Penguin Lancer Review (2022) iSUP Paddleboard

Penguin is an established paddle board brand that covers the entire spectrum of models.

The Penguin Lancer is an entry-level board and the scope of delivery of the allrounder already includes all the basic equipment, so that paddling beginners can start right away with the Penguin Lancer.

The Lancer is characterized by the fact that both the inflatable paddle board and the included accessories are very high quality.

High-quality and cool-looking Beginner Paddleboard

9.4/10Our Score

Both the Penguin Lancer and the included accessories of the Lancer are very well-made. The board is very well-built and durable, but with just 10 kilograms (22 lbs) relatively light-weight. It got a cool design and offers many features. With its wide built, the paddleboard is best suited for beginners. 

 

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The Lancer is a very good board for beginners, which convinces mainly by the good build quality, the wide construction, which provides a lot of stability, and the high-quality accessories that are included.

The lightweight board with the simple design is a very good choice for beginners who want to learn stand up paddling on this board.

I also find the chic wood look, which was already a real hit last season, particularly cool.

Penguin has chosen to use a single fin (US box), as with all models in the product line.

The paddle board is only available as a complete set (with accessories package).

Innovations 2021

• Revised design
• Action-Cam mount (“Mount”) with additional D-ring
• Shoulder strap (attaches to 2 side D-rings)
• Fiberglass paddle (instead of aluminum paddle)
  Improved carrying comfort of the backpack
• Fin with pin (conversion to click fin)

Penguin Lancer Review in Detail

In this Penguin Lancer review, I present in detail the features of the paddle board and also the accessories that come with it. At the end of this post, I also answer some common questions that keep coming up. If you have any other unanswered questions or are unclear, feel free to write me in the comments. I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Product Specifications

Construction

The Lancer from Penguin is a round-shaped allrounder that is especially well suited for paddling beginners. The board, which is 1 ft long and 2.7 ft wide, offers a lot of tipping stability, which is super for people who are still a bit unsure about stand up paddling boards.

With the single central fin, the board has good performance on the water despite being quite wide. The fin system is a US box. With this fin box system, the fin is screwed to the board with a small fin plate.

Compared to the plug-in fin system, the assembly takes a little longer, but there is more choice when it comes to suitable paddle board fins for US boxes.

Load Capacity

The Penguin Lancer is 6 inches thick. The thickness is important because 6 inch thick boards like the Lancer simply fit more air than narrower boards. The advantage of this is that boards like the Penguin Lancer offer more buoyancy, plenty of stiffness and a higher payload.

According to the manufacturer, the recommended paddler weight of the Penguin Lancer is 265 lbs. This makes the Lancer suitable for trips by heavier paddlers, paddling with a dog and trips with a child on board. So it is a paddle board for the whole family.

Areas of Application and Driving Characteristics

Allrounders like the Penguin Lancer are best suited for beginners. For relaxed trips over lakes, canals, rivers with low currents as well as coastal waters with low waves, this type of boards are best suited.

The Lancer is primarily designed for calm waters. However, with the slightly upturned nose (the board tip), the board can also glide well over the water and is less likely to dive into waves.

On the other hand, if you want to go on longer tours or are planning trips at higher speeds, it’s better to go for a touring paddling board such as the Penguin Coast Runner. With its round nose and wide design, the Allround Board Lancer offers stability on the one hand, but also slows down on the other.

Compared to longer touring boards, the Penguin Lancer offers less directional stability, but due to the elongated design, touring boards are also less stable in the water and are therefore often not the best choice for paddling beginners.

On the water, the Penguin Lancer was able to convince with one thing in particular: stability.

This is especially handy for beginners, as it makes it easier for them to keep their balance on the paddling board. This is of course an advantage if you want to learn stand up paddling on this board.

Material and Weight

The Lancer is based on a so-called “single layer stringer” construction. This means that the board consists of a single PVC layer. For additional stabilization, narrower PVC strips (stringers) have been glued lengthwise on the top and bottom.

This construction method achieves the desired strength of the board and saves material and thus weight (compared to the 2-layer construction). The sides (rails) are double-layered and thus additionally reinforced!

However, the processing quality of the Penguin paddling Board seems very high quality, which is why I suspect that the board will last a long time despite the simple cover. The design also has the advantage that the board cover is much easier to roll up.

For people who often want to transport the board in a backpack, the construction is therefore a great advantage. Especially compared to paddle boards with two air chambers, the difference is glaringly obvious when rolling up the board.

While owners of the Penguin Lancer can deflate the board, roll up the board sleeve and stow the bead in the carrying bag within a few minutes without batting an eye, owners of double-chamber paddle boards have to plan for an easy 5-10 minutes and some effort for the same task.

Because the Penguin Lancer’s hull turns out to be very thick, the board still comes close to the stiffness of so-called double-layer boards, which consist of two layers of PVC.

In my Penguin Lancer test, the paddle board gave way quite noticeably at my weight of about 155 lbs. On the one hand, this is due to the construction with the single PVC layer and on the other hand to the extreme lightweight construction of only 23 lbs.

Compared to boards of the same length, the Lancer is very light, which makes transport much easier. However, the weight (and thus the amount of material used) has a negative effect on the stiffness. After all, the stiffer a paddle board is supposed to be, the more it has to weigh.

Boards such as the Bluefin Cruise achieve a higher stiffness, but also weigh more. Stiffness has an impact on performance on the water. Stiff boards flex less, which improves both speed and maneuverability.

Workmanship

The Penguin Lancer convinces with an absolutely good quality of workmanship. All transitions are very clean and the high-quality materials are flawlessly bonded. This also corresponds to the excellent impression we gained from testing the manufacturer’s other models. 

The Penguin Lancer has been very popular for many years and has also made it into many of our best lists. The feedback we’ve received to date has been very pleasing. Penguin had less than 1% returns and complaints in the 2020 season, which is a really great value and an expression of very good quality!

Design

The basic colors of the Penguin Lancer are different intense turquoise tones and a bright green.

A very special highlight is the print in the nose area, which imitates the wood look of planks of a ship deck. The turquoise deckpad is designed in 2 different, rather delicate colors and is decorated by the “P” and the oval framed Penguin lettering. 

The transition to the monochrome turquoise side surfaces is designed by the use of a surrounding white band rich in contrast. On the rails you will find the details of the manufacturer, board name and size. On the underside, the inserted “stringer” is easy to recognize because it stands out a bit in color. 

The rear area of the tread is set off by the use of the light green color and by the white border of the fin box. Also on the bottom you will find again the lettering of Penguin. I find the design very successful and the use of the different colors very appealing and harmonious, the wood look always has its fans anyway. 

Design 2021:

In the 2021 model, the design has been completely revised. The turquoise turns out a bit stronger and the light green elements are now designed in dark green.

In the wood design of the nose, the black center stripe has been replaced in favor of a continuous “wood surface” including bordered Penguin lettering. The differences in the design of the deckpad are particularly noticeable.

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 back. The newly added side D-rings and action cam mount on the board tip are also among the changed details.

This year’s design looks a bit more grown up to me overall and sets clearer accents. However, the popular wood look is still clearly an eye-catcher. Also brand new are the two design variants Sir Lancer and Lady Lancer.

Other Features

The Penguin Lancer has the following additional features:

• Deckpad: The deck of the Lancer is mostly coated with an EVA deckpad. In this case, it is a diamond embossed (also called a crocodile deckpad). The deckpad has a special coating and thus ensures a secure footing on the board even when wet.

• D-Ring: At the back of the board is a large D-ring. The leash can be attached to this. Additional D-rings are not mounted on the board, but can of course be retrofitted.

• Luggage Net: On the front of the board, the Penguin Lancer has a luggage net that can be used to transport equipment, provisions (such as a water bottle) or a drybag.

• Carrying Handle: Centered on the board is a carrying handle that is encased in neoprene for a comfortable feel.

Accessories

The Penguin Lancer is a paddle board that is mainly aimed at beginners. For this reason, it is very practical that the scope of delivery already includes all the basic equipment.

The Penguin Lancer comes with a paddle, a backpack, a repair kit, an air pump, the fin and a leash. For the first tours with the board is thus the entire equipment available.

This is especially convenient for beginners, who can save the tedious and expensive purchase of the accessories.

• Penguin Lancer Paddle: The scope of delivery includes a three-piece aluminum paddle that can be flexibly adjusted to different heights. Lengths between 5.5 ft and 6.7 ft can be set in predefined steps. The paddle makes a solid impression, but with a weight of 2.2 lbs it is not the lightest model.
• Penguin Lancer switchable double-stroke air pump with pressure gauge (manometer): The supplied air pump is a double-stroke pump. It can be used to inflate the 270-liter Penguin Lancer to its full 15 PSI in about 6 minutes. In double stroke mode, the pump works both pulling up and pushing down. If that gets too tiring, you can switch to single-stroke operation, in which it only pumps when you push down!

• Penguin Lancer Backpack: The included backpack is one of the best models I’ve ever seen in a complete set. Inside the 12 x 16 x 35 inches backpack is loosely enough space for the rolled up paddle board as well as all the accessories.

• In addition, the backpack has sufficient padding of the back area and the shoulder straps. Therefore, the paddle board backpack can also be used for longer walks.

• Penguin Lancer Fin: The scope of delivery also includes the US fin, which is attached to the fin box with a fin plate and a fin screw. It is a typical all-around fin found on the vast majority of boards.
• Penguin Lancer Coiled-Leash: Included is furthermore a spiral-shaped safety leash, which extends to its full length of about three meters only when falling into the water.

2021 Newly Added or Revised Accessories:

• Penguin Lancer Backpack: The carrying comfort of the already very good board bag has been revised again for the Lancer 2021 and the additional models (Lady & Sir Lancer). The back section and the wide, adjustable carrying straps as well as the hip belt are now even more comfortably padded.
• Penguin Lancer 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 D-rings on the side of the board.
• 3-Piece Penguin Lancer Fiberglass Paddle: The new 2021 version replaces the aluminum paddle with a higher quality and lighter paddle with a fiberglass shaft and a PVC paddle blade. The 3-piece model can now be adjusted in preset increments between 175 and 215 cm.
• Penguin Lancer Fin Pin: With the Lancer 2021, 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. The wearing comfort of the already very good SUP board bag has been revised again with the Lancer 2021. The back section and the wide, adjustable straps and the hip belt are now even more comfortably padded.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The build quality of the Penguin Lancer really convinced me. Both the board itself and the accessories of the Lancer are very well made. This is not always the case. Because many cheap paddle boards namely save on the quality of the accessories, but also the accessories are quite crucial for Stand Up Paddling.

I personally also like the design of this board. I generally say the paddle boards in wood look very much. And also the color choice looks quite playful and just cool in my opinion.

Here in the scope of delivery, all the basic equipment is already included. This is not the case with other paddle boards. Often manufacturers save, for example, the leash or save on the quality of the equipment.

The Penguin Lancer, on the other hand, is a high-quality accessory. Included are a solid paddle that can float and doesn’t weigh that much, a really well made backpack that has very well padded shoulder straps and easily enough space for the rolled up board, all the accessories and other equipment, and a double lift pump that is also top quality.

Of course, I also see that beginners are very price sensitive and look how they can get away as cheaply as possible. I can fully understand that, but there’s a saying that goes, “If you buy cheap, you buy twice.”

Here with the Penguin paddle board, I find that you really get something for your investment – and buying a paddle board is nothing different. This is a paddle board that I think will last many seasons, which is more than you can say for many cheap products.

There’s also an option on the website to pay for the board in installments. Maybe that is interesting for one or the other.

If you look at the quality of the board as well as all the accessories, the price-performance ratio of the Penguin Lancer is really very good. In my opinion, it is one of the best paddle boards for beginners. However, if you really want to tour, you should rather go for a touring board like the Penguin Coast Runner.

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

High-quality and cool-looking Beginner Paddleboard

9.4/10Our Score

Both the Penguin Lancer and the included accessories of the Lancer are very well-made. The board is very well-built and durable, but with just 10 kilograms (22 lbs) relatively light-weight. It got a cool design and offers many features. With its wide built, the paddleboard is best suited for beginners. 

 

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Addition for the 2021 Model:

The material construction (“stringer construction + double-layer rails”) has been proven for years and is also used in the 2021 model. The newly added features (action cam mount and shoulder strap) and the revised accessories (fiberglass paddle, fin pin, backpack) are very well thought out and increase the quality of the new complete set again significantly.

The changed design is also very successful and with the Lady Lancer and the Sir Lancer two brand new looks have been added.

Cool-looking All-rounder for demanding Beginners

9.4/10Our Score

The Penguin Sir Lancer (and the similar built model Penguin Lady Lancer) are new designs of the popular model Penguin Lancer. What combines all the different designs of the board are a great construction quality, lightweight built, and the whole set of included high-quality paddleboard accessory products (including one of the most comfortable backpacks we've seen so far).

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