AXIS 98 Whitewater Paddle Board
The river board you can take anywhere from flat to spicy.
River-versatile. Stable in chop. Fast on glass.
$1,149
Free automatic electric pump included, a $179 valueInflates an 11' board in less than 5 minutes.Through Nov 10
Estimated Delivery 3 to 7 days
Free US Shipping
Complete Your Setup
Most riders grab these to get on the water right away.
Most Popular
Adjustable Carbon Paddle
26 oz Tough Blade. 65 to 87 inches adjustable. Fits the Mothership backpack.
$189
$219
Save $30
Our best paddle, and the one most people should own. A full carbon shaft and Armalight composite blade make it light, stiff, and effortless, so every stroke feels clean and lively and your shoulders stay fresh from the first paddle to the last. At 26 ounces it's the all-around Hydrus paddle: light enough for touring, tough enough that the blade shrugs off river contact and rocky launches that wreck ordinary carbon. It adjusts 65 to 87 inches and breaks into three pieces for the Mothership backpack, so one paddle fits everyone in the house and travels anywhere. If you want the paddle that matches a premium board, this is it.
- Adjustable range
- 65" to 87"
- Paddler height fit
- 4'10" to 6'6"
- Weight
- 26 oz (3-piece)
- Shaft material
- 100% carbon fiber
- Blade material
- Armalight composite (carbon-reinforced)
- Blade size
- 18.5" x 7.5" (87.3 sq in)
- Blade angle
- 10 degrees
- Assembly
- 3-piece travel design (fits Mothership Backpack)
Free gift
Super Fast Battery Pump Mini (automatic electric pump)
Inflates an 11' board in less than 5 minutes. Cordless, fits your board bag.
$179
FREE with your board
The grab-and-go upgrade. Same dual-stage power as a full-size pump, but cordless and half the size, so it fits in your board bag and goes wherever you launch. Flat to a firm 15 PSI in about 5 minutes, then it shuts off on its own while you rig the rest of your gear. One charge covers up to six boards, with a 12V car adapter as backup.
- Max pressure
- 20 PSI
- Inflation time
- About 5 minutes to 15 PSI
- Airflow
- Dual-stage HyFlow, 450 then 110 L/min
- Power
- Cordless 74Wh battery, plus 12V car adapter
- Boards per charge
- Up to 6 at 12 PSI, 4 at 15 PSI
- Weight
- 4.4 lbs (2 kg)
Sand Free Blanket
Sand falls through, stays out of your bag. 14' × 36" beach-day staple.
$27
$47
Save $20
A clean board exit, every time. The mesh weave lets sand, dirt, and gravel fall straight through, so it never ends up packed in your board bag or ground into your deck pad. Lay it down at the launch, stage your gear on it, and roll up a clean board. Small thing that saves you the gritty cleanup every single trip.
- Dimensions
- 14 ft x 36 in
- Material
- Lightweight sand-falls-through mesh
- Best for
- Clean board exit on sand, dirt, gravel
Deck Cooler Bag
Cold drinks stay on deck. Strap-mounts to your D-rings, doesn't slide.
$43
$59
Save $16
Cold drinks and dry essentials, riding up front where you can reach them. It straps to your deck D-rings with a bungee-and-carabiner system so it stays put through chop instead of sliding around, holds about 8 cans, and the outer zip pocket keeps your phone and keys splash-safe. Turns a paddle into an afternoon on the water.
- Capacity
- ~8 cans or equivalent food and drinks
- Mount
- Adjustable bungee + carabiner clip system
- Outer pocket
- Water-resistant zipper (splash-safe, not submersion-safe)
Waterproof Dry Bag
Keeps your phone, keys, and a dry layer safe. Rides under the bungees.
$62
$79
Save $17
- Capacity
- ~20 liters (expandable roll-top)
- Construction
- Welded seams + airtight roll-top closure (waterproof core)
- Carry
- Padded shoulder straps + back pad + chest and waist belts
In stock · ships in 1 to 2 business days
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Not sure which one? Take the 60-second Board Finder or text us.
Sold direct by the people who design it. Your money goes into the board, not a markup.
Confidence in chop. The 35.5" width tracks straight through wave trains and holes.
Built to take river abuse. Composite-reinforced rails shrug off rocks, shelves, and gravel bars.
Tracks fast on calm sections too. Tuned rocker keeps glide on the lake approach in and out of the run.
Carry the gear and the cooler. 350 lbs of capacity at just 24 lbs of board weight.
Tune the fin to the river. Eight different fin options included: twin or quad setups, smaller for shallow runs, larger for deeper water.
Holds rigidity at any pressure. Armalight Air FusionWeave Dropstitch carries 12 to 15 PSI for hardboard-like response.
Size
9'8" × 35.5" × 6" thick
Weight
24 lbs
Capacity
350 lbs
Best for paddlers up to 250 lbs with gear; 350 lb total capacity
Who This Board Is Perfect For (And Who It's Not)
Answering this honestly saves you time, money, and an exchange.
Great Fit If You
- River paddlers who want one board for class I to IV runs, mixed sections, and lake approaches
- Day-trippers and fishers who load gear, dry packs, and a cooler on the deck
- Beginners ready to handle moving water with a forgiving, stable platform
- Paddlers who want straight-line speed AND maneuverability without going all-in on race or all-in on freestyle
Not Right For You If
- You paddle big flat lakes and want straight-line touring speed → Paradise
- You're chasing top-end racing speed → Elysium Air
- You ride tight whitewater rapids and want maximum playfulness → AXIS 88
- You're new to paddleboarding and want a beginner all-around for lakes → JoyRide
Watch Before You Buy
Everything You Need to Know.
In 3 Minutes.
Who this board is for. Who it is not for. What makes it different. No script. No hype. Just a paddler talking straight.
Hydrus Board Tech · Eagle, Idaho
The short version
Built for moving water.
AXIS 98 is the river board we hand a paddler ready for moving water without giving up the option to cruise a lake. The 9'8" length tracks straight on flat water; the 35.5" width holds you up through chop, wave trains, and class I to IV rapids. Built from the same Armalight Air FusionWeave Dropstitch construction we use across the lineup, with composite-reinforced rails specifically tuned for river abuse.
Where it sits in the lineup: AXIS 98 is the river-versatile board. If you live on big flat lakes and want straight-line touring speed, look at Paradise. If you ride tight whitewater and want playboard agility, look at AXIS 88. If you race, look at Elysium Air.
The 350 lb capacity gives you real headroom for fishing kits, multi-day gear, and a dog on the deck. Twin and quad fin options ship in the box, so you can tune for shallow rocky runs (smaller fins) or deeper faster water (larger fins). Welded seams and reinforced rails are why we back AXIS 98 with the Hydrus Limited Lifetime Warranty even for class I to IV use.
Board Facts
AXIS 98 at a glance
The AXIS 98 is a 9 ft 8 in x 35.5 in river inflatable paddle board rated for 350 lbs of total capacity.
| Length | 9 ft 8 in (116 in) |
|---|---|
| Width | 35.5 in |
| Thickness | 6 in |
| Board weight | 24 lbs |
| Weight capacity | 350 lbs total (rider plus gear) |
| Rider weight | Best for paddlers up to 250 lbs with gear; 350 lb total capacity |
| Recommended PSI | 12 to 15 PSI |
| Construction | Armalight Air with a FusionWeave Dropstitch core and welded seams |
| Best for | River paddling, Whitewater class I to IV, Fishing, Mixed lake-and-river day trips |
| What's included | Hydrus Mothership Backpack, Eight Different Fin Options, Dual-Action Hand Pump, Repair Kit |
| Warranty | Limited Lifetime Warranty on manufacturing defects |
| On-water trial | 60-Day On-Water Trial: free exchange within 60 days, returns within 60 days with a 20% restocking fee, one return per 180 days |
Compare Models
Is This the Right One?
Quick comparison so you know you are looking at the right board.
| AXIS 98 Whitewater Paddle Board | AXIS 88 Whitewater Freestyle Paddle Board | JoyRide All-Around Paddle Board | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The river board you can take anywhere from flat to spicy. | Built to play, not to cruise. | Most beginner boards are boring by August. This one isn't. | |
| Best For | River paddling | Whitewater freestyle | Lake cruising |
| Dimensions | 9'8" × 35.5" × 6" thick | 8'8" × 34.5" × 6" thick | 11' × 32" × 6" thick |
| Total Capacity | 350 lbs | 300 lbs | 350 lbs |
| Rider Weight Max | Best for paddlers up to 250 lbs with gear; 350 lb total capacity | Best for paddlers up to 250 lbs with gear | Best for riders up to 235 lbs |
| Board Weight | 24 lbs | 20 lbs | 23 lbs |
| Recommended PSI | 12 to 15 PSI | 12 to 15 PSI | 12 to 15 PSI |
| Built to last | Armalight Air | Armalight Air | Armalight Air |
Owner Verdict
What 63 Owners Agree On
AXIS 98 owners come back to build quality and how the board handles demanding river conditions without complaint. Stability and maneuverability together appear consistently across reviews. When anything comes up, responsive support from Hydrus is the other theme owners keep returning to.
% of reviewers who mention
Responsive support · 56%River ready · 48%Build quality · 43%Stiff and rigid · 24%Stability · 18%
Included
What's in the Box
Everything that comes with your board. No surprises, no missing parts.
Hydrus Mothership Backpack
Included
Eight Different Fin Options
Included
Dual-Action Hand Pump
Included
Repair Kit
Included
Idaho Tested since 2012
How it's built
Summer after summer,
still drum-tight.
Armalight Air Fusion Construction
Armalight Air is the full construction system: FusionWeave™ Dropstitch core, multi-layer engineered PVC, real carbon fiber, and a proprietary composite recipe refined over 10+ years, all triple-reinforced and welded. On a flatwater board, that system earns you stiffness and longevity. On the AXIS 98, it earns something specific: a board that holds structure under rapid impact. At 15 PSI the laminate absorbs the strike and keeps its shape when you hit a submerged rock, resisting the tears and scrapes that end a day on the water. Most catalog inflatables look durable in a warehouse photo. The AXIS 98 is built to take a river hit and keep moving.
Composite-Reinforced Rails
The rail is the edge of the board and the first thing that contacts a rock. On the AXIS 98, the rails are built from a proprietary impact-resistant composite recipe, welded, not glued. Standard PVC rails compress, dent, and tear after a season of river use. Composite-reinforced rails take the impact and hold shape. When you sideslip into a rock shelf or drag the board through a shallow gravel bar at the takeout, the construction handles it. That is what reinforcement means on moving water.
Multi-Spectrum Welded Seams
The most common failure on a river inflatable is not the deck or the fin box. It is the seam. After a season of flexing through wave trains and grinding against rocks, chemically bonded seams lift. The industry calls this "heat-bonded" or "chemical-welded" to make glue sound like precision. Hydrus seams are actually welded: triple-reinforced, heat-fused through multiple laminate layers, not adhered. When the board flexes laterally through a hole or rapid, the seam holds. A Hydrus seam is built to outlast years of river use, not just to look clean before the first paddle.
River-Tuned 9'8" × 35.5" Geometry
At 9'8" long and 35.5" wide, the AXIS 98 occupies a specific position: short enough to spin out of an eddy, wide enough to stand on through Class I to IV water with gear loaded. The high rocker profile keeps the nose from pearling on wave faces and lets the tail release for pivot turns in current. This is not a flatwater shape rebranded for river duty. We designed the AXIS 98 from scratch for moving water, then refined it across Idaho-tested rapids. The shape does whitewater work before you take a stroke.
Real Owners. On the Water.
Their boards. Their water. Their words.
Photos from Hydrus owners across the lineup. Their boards. Their words. Their water.
AXIS 88
★★★★★
I have had 4 Hydrus hard boards and the Axis 8'8" is my 1st Inflatable from them. I must say that it feels unlike any other iSup i have tried.
AXIS 98
★★★★★
Angela and Jason made the whole process of buying my Hydrus Axis an absolute pleasure from first contact to my board arriving.
AXIS 98
★★★★★
For me, by far the best river paddle!! Indestructible frame and so effective in the rapids!!
JoyRide
★★★★★
It is super durable and sturdy. I feel completely at ease in the ocean waves or the shallow waters of the mangroves.
Paradise
★★★★★
The Hydrus Paradise tracks and glides very well for an inflatable paddle board. It's easy to sprint between 5-6 mph on flat water.
JoyRide XL
★★★★★
Payette lake is notorious for its waves and wind. This board is extremely stable and handle the water like no other.
Paradise
★★★★★
It's fast, and surprisingly stable once I got used to narrower profile.
Paradise
★★★★★
I message the company and received a phone call from Jason (the man himself) a few hours later.
Why Choose Hydrus.
01
Limited Lifetime Warranty
Not one year. Not three. We fix or replace manufacturing defects for as long as you own the board, on boards purchased in 2021 or later.
02
Idaho Tested
Every shape paddled hard on Idaho water by us before it ships to you. Not a factory floor. Not a showroom.
03
Text Us. A Paddler Answers.
Text (208) 408-1997 and a paddler who knows these boards answers. No call center. No chatbot. Ask anything before you buy.
04
Limited Batches
Built in limited batches since 2012, not mass-produced. Batches sell out; the next one opens at a pre-sale price with a real ship date. You never fund a warehouse of unsold boards.
05
We'll Tell You No
If Hydrus isn't right for your water, weight, or goals, we'll say so and point you elsewhere. Half the gear on the market is wrong for the person buying it.
Still Deciding? Talk to the Crew.
Real people. Real answers. Not a chatbot.
We'd rather help you find the right board than sell you the wrong one. If this isn't the one, we'll tell you.
Text the Hydrus Crew
Usually respond within a few hours
Quick Answers
Common Questions About This Board.
AXIS 98 is the river-touring board; AXIS 88 is the freestyle/playboard. AXIS 98 (9'8" × 35.5") tracks faster, carries more gear, and is more forgiving: better for mixed sections, fishing, and beginner river paddlers. AXIS 88 (8'8" × 34.5") is shorter, more agile, and built for tight rapids and surf-style play. If you're not sure which you want, choose AXIS 98 (it does more things well); AXIS 88 is for paddlers who already know they want the technical playboard.
Yes. The 9'8" length and tuned rocker glide cleanly across flat water. Many AXIS 98 owners use it for the lake approach to and from a river run, and some paddle it daily on lakes. It's not as fast on flat water as a dedicated touring board like Paradise, but it cruises confidently and tracks straight.
Yes. The AXIS 98 is best for paddlers up to 250 lbs with gear, with a 300 lb rider maximum and 350 lbs of total capacity. The 35.5 inch wide deck is wide enough to stand on through Class I to IV water with gear loaded.
It is built to take river hits. The rails, the first thing that meets a rock, are a proprietary impact-resistant composite welded to the board, and the seams are triple-reinforced and heat-fused through multiple laminate layers. The Limited Lifetime Warranty covers manufacturing defects; river impact damage goes through the Hydrus Care Program.
Limited Lifetime Warranty on manufacturing defects, including for class I to IV river use. Hydrus repairs or replaces manufacturing defects for as long as the original purchaser owns the board. The 60-day on-water trial lets you exchange or return within 60 days of delivery if AXIS 98 is not the right board for your water.
AXIS 98 ships with both twin and quad fin options, plus multiple flexible inserts. Smaller flexible fins for shallow, rocky runs (less to catch on the bottom). Larger fins for deeper, faster water where tracking matters more. Most paddlers experiment over the first season to find their favorite setup; the fin system is designed for swap-out without tools.
12 to 15 PSI for typical paddling. AXIS 98 is pressure-tested to 31 PSI, but you do not need that much for stiffness. The FusionWeave Dropstitch core gets you to hardboard-level rigidity well below the max. Lower PSI in the 10-12 range is fine for shallow river runs where you want a touch of give if the board hits a rock.
On purpose. In moving water, a coiled ankle leash is a known entrapment risk: if you come off in current, it can snag and hold you under. We leave it out and point you to the right gear instead. For river paddling, use a quick-release waist leash, not a coiled ankle leash.
Verified Reviews
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Still Have Questions?
We are real paddlers. Text or DM us before you buy. We'd rather you get the right board than make a sale.
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Since 2012
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