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Honu Stand Up Paddleboards as a brand has been established now for more than 20 years. With its roots firmly planted in Bondi Beach, Australia, Honu was founded under the principle of providing good quality surf and paddleboards at affordable prices. Fast forward to 2021, and those same principles still apply, but with a few noteworthy changes. Under new ownership in 2019, Honu discontinued making mediocre products and directed all its energy and resources into making products to the highest possible standard. The other decision that came closely after that was that Honu would no longer make fiberglass paddleboards or surfboards of any kind and would focus solely on inflatable paddleboards. 

Why We Chose to Only Offer Inflatable Paddleboards? 

We get asked this question a log, especially from our older customers who purchased fiberglass/bamboo boards from un in the past. There are two parts to the answer. 

The first and most practical part is that we didn't have enough resources, time or money to re-develop the entire product range. And so in place of having some legacy products mixed in with the new, more advanced products, we decided to discontinue the old entirely. And so Inflatable Paddleboards would be the only product we would re-launch in 2020.

The second and more divisive point is that we believe inflatable paddleboards are the best option for 95% of people. And that's even if you do have the storage room and ability to transport a fiberglass board around. High-quality inflatable SUP's are lighter, more durable, and far easier to store and move around. And when you overlay our mission against this practicality, the decision makes total sense. 

What is our Mission? 

Our mission is to provide people with extraordinary experiences on the water. We want to make products that inspire everyone to fall in love with the ocean and the outdoors because there is nothing quite like the ocean for helping to connect us to ourselves and our place in the world. And when that happens, those people are more likely to take active steps to protect the environment. But we aren't kidding ourselves either; we fully recognize our environmental impact. And so to minimize this, we aim to make products that will be used for many years and not be disposable in any way. We also have some ideas and plans for end-of-life upcycling of paddleboards, but we are a ways off that right now. 

Why Honu Customers Love our Boards? 

There are a few key reasons we believe our customers love our products. We know this through our conversations with them, the feedback they provide as well as independent reviews we get from SUP media sites. In no particular order, here are some of the features and benefits most talked about. 

Paddleboard Weights 

In every category that Honu produces a board, they are the lightest in their class. We also carry forward this principle into the paddles, pumps, and bags to ensure our package weights are among the lightest also. This difference in weight can be significant with our board and then total package weight being 40% lighter. 

Paddleboard Performance 

We are extremely proud to be able to say, with confidence, that Honu boards are amongh the highest, and in some instances, the highest performing boards on the market. And this is not just our marketing spin. When quantitatively tested for stiffness, Honu boards are usually the highest rated or within the top 5% of all boards. 

Meaning, you get the lightest and stiffest board on the market! 

Board Thickness

With the exception of the Sorrento touring SUP, our boards are just 4.7" thick. The advantages of this are clear. When on the water, you are standing closer to the water level, making the board feel more stable. Not only is it more stable, the paddler feels more connected to the water. It's just a far better experience. 

Another point on board thickness. It's fair to question this point when 99% of iSUP's on the market are 6" thick. This is the case because a thicker boards requires less pressure. So when standard materials are used with standard constructions, the board can't be pumped up to a relatively high pressure. Hence, 6" is a better way to go. When high-end materials and construction is used you can have a thinner board that still performs much like a fiberglass board in the water. We are one of only four brands making boards at this thickness that perform well. :) 

Paddleboard Design 

Underpinning all our technical features is the overall design of the boards. Bold colours, clean lines, and minimalistic design is the backbone of the Honu design philosophy. With our colours inspired by our environment and details that are not known (or promoted) until the product arrives is just some of the ways, we feel our community connects with the people of Honu. 

Why Honu Boards Don't Come with a Paddle? 

We decided to give our customers a choice, over guessing what "most" would want and including that in the package. By excluding a default paddle, we can keep the board price sharp and allow folks to decide on the style and material spec that fits them best. And much like our boards, our paddles are high-quality and category-leading. Even our most budget-friendly Element SUP Paddle has a 3K pre-preg carbon shaft. That is the same shaft that comes on our more expensive Evolution series paddles. Paddles are a bit like shoes. Sure, you can use just about any shoe that at least fits you correctly, but depending on what you do and how you do it, you will have a preference. Paddles are the same and are the engine of your SUP experience, which is why we want to give our paddlers a choice.