Penguin Coast Runner Review (2022) iSUP Paddleboard

The SUP brand Penguin covers the entire spectrum of boards from beginner paddle boards to sporty race boards.

The Penguin Coast Runner is a very good touring board that convinces with a fair price, very good workmanship and top accessories.

The quite light board with the carbon reinforcement on the rails is especially suitable for advanced paddleboarders.

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At 381 x 79 x 15 cm (12’6″ x 31″ 6″), the Coast Runner is a pretty classic touring board that’s especially good for longer trips, and has a really fair price (check price in online shop*).

With its elongated shape, tapered nose and large central fin, the board has a strong straight line and plenty of tracking. Included with the inflatable paddle boards are the following components:

SUP board bag trolley, switchable double action pump with pressure gauge, coiled leash, single fin (US box system), repair kit incl. valve key, shoulder strap + fin pin.

Penguin Coast Runner Review in Detail

In my Penguin Coast Runner review, I go over the board, but also the accessories included in the package. At the end of the article, I also answer some questions that I came across during my research. If you have any further questions or are unclear, feel free to leave me a comment.

Board Type	Inflatable
Brand	Penguin Watersports
Skill	Advanced
Price Category	High-priced
Area of Application	Touring
Max. Paddler Weight	110 kg (240 lbs)
Length	381 cm (12’6″)
Width	79 cm (31″)
Thickness	15 cm (6″)
Weight	ca. 12.5 kg (27.5 lbs)
Volume	250 liters
Accessories	board bag trolley, switchable double action pump with pressure indicator, coiled leash, single fin (US box system), repair kit incl. valve key, shoulder strap + fin pin

Construction

The Penguin Coast Runner is an elongated touring board. With its sporty construction, this inflatable paddle boarding is especially suitable for advanced riders. However, with the width of about 79 cm (31″), the iSUP also offers a healthy amount of tipping stability.

The large central fin gives the board good straight-line stability and ensures plenty of directional stability. For touring riders, this is particularly practical because it means that the paddle side has to be changed less often. This paddle boarding from Penguin is based on the US fin box system. The fin is screwed to the board with a small fin screw and a fin plate.

The advantage of the US fin box system is that there is a large selection of fins for this system. In contrast, other paddle boards such as the Bluefin Cruise use a plug-in fin system that takes only a few seconds to install the SUP fin. Installing a US fin, on the other hand, takes about 45 to 60 seconds.

Load Capacity

The Penguin Coast Runner is 15 cm (i.e. 6 inches) thick. That’s important, too, because 6 inch thick SUP boards like the Coast Runner fit more air than boards that measure only 4 inches or 5 inches 1(0 cm or 12.5 cm) in thickness. The narrower boards are less stiff, offer less buoyancy and can only carry lighter loads.

With a volume of 270 liters, the Penguin Coast Runner is optimally designed for a paddler weight of 130 kilograms (296 lbs) or less. The touring board from Penguin is therefore also suitable for heavier paddlers as well as trips with children on board or SUP with dog.

Of course, the board will not sink if this recommended payload of 130 kilograms is exceeded, but this will have an impact on the performance on the water.

Areas of Application and Driving Characteristics

Touring boards like the Penguin Coast Runner are best suited for advanced riders who want more with the board than just relaxed paddling across a few lakes. With its sporty construction, the Coast Runner can be used optimally for longer tours.

Due to the length and extreme stiffness, the board is also well suited for waters with demanding water conditions. The board rides best on lakes, canals, rivers with low current speed as well as coastal waters with smaller waves.

However, the design of the Coast Runner with the wide tail, together with the large central fin, also provides a lot of stability. This makes it easy to shift the weight to the back of the board and thus turn the paddle boarding faster. In addition, the Penguin Coast Runner has a so-called Noserocker.

By Noserocker is meant the slightly bent up board tip. This prevents the board from dipping into the water. Instead, the Coast Runner glides better over the water, which ensures good performance in waters with challenging water conditions.

As a touring board, the Penguin Coast Runner is designed for riding at higher speeds. With its strong straight-line performance, the board is suitable for people who want to cover longer distances.

If you are looking for a board that offers even more tipping stability and is also a bit cheaper to buy, you should take a look at the allrounder Penguin Lancer. With its round nose, the Lancer slows down more, but the allrounder board is safer in the water and is therefore often the better choice for beginners.

With its sporty design, the Penguin SUP offers top performance on the water. The narrow board shape with the tapered nose reduces water resistance and therefore allows the build-up of higher speeds.

This is practical for covering longer distances. It is also noticeable that the board has very good directional stability. This ensures that the paddle side must be changed less often and in the end, higher speeds can be built up again.

Material and Weight

The construction of the Penguin Coast Runner is based on the so-called Fusion Carbon Hybrid technology. This means that the rails of the Coast Runner (i.e. the side edges) are additionally reinforced with a carbon layer, similar to the Bluefin Cruise Carbon.

In the middle of the longitudinal direction runs an additional reinforcement strip (stringer), which further stiffens the structure. This construction method has significant advantages. Among other things, the board has a certain abrasion protection at the edges.

In collisions on the water as well as during transport and by the paddle, the edges often suffer particularly. The tricky thing is that damage here often can not be repaired well.

On the other hand, the extra carbon layer gives the board much more stiffness, which was also well seen in my Penguin Coast Runner test. The seams of the Penguin Coast Runner are not glued, but are welded together with heat and pressure (Fusion technology). As a result, the material transitions are practically like a single cast.

The weight is 12.5 kg (27.5 lbs). There are certainly lighter models, but this weight is precisely an indication of a very high and robust material quality, which is very pleasing in terms of longevity.

In general, there is a kind of negative relationship between weight and stiffness. Boards that are built particularly robust often have a high stiffness. However, the large amount of material used also makes for a high weight. For transportation, this is very annoying.

Workmanship

The build quality makes a very good impression. To me, the board looks like it will last a long time. In addition, the robustness and stiffness of the Coast Runner also comes solely from the incorporated carbon layer.

Compared to other paddle boarding boards with carbon layers, the Coast Runner is also easier to roll up due to the Fusion construction, which makes the board much easier to carry in a backpack. Especially paddlers who often assemble and disassemble the board appreciate this.

In my Penguin Coast Runner review, the paddle boarding only gave slightly at my weight of about 70 kilograms. Here you can see well what effect the carbon layer on the rails has on the board. A high degree of stiffness is very important. How stiff a board is has a significant impact on its performance on the water.

A board like the Penguin Coast Runner, which has a very good level of stiffness, flexes much less in the water than other models, which makes for better performance on the water.

Design

Penguin now relies on a combination of 2 turquoise tones and a dark red, which is used in the stern area. The eye-catcher of the topside, besides the sporty stripe pattern on the nose, is above all the redesigned deckpad.

The footprint is now adorned by 2 dark green waves on the sides and the “P” has been made significantly larger and moved to the rear. The dark red tail adds further accents. The sides are designed in a lighter shade and provide information about all details of the board and the manufacturer.

The turquoise tread is also red at the rear. The central stringer (reinforcement strip) stands out in color and is, in addition to the Penguin lettering, also a visual highlight. Overall a very sporty yet harmonious design.

Other Features

The Penguin Coast Runner has the following features:

• Deckpad: Approximately 75% of the top of the Coast Runner is covered with an EVA deckpad. The EVA deckpad is a special coating that provides a secure footing on the board even when wet. In this case, it is a standing surface with a diamond embossing. This provides a particularly good grip on the board.

• D-ring: At the back of the tail of the board is a slightly larger D-ring to which the included leash can be attached.

• Luggage Net: The Touring Board is equipped with a large luggage net. The luggage net consists of a bungee cord that is attached to six D-rings. It can be used to carry equipment, provisions (such as a water bottle) or a drybag for paddle boarding.

• Carrying handle: In the middle of the board is a carrying handle, with which the board can be carried. On the Penguin Coast Runner, the carrying handle is covered with a neoprene sleeve that is very comfortable to the touch.

With the latest Penguin Coast Runner, the following features are brand new additions:

• Action cam mount: a GoPro or other compatible action cam can be attached to the matching mount on the nose. So in the future you can capture your adventures in the form of pictures and videos.
• A total of 3 additional D-rings: The board now has 2 smaller, side D-rings for attaching the included carrying strap. Another copy is located on the action cam mount, on which you can tie the board, for example, during a break.
• Fin Pin: With this small pin you can change the single fin into a click fin in no time.

Accessories

As a touring paddle boarding board, the Coast Runner is an advanced board. Advanced paddle boarding boards often don’t come with as many accessories as beginner paddle boards. The reason for this is that many paddle boarders already have the necessary accessories when they purchase a board like the Coast Runner.

The scope of delivery of the Coast Runner is nevertheless quite extensive. With the board also comes an air pump, a leash, a repair kit, a backpack and the fin.

The pictured paddle is not included. It is the Penguin Gold (made of 100% carbon), which is available separately in the online store of Penguin Watersports.

So except for the paddle, all the basic equipment is already included. Most advanced riders looking to purchase a board like the Penguin Coast Runner will already have a paddle.

However, many people will look at the Coast Runner because they want to upgrade their existing equipment and, for example, move from their first allround board to a model that is better suited for real touring.

Since in the scope of delivery of inexpensive entry-level SUPs often only poor paddles are included, I wanted to introduce a suitable paddle boarding at this point. The Penguin Gold paddle made of 100% carbon is certainly a top upgrade if you are still on the road with a beginner paddle. But as I said: The Coast Runner does not come with a paddle.

• Penguin Coast Runner Paddle: The Penguin Gold is a 100% carbon paddle that is available in one-, two- and three-piece construction in the Penguin Watersports online store. In this review, I looked at the three-piece model. This paddle comes in at a weight of about 800 grams (1.7 lbs) and is infinitely adjustable in length between 180 cm (5.9 ft) and 220 cm (7.2 ft). The paddle blade has an angle of 10 degrees. With the dihedral blade (i.e. the V position), it effectively displaces water and provides fast forward propulsion.
• Switchable Penguin Coast Runner double action pump with pressure indicator (gauge): Included is a double action pump with pressure indicator. In double-action mode, it works both when pulling up and pushing down.
  If the back pressure increases towards the end, you can switch it to single action mode, then it will only pump air into the board when pushing down, which is much easier.
  It took me about 6:50 minutes to inflate the 270 liter board to the recommended 15 PSI. Qualitatively, the air pump makes a good impression.

• Penguin Coast Runner SUP backpack trolley: The included backpack is a real top model. Measuring approximately 30 cm x 40 cm x 90 cm (12″ x 16″ x 35″), the paddle boarding backpack offers enough space to store the rolled-up board, accessories, and other equipment and change of clothes in it. In addition, the backpack is equipped with wheels, so that the bag with the wheels can also be easily pulled.
  Furthermore, the backpack is heavily padded in the back area. Firstly, there is a back padding that provides comfort, and the shoulder straps also fall very wide and are also well padded. The backpack, which is included here with the Penguin Coast Runner, is thus also suitable for longer walks.

• Penguin Coast Runner central fin: The Coast Runner is a US fin box system. Accordingly, a US fin is also supplied with the board. This type of fin is screwed into the fin box with a fin screw and a fin plate. It is a fairly large dolphin fin that provides good straight-line stability. The US fin box system has the advantage that there are a large number of available fins on the market for this system.Penguin Coast Runner Coiled-Leash: Furthermore, a SUP Leash is included in the delivery. This is a three meter long coiled leash that expands to its full length of approximately 3 meters in the event of an unplanned water walk. Coiled leashes have the advantage that when riding, the leash does not interfere, but expands to full length when it becomes important.
• Penguin Coast Runner Repairkit incl. valve wrench: So that you can help yourself even with minor damage, the manufacturer adds this small kit. With the PVC patches and a suitable adhesive you can patch the board and check with the valve key from time to time whether everything still fits well.

Newly added or revised accessories:

• Penguin Coast Runner SUP Backpack Trolley: The carrying comfort of the already very good paddle boarding backpack has been revised again. The back section and the wide, adjustable carrying straps as well as the hip belt are now even more comfortably padded.
• Penguin Coast Runner Shoulder Strap: With this well-padded, adjustable shoulder strap (incl. 4 plastic D-rings) you can easily hang the board over your shoulder. All you have to do is attach the plastic hook fasteners to the two side D-rings on the board.
• Penguin Coast Runner fin pin: You can use an innovative fin pin to turn the single fin into a click fin and attach it to the US box in seconds, making you ready to go much faster.

FAQ

Conclusion

The Penguin Coast Runner is a great touring board, which convinced me especially by the very good workmanship and the extreme stiffness with the carbon reinforced rails. At the same time, the price is very fair for a touring board of this quality.

With the long central fin and the elongated design, the board achieves a very good straight line, which is of course enormously important for touring riders. In my opinion, the Penguin Coast Runner is a really good board for all people who want to switch from a beginner paddle boarding, which is certainly an allrounder in most cases, to a high-quality board for longer distances.

The Coast Runner also offers quite a bit of tipping stability, but beginner SUPers should still rather go for an allround board like the Penguin Lancer or a cruiser.

I also find the included accessories exciting. The switchable double action pump, the coiled leash and especially the backpack trolley are of very high quality, which in my experience is a great comfort advantage. Especially the backpack has convinced me with the robust wheels on the bottom and the very good padding on the back.

A paddle is missing in the scope of delivery. But if you also want to upgrade your paddle, you can take a look at the Penguin Gold Paddle in the online store of Penguin Watersports. This is a top of the line 100% carbon paddle boarding paddle that shines with a light weight of only 800 grams as well as an effective paddle blade shape (dihedral).

When you see the quality of the Coast Runner and also the accessories, the price-performance ratio is really very good. In my opinion, the Penguin Coast Runner is one of the best boards for advanced paddle boarders or touring boards.

The Coast Runner is only available in the official store of Penguin Watersports. If you want to get more information about the Coast Runner, you can do it here.

The high-quality material construction (Fusion technology + carbon rails + stringers) has been proven for years and is also used in the latest model. The newly added features as well as the revised accessories (action cam mount, shoulder strap, fin pin, improved backpack trolley) are very well thought out and increase the quality of the new complete set again significantly.