FatStick 7’6 x 30” x 4” Child’s iSUP board

This is a strange review as it’s for a board I shouldn’t be able to ride! So, for this board, luckily, the owner, my daughter, was on hand.

I contacted FatStick Boards earlier this year and said they should consider bringing out a kid’s board. After discussing sizes and features with me, Andy and Reuben decided to go for it.

Now, we see a lot of kids on the fronts of boards, and at some point, they are ready to jump on their boards. Many kids are just being thrown on adult boards, which are oversized and not suitable. Fine for a splash on the lake, but if you want to get your kids into the sport, it’s essential to ensure they have the right kit and ensure little ones do not get any injuries from using oversized boards and paddles. You wouldn’t put a child on an adult’s bike!

So, coming in at 7’6, this board is much shorter than a good range of the kid’s boards available and your average SUP. The length and width were designed for young children to control the board, especially the width, as younger children cannot reach wider boards. As well as being relatively narrow but without compromising stability, the board has a smaller rail than most paddleboards. At 4”, the board is lower to the water, offering a lower centre of gravity for young children.

pening the box, you get what you now expect from FatStick Boards: plastic-free packaging, board wrapped in paper and the other accessories are loose in the box, wrapped in paper.

Now, this board didn’t come with a complete set of accessories as it is a prototype board (only five were made in this run for testing), so the board was supplied with a child’s paddle, short 4’6” flexi fin, and small leash (and QR waist belt). In the box is a flyer with a QR code linking to safety information, which is great to see.

The design is the same as the FatStick Boards AirStick range but a smaller model. We had two boards to test and look at, both blue and pink versions. We kept the pink version. The graphics are pretty the traditional white board, with pink rails and a pink stringer with a slight pattern down the centre – a good-looking timeless board, in my opinion.

The paddle had a reasonably lightweight aluminium shaft shorter than those supplied with adult boards. We didn’t use the paddle as my daughter has her own, and wanted to use that, which is understandable, but for anyone without a kids’ paddle, it is a suitable length and a smaller blade shape and size.

The construction is similar to FatSticks’ AirStick range: a single-skin PVC drop stitch with a PVC stringer to stiffen the board. This construction is extremely well made and will easily take 18-20psi if required, but I only put in about 16/17 as my daughter is relatively light. I must admit I did have a little stand on the board, and although it was more like a submarine, it was stable and didn’t flex much.

Now, my test pilot is nearly six, standing at about 120cm, and could carry the board due to its reduced weight, as this is a single-skin board. I’d say she was just stretching to reach the single grab handle in the centre of the board, but this will ease as she grows. Even when Dad stepped in to help, it was super light to carry alongside my board. The construction and attention to detail were excellent. There was no glue residue, and everything was aligned perfectly. 

Features
The board comes with a D-link front top and rear for easy clipping, a single paddled grab handle, front bungees and an EVA deck pad, but it is nice to see the inclusion of a kick pad. On the bottom is a 2+1 fin set up, a US box fin (which is nice to see on a kid’s board), many being supplied with clip-in fins or short Flexi bonded centre fins. The US box fin allows so much more flexibility regarding fin selection as the child gets older. I loved that the board was supplied with a Flexi fin, as this is perfect for little ones and adds some protection for the fin box when they land on the beach or bank. Then, the two thruster fins (toe-in) are fixed bonded Flexi fins. There was a discussion about leaving these out, but they are convenient for those wanting to use the board to surf. Either way, this is an excellent set-up for kids.

Bearing in mind, my daughter has paddled on the front of my board since she was 16 months old. She was straight on this board, and it was stable enough for her to get moving independently. She could comfortably manoeuvre the board and turn it to control her direction. She found paddling the board extremely easy once she got to grips with the paddle technique, as this is a lot different to the wide strokes she was used to making on the front of my board! She also found it easy to jump off and climb back on repeatedly.

Within an hour, she was out with my dad and me, independently paddling alongside us, having the best time. There is so much to learn, but she loves the independence of her own board.

If anyone is at this stage, I’d highly recommend looking at a kid’s board, and this is a great board to do just that!