Advanced Elements Hula 11 Inflatable Paddle Board

I have only used my board once so far, so this review is more on initial set-up and use than long-term durability etc. The board came with a pump, pressure gauge, patch kit, and fins. The board looks well-made and attractive, and the traction pad on the top is huge.Initial set-up did not go as smoothly as I was hoping for, but I think with multiple uses, I'll get better at it. The fins were a serious struggle to get into the locks, it look probably a good 25 minutes of trying to wrestle them into place, as the board is not really pliable enough to easily squeeze them into their locks. It would have been impossible to put them on if I'd inflated the board first, so keep that in mind. I left them in after deflating the board, and will probably continue to do so, to save myself the effort and time in the future.After finally getting all 3 tracking fins in place, the actual inflation of the board went easily, though when I tried to remove to pump to close up the hole, I twisted the value and accidentally let all the air out, requiring me to start again - a good workout, but not fun.I only inflated to the "green" pressure on the pump, which in retrospect I should have known wouldn't have been enough pressure based on how the board felt. Carrying the board down to the water was more difficult for me since I am short and petite and the board doesn't have the handle mid-board that most non-inflatable SUPs do. I had help finally when someone saw me struggling, but next time I'll bring something to wrap around with straps so I can carry it myself.I pushed out and noticed that the board was under-inflated, but didn't want to go back to shore to add more air after all that trouble so I dealt with the bit of imbalance and slowness that were caused by the lack of pressure. Still, once I got out onto the water, the board felt nice, had great tracking, and made a great platform to lay out and enjoy the sunshine for a bit. Fighting against the wind on the return was difficult, probably wouldn't have been as hard had I inflated to the proper PSI, but I'll know that for next time.All in all, a good board for someone who isn't an avid SUPer, but wants to use it recreationally to explore the bodies of water around my region.

I purchased this board to use mainly on the New River in North Carolina and Virgina....I love this board...It is sturdy, well designed and simple to use. It is designed for multi-purpose funtions ie sit-on-top kayak or SUP, it is not extremely heavy, it is made very well for durability. It has multiple d-rings for x-tras like taking along a small cooler or such.... All around a great board for the price! :)

Exceeded our expectations! We ordered 2 and what makes the paddle board so great is it's ease to haul it around lake to lake unflated. Highly recommended.

Love that it is easy to carry in the car. Also great that you can hook a kayak seat on to it when the wind gets bad to use it as a kayak sitting down.

Very stable and rigid. Having used a hard shell SUB in the past I found this comparable when fully inflated. Purchased it for the portabilty. The weight limit is 230lbs and I weigh in at 200lbs and found that there was hardly any flex in the board. They recommend inflating it to 10psi but if your close to the 230lb mark I would recommend going to 11 psi. Another reason i purchased the Advanced Elents SUB in particular is because I have owned one of their inflatble kayaks and founf it very durable. I had it it for 8 years running now with no signs of wear and tear.

I recently purchased this board and was very impressed with the sturdiness of the construction. I weigh 210 lbs. and it kept me floating great. however my feet while on the board were about level with the water( do to the flex along the length of the board).My one complaint was a manufacture defect in the board. I found 17 pin holes in the bottom of the product. customer service and amazon where great about taking the product back.

Inflatables were once questionable in my eyes but after riding this one, I am extremely pleased. It's pretty firm for my 200lb frame and it can handle some extras with the added D rings. I added a bungee bike net to hold water on longer excursions which works great. Being that I live in a 3rd floor walk-up makes owning a traditional board out of the question. Who can lug a 11'board up 3 flights of narrow stairs? The board folds up conveniently to the size of a larger piece of luggage which makes it fit nicely in my trunk and more easily transportable to my Apt during the colder months. I love this board. For those of us who have limited space or dwell in urban areas, this board is great. I've had it for roughly 2 months now and taken it out about half a dozen times. It seems like it can handle the inflation/deflation pretty well. I expect this board to last me for a long time. I like it.

So... This particular board must have been built on a Friday and possibly by a pissed off employee of the manufacturer. Read a review from June 2012 with same defect after I found mine defective.1. The paddle board has a backward installed and melded skag holder. No way around installing that skag!2. The air pump hose was so crimped in two places no air would flow through to fill the board.Returning and going with a different manufacturer!