BOTE Easy Rider 10’4” Review

In this BOTE Easy Rider 10’4” Review we get our hands on BOTE’s answer to the latest kayak hybris SUP craze and tell you exactly our thoughts. 

Both the good and the bad. 

We tested this board on the Nicomekl river on days with two very different paddling weather conditions. One of them was extremely windy (which in hindsight was less than ideal) and a full day in calmer conditions with medium to small amounts of wind and in the midpoint of low and high tide. 

Read on to see our exact thoughts on this Kayak Hybrid SUP!

BOTE Easy Rider 10’4” Paddle Board Review

Total Rating: 7.7/10 (Average of Below Ratings)

• On-Water Performance – 7.9
  • Stability 9
  • Tracking  6.5
  • Speed 7
  • Maneuverability 9
• SUP Construction – 7.5
• Board Features  – 7.8
  • Deck Pad 8.5
  • D Rings 8
  • Deck Bungees 7.5
  • Action Mounts: 7
  • Handles 8
• Accessories – 7.3
  • Kayak Conversion Kit 9
  • Backpack 7.5
  • Paddle 7
  • Pump 7
  • Fins 7.5
• Set-Up/ Take Down – 8

Who Should Be Using the BOTE Easy Rider 10’4”

The BOTE Easy Rider is a board made for easy-going recreational use and activities. It can be used for the following:

• Brand New Paddle Boarders: The board’s 36” width allows it to be a stable enough platform for most sized paddlers starting out
• Kayakers turned paddle boarders: This board provides the perfect opportunity to blend kayaking and paddle boarding thanks to BOTE’s inflatable seat. It’s honestly the most comfortable kayak hybrid setup to date. 
• A family board that can have a small Passenger Up Front: The maximum capacity is relatively low for paddle boarding standards at 250 lbs but we reckoned it was good for a small child or dog to be upfront. 

What SUP Activities Can The BOTE Easy Rider 10’4” Be Used For? 

The BOTE Easy Rider can be used for the following recreational activities. We should advise that we don’t recommend this board for power activities like fitness paddling or touring. The board’s dimensions don’t make sense for these activities that require more strenuous paddling. 

Recreational Paddling

The Easy Rider is an ideal candidate for casual paddles around the lake in calm conditions. One of the things I noticed is that things can get tricky when you are paddling out there with the wind! So make sure you time it for calmer conditions out there!

Kayak Hybrid Set-Up

Good news for kayak enthusiasts! This package comes with an inflatable seat and kayak blade attachment allowing you to transform the board from paddle board to kayak in a few minutes! I should mention that this is more of the equivalent of a recreational kayak package. If you were looking for a kayak hybrid that has better tracking ability and it more hydrodynamic I would go with the Komodo 11’ SUP package.

The seat I felt is a game changer in this industry especially for those like me whose backs have seen better days! It’s the most comfortable kayak hybrid seat I’ve paddled to date! We’ll get more into that in the onboard accessories portion of this content. 

Yoga

For smaller SUP Yogi’s this would be a very underrated pick. Granted you would have to remove the seat from the board! I say smaller SUP Yogi’s because its length may be a problem for taller folks over 5’9”. This is because the deck pad covers ⅔’s of the board which is enough space for the smaller SUP Yogi’s. However, with taller folks you may run out of room and have to try to grip the PVC on the nose. 

SUP Fishing

You can use the BOTE Easy Rider 10’4” as a casual recreational pick but it’s not the best pick specifically for fishing, both in terms of paddle boards and BOTE’s paddle board lineup. 

This would be best for one rod as there are no rod holders/ or slide-in mounts on this board to hold the rod while fishing. So you would have to make do with putting it in the bungees, which isn’t the most ideal place in my opinion. 

BOTE Easy Rider 10’4” On-Water Performance

Rating Factor	Score	Average SUP Score (All Around Boards)
Total On-Water Score	7.9	8.0
Stability Score	9 /10	8.3
Tracking Score	6.5 /10	7.8
Speed Score	7 /10	7.7
Manueverability Score	9 /10	8.1

The Easy Rider 10’4” gave some very good first impressions, be it in less-than-ideal conditions. But throughout both tests, the Easy Rider proved to have a very stable base to sit and stand on. See the end of the video below to see me paddle in very windy conditions!

Stability

Now that we teased you with some of that good old stability talk above. What did the board feel like both paddling in kayak formation and standing?

I used the testing of day 2 of this board from the on-water testing as it represented more accurate conditions to get some readings on some on-water metrics.

I felt the board was plenty stable for me as I stood although I also felt that this board was not specifically designed for me as my 6 ‘0 frame felt a bit too tall for it. When I say that, it certainly isn’t a knock on the board but more me being too tall! Still, the board felt plenty stable, even when I stood on it being pushed back to the dock by the wind and tide. 

In my mind the ideal customer for this board is someone who is 5’10 and under when it comes to using it like a paddle board. 

Stability in kayak formation is very forgivable and despite being a bit uplifted with the seat I never felt any sort of chance that this board would tip on me. Even in those 20 km winds, I paddled in.

Tracking

I’ll get this out of the way now, this is not the touring/ tracking all-star kayak hybrid. I found that when paddling in kayak formation this board did 3 strokes a side before I had to correct it. Now I found a lot of this was due to the seat moving back. I did this due to my height and the fact that I wanted to paddle this board in SUP formation without having to go back and forth docking this SUP. 

Tracking Factor	Paddle Strokes	Average Paddle Strokes (All Around)
Paddle Strokes To Keep Straight Course	5	5.8

“With the seat moved back it does uplift the nose which puts more weight on the tail and therefore makes the boards nose wagging more amplified.”

– Editors Notes

Tracking in paddle board formation (me standing in the middle of the board) was clocked in at 5 strokes a side which is about average for All Around SUPs. A shorter/ wider board like the Easy Rider 10’4” was never built to be a full-blown tracking hero because of its size restriction and a certain little thing called physics. 

Speed

One of the main weaknesses of this board would be the speed. I found this especially true when battling the wind and the tide as I was barely just getting forward momentum. If you are looking for a more hydrodynamic paddle board kayak hybrid that has better speed and tracking I would recommend the BOTE Low Rider or the Komodo 11 SUP. 

Maneuverability

Being a shorter board does have one main advantage. That being its maneuverability is heightened! I was able to do 3.5 reverse sweep strokes on this board which is a very good reading on all-around boards I’ve tested to date. 

Manueverability Factor	Paddle Strokes	Average Paddle Strokes (All Around SUP’s)
Paddle Strokes for Reverse Sweep Stroke	3.5	4.2
Paddle Strokes for Reverse Side Paddles	9.5	13.3

The Easy Rider also had an impressive score with reverse side paddles at 9.5 – 10 reading when the average is about 12 for many all-around paddle boards. 

Another reason why I say this is a good board for shorter paddlers is due to its maneuverability. As a smaller paddler, you usually want a board that will respond quicker to you and less effort to turn should obstacles present themselves and you need a quick evasive maneuver to avoid them. 

BOTE Easy Rider 10’4 Stats Deconstructed. 

• Material: Dual Layer Fusion Construction
• Type of Board: Recreational
• Length: 10’4″
• Width: 36”
• Thickness: 6″
• Volume: 235 L
• Weight: 28 pounds /12.7 kgs 
• Maximum Capacity: 250 pounds /113.4 kgs

The Easy Rider 10’4 is made of Aero Ultra Technology which is a single layer fusion composite layer that includes composite dropstitch, heat pressed seams and rail tape on the sidewalls. 

Rating Factor	Score	Average Score (All Around)
Construction Score	7.5 /10	8.3

Aero Ultra technology is BOTE’s introductory layering. Having said that though after testing this board in paddle board and kayak formation, I found the material to be sturdy. 

Despite this lighter-weight material, I would say this is one of the heavier 10’4” boards I’ve tested. Especially when all of the equipment that comes attached to it. 

I recommend carrying this board with a friend with one person on the nose and one on the tail to make transportation with all the equipment onboard easier. 

Easy Rider 10’4” Board Profile

The board will be one of the wider SUPs out there which also makes it more stable, especially for some of the smaller paddlers. If you are above 5’10 I’d personally recommend the Low Rider SUP as it is more than a full foot longer than the Easy Rider. This presents you with more stability in the water. 

The Easy Rider has a stout/ wider build starting from the nose, branching out to the middle of the board, and finally the tail. The tail is of the wider ones we’ve tested but we understand why they went for the wide angle. 

When making a kayak hybrid for beginners you want a board that is as stable as possible. So widening the tail helps add to that primary stability which makes standing a heck of a lot easier. 

What’s On Deck

The board offers smart onboard accessories that help make this a great beginner SUP. 

Rating Factor	Score	Average SUP Score (All Around Boards)
Board Features Score	7.8	8.1
Deck Pad Score	8.5 /10	8.3
D-Rings Score	8 /10	8
Deck Webbing Score	7.5 /10	8.1
Action Mounts Score	7 /10	7.8
Handle Score	8 /10	8.2

Easy Rider 10’4” Deck Pad

I thought that the deckpad was well-designed with a 2 textured deckpad setup. It is striped in the front and diamond-grooved on the back for extra traction. 

During the times the Easy Rider  10’4” was tested, I used surf booties and felt that the deckpad gripped them very well. It also provides ample space to move around which makes this a decent SUP pup or SUP Yogi pick. 

Although I have not tried it yet, I think this would be a very good vessel to learn more advanced maneuvers such as pivot turns. This is due to the diamond-grooved deck padding that spans all the way to the tail and the wider tail. You need that extra traction when putting your foot on the tail of the board. And the wider tail provides more forgiveness in learning this tricky maneuver. 

The only thing that would make it better is if there was a kickpad at the back. But we also realize that that might get in the way of the kayak set-up. 

Easy Rider D Rings

The Easy Rider offers 12 D rings with 6 of them free for the kayak seat or shoulder strap attachments. For taller folks or people who want to use this as a kayak paddle board hybrid all in one go, I’d recommend attaching the kayak seat to the rear row of bungee deck webbing. 

The middle placement is ideal for most paddlers although it does get in the way of your ideal standing position. 

Smaller paddlers could try the front D ring position although this may make the nose dig into the water, thus compromising the glide of the board. 

Easy Rider Deck Bungees

The Easy Rider comes with specious bungee deck webbing which can hold larger items like deck bags, backpacks, etc. This is ideal if you are on the water for more than an hour and you want supplies readily available to you. 

I found the wider-spaced bungees are not ideal for smaller items. While my water bottle was able to fit under the bungees. I still felt that my water bottle did move around a bit in semi-calm conditions. 

Easy Rider Mounts

While there are no action mounts onboard the Easy Rider does offer the patented Magnepod holder which is a rubber/ metalized plate that holds Magnepod cups and bottles into place without needing any additional items like cup holders for installation.

Easy Rider Handles

There are 3 handles on the board, one on the middle, nose and tail. The handles offer neoprene handles which makes carrying easy on the hands. Especially ideal considering the board itself weighs 28 lbs.

BOTE Easy Rider Accessories

I have to say, the way BOTE set up their kayak conversion kit was very well done and smartly thought out. For one, their kayak conversion seat is probably the most comfortable paddle board kayak hybrid set-up I’ve tested to date. It’s also very well-designed and thought-out. More below. 

Rating Factor	Score	Average SUP Score (All Around Boards)
Accessories Score	7.3 /10	7.9
Kayak Conversion Kit Score	9	9
Backpack Score	7.5 /10	8.1
Paddle Score	7 /10	7.8
Pump Score	7 /10	7.6
Fin Score	7.5 /10	8.1

Easy Rider Kayak Seat

This is hands down the most comfortable kayak seat I have tested to date on a kayak hybrid package. This is thanks to the elevated positioning on the bottom of the seat. This gives your legs more bend while the back of the seat contours your back. 

This is especially a great set-up if you have lower back issues or limited hip flexibility/ mobility. I’m not going to lie, I felt a little bit like a king on his throne paddling this board past kayakers who are forced into unnatural seating positions. I got a few people checking out and commenting on my set-up. 

The seat has 2 valves on the bottom and top half which should be filled between 5 – 10 PSI. I usually fill it to 7 PSI which is a good inbetween.You can fill this quickly with an electric pump.

One detail I appreciated with the seat is the fact that the package included cam straps to strap the seat into the D rings. Having used cam straps in the past for other endeavors they are pretty good quality!

BOTE Bag

The backpack is about standard with what you would get with a board at its price point. I personally liked the nylon material of this bag more than the vinyl of previous BOTE bags. As I found the vinyl to stick to things more, especially when you are taking the package out of the trunk. 

While I found the materials were improved, I did think that there could have been more pockets/ compartments on the bag as smaller items can get lost when you put everything in the big main compartment/ pocket.

The bag does offer a decent amount of padding compared to some other SUP bags at its price point on the back and shoulder areas though. This is something that SUP manufacturers like PL brands from Amazon really tend to skimp out on. 

The bag also has a chest and padded waist strap to make carrying longer distances a bit easier. 

I also like how the bag opens up like a suitcase from top to bottom which makes putting the contents like the folded-up board, paddles, and pump away easy. 

Easy Rider Paddle

The Easy Rider paddle is certainly a looker. It’s an aluminum paddle, which to be honest isn’t my favorite type of paddle. But it does the job for beginners who just want something to get started. 

Putting the paddle together can be a little tricky from fresh out of the box as the metal click-in knubs can be hard to press down on, which can make setting the paddle up from paddle board to kayak formation a bit tricky. Especially when you are optimistic like me and want to do it on the water. 

When changing from a kayak paddle to a paddle board handle on the water you can easily stash the kayak paddle in the bungees in front and vice versa. 

After a while through some wear, the metal knubs click in with less force. 

One of the things I was not as big of a fan of with this paddle was the grippy material in the middle. While I appreciate the thought process of this (trying to give you a grippier surface when paddling) I found it gave me some blisters on my hands. This is why I recommend you get a set of paddling gloves, they are just a good thing to have to protect your hands in general. 

It is worth mentioning that the blisters happened in less than ideal 20 kph winds (don’t do this at home!) so I was out there for a good 30 minutes continually paddling to make a bit of headway against the wind/ tide. 

Easy Rider Pump

Okay, it’s confession time. I filled this board up using an electric pump, so I did not have a chance to really test out the single-chamber manual pump. If you are planning to go paddling a lot this summer I highly recommend you get one as they save you time and effort. 

Having said that there were a few things I did appreciate about the BOTE pump. One of those things is the fact that the pump has 2 valves. One for inflation and one for deflation. The deflation valve is handy because you can suck all of the air out of the board with the pump to make the board easier to fold in the process. 

BOTE Center Fin

The Easy Rider comes with a slide-in 10” center fin. I like the design of the fin as it is thicker and it provides more surface area in the water which does its part to help the stability of the board just that extra bit. 

One of the downsides of this fin, however, is the fact that it is a slide-in style fin. While these are relatively easy to put in it is made of plastic meaning if the board is sitting in the sun for even a bit the fin will be harder to slide in and out as plastic expands in heat. It may be handy to have a mallet handy in your trunk in case the fin gets stuck in the mount. 

BOTE Easy Rider 10’4” Set-Up / Take Down

Setting up the Easy Rider for the first time will take a bit of time because of the extra step of setting up the kayak seat and strapping it onto the board. As mentioned above the seat has 2 valves on the top and bottom that take little time to inflate. 

One of the advantages of having an electric pump is having the pump inflate the board while you can set all of this up. In all, it takes about 5 minutes to set the seat up and buckle it into the D rings. 

Rating Factor	Score	Average Score (All Around)
Set-Up/ Take Down Score	8/10	8.2

Once the board and seat are inflated next it’s time to decide which position you want the kayak seat. In my experience with the board, I put the kayak seat on the last set of D rings towards the back so that I could test this board in both kayak and paddleboard formation for my on-water videos. 

If you plan on just using this as a kayak I’d advise putting the seat in the middle as the track will be better when the weight is more evenly distributed on the board.

The Easy Rider is on the heavier side, specially when it has the seat and all the equipment mounted onto the board. I’d personally recommend having another paddler assist you to the launching point as opposed to doing multiple trips back and forth to the shoreline. 

Taking the board down is fairly straightforward, first, you release the valve and let some of the air out. Next, I attach the board to the pump but this time on the deflate option and I deflate as much of the air out as possible to make folding the board easier. 

When folding up the board, you want to start from the nose and fold your way towards the tail, making sure to not force anything, this may need to take a bit of adjusting and rolling/unrolling but eventually, it will all fall into place. 

Once rolled up secure it with the strap and put it back into the bag with the rest of the contents and you are off!

About BOTE

Bote is a company that makes durable inflatable products such as paddle boards, kayaks, docks as well as hard paddle boards, coolers and outdoor living products. 

In the inflatable paddle board niche their specialty focus is more on the fishing side of things. Boards like the BOTE HD Aero and Rackham Aero. But they also do recreational SUPs and now kayak hybrid SUPs thanks to their Rider Kayak Hybrid Line. 

BOTE Warranty and Returns

The BOTE Rider series offers a 2-year warranty and a 30-day return policy which is about in line with what other SUP manufacturers offer. 

It should be noted that BOTE does have a 20% return fee that you should be aware of which take 10 calender days to process. 

Where to Buy the BOTE Easy Rider 10’4” SUP

You can purchase the Easy Rider 10’4” SUP on the BOTE website or from some verified retailers which BOTE lists here. 

Comparable Boards

Below are some comparable boards from other brands. 

Isle Pioneer Pro SUP Bundle

Much like the Easy Rider, the Pioneer is meant to be an introductory kayak hybrid package for newer paddlers who crave stability. The package comes in 3 different sizes, 9’6”, 10’6” and 11’6”. Stay tuned for our reviews on this board. 

Gili Komodo 11’ 

This kayak hybrid package is more for longer paddling adventures due to its slightly thinner frame. However, it is still an equally proficient all around SUP and is an excellent choice for bigger SUP Yogi’s. In my testing, I did think that the BOTE Easy Rider has the advantage when it comes to comfort due to the kayak seat. 

You can see the Gili Komodo 11′ Review here.

Is The BOTE Easy Rider a Good Buy?

The Easy Rider 10’4” is a great buy if you are looking for a board that:

• Is very stable to both sit and stand on
• Offers a very comfortable seat
• Offers reasonable value for the package
• Is a great package for calm conditions like lakes

We really liked how this board transformed the on-water experience into a very comfortable package. To quote Borat, you can say to yourself “King of the Castle King of the Castle!” to yourself while paddling by onlookers who are cramped in their sit-in kayaks. 
What were your thoughts on the BOTE Easy Rider 10’4”? Let us know on our Facebook page!