September 10th, the 3rd annual Marin SUP race at Mc Nears Beach Park in San Rafael. Last year this race started the SUP season in Marin County and the Bay Area. The event also launched the SUP racing career of local elite racers Jen Fuller and Benjamin Sarrazin.
The $10  Marin County Park entry fee includes the race entrance fee as well.  Awards and an informal BBQ to follow co-sponsored by Marin County Parks and Surfrider Foundation Marin.  Any minor prizes or swag donated will be coordinated with a mention of the donation sponsor at the brief award ceremony. This event is geared toward creating awareness of access to Marin County beaches and waterways and to the benefits of promoting their sustainability.

• Any board length or style
• Beginners welcome
• More info demosport.com
• Registration on site

Easy to carry,  Easy to use, Fun to paddle, – A great SUP package!

At Sup The Bay, we like to race and surf SUPs, in other words we often ride pretty radical boards made of carbon or fiber glass. So testing and paddling an Inflatable SUP is far from the usual for us. Advance Elements sent us the Hula 11 for review about 8 weeks ago. Since then we have tested the Hula in various conditions, lake, small rivers and the San Francisco Bay. The Hula 11 is offered in a very complete package,  it includes: Pump with Pressure Gauge, Hi-Quality Duffel Bag, Repair Kit, Valve Adaptor, 3 Removable Tracking Fins. The price of the Hula 11 is between $700 and $799 depending on the configuration(extra seat, sail,  paddle).

Hula 11 package, bag, pump, board, fins, duffel bag

One of the great thing about the Hula 11 Inflatable SUP is that it can fit in the trunk or on the backseat of vehicle, or even on the rack of a bicycle, or motorcycle. It is easy and fast to inflate, it takes only about 3-5′ and to insert the fins. This is barely more time than unstrapping a board from the roof of a car.

The Hula 11 is stable and surprisingly fast,  it is a fun board to paddle. The Hula 11 can be used as on flat water. When paddling at Castle Lake,  I did multiple laps around the lake and I didn’t notice much difference with a fiberglass SUP. Obviously no need to worry about hitting rocks, branches or docks thanks to heavy-duty PVC. The Hula 11 Inflatable SUP is made of High-Pressure Drop-Stitched material and a double layer of heavy duty PVC Tarpaulin for ultra stiff performance and superior durability. The deck of the board features a large foam traction pad and 7 d-rings for gear tie down, optional kayak seat attachment, and leash attachment.

We specifically liked the D-rings that make it easy to tie-down a bag, fire wood or a strap. The Utility of the board is excellent. The traction pad is very good and while we didn’t try the board surfing, we tried it on the river and it felt very good to have a sure footing. In addition the D-rings are great for attaching a cam-strap and that is very practical when paddling down a creek or for a little one to have something to hold on to.

6 D-rings on the bow

D-ring close-up

Traction foam

The Hula 11 is a must own if want to paddle in a variety of situations, river, lake, mer, some surfing. It is easy to haul around and also no need to worry about durability like a fiber glass board. The Hula 11 is great for families, since the board can be handled by children without worrying about them damaging it. Also on lake or pool the Hula 11 can be used as swimming platform… Also if you are planning to only paddle 10-15 times a year, then the Hula 11 is a board for you.

little feet under straps

bottom and fins

Features

High-Pressure Drop-Stiched material allows for ultra stiff performance.
- Double-Action hand pump with Gauge included.
- Raised board tip increases performance.
- Large traction foam area for improved grip and comfort.
- Double layer outer skin for superior durability.
- Light-weight, Compact, and Durable.
- Hi-Quality Duffel Bag.
- Stainless steel D-rings – 7 total.

Specifications

Model AE1010
Color White/Orange
Length 11’
Width 30”
Weight 23 Lbs. (10 Kg)
Person/S 1
Max.
Weight 250 Lbs. (113 Kg)
Folded Size 19” X 9” X 34”