Starboard 12’6 Touring ONE Deluxe Lite - Ex Demo

Starboard 12'6 Touring ONE Deluxe Lite - Ex Demo

The Starboard 12'6 Touring ONE Deluxe Lite is a lightweight, accessible touring SUP for paddlers who want to move beyond the limitations of a typical 10'6 all-round inflatable. At 12'6 x 30", it gives you noticeably better glide and straighter tracking while keeping enough width to remain reassuring for developing and recreational paddlers.

This ex-demo example has been used as part of our demonstration fleet and offers an excellent-value route into a proper Starboard touring board. The Touring ONE is deliberately positioned as the straightforward entry point into Starboard's touring range: light, practical, easy to transport and much more efficient over distance than a conventional all-round shape.

Who is the Touring ONE for?

• Paddlers upgrading from a basic 10'6 or 10'8 all-round SUP.
• Beginners who already know they want to paddle distance rather than simply stay close to the launch point.
• Intermediate paddlers wanting an efficient but approachable touring inflatable.
• River, canal, lake, harbour and sheltered coastal paddling.
• Fitness sessions and longer recreational paddles.
• Riders around 50-100kg looking for a useful balance of glide and stability.
• Anyone who values a particularly light board and compact packed size.

Starboard also positions the shape for riders up to approximately 110kg, although paddlers towards the upper end of that range who regularly carry equipment or paddle in chop may prefer a larger or wider touring board.

Why choose the Touring ONE?

The attraction of the Touring ONE is simplicity. You get the important characteristics of a proper touring SUP without moving into a specialist race shape or substantially more expensive board.

The longer 12'6 waterline carries momentum much better than a short all-round inflatable. That means fewer correction strokes, better straight-line tracking and more distance covered for the energy you put into each stroke.

At 30 inches wide, it is also much less demanding than narrower 27-28in performance touring and race boards. For someone making their first serious move into distance paddling, it is a very sensible place to start.

Lightweight Deluxe Lite construction

The Touring ONE uses Starboard's Deluxe Lite Woven Dropstitch construction. It is designed around lower weight without giving away the stiffness needed for efficient touring.

At approximately 7.9kg, the board itself is exceptionally manageable for a 12'6 inflatable. That is useful before you even reach the water: it is easier to lift from the car, carry down to your launch point and handle when packing away at the end of a paddle.

Starboard's Welded Rail Technology mechanically bonds the rail seam rather than relying entirely on conventional glued construction, while the woven dropstitch core helps create a light and firm platform underfoot.

Compact Roll Technology

One of the most useful features of the Touring ONE is how neatly it packs away. Starboard's foldable US fin box allows the deflated board to be rolled into a significantly smaller package rather than requiring a conventional large SUP bag.

Combined with the Re-Cover wheeled roll bag, this makes the Touring ONE particularly appealing if storage space is limited, you travel with your board or you simply do not want a large and heavy SUP package taking over the boot of the car.

Key features

• 12'6 touring outline: more glide and better tracking than shorter all-round paddleboards.
• 30-inch width: efficient enough for touring while remaining reassuringly stable.
• 355-litre volume: plenty of support for its intended rider range and light touring equipment.
• Approx. 7.9kg board weight: exceptionally easy to carry for a 12'6 touring SUP.
• Woven Dropstitch: reduces weight while maintaining useful stiffness.
• Welded Rail Technology: mechanically bonded rail seams designed for durability.
• Foldable US fin box: allows the board to roll into a smaller transport package.
• Dol-fin 22 Net Positive: a proper touring fin for good directional stability.
• Wide adjustable cargo bungees: useful for a dry bag, spare layer, drinks and day-touring essentials.
• Raised kick tail: helps make step-back turns easier to initiate and control.
• Soft centre carry handle: comfortable when carrying the inflated board to and from the water.

Specifications

What's included?

• Starboard 12'6 x 30 Touring ONE Deluxe Lite inflatable paddleboard - ex demo
• Starboard Re-Cover wheeled roll bag
• Starboard double-action Tiki pump
• Starboard touring fin
• SUP leash

Please note: a paddle is not included with this ex-demo package. If you already own a reasonable SUP paddle, this makes the Touring ONE a particularly cost-effective board upgrade. If you need one, browse our SUP paddle collection.

Touring ONE or standard Touring Deluxe Lite?

These two Starboard boards look very similar on paper, but they occupy slightly different positions in the range.

The Touring ONE is the value-focused option. It gives you the important ingredients required for proper recreational touring: a 12'6 x 30 outline, lightweight Deluxe Lite construction, welded rails, a proper touring fin and a compact transport system.

The standard Touring Deluxe Lite sits within Starboard's broader premium Touring family, with additional lengths and widths available for paddlers looking to fine-tune their board around speed, rider weight or expedition use.

If you simply want to move from a slower all-round board onto something that glides properly, the Touring ONE makes a great deal of sense. If you are already considering 14ft boards or want more choice around width and carrying capacity, look at the broader touring paddleboard range.

For a complete breakdown, read our Starboard Touring ONE vs Touring Deluxe Lite comparison.

What will it feel like compared with a 10'6?

The biggest difference is not simply outright speed. It is how easily the board maintains its momentum.

A typical 10'6 all-round SUP has a relatively rounded outline and short waterline. It is stable and manoeuvrable, but over several kilometres you continually have to push it back up to speed.

The Touring ONE's 12'6 length and straighter outline allow it to carry forward momentum between strokes and hold a straighter course. On a river, canal or lake this can make longer paddles feel noticeably less tiring.

Our buying advice

The Touring ONE is particularly good for someone who has discovered that they enjoy SUP and now wants their board to help them explore rather than hold them back.

If you mostly paddle rivers, canals, lakes and sheltered coastal routes and want to start covering a few miles at a time, there is little need to jump immediately to a 14ft or narrow performance board. The 12'6 x 30 format gives a substantial improvement over a basic all-round SUP while remaining manageable both on and off the water.

It may not be the best board if you regularly carry a child or dog, want maximum stability for family use or are a heavier rider carrying camping equipment. In those situations we would look at a wider or higher-volume touring paddleboard.

Equally, if your priority is maximum pace, racing or very high-mileage fitness paddling, there are narrower and longer boards that will offer greater performance. The Touring ONE is about making touring easy and accessible rather than chasing outright speed.

Ex-demo condition

This board has been used as part of our demonstration fleet and should therefore be expected to show normal cosmetic signs associated with careful use, inflation, packing and transport.

For paddlers who are more interested in what a board does on the water than pristine retail packaging, an ex-demo Touring ONE is an excellent way to access a lightweight Starboard touring SUP for less.

Try a touring board before choosing

If you are unsure whether moving from a 10'6 to a 12'6 board is right for you, visit our Woodmill SUP Test Centre. Trying an all-round and touring board back-to-back quickly demonstrates just how much difference the longer waterline makes to glide and tracking.

Frequently asked questions

Useful buying guides

• View the Starboard Touring ONE range
• Read our Starboard Touring ONE review
• Compare Touring ONE vs Touring Deluxe Lite
• Read our Starboard Touring size guide
• Compare touring paddleboards
• Choose a SUP paddle
• Try touring boards at our Woodmill SUP Test Centre