Finally I don't feel like I'm pushing an inflatable mattress through the water! This board is fast and much better to paddle upstream through river current than my 10 foot by 32 inch inflatable. I was unable to find any other SUP with this kind of racing profile for less than $1k and about to build my own fiberglass board. That would have cost $200 in materials alone but this saved me all that effort.The 28” width takes a little getting used to, seems a bit unstable at first but soon I was comfortable on it. Might be partly that I'm familiar with a 4" thick board and at 6" this raises my center of gravity. I'm 5'8” and 140 pounds so stability could be more of an issue for a taller, heavier paddler. I've only paddled this board in river flatwater so far, balancing I'm sure will be more challenging in ocean surf.The fin is absolutely necessary for tracking, the board just seems to pivot under your feet without it. At 9" the supplied fin is a little much for the rocky, shallow river I usually go to. I'm going to have to get something with less depth.The weight listed is completely wrong, this board is nowhere near 39 pounds. That must be the shipping weight with all the equipment. It's actually light as a feather, definitely less than my 22 pound 10 foot inflatable. I'd guess 17-18 pounds. Incredibly easy to transport and carry. The 12 and a half length is a little awkward.