BOTE LowRider Review

In this BOTE Lowrider Review we go through my testing and my thoughts on the 10’6” version of the board. Hint: The Lowrider is one of the comfiest boards I have paddled in kayak formation. A big part of it is that the seat has been uplifted! 

Rather than having a cheap Amazon-style seat mounted to the board that you can only paddle an hour on. The Low Rider has an inflatable seat that is lifted which takes pressure off of your hips. The best way to describe it is like being seated on a couch in the middle of the lake on a paddle board.

So How did the BOTE do on our on-water tests and what were our thoughts on the package? Read below as we dissect exactly what the Lowrider is all About. 

Click here to compare the Lowrider with the BOTE Easyrider Review. 

BOTE Lowrider 10’6″ Paddle Board Review Ratings

Below is how I rate the BOTE Lowrider 10’6”. We use the averages of the below scores to come up with a final score on the board.  We do this so that you can look at the section you value most and be able to compare and contrast it with other Kayak Hybrid Paddle Boards. 

Total Score: 7.9 (Averages of Below Scores)

• On-Water Performance – 8.1
  • Stability 9.5
  • Tracking 7
  • Speed 7
  • Maneuverability 9
• SUP Construction – 7.5
• Board Features  – 8.2
  • Deck Pad 9
  • D Rings 8.5
  • Deck Bungees 8
  • Action Mounts: 7.5
  • Handles 8
• Accessories – 7.6
  • Kayak Conversion Kit 9
  • Backpack 8
  • Paddle 8
  • Pump 7
  • Fins 7.5
• Set-Up/ Take Down – 8

Who Should be Using the BOTE Low Rider 10’6” SUP?

The BOTE LowRider is ideal for paddle boarders who are brand new to intermediate in skill level. The board’s main selling point is its stability so it’s a great SUP for beginners of just about any size who don’t want to test their limits. Folks who would thrive with this board would be:

• Recreational Kayakers who want a comfortable package to paddle
• Bigger/ Taller beginner paddlers who want a stable base to learn on
• Fishing enthusiasts who want a stable board to fish off of in both paddle board and kayak formation
• Casual paddlers who want a vessel to hang out with during the day

The LowRider does have some limitations though. It is a heavier package compared to the majority of the SUPs out there. If you are a small paddler you may want some help unloading this board and getting someone to help you carry it to the shoreline. We also don’t recommend paddling this board in windy or tidal conditions as this won’t be a particularly fast board. As I experienced with the Easy Rider SUP that has similar dimensions. 

The conditions you can use this board in include:

• Calm small-medium sized lakes
• Calm rivers
• Calm coastal conditions

Things don’t always go your way and sometimes the wind picks up. If you find yourself caught in the wind or tide I suggest paddling this board in kayak formation to give you more efficiency and speed because you will have more strokes per minute as opposed to in paddle board formation. 

What SUP Activities Can You Use the BOTE LowRider For? 

The BOTE LowRider is a great board for almost any activity that needs stability. Its 36” width ensures passengers won’t fall overboard when paddling this SUP. 

Recreational Paddling

The LowRider is a great board to put into the water for a few hours and alternate between paddle board and kayak formation. You can paddle both successfully by placing the seat towards the back set of free D rings on the board. This gives you enough room to paddle in kayak formation as well as gives you the middle area of the board to stand (which is the most ideal placement). 

As mentioned above it’s a great board to also learn on as it gives you a base layer of solid stability that will give you greater confidence to stand on your first few tries. 

Small On-board Passenger

While the LowRider may not have the capacity of some other longer boards,  it can support a small passenger. Such as a small to medium-sized kid or a small to medium-sized dog like a schnauzer or border collie (if they can stay on the board! 😛 ). 

The LowRider is a great board for small passengers because the deckpad spans the entire area of the board which ensures that your little SUP buddy will have enough grip onboard on all areas of the board. 

For those venturing into passenger SUP paddling for the first time, I recommend having the passenger in the front of the board so that you can see them and predict their movements if you are standing. However, with this set-up, it will be much easier if you paddled in kayak formation while the passenger sat or lay down. 

Kayak Hybrid

This is a rather obvious one but this and the Easy Rider boards are the most comfortable kayak hybrids I’ve ever sat in. I would even say it’s more comfortable than any budget recreational kayak I’ve sat in. The inflatable uplifted seat alleviates a lot of pressure off the back that you would normally experience with kayak hybrids that have the cushion-padded seat mounted straight onto the board. 

This is not a performance kayak hybrid by any means. The 36” width will give you more drag which will require more effort to paddle further. Especially when compared to skinnier kayak hybrids such as the Gili Komodo 11. 

SUP Yoga

While this board is not really marketed as such, I think it would be a strong contender to be a good SUP Yoga board. It’s wide, It’s stable and it has grippy deck padding the full length of the board. 

Two things would subtract from its yoga potential. 

1. The board is quite heavy and is a big package, so assistance may be necessary for small-medium SUP yogis.
2. Some rackmounts stick out that may get in the way of some of your yoga poses. 

SUP Fishing

For those used to kayak fishing, this may be a good portable substitute for you. While it may lack some of the details of a hard fishing vessel it does have some fishing capabilities. Onboard features such as two rack mounts and a set of D rings for a cooler or live bait well. 

BOTE offers a lot of different rac accessories so I suggest you browse them to get the brain juices flowing in terms of possibilities that could exist for your future fish stalker. 

BOTE LowRider On-Water Performance

Rating Factor	Score	Average SUP Score (All Around Boards)
Total On-Water Score	8.1	8.0
Stability Score	9.5 /10	8.3
Tracking Score	7 /10	7.8
Speed Score	7 /10	7.7
Manueverability Score	9 /10	8.1

We did a few on-water performance tests with this vessel. The first was to test it on its own, and the second was to directly compare it to its brother the Easyrider 10’4”. We post both videos below. 

Stability

The LowRider is one of the more stable 10’6” boards I’ve stood/ sat on and a big part of that is the board’s wide width in the middle and its wider nose and tail. For those worried about originally boarding the LowRider, you can simply plop yourself onto the board from a dock and get in or go to the shore and enter from the side or in the middle of your legs. 

When you do the original plop onboard you won’t have to worry about the board tipping as long as you aim for the center of the seat (And the seat is tied onto the board of course!)

Once on the water, the board is very stable. For beginners, it’s a good idea to try and stand  stand from the original seated position. The seat will help support your butt in a squat formation as you stand. From there, you want to heave yourself up with the strength of your legs and hips and put a paddle in the water as soon as you are standing. 

When you put a paddle in the water it helps give you better stability, much like when a bike is standing still vs moving. 

My impression of standing was the board was very stable and there was little side-to-side motion which I would expect from a 36” wider SUP. Even when seated I tried to rock the board back and forth fairly aggressively and there was no feeling of me going overboard. 

Tracking

Because this is a wider board without any primary side fins (sorry 2” side bite fins you don’t count!) the board’s tracking will be its Achilles heal. This is not so much the fault of the board but more the give and take you have to consider when you produce a very wide board for stability. 

Tracking Factor	Paddle Strokes	Average Paddle Strokes (All Around)
Paddle Strokes To Keep Straight Course	4	5.8

In kayak formation, I tracked 3 strokes a side. The rating could be 4 if the kayak seat was more centered on the board. But in this case, I had it towards the back so that I could stand. As a result, the board’s nose is more in the water and the board’s tracking performance was not as efficient. 

In terms of standing and paddling with the SUP paddle, the board did 4 strokes a side before having to correct. As of now the average for all-around SUPs is 5.8 which makes this one of the least efficient tracking SUPs on the list. Again, it is not the fault of the board but more the way physics work against wider boards. 

Speed

Right from the get-go this should be stated that this is not a fast board by any means. Anytime you have a SUP that is 36” wide width and weighs about 30 lbs you are going to have a harder time keeping speed with your friends that have a 32” or 33” wide SUP. 

“This is where I recommend you put this board in kayak mode. You get more strokes per minute which will give you a faster speed. But even still this won’t be the most efficient kayak/ hybrid paddle board around. And in terms of pure on-water speed, it will be one of the slower ones in our paddling tests.”

– Editors Notes

Maneuverability

Maneuverability is where this board absolutely shined. The board was able to do 3 reverse sweep strokes for a 360 which is one of the better scores in our testing. And this is one of the advantages of wide boards, while you may have some work to do for tracking they turn on a dime! 

Manueverability Factor	Paddle Strokes	Average Paddle Strokes (All Around SUP’s)
Paddle Strokes for Reverse Sweep Stroke	3	4.2
Paddle Strokes for Reverse Side Paddles	8	13.3

This was also true from reverse side paddles where the board was able to do 8 which is one of, if not the best score from many of the all-around boards we have tested. For reference, the average is 13.3 for All-around boards in our database. 

BOTE LowRider Stats Deconstructed

• Materials: Aero Ultra Technology (Single Layer Fusion Construction, dual layer on rails Composite Drop Stitch)
• Type of Board: Recreational
• Length: 10’6″
• Width: 36”
• Thickness: 6″
• Weight: 30 pounds /13.6 kgs 
• Maximum Capacity: 300 pounds /136 kgs

The LowRider is made of Aero Ultra technology which is a single fusion layer with dual-layer rails for extra protection. This surrounds the composite drop stitch threads inside the board that allow the board to inflate to 12-15 PSI… In our opinion, this is not the most robust construction that we have found as other comparables such as the Isle Pioneer Pro offer much stiffer construction and have more attention to detail put into their processes. 

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

Then again, recreational kayak paddle board hybrids do not need to be the most robust boards on the planet. They just need to be stiff when the paddler is using the board. So from that perspective, the LowRider does the job. 

LowRider Board Profile

This board is meant primarily as a stable recreational vessel for all skill levels to paddle in kayak or paddle board formation. So as a result BOTE has opted to make the board very wide to make sure it can encompass a wide range of different shaped paddlers feel confident standing or sitting on the board. 

As mentioned in the On-Water section the wide width is a major plus when it comes to stability and maneuverability. However, the board will feel sluggish and won’t be the best tracking paddleboard kayak hybrid board out there. So with that being said, the board’s best uses would be for purely recreational purposes like a few hours on the lake. 

This would not be an ideal candidate for longer paddling trips because you will be expending more effort to paddle this board further due to the board’s weight and increased width. 

BOTE LowRider Onboard Features (What’s On Deck)

Rating Factor	Score	Average SUP Score (All Around Boards)
Board Features Score	8.2	8.1
Deck Pad Score	9 /10	8.3
D-Rings Score	8.5 /10	8
Deck Webbing Score	8 /10	8.1
Action Mounts Score	7.5 /10	7.8
Handle Score	8 /10	8.2

One of the biggest differences between the LowRider and the EasyRider is the number of Onboard features each has. The Lowrider is priced as the premium board because of a few different onboard specs which we will detail below. 

BOTE LowRider Deckpad

“The deck pad has two different textures on it and spans the entire board which has a massive benefit. Especially if you have passengers onboard. It gives those smaller passengers such as dogs more grip on the board which allows them to walk around safely without you having to worry about their paws slipping on wet PVC. Which would be more of a problem with the Easy Rider SUP. “

– Editors Notes

The two-texture deckpad also gives paddlers the option to try more advanced maneuvers like pivot turns. And to be fair, wider boards like the LowRider are ideal training boards for this. The diamond grooved deck pad helps give the paddler extra grip that is needed when practicing those more advanced manuevers. 

When casually paddling the board standing up I felt that it was grippy on the feet and had a good amount of padding on it to make it soft on the palms of your feet. 

Low Rider D-Rings

The LowRider offers 18 D rings with 10 of them being used up by the 5 rows of deck bungees.  In comparison (because I’m sure a lot of you are actively comparing the LowRider to the EasyRider) the Easy Rider only offers 12 D rings total with 6 of them being used up by the front bungees. 

That gives you 8 free rows of D-rings on the LowRider! The main reason for the 6 middle ones is for strapping down the kayak seat to the front, middle, or rear mid-area of the board. The set of D rings that are on the back are meant to be for strapping down coolers. Whether they are hard, soft, or Baitwells. 

BOTE Low Rider Deck Bungees

The LowRider offers 5 rows of deck bungees onboard. There are 3 rows in the front and 2 rows in the back of the board. These bungees are widely spaced out due to the board’s wider frame. This gives you more room to place bigger items onboard. However, smaller items won’t be as secured due to the wider spacing.  

I do wish that this board had clips on it so that you could remove it easier in case you needed the full deck for SUP yoga or to have your dog on. Removing the deck bungees would give your furry friend one last obstacle to deal with onboard. 

Low Rider Mounts

While the LowRider does not have any action mounts, the board does come with two slide in BOTE Aero Rack receivers. These receivers can house any BOTE rack available on their store. Some rac’s available include:

• Bucket Rac’s (used for BOTE buckets that go around the cooler to keep it secure)
• Wheel Racs (wheels that attach to the rac part to help with transportation)
• Rocket Racs (multiple rod holders)
• Tackle Racs (standard fishing rack)
• Power Rac (light up rack for nighttime)

What combination fits you and your fishing needs is completely up to you!

BOTE Handles

The Lowrider offers 3 handles, one in the front, middle, and rear of the board. The handles are covered with neoprene and are comfortable on the hands. It should be noted that this is a heavy board! So you may want to get a shoulder strap to help support the weight if you are carrying it from the middle. 

If you plan on having all the gear onboard I’d recommend finding someone to help carry the board. With the seat and related onboard accessories, this board can get HEAVY and bulky. 

LowRider Accessories Explained

The LowRider certainly gives you a lot for the package. Probably more than you bargained for as it is one of the biggest SUP packages I have ever received. Especially when the bag with all of its contents is stood upright. You definitely need to find a good amount of space for this package as it will take up a decent amount of room. 

Rating Factor	Score	Average SUP Score (All Around Boards)
Accessories Score	7.6 /10	7.9
Kayak Conversion Kit Score	8 /10	9
Backpack Score	8 /10	8.1
Paddle Score	7 /10	7.8
Pump Score	7.5 /10	7.6
Fin Score	9 /10	8.1

But if we were asked to get more or less from a SUP package we always choose getting more, even if it does mean taking up extra room. 

Removable Aero Paddle Seat

Is it the most compact SUP seat? No not by a long shot, but my gosh it is very comfy! I’d have to say between this and the EasyRider SUP this is probably the most comfortable I’ve felt in a kayak hybrid package. 

A big part of this is the fact that the outer edge of the seat is uplifted on an angle. This tilts your legs upwards which puts less strain on your hips and back compared to those cushioned Amazon kayak seats you see. 

The paddle seat inflates on the chair back and the seated area which you can inflate with the provided pump. If you want it to feel softer I recommend pumping it to the 2-3 PSI range. If you want it harder then I would say pump to 5- 10 PSI. 

The chair attaches via two heavy-duty cam straps that will ensure the seat will stay attached. 

The most ideal placement for the seat is in the middle of the paddle board for optimum performance. However, if you want to paddle and kayak on the same journey I recommend you place the seat on the last set of free D rings towards the back. In this position, the seat will not get in the way of your standing. 

You can also put the seat to the front for a passenger although the seat back may get in the way of the standing area. 

LowRider Backpack

This is a package that comes with quite a number of accessories so you should expect a larger than normal SUP bag to fit all of its contents. In other words, you will need to clear the trunk out to fit this bad boy. 

The bag itself is made of a waterproof vinyl material. I have mixed feelings about the material. On one hand, it’s great for bringing the bag onboard and ensuring that the bag contents do not get wet. On the other hand, I found just like with the BOTE HD Aero, that the bag sticks to contents in your trunk and can be harder to get out instead of a smooth nylon bag. 

The bag is very spacious though, it has more than enough room to fit all the board’s contents. Even with a less-than-ideal fold. The seat does take up a good amount of room though, so try to account for that. 

The bag offers a good amount of padding on the back area, straps, and waist straps. Although truthfully I would save your back and just wheel this package around as it is pretty ginormous. 

The bag has a big pocket in the front of the bag which gives you room to add smaller things that come with the package such as the Rac mounts, the cam straps, the repair kit, and the center fin. You can also add a small PFD inside.

LowRider Kayak/ SUP Carbon/ Fiberglass Paddle

I definitely preferred the kayak/ SUP paddle package compared to the heavier aluminum one provided with the Easy Rider package. It’s lighter weight and just feels better to paddle for a longer time period. 

Another thing I appreciated about the paddle was the fact that it was angled on both blades. This is especially handy for when you are paddling this board in SUP formation as the angled blade will give you a better angle to dip your blade into the water and get more power out of it compared to a blade with no angle. 

One of the things I was not a fan of was the shaft coating. While it does give you ample grip on the water it’s not the best for sea water. And it definitely is not ideal to have this coating during more intense paddles as I got blisters on my hand using a similar coating from the BOTE EasyRider paddle. 

BOTE Hand Pump

The hand pump included in this package is a single-chamber dual-action pump. Which is pretty standard with most SUP packages. I feel like BOTE lacked in this area as they could have included at least a dual chamber triple action pump which would reduce the time pumping up this board. Or better yet an electric pump which would have added some extra value to the package. 

BOTE Fins

BOTE offers a rather large 10” center fin with two 2” side bite fins. The fin itself is slide-in and comes with a little plastic clip to hold it in. While I do like the shape of the fin that is included due to the large surface area. I do think that they should have:

1. Used a proprietary or even better US fin box to match the price point of this SUP
2. Used actual detachable 5” side fins

I have tested boards with just the 2” side bite fins with no center fin and let me tell you, they do nothing. You will be twirling around like a teacup ride at Disney World. With detachable 5” side fins you will have 1-2 strokes better tracking with this board. 

I say for BOTE should include a US fin box because that allows you to experiment with different types of fins that have the same designation. This allows you to further tweak the handling of the board to your liking. 

BOTE LowRider Set-Up/ Take Down

The Lowrider is quite the package to set up and take down which will typically take longer than the average SUP. This is because there are extra steps to this board such as inflating the seat, attaching the seat, and attaching the Rac mounts and possible add-on accessories if you choose to go that route. 

Inflating the board is relatively straightforward, although I highly recommend you do what I did and get an electric pump to help ease the pumping process. This in turn also allows you to set up the board and accessories such as inflating the seat, putting together the paddle, and adding any accessories to the board. 

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

Once the board is pumped up I recommend getting some help to carry it to the shoreline. Otherwise, you will have to make multiple trips as the chair and other accessories do add a good amount of weight to the already heavy board. 

Once you are down with the board you can deflate it. Luckily the Aero hand pump has a deflate option which means you can such the air out of the board. I highly recommend doing this as this will make the folding process significantly easier. Especially when deflating for the first time. 

Once everything is deflated I recommend putting the biggest item (the paddle board) inside the bag first and then fitting the kayak seat and then adding the pump and paddle to the sides of the bag. Once everything is secured you can roll off the bag into the distance (or your car that is a few hundred meters away). 

About BOTE

The BOTE brand is a fishing-centric SUP company that has recently branched out into the new paddle board kayak hybrid series that included the Flow Aero, EasyRider and LowRider (solo and tandem) SUPs. 

BOTE was started by Corey and Magna Cooper as a vision to improve the inflatable paddle board market in the late 2000s. This BOTE was born. 

Warranty and Returns

BOTE inflatable boards have a 2-year limited warranty and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Of course, as well as many other manufacturers the warranty does not cover wear and tear, color flaws, punctures from exterior elements, etc.

One thing to note about the return policy is that it does come with a 20% restocking fee attached to it. But unfortunately, that’s the way it goes with many SUP manufacturers as they usually have some sort of restocking fee attached to their returns.  

Where to Buy BOTE LowRider 10’6” SUP?

You can purchase the BOTE Lowrider on the BOTE website or you may also find it on 3rd party authorized dealers and Amazon.com. 

Comparable Boards

Below are some comparable boards from other manufacturers that are also paddleboard kayak hybrids. 

Isle Pioneer Pro 10’6”

This board is one of the best-constructed boards I’ve come across in my SUP testing. It is also a surprisingly versatile package with an inflatable kayak seat and removable bungees that can clip onto anywhere on the board thanks to the Isle Link System. I do give the edge in seat comfort to the Lowrider though. 

Click here to see the Isle Pioneer Pro 10’6″ Review

Gili Komodo 11’

The Komodo 11’ is a lot skinnier compared to the BOTE Lowrider at 33” which makes this a faster board with better tracking. The Komodo comes with a seat and a booster which was decent but I still much preferred the Lowriders inflatable seat. 

Click here to see the Gili Komodo 11′ Review

Is the BOTE LowRider a Good Buy? 

Yes, I believe the Lowrider is a great SUP to choose from. Especially if:

• You want a very comfortable kayak seat
• You want a purely recreational SUP/ Kayak hybrid that is very stable to stand and sit on
• You are brand new and want stability to be the most important thing
• You want a very maneuverable board
• You are a fishing enthusiast who wants add-on capabilities as well as a kayak setup
• You want to paddle with a smaller passenger upfront be it a kid or dog/ pet

What are your impressions of the BOTE Lowrider? Feel free to tell us on our Facebook Page!