The Bluefin Cruise is a better choice for beginners than the Aqua Marina Fusion, if you’ve got the money for it. For the slightly higher purchasing price, the Bluefin Cruise offers way more when it comes to included gear, features and built quality.
Both Aqua Marina and Bluefin have a wide range of paddle boards, but the most popular models for beginners are the Fusion and Cruise. In this article, we will compare their differences to help you decide which one is better suited to your needs.
The Aqua Marina Fusion is the most popular paddle board by Aqua Marina. It is designed to be suitable for beginners or people with less experience in stand up paddling. You can use it anywhere you want, whether on flat water lakes, gentle ocean waves or rivers with moderate currents.
Bluefin’s most popular model, Bluefin Cruise 10’8, is also designed for beginners, but it is stiffer than the Fusion. This makes it a better and more stable platform for beginning SUP paddlers to learn on.
By the way, if you are interested in comparisons, also check this post about the pros and cons of Aqua Marina Fusion vs Aqua Marina Beast.
Also, the Cruise comes equipped with more extra features such as extra carry straps and a kick pad. Furthermore, Bluefin’s Smart Lock fin system is superior to the slide-in fin system of the Aqua Marina Fusion as installing a fin takes less than 5 seconds and the system is way less prone to problems.
With the three fin setup of the Bluefin Cruise, you can also choose between riding with just the centre fin (better tracking and higher speed) or all three fins (better manoeuvrability). The Aqua Marina Fusion just got one centre fin.
In terms of dimensions, both paddle boards are quite similar. However, the Bluefin Cruise 10’8 is heavier and more stiff in comparison with the Fusion. This makes it a better choice for beginning SUP paddlers because of its great durability and stiffness.
On the other hand, the increased weight (the Bluefin Cruise 10’8 is about 50% more heavy than the Aqua Marina Fusion) makes it harder to transport.
The included gear varies for the Aqua Marina Fusion, as different retailers offer different bundles at a varying price. The Bluefin Cruise always comes with a paddle, leash, pump, waterproof phone bag, repair kit, kayak seat (to turn the Bluefin Cruise into a kayak) and a large bag for easier storage and transportation.
Overall, the quality of the included accessories with the Bluefin paddle board is excellent.
Both the Aqua Marina Fusion and the Bluefin Cruise 10’8 are great picks for beginners, have great customer reviews online along with its own set of pros and cons.
For more information about the Aqua Marina Fusion, check out our review of the board.
Also, you can find a detailed review (including a video) of the Bluefin Cruise here on our blog.
