Chris McNamara
We were less impressed in our time trials, where we averaged the results of two trials for each test, to account for any wind or current effects. The Cross Adventure is not a fast board. Period. This board finished poorly in both calm and rough water, finishing in the second to last spot for both tests. For calm water, the Cross Adventure had an average time of 78.18 seconds, only beating the California Board Company model. For rough water, the Cross Adventure clocked in an average time of 116.74 seconds — just barely beating the Pau Hana by a fraction of a second.
Our lead canine tester, Chewy, was a bit apprehensive at first, but warmed up to things quite quickly. Credit: Marissa Fox
Stability
The Cross Adventure had awesome stability, high carrying capacity, and a high level of confidence it inspired in beginning paddlers.
The Cross Adventure delivered the best performance out of the group in all three of our tests. It handled choppy conditions with ease, barely rocking for wakes and wave that would have knocked us off other boards in the test. This board was also plenty stable with extra weight, whether we were carrying a cooler full of sandwiches, paddling with a toddler, or bringing resident canine paddler Chewy with us.
This SUP is supremely stable, even with toddlers aboard! Credit: Marissa Fox
This board was also the preferred choice of the beginning paddlers, much preferring the Cross Adventure to boards like the CBC or Raven. This board is even stable enough for Yoga.
The BIC was also stable enough for yoga. Credit: Chris McNamara
Maneuverability
The Cross Adventure did quite poorly in our slalom course, taking the longest time out of any board to complete it at 104.7 seconds — substantially slower than the fastest time of 81.13 seconds, put up by the Raven. However, this board did redeem itself slightly in the 180° U-turn test, having a smaller turn radius than a few boards in the test, such as the CBC or the Raven.
This board's heft makes it a bit of a hassle to load by yourself. Credit: Marissa Fox
Ease of Transport
The large size and heft of this board, which proved to be so useful for stability, severely hurt the Cross Adventure in the Ease of Transport metric.
The Cross Adventure is the heaviest board of the entire group, weighing in at 35 lbs, 7 oz. in our test. Consequently, this made it one of the most difficult to carry on land, being heavy, large, and unwieldy. The internal recessed handle was reasonably comfortable — on par with the majority of other boards, but this board's large size made it quite difficult to load on a car — a task that we didn't feel that comfortable attempting without two people.
This board is exceptionally resilient, suffering only some minor cosmetic damage after everything we threw at it. Credit: Marissa Fox
Durability
This model sustained practically zero damage in the course of our testing, with only some minor scratches in the paint to be found. However, the lackluster fin design prevented this board from getting a perfect score.
We found the fin prone to falling out, making it a question of when not if you would lose it. This board is well received in user reviews, with recurring problems noted.
Faulty Fins?
We tested this board last year, and BIC Sport contacted us recently to notify us that they have redesigned some things to mitigate the issue of loose fins. There are three discs which create the friction that holds the fin in place, and those discs have been re-engineered to be thicker so they hold the fin tighter into the board. While we can't speak to this fix since we haven't tested the redesigned fins, BIC said they will gladly FedEx a replacement to anyone who has a faulty fin. The loose fins had orange discs (as seen in the photo above), while the newly designed ones are blue. If you have this board and have an issue with loose fins, contact BIC Sport directly and they will make it right.
We tested this board last year, and BIC Sport contacted us recently to notify us that they have redesigned some things to mitigate the issue of loose fins. There are three discs which create the friction that holds the fin in place, and those discs have been re-engineered to be thicker so they hold the fin tighter into the board. While we can't speak to this fix since we haven't tested the redesigned fins, BIC said they will gladly FedEx a replacement to anyone who has a faulty fin. The loose fins had orange discs (as seen in the photo above), while the newly designed ones are blue. If you have this board and have an issue with loose fins, contact BIC Sport directly and they will make it right.
The fin attachment method of the BIC was quite unreliable and we almost lost it on more than one occasion. Credit: Marissa Fox
Best Applications
The Cross Adventure is an absolute beast of a paddleboard. This large flat board is particularly stable, making it a great bet for a total first-timer or someone who might not have the best balance. On top of that, the plastic construction of this SUP is extremely resilient, and it can take a fair bit of abuse, so families with children also should consider this SUP. It doesn't have the most glide for long-distance tours, but paddles well enough to not feel overly sluggish or tiring to paddle.
Value
This board is a decent value, retailing in the middle of the price range for comparable products, but being durable enough to ensure that it will last for years to come.
Conclusion
The Cross Adventure is a good all-around board and our top pick for families. It's stable and great for beginners, while durable enough to withstand any abuse you might throw at it. It's not terribly fast or agile but great for enjoying a day on the water — as long as you have a buddy to help you move it.
—Marissa Fox
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