Aqua-Bound Challenge 85 Review

The Aqua-Bound Challenge was among the top contenders regarding performance, with lightweight construction and a well-designed blade. This paddle is best for serious users who appreciate a paddle that can help them push their limits, even if it means paying a bit more for initially.

Performance Comparison

The Challenge is a high-performing paddle that's lightweight and easy to adjust.

Performance

This paddle is lightweight and agile, and users felt that it was easy to manipulate their crafts when paddling, and quick motions were not a problem. Because of the paddle's 10-degree offset, backstrokes are also easy. Unlike other lightweight paddles, this model's balance was not thrown off by its heavier locking mechanism.

This SUP paddle has a great catch and powers through the water easily. The Challenge 85 enters and exits the water very smoothly, all while being very light and making it easy to set up for the next paddle stroke. We didn't have any flutter issues even at maximum power, with the blade shedding the water evenly and failing to create any undesirable vortices.

The Aqua-Bound's blade.

Weight

While not the lightest product in the test, this model weighed in at just 1.3 pounds, which is much lighter than the heavier and less nimble models in the test.

Ease of Adjustment

This paddle features a Performance adjustment system, which makes it one of the easiest-to-adjust paddles in our review. The paddle has six adjustment holes and a small steel button that you compress to lengthen or shorten the paddle. It's simple to do and allows a group to share one paddle easily. This model has an adjustment range of 10.5 inches, which was not the highest in our test. If you plan on sharing your paddle between multiple users, consider an easier-to-adjust model with a wider range of possible lengths.

Locking Mechanism

The Aqua-Bound featured our testers' second-favorite locking mechanism. The adjustment mechanism features six holes spaced along the shaft of the paddle. Just press a metal button and extend or contract the paddle. After it's adjusted there is very little play in the handle and the connection feels quite solid.

However, this locking mechanism can be more prone to corrosion than other models or can become much more difficult to operate if dirt or grime gets inside. This isn't a huge issue but you do want to make sure you take the time to rinse it off after you are done paddling, particularly if you were paddling in saltwater.

Here are two "performance" adjustment systems. The Aqua-Bound paddle is at the top, the older version of the Trance is on the bottom.

Aesthetics

For our last testing metric, we rated and compared how each paddle looked, since everyone wants to look at least a little stylish while they are SUPping. Unfortunately, the Aqua-Bound Challenge 85 is a paddle first and a style statement second. It has an overall generic and uninspiring look, but we did appreciate the accent graphics on the blade.

Value

This model packs a lot of performance in a relatively affordable package. While it is slightly less high-performance than the top-tier models, it is also a lot easier on your pocketbook.

Conclusion

The Aqua-Bound Challenge 85 is a high-performance model with an easy locking mechanism and lightweight construction, making it a good paddle for serious users who want performance for their dollar.