Glide O2 Angler 3.0 iSUP Review – Locked and Loaded Fishing SUP | 2025

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Glide O2 Angler 3.0 iSUP Review – Overview

The Glide O2 Angler has been one of my top recommendations for fishing paddle boards for a while now, and not just because of its stability, capacity, and performance. The Angler is a full, turn-key solution for SUP anglers thanks to an incredible array of accessories included with the board.

And now that Glide has updated the O2 Angler with their latest construction, the O2 Angler 3.0 is better than ever.

— Glide O2 Angler 3.0 iSUP Review Summary and Ratings —

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Glide O2 Angler 3.0 iSUP Review – Construction and Durability

Glide’s latest construction in their 3.0 series iSUPs only builds on the brand’s reputation for high-quality and durable paddle boards.

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Glide’s latest construction uses lightweight materials without sacrificing durability. Inside the O2 Angler is a cross-woven drop stitch core. This uses a woven fabric base layer for the deck and hull and connects them with thousands of yarns precisely stitched through both layers in an “X” pattern. These drop-stitch yarns give the board its 6” thickness, keep it flat while inflated, and provide an incredible amount of rigidity.

The outer shell of the board is made with a dual-layer fusion lamination process that physically bonds the fabric core, the first layer of PVC and the outer layer of reinforced PVC using heat and pressure. This also eliminates the weight and potential cosmetic and structural issues with hand-glued layups.

The deck and hull are then sealed together with Glide’s new ThermoFuse rail system. The layers are heat welded together with one additional layer of reinforced PVC, then two layers of PVC are fused together and bonded over the inner layer. This triple-layer rail system is incredibly durable and rigid. The additional layer of PVC in the rail can even make it tricky to remove the air and roll the board for storage!

After the board is built and all of the built-in features are added, the Glide O2 Angler 3.0 weighs in at just 24.6 pounds. That’s a pretty typical weight for your average all-around iSUP, but this isn’t your average all-around iSUP! The Glide O2 Anger 3.0 is also rated for a sky-high 25 PSI maximum pressure. However, we have found that 20 PSI is plenty for pretty much any use you can think of, and most electric pumps will cap out at 20 PSI.

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We put inflatable paddle boards through our bend test at their maximum recommended pressure, but only up to 20 PSI. In our experience, we’ve found that the extra rigidity above 20 PSI is very minimal, and nearly impossible to feel on the water.

But even putting the Glide O2 Angler 3.0 at a slight “disadvantage,” it still came through our testing as one of the most rigid iSUPs we’ve reviewed. With 170 pounds of weight in the standing area, the Angler 3.0 bent just 1.12”. That’s a half-inch better than our running average, and puts it into the top 10 of our test results.

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On the water, I didn’t notice any flex or bend in any use of the board except while jumping up and down to make it bend. Even then, with 220 pounds jumping on the board it only has a mild amount of flex with a short rebound period.

Overall, the Glide O2 Angler 3.0 is incredibly well built and incredibly rigid, even at “just” 20 PSI. Sure you can inflate it further, but I don’t see a need.

Specifications

Glide O2 Angler 3.0 iSUP Review – Features, Accessories and Versatility

The Glide O2 Angler 3.0 is a dedicated fishing SUP and it comes with a variety of accessories anglers will appreciate not having to buy separately!

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You can tell that SUP fishing is a huge focus for Glide’s product team. Besides having two different (and both excellent) fishing SUPs, Glide also makes sure to include a huge set of accessories to get your line wet faster. When the Glide O2 Angler 3.0 arrives on your doorstep you’ll find all of the following in the box:

• O2 Angler 3.0 iSUP
• Heavy-duty wheeled storage backpack
• Three-piece fiberglass/nylon paddle
• Three fins
• Coiled leash
• Double-action hand pump
• Inflatable kayak seat and mounting hardware
• Fishing rod holders and mounting hardware
• Tackle rack feet and mounting hardware
• Repair Kit

I’m not going to lie. It’s a lot to manage and keep track of as you are unpacking the board for the first time. Everything does fit into the included travel and storage bag, but it can take some trial and error. I find the best thing to do is attach the rod holder bases to the board and leave them installed. Then pack the board, pump, paddle, and kayak seat into the main area of the bag, and all of the remaining items into the smaller front pocket. The one thing that the Angler (and Mako) seem to be missing are integrated camera and threaded accessory mounts. However, after talking to Glide about this omission, they have spec’d, durability tested, and will have available shortly stick-on mounts that are GoPro-ready with a threaded insert and additional tie-down point.

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Glide O2 Angler 3.0 iSUP Review – Paddle

Glide includes a three-piece adjustable paddle with their inflatable paddle boards. This fiberglass/nylon hybrid is a good starter paddle, but can feel a little soft when paddling with a fully-loaded fishing SUP.

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The Glide three-piece paddle uses fiberglass and fiber-reinforced nylon to create a lightweight and comfortable paddle that works for a wide variety of uses.

The nylon blade is medium-sized with a rectangular shape. Combined with a little bit of flex from the material itself, the blade provides a soft, but firm catch in the water and is comfortable to use for long periods of time. The narrower shape also lets you more easily paddle at a higher cadence when you want a bit more speed.

The length is easily adjustable with the pin-and-clip system. There is a printed length and height scale on the handle section, and the clap automatically aligns the handle with the blade.

By using fiberglass for the shaft and handle, Glide’s paddle is lightweight and has a fair amount of flex. Overly stiff paddles produce a lot of power, but can quickly become tiring to use. Overly soft paddles are inefficient. Glide’s paddle falls toward the softer side, but not to a detrimental level.

For fully-loaded fishing rigs or paddling with a passenger, the paddle does feel a bit soft and under-powered. For casual paddling and paddling with lighter loads, the Glide paddle does a great job of balancing comfort and power.

Glide O2 Angler 3.0 iSUP Review – Stability

The O2 Angler 3.0 is one of the most stable paddle boards I’ve used, making it perfect for heavy loads, moving around, casting, and landing fish.

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The Glide O2 Angler 3.0 is a big board at 36” wide. Add to that a rigid construction and stability-focused shape and it’s no surprise that the Angler is one of the most stable paddle boards I’ve used. On the water, the Angler feels like standing on the sidewalk. There’s zero twitching, wobbling, rolling, flexing, bending, twisting, or any other “-ing.” It’s just rock solid.

The ultra-wide tail and broad nose carry the width of the board forward and back. This gives you a consistently stable feeling whether you are standing right in the middle of the board or not. It also keeps more of the board in contact with the water when tilted on its edge, making it feel more stable in choppy conditions.

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The rigid construction and wide shape make it easy to walk around on the board to reach your equipment, turn to cast in a different direction, and walk to the tail for a quick pivot turn.

This is a paddleboard that I would recommend not just for dedicated SUP anglers, but for larger paddlers who want a stable all-around board, or for new paddlers who are particularly nervous on the water.

Glide O2 Angler 3.0 iSUP Review – Speed

While the O2 Angler 3.0 is incredibly stable, it is a bit on the slower side for most boards. But that is expected with such a wide shape.

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The O2 Angler 3.0 did okay in our sprint speed testing. During a sustained sprint of 75 strokes per minute, I was able to average about 4.9 MPH, and when paddling all-out, I can reach 5.4 MPH for very short distances. These results are just on the slow side of average for most all-around boards, but keeping in mind the Angler’s extra-wide size it is still a good result.

At a slower pace, the Angler likewise does well for its size. At 25 strokes per minute (not quite continuous paddling) the Angler traveled an average of 3.5 MPH. The rigid construction and gentle rocker profile of the board gives it a smooth feeling while paddling at these cruising speeds. However, the wide shape does reduce its overall efficiency. At this cruising speed, a single paddle stroke only moves the board about 18 feet before slowing down. That gives the O2 Angler 3.0 a gliding efficiency of just 1.6 board lengths per stroke. That is a result we expect to see for extra-wide paddle boards like the Angler.

One thing that I really noticed during speed testing was the paddle. The softer construction is very comfortable at cruising speeds, but has difficulty keeping up when trying to paddle faster. It also reduces the amount of power you can put into a single stroke, accounting for some of the lower glide rate.

But overall, I was pleased with the Angler’s performance in our speed test. It’s right where I expected it to be. If you want a fishing-specific SUP that is a bit more efficient for paddling to those farther-away fishing holes, then I’d recommend the Glide O2 Mako. It’s got the same great construction and feature set (plus a few extras) as the Angler, but with a longer and slightly narrower shape for better efficiency.

Glide O2 Angler 3.0 iSUP Review – Maneuverability and Tracking

Normally, a wider paddle board will tend to favor maneuverability over tracking. However, the Angler’s design and fin setup give this fishing SUP a fantastic balance of both.

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In our maneuverability testing, we use a combination of different techniques to get a consistent feel for how agile a paddle board is. In our stress test, we use forward sweep strokes (paddling in an arc from nose to tail) to turn a full 360° from a standstill. With all three of the Angler’s fins installed, it took an average of 7.5 strokes to turn in a full circle.

This is actually a little slow for many all-around boards and most wider SUPs, but isn’t outside of the range of normal. Forward sweeps are also one of the least efficient ways to turn your board, especially in big maneuvers.

Reversing the stroke (tail to nose) works against the fins and turns the Angler much faster, making the same circle in just over 3.5 strokes. More advanced strokes like bow-draws and combination strokes make quick work of turning the board during normal paddling.

With the extreme amount of stability offered by the Angler’s size and shape, walking to the tail for a pivot turn is quick and easy. The board remains stable, even with the nose lifted out of the water, and you can turn a full circle with just a couple of sweep strokes from the tail.

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The wider a paddle board is, the farther from the midline of the board you have to paddle. This normally creates more turning force with each paddle stroke and greatly reduces the board’s tracking performance.

But the Glide has skillfully designed around this problem for the O2 Angler 3.0. The 2+1 fin setup does a great job of keeping the board on track despite its width.

In our tracking stress test, the Angler deviated an average of 15° over the course of 10 strokes on a single side. That’s what I would consider to be good for a typical all-around board, much less one that is so wide.

During normal paddling I had no problems keeping the Angler 3.0 on course, and it responded well to steering input while paddling.

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We do all of our testing with all included fins installed. This is how most owners will set their board up, but the 2+1 fin arrangement does provide you with more flexibility.

If you want a little more agility and speed on the water, you can remove the two side fins and use just the 9” center fin. But if you are paddling in shallow water or want to maximize your maneuverability, you can remove the center fin and use just the side fins. With the US fin box for the center fin, you can also swap the standard 9” all-around style fin for a different size or shape to suit your needs, however the side fins have a new, proprietary fin box so choices are limited there.

Glide O2 Angler 3.0 iSUP Review – Warranty and Customer Support

Glide warranties their paddleboards against manufacturing defects for 5 years, and their accessories carry a one-year warranty as well. There is a 30-day return period, however the customer is responsible for shipping costs and a 20% restocking fee. You can contact Glide customer service through their website, via email, over the phone, on social media, or in person through their retail network or at their Salt Lake City, UT warehouse if you happen to be in the area!

Glide O2 Angler 3.0 iSUP Review – Final Thoughts

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Glide’s Angler iSUP has really run away with the new 3.0 model. The construction is lighter without losing rigidity. The design is incredibly stable, but still paddles well. It’s loaded with on-board features, and comes with a huge kit of great accessories.

If you are interested in SUP fishing, or wanting an ultra-stable paddle board that doesn’t feel like a barge on the water, then the Glide O2 Angler 3.0 should be at the top of your list. If you are looking for something to get you to your fishing holes a little faster, then check out the Glide O2 Mako fishing SUP.

Glide O2 Angler 3.0 iSUP Review – FAQ