Why the Boost Fin Long Range could become the new standard for SUP Touring
Electrical assistance has become increasingly popular in recent years. Electrical assistance can make the sport more accessible, help paddlers reach places that once felt out of range, and add confidence when heading out on longer trips. From fully integrated electric boards to modular accessories, there are now many ways to enhance your time on the water, making each session a bit easier, safer, and more fun and memorable.
Boost Surfing is a manufacturer of electric fins and e-surfboards intended to change the surfing and paddleboarding experience. For the last half a decade, Boost Surfing has focused on extending what is possible, giving surfers and paddlers the extra drive to go farther, catch more waves, and explore with less effort. With a compact motor and intuitive control, their Boost Fin Long Range delivers an added burst of speed right when it matters, whether that means chasing a wave or pushing through flatwater. We sat down with the team to learn more about their design and its origins.
SUP World Mag: Boost Surfing has been around since 2020, but the story started a bit differently than most people realize. How did the concept actually come together?
Boost Surfing: It really started with a simple observation by our founders—a mechanical engineer and an entrepreneur—both avid water sports enthusiasts who used to spend a lot of time in the lineup. At some point, they realized that in surfing, about 90% of your time is spent just fighting to get back to the peak. The original goal was to help surfers save their energy for the actual wave. So the team took it to Kickstarter back in 2019-2020, and the interest was huge. But notably, the people asking the most questions were actually paddling enthusiasts. The folks wanted to go further, not just catch waves. That feedback led the Boost team to update the original tech and eventually build the Boost Fin Long Range, which is really geared toward that touring and adventure crowd.
SWM: The Long Range model is definitely beefier than the original. How does that translate to the actual board feel?
BS: You’re going to feel the difference on land. It’s 4 lbs (1800 g), so when you’re carrying your board down the path, it’s noticeably heavier than a standard fiberglass fin. However, once you’re on the water, that weight is sitting right where you want it, low and centered. It gives the board a very planted, stable feel. We include a US Fin Box mount, but since many of our SUP users are on inflatables, we also have Slide-In adapters. You just have to remember to keep the magnetic screwdriver handy; you need it to wake the fin up from standby, and there’s nothing more frustrating than getting to the water and realizing your « key » is still in the car.
SWM: Let’s get into the Long Range specs. For someone planning a 10-mile day, what’s the real-world expectation for the battery?
« You can dial the power to a « trolling » pace, which is the sweet spot for long-distance paddling. »
BS: We’ve equipped this model with a 7000 mAh Li-ion battery, which is basically double what we started with. On a SUP, that gives you about 80 minutes of continuous motor use. But in a real-world scenario, you aren’t pinning the throttle the whole time. If you’re using the remote to help you through a heavy chop or to keep your momentum up during a crossing, you’ll find it lasts for a much longer session. Through the Boost Surfing mobile app, you can actually dial back the power to a « trolling » pace, which is the sweet spot for long-distance paddling.
SWM: We’ve heard some talk about the fin « locking out » or needing a reset on the water. Is there a learning curve to electronics?
BS: There is, and it’s important to be upfront about it. Occasionally, the fin might stop mid-session and won’t restart until you plug it back into the charger at home. Usually, this isn’t a « broken » fin; it’s the system protecting itself. It typically happens if you’ve got your power settings cranked too high for the conditions, or if you’re « button-mashing » the remote too frequently. You need to give the motor a 30-60 second breather between bursts. Also, remember this is a SUP-optimized fin; if you try to use it like a high-performance surf motor without adjusting the modes in the app, you’re going to stress the battery much faster.
SWM: So who is this for? Is it for the casual lake paddler or the hardcore SUP racer?
« The Fin basically takes the guesswork out of a long day. »
BS: We now have over 18,000 riders worldwide, and it’s a real mix, to be honest. But the core group we think of is the « explorers. » It’s for the person who wants to see what’s three miles down the coast but is worried about the wind shifting. The Fin basically takes the guesswork out of a long day. Instead of questioning if you have the energy to make it back, you’re free to just focus on the water. It’s also a bit of a stabilizer for groups or couples—whether it’s families or friends with different fitness levels, the fin makes sure nobody is struggling to keep up while the rest of the pack is half a mile ahead.
Technical Snapshot: Boost Fin Long Range
- Best for: High-mileage touring and overcoming headwinds.
- The muscle: 30 lbs of max thrust.
- The juice: 7000 mAh Li-ion battery (80 min continuous / 180 min assist).
- The reality: Adds 4 lbs to your board; requires a magnetic « key » to start; needs a 30-second rest between boosts to avoid « lock-out » mode.
- Control: Simple pairing via mobile app; wrist remote.
To learn more about Boost Surfing, visit their website.
