Tiwal 2L review – John from Dover, NH

I am John, and I live in Dover, New Hampshire.

Which Tiwal model do you have?

I’ve had the Tiwal 2L family sailing dinghy for about two years now.

Where do you sail?

I sail in the open ocean in the Gulf of Maine. I enjoy strong winds, big waves, and I don’t mind choppy seas—it’s fun for me. I prefer winds anywhere from 15 to 25 knots, but even anything above 10 knots is great. I love the wide range of conditions I can sail in.

What was your experience before Tiwal?

I’ve been recreationally sailing most of my life. I’m in my late 50s now, so that’s quite a lot of sailing, mostly on lakes, but also some ocean sailing. I’ve crewed a 50-foot boat out into the Atlantic, sailing to Bermuda.

In high school, I raced Lasers and other small sailboats, possibly 505s. So, I know small boats pretty well.

Single-handed or double-handed?

I sail solo 90% of the time, but I’ve had my girlfriend and our 40-pound dog on board, and it felt great. The buoyancy of the Tiwal is one of its main attractions for me. It floats so well and so high.

When I’m alone, it planes really nicely. I’m not sure if it’s technically planing, but it feels high on the water, which I love. My dog enjoys it too—he’s old, and the softness of the boat is easy on him. Plus, he can grip it well with his claws, so it’s fun for both of us.

How is it going so far?

The Tiwal is just awesome. It’s so convenient and so much fun to sail that it almost feels like cheating. Every time I’m out, people ask me about the boat.

They’ve never seen anything like it, and some even think I’m crazy for going out in the open ocean with it. But I’ve been out many times, and it handles the sea beautifully.

What characteristics surprised you?

One thing that really stands out is how rugged it is. The inflatable, soft hull means you can run into anything without damaging other boats or your own.

I was surprised by the overall durability and impressed by the engineering and design.

What is your best memory with your Tiwal?

One of my favorite experiences was during one of my first trips into the open ocean. I’m also a surfer, so I took it out in some pretty big swells, around 6 to 8 feet, with enough wind to test the boat.

I wanted to see how much it could handle, so I deliberately sailed into a swell, submerging the entire boat under the wave—about 3 or 4 feet underwater—with me still on top.

Thanks to the buoyancy, it shot right back up, landed on the surface, and I kept going. Within seconds, the water drained off the back, and it was like nothing had happened. It amazed me because any other boat would have been swamped. The Tiwal just bounced back, like a dolphin.

That’s my all-time favorite story with the boat. From that moment on, I was in love with it. I felt super safe knowing that, no matter what, this boat would be there for me—even out in the open ocean.