Kona Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board Review!

Who’s ever heard of a long board that needs a pump? Until about a month ago, I thought that all surf boards were between 6′ and 11′ feet  long, and were made out of fiberglass or some type of foam. I also thought that I needed to live San Clemente, California or Hawaii to justify spending the money on one. Well, now my opinion has changed. I live in the most land locked state in the continental US, have a 600 square foot house with no storage and own a pickup truck with no racks. I’m gettin’ me an inflatable SUP! No river, lake, swimming pool or pond is safe anymore. SUP’ers can s carve up and down glassy river waves, paddle distances on flat water for a great core training workout (similar to pilates), and roll this sucker up into a small 23 lb. package (it comes with it’s own backpack!) and bring it with them to Baja with no extra baggage charge!

The Specs:

This isn't the greatest picture in the world, but at least you can see the board.

Removable and replaceable tri-fin setup.

· Size inflated: 10′ 10″ long x 29″ wide in middle x 4″ thick
· Size deflated: Roll to 18+” dia x 30.5″ tall
· Weight (SUP only): 23 lbs.
· Inflate to 10+ psi to support up to 150-lb paddler
· Inflate to 12-15 psi to support up to 200-lb paddler
Fins: Tri-fin configuration. Use 1, 2 or 3 fins. (Fins are removable without tools.)
· Sturdy “D” ring at tail for board leash attachment (For safety reasons, you should use leash to prevent    b  board from blowing away if you fall.)
· Four smaller “D” rings on bow for attaching storage container.

Pros:

What isn’t there to like about an ultra portable, inflatable surfboard that can be enjoyed by people on ANY type of water (lakes, ponds,rivers, oceans)?  The target market for the Kona SUP is the person who wants to learn how to SUP (or longboard) and get a great value for their hard earned money. The Kona is a few dollars less expensive than other SUP’s on the market like the Uli boards.  This board (the Kona) is meant for people that will spend a fair amount of time paddling on flat water, but want to try it out on surf waves and down river too. It’s very stable and durable. The heavy duty rubber construction is built to take a beating and keep on surfing. This is good news for river SUP’ers who want to take the board down streams with rocky rapids. Deep water runs are by far better to learn on because there are less obstacle to run / fall  into. Check out this video:

Here’s another:

Cons:

The Kona SUP is a beginner / recreational board.  If you’re going to take your SUP to the beach and try to paddle into larger waves (6 feet plus), or spend most of your time on the river (and not flatwater) you may want to look at higher performance boards like the Uli.

The Verdict:

This is one of the best all around / multi-use SUP’s made. It is great for flat water workouts, learning to paddle in white water, learning to surf, etc.  If you’re going to charge hard, you may want to look at the Uli because it’s built for higher performance on moving water.

The Kona comes complete with a back pack travel bag, pump, PSI gauge, fins and board. All that you need to complete the package is a paddle and a first class ticket to Bali.