The WOWSEA Racer R1 (formerly known as WOWSEA Traveller W1)is an ideal touring board or race board, which convinces with an unbeatable price, a very good workmanship and a wide range of accessories.
The board is very light and especially suitable for advanced paddle boarders who want to switch from an allrounder to a touring board, or sporty newbies.
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The Wowsea Racer R1 is built sporty and sleek, so that a high speed can be achieved on longer distances.
Due to the deep water position, the paddle board develops very good gliding characteristics and is sufficiently stable against tipping despite the narrow design.
The Racer is very light for a touring board and is therefore easy to transport. At the same time, an extremely high load capacity is given, so that even heavier paddlers benefit from the performance of the SUP and quite a bit of luggage can be taken along on longer trips.
In addition to the usual accessories such as a board bag, pump, fin and fiberglass paddle, the scope of delivery includes a high-quality coil leash and a drybag, in which valuables can be kept dry and safe. The whole package convinces with an excellent price-performance ratio.
The WOWSEA Racer R1 (also known as WOWSEA Traveller W1) is a good touring or racing board. The model is a good choice for all sporty beginners and allrounders who want to switch to the sleeker built and faster touring board. The Wowsea Racer R1 is good for heavy paddlers. It is a large volume boat and can carry a lot of weight.
The WOWSEA Racer R1 Review in Detail
In the following article, I introduce the Wowsea Racer R1 (formerly the Wowsea Racer) and its extensive accessories. You will also find out what features you can look forward to and what else the board has to offer.
Finally, as always, I have summarized and answered frequently asked questions about the Wowsea Racer R1.
If you still have questions, just use the comment function and write me what else you would like to know, I will try to answer as soon as possible.
Product Specifications
| Board Type | Inflatable |
| Brand | Wowsea |
| Skill | very sporty Beginners, Advanced |
| Area of Application | Touring |
| Max. Paddler Weight | 110 kg (242 lbs) – 120 kg (265 lbs) |
| Length | 385 cm (12’6) |
| Width | 74 cm (29″) |
| Thickness | 15 cm (6″) |
| Volume | – |
| Weight | 10,8 kg (24 lbs) |
| Accessories | SUP board bag, triple action air pump, single fin, fiberglass paddle, coiled leash, drybag, repair kit, manual |
Construction
The Wowsea Racer R1 belongs to the 12’6” SUPs and measures 385 cm in length, 74 cm in width and has a thickness of 15 cm. With its construction, the board clearly stands out from allrounders and falls into the board class of touring boards.
The paddle board is characterized by a narrow and elongated design. This gives the Racer R1 a lower water resistance and better directional stability, which is especially advantageous on longer tours.
The high directional stability comes at the expense of maneuverability, but this is desirable and perfectly fine for touring or racing boards.
With the width of only 74 cm, the Wowsea Racer R1 is narrowly built, but still has a relatively stable position on the water. Just by the high volume, the paddle board has enough buoyancy to ensure sufficient stability.
The thickness of 15 cm, or 6 inches makes the board extremely stiff and has a positive effect on the riding characteristics.
Nevertheless, the paddle board lies very flat in the water, because the nose is also very flat. This results in a good displacement effect to build up higher speeds.
Load Capacity
The construction of the Wowsea Racer R1 provides a high load capacity. There is no recommendation from the manufacturer, but I would recommend you a maximum load of 110-120 kg, so that the paddle board can still be driven well.
This makes the board suitable for heavier people, as well as for paddling with a dog or child, or simply for longer trips with a lot of luggage. The high load capacity is a great advantage for touring boards, as they are designed to cover long distances carrying one other equipment.
The WOWSEA Racer R1 (also known as WOWSEA Traveller W1) is a good touring or racing board. The model is a good choice for all sporty beginners and allrounders who want to switch to the sleeker built and faster touring board. The Wowsea Racer R1 is good for heavy paddlers. It is a large volume boat and can carry a lot of weight.
Areas of Application and Driving Characteristics
The Wowsea Racer R1 is especially convincing in calmer waters. Due to the narrow, long construction and the flat, tapered nose, the paddle board has a good straight line and is therefore ideally suited for covering longer distances.
Not for nothing was the board formerly marketed under the name Wowsea Racer!
The single fin construction provides good tracking and helps to reach higher speeds when touring. The high tracking also makes the board less likely to break sideways, which is why the paddle side does not need to be changed as often.
For fast, tight maneuvers or for surfers, the board is less suitable. One advantage, however, is the wide tail, where the weight can be shifted to the back of the board. This helps to turn the paddle board a bit faster and easier.
Material and Weight
The Wowsea Racer R1 is made of various materials such as double-layered and UV-resistant coated PVC (“Double-Layer”), which make the board weather-resistant and durable.
The deck pad is made of EVA, a soft and durable plastic that is non-slip and also increases standing comfort.
The Ultra Light construction of the Wowsea Racer R1 is another highlight. The SUP weighs only 10.8 kilograms, which is very little for a touring paddle board of this size. This makes the board easy to transport and easy to carry.
Workmanship
The processing with 2-layer outer shell + drop stitch technology make the paddle board very stiff and robust. The sides are reinforced with rails made of multi-layer PVC and increase the stability and shape retention. The Wowsea Racer R1 thus even holds a maximum pressure of 28 PSI, but for normal use an air pressure of 15-18 PSI is quite sufficient.
The WOWSEA Racer R1 (also known as WOWSEA Traveller W1) is a good touring or racing board. The model is a good choice for all sporty beginners and allrounders who want to switch to the sleeker built and faster touring board. The Wowsea Racer R1 is good for heavy paddlers. It is a large volume boat and can carry a lot of weight.
Design
The design of the Wowsea Racer R1 is reminiscent of the look of racing cars with the stripes and the flag.
This is a cool highlight, as the touring or racing boards are also designed for fast riding and covering long distances. That’s probably why the board used to be called Wowsea Racer.
Other Features
The Wowsea Racer R1 offers some interesting features, which you can find in the following overview:
- D-Ring: There is a large stainless steel D-ring at the tail of the board, which is used to attach a paddle board leash.
- Deck net: In the front area there is a large luggage net on a total of 6 D-rings, which really offers a lot of space for all luggage and equipment.
- Carrying handle: In the middle of the SUP is a carrying handle made of neoprene attached, which is very comfortable to touch and makes it easier to carry the inflated board.
- Deckpad with kickpad: The deckpad takes up about half of the top of the board. The kickpad at the back of the deckpad makes it easier to turn the SUP because the nose of the board can be lifted out of the water a little by the weight shift.
- Fin in the US box system: with the fin system, the fin is fixed in the fin box with a screw. The position of the fin can be freely determined or different fins can be used.
Accessories
- Wowsea Racer R1 SUP board bag: The board bag is very large with a lot of volume, but can not be carried quite so well due to the narrow shoulder straps. For transport over longer distances, a more robust model with sufficient padding is recommended. Otherwise, the backpack makes a good impression, there are carrying handles on the sides and it is equipped with several pockets. In the front pocket, smaller equipment such as fin or SUP leash can be stowed, while the main compartment offers enough space for the SUP including paddle and pump.
- Wowsea Racer R1 triple action pump with pressure gauge: Included with the Wowsea Racer is a triple-action pump that can be used to pump air both in and out of the board. The built-in pressure gauge makes it easy to read the air pressure in the paddle board. There are 3 operating modes to choose from: double-action with both cylinders, double-action with one cylinder, and single action mode. The pump can also be disassembled into its individual parts for transportation. The handles can be unscrewed and the base can be removed so that the pump can be compressed and stored in the accompanying bag and taken with you.
- Wowsea Racer R1 single fin: The Racer comes with a 9″ dolphin center fin, which gives the paddle board a really good straight line run. The fin is screwed into the US box with a small screw and a small plate in the fin box.
- Wowsea Racer R1 Fiberglass Paddle: In the new version, the aluminum paddle has been replaced with a lighter fiberglass one. The current paddle is a well-made, three-piece model with a fiberglass shaft. The paddle is height adjustable and can be fixed to a maximum length of 223 cm. This makes it suitable for SUPers with a height of up to 1.95/2.00 m. The low weight makes it suitable for longer tours.
- Wowsea Racer R1 Coiled-Leash: The accessories also include a spiral-shaped safety leash, which makes a very robust impression. With a padded cuff, the leash is attached to the foot and connected by a loop to the D-ring at the tail of the SUP.
- Wowsea Racer R1 Drybag: A special accessory is the drybag, which is usually not included. Especially for touring the drybag is very practical, because valuables such as cell phone, keys and money can be stored safely and dry.
FAQ
Is there a warranty on the Wowsea Racer R1?
Wowsea guarantees 30-day refunds and also gives a two-year warranty on its paddle boards, including the Racer R1.
Learn more about the the WOWSEA Racer R1.
Is the Wowsea Racer R1 also suitable for beginners?
Very sporty beginners who would like to paddle longer tours directly are well advised with the Wowsea Racer R1 (formerly Traveller W1).
Pure beginners, who prefer to practice and rather want to paddle shorter distances, should better choose an allrounder board.
Learn more about the the WOWSEA Racer R1.
Can the Wowsea Racer R1 be used in waves?
The Wowsea Racer R1 is not really well suited for waves due to its flat design and performs best on calmer waters.
Learn more about the the WOWSEA Racer R1.
Conclusion
I consider the Wowsea Racer R1 to be a very good touring or racing board, which is characterized by a good workmanship, a very extensive scope of delivery and last but not least by the really low price.
Please note that the board was formerly also called Wowsea Racing or Wowsea AN28 and is therefore also partly still under these names in the trade!
The model is a good choice for all beginners who want to get directly very sporty into stand-up paddle boarding and especially start with the goal of longer tours.
The SUP is mainly aimed at allrounders who want to switch to the sleeker built and faster touring board. In addition, the Wowsea Racer R1 is also suitable for heavier paddlers, as it has a very large volume and can carry heavy loads.
The WOWSEA Racer R1 (also known as WOWSEA Traveller W1) is a good touring or racing board. The model is a good choice for all sporty beginners and allrounders who want to switch to the sleeker built and faster touring board. The Wowsea Racer R1 is good for heavy paddlers. It is a large volume boat and can carry a lot of weight.
