Before the New England cold could creep into my bones, I zipped up my drysuit and picked up the BIC Cross Adventure SUP. Even this die-hard kayak angler enjoys the ease of sliding a standup paddleboard into the water and pushing off the bank.
BIC Cross Adventure SUP Specs
Length: 11′
Width: 34″
Weight: 34 lbs
Max Capacity: 285 lbs
Price: $1,199.95
The Cross Adventure is the most stable and user-friendly board in BIC’s lineup.
Within a few paddle strokes I was comfortable enough to play in the wind waves. To get out of the wind, I tucked inside a cove and worked the point for smallmouth. Two casts later I was hooked up.
Cross Adventure means this board is designed for the both family and hardcore fisherman. Head out on the pond, hit the rapids or even ply the ocean waves in search of trophy fish. Then, slip into yoga pants and bend and twist yourself to enlightenment (you, not me). Don’t be afraid to let the kids take the board for a spin. The Cross Adventure is stable enough for a full load and tough enough for worry-free fun.
“The goal was to create a super-stable, high-capacity platform that could be used out-of-the-box for family fun and recreation, or custom fitted with accessories to create the ultimate fishing and adventure board,” said Jimmy Blakeney, BIC’s product and marketing manager. “The deck is flat from rail to rail, allowing you to use the full deck area without items rolling off the sides—this also increases stability by pushing volume out to the rails.”
The toughness of the Cross Adventure comes from BIC’s ACE-TEC construction. The board starts with a core of foam sandwiched between fiberglass. And then another outer layer of super strong and stiff styrene polymer make the skin shock- and ding-proof. Rocks, oyster shells and eight-ounce sinkers can’t hurt this board.
The keeled nose breaks through wind waves and keeps the board tracking straight. An 11-foot waterline also improves tracking and speed. The paddling is predictable without the board spinning side-to-side. The Cross also comes in a 10-foot version, more suited for yoga and fitness use, but could also work as a fishing board for smaller anglers under 160 pounds.
The coolest feature by far are the 10 deck attachment points.
BIC partnered with YakAttack to develop a mount that pairs with standard leash plugs to offer anglers infinite rigging possibilities. Couple the leash plug with YakAttack’s new adapters and you can add GearTracs, tie downs and mounts.
No matter how good this board is for post-work outings or a leisurely paddle with your kid, BIC designed this board for truly one thing: real adventure. With this board in my fleet, SUP touring or multi-day river floats are planning themselves. I’m dying to know just how far the BIC Cross Adventure SUP can go. I’m guessing anywhere.
For more information about BIC SUP, or their new Cross Adventure standup paddleboard, check out their website, BICSUP.com
This article was first published in the Spring 2016 issue of Kayak Angler Magazine. Subscribe to Kayak Angler Magazine’s print and digital editions, or browse the archives.
