Restube Review

Why Do I Need a Restube?

The Restube is an innovative personal floatation device (pfd) that is very well suited to paddleboarding. But before we get in to the details about the Restube, why should paddleboarders wear a pfd? When having a SUP lesson or borrowing a board from a SUP rental center it is commonplace to wear a buoyancy aid. In our experience however, as soon as people by their own SUP they tend to not bother wearing a buoyancy aid, after all, the paddleboard itself is plenty buoyant enough, no? No!

The safety concern is getting separated from your paddleboard in open water. Paddlers should always wear a SUP leash to attach themselves to the board, however this should not be relied upon as the sole piece of safety equipment as there is always a possibility that this could be ineffective, for example the leash snapping or leash attachment point failing. Should you find yourself in the water and unattached to your paddleboard, wind and tide can potentially create a circumstance whereby your board moves away faster than you can swim after it. In this situation fatigue can quickly set in with potentially severe consequences.

Paddlers are not always choosing to wear a traditional buoyancy aid, perhaps due to the reduced freedom of movement that they can cause, which is why the Restube was developed. After experiencing a critical situation on the water, a student of mechanical engineering from Germany put together a team and designed and tested the very first Restube. Since then the product has evolved into various models and has had worldwide success, being used across many watersports disciplines, from paddleboarding to surfing and sea-swimming to yachting.

So what's so good about the Restube?

In a nutshell these products offer buoyancy in emergency situations whilst being small and discreet, retaining the paddler's full range of movement and sense of freedom. SUP Inflatables staff and riders started by simply testing the Restube and now it has become a must-have for each paddle that we go on. A simple buckle system attaches the Restube around your waist very quickly, and it's highly compact design means that it does not interfere with your paddling. It is lightweight, discreet and we feel that it's a no brainer to wear it each time you take to the water.

WATCH THE VIDEO TO SEE THE RESTUBE IN ACTION

The Restube can be worn either vertically or horizontally around the waist. It contains a small CO2 canister which automatically inflates the Restube should you pull the tab. The floating bag allows you to rest on the surface of the water, conserving your energy and buying you time.

Pull the trigger as soon as you want the Restube to inflate.

Restube inflates within seconds by the integrated CO2 cartridge.

Holding the inflated buoy keeps you at the surface, giving you rest and time.

Having spent much time padlding with the Restube we really do feel that it's an excellent SUP safety product, whether out on a SUP tour or letting your kids play in the sea with a paddleboard. It is exceptional value, small and comfortable to wear and could make all the difference in the world should the unexpected happen and you get into trouble on the water. Should you have any questions about the Restube or any other products please feel free to get in touch.