Hala Playa Paddleboard Review

By
Globo Surf
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Features

The Hala Playa Carbon is an inflatable, stand up paddleboard, made for surfing and touring, which means you can use it in the ocean or flat water. It can be used as a surfboard or a paddleboard, becoming sturdy during the inflation process. This is possible thanks to the Unidirectional + Fusion drop stitch, combined with aramid fibers at more than 200,000 lbs. pressure. This SUP is one of the best paddleboards for every type of user, be it a beginner, hobbyist, or even a professional paddle boarder.

You can use the Hala SUP as a way to paddle to the perfect island for a meal or just getting a workout, mixed with surfing. It offers four soft and centralized rigging points as well as a Leash D Ring so you have something to attach your rope to. It also offers a front and back rubber handle to make transport easier.

A feature that stands out more than anything is the portability of the Hala Playa Carbon, which is deflating and can fit into a single backpack including the paddle. This makes it one of the best portable SUP since you can even take it on international flights, with just the backpack which resembles a bigger army duffle bag but includes backpack straps. Even so, it’s an inflatable board, as soon as you set it up, you will realize it doesn’t resemble the hardboards, it is a hardboard, perfectly fitted to surf or paddle.

Specifications

Specifications_(2)

Length: 10`11”

Width: 30”

Thickness: 4.75”

Capacity: up to 350 lbs.

Stiffening Tech: Extended coverage Carbon Stringer

Fins: Center: 8” flex, two side bit fins: 4.5”

Warranty: 3-year warranty

Deck pad: Diamond Groove

Weight: 25 lbs.

Made for: touring or surfing

 User Experience

User_Experience_(2)

Usability

The Hala Carbon is an incredibly user-friendly SUP, it is quite simple to set up and use, having features that will give you the edge while using it. It can be used by toddlers, beginners, hobbyists, and professionals alike. It has multiple purposes, since it can be used as a hardboard for surfing, or just getting a paddle and use it as a paddleboard. Not only can it be used for different water sports, but it also has enough capacity to carry supplies without worrying about sinking. As a multi-purpose SUP, it can also be used to fish from, which can be interesting if you want a water-centric vacation.

With the addition of having four soft and centralized rigging points or using a leash with the back leash D-ring, you can carry or attach different sizes of luggage or whatever you need to carry.

Stability

The Hala SUP is a very stable board, its stability is perfectly complemented by the foot index and stomp pad the board uses. This feature gives you the ability to feel stable on the board, even if you are just a beginner, if you are planning to surf, you can use the foot index, which gives you the best point on the board to keep your feet. The Hala Carbon SUP stability allows you to practice different sports on top, for example, it can be a great board to start doing yoga, or just work out by paddling.

Storage

For a paddleboard the Hala Carbon offers different options for you to move luggage around, with the D ring in the back, you can use a rope to crane a water-resistant bag, or use the 4 soft rigging points. This doesn’t sound like it can carry much, but if you use it wisely you can carry a lot of carriages since the board has a weight capacity of 350 lbs. that is more than enough to use on your board.

Fishing

Fishing from a SUP can be a great experience, you probably will do several things you never thought you would be doing. For example, one of the best ways to fish from a SUP is using a net, it doesn’t have to be that big, a 5” net will do the trick. The Hala Carbon is great for using a net while fishing since it’s a stable board, that has the place where your feet should be.

As a negative feature, when using the Hala SUP, you have to carry lightweight fishing equipment, since the board does not offer a huge amount of storage for big rods. This can be avoided if you carry your equipment in a bag attached to a rope, will could be attached to the D ring in the bag. Giving you the advantage of not having to worry about carrying your baggage, but craning it instead.

Comfort

The Hala Carbon offers great comfort for a multipurpose SUP, which can be seen with the size of the board and the materials it is made from. Since it’s an inflatable paddleboard, you can notice it seems like a hardboard, but your feet will not feel as much of your own weight since it has a stomp pad, that’s quite soft, without losing stability.

The board’s length of 10`11” gives you the advantage of being able to carry two people, who would be comfortable without feeling unsafe. Since it’s a stable board the other passenger will have more than enough room to paddle, or even sit on the board. This Hala Carbon SUP also offers the advantage that you can take your best friend with you, being a great board to take your dog on an unforgettable adventure.

Portability

In the portability aspect, the Hala Carbon SUP surpasses its competitors, since it’s an inflatable board, which you can carry in a bag, only a bit bigger than the average army duffle bag. It has the size to be admitted on some international flights, as carry-on luggage. The bag does not come with a paddle, but Hala gear offers great paddles that you can easily fit in your board’s bag.

You might also like: BIC Sport ACE-TEC Paddleboard 

With the board inflated, you can easily move it as well since it offers front and back rubber handles, which can help when moving the board inland.

PERFORMANCE IN THE WATER

The Hala SUP offers great performance in the water since it offers 3 plastic fins on the bottom of the board. The center fin is an 8” flex fin, that helps with the board’s maneuverability. As well as 2 4.5” side bit clicks fins, that support people that want to surf in the ocean. These features, like the fins, make this SUP a great model for an all-around board

Pros & cons

Pros:

  • Multipurpose easy to use SUP
  • Ability to carry in a bag
  • Easy storage
  • Maneuverability
  • Family-friendly SUP
  • Great for beginners

Cons:

  • Doesn’t have the speed of a hardboard
  • Tracking is not great
  • can only be used in lakes or oceans.

Overall Rating

Overal_Rating_(2)

Price: 90%. The Hala Playa SUP is a costly board for its range, but it offers enough features and comforts that it is worth its price. Even do it is expensive, Hala Gear is making a really big effort to have great customer service, and creating deeper customer loyalty, which makes up for the price of the Hala Carbon.

Design: 98%. This board has a great design, and being an inflatable SUP it’s made from materials that make the texture of the board feel as do it’s truly a hardboard. Its coloring makes it a really attractive alternative to the usual single color boards.

Material: 100%. Its intelligent design allows this board to seem like a hardboard even do it’s an inflatable SUP. This also allows you to surf and paddleboard from the same board.

Globo Surf Overview

The Hala Carbon Playa is a great multipurpose all-around board. It’s recommended for toddlers to pros, which makes it a great board for a whole family to use. Its ability to be deflated and carried in a small bag gives it the outstanding advantage of being a flight friendly SUP. The Hala Carbon is attractive since its colors, combined with the stomp pad and other features, make it a great choice for both young kids and adults to show off their new board at the lake or the beach.

Even do it haves some downsides, this can be easily overseen since the board offers a lot of features and possibilities, which makes it a great all-around board.

Single Products Paddle Board Reviews:

 

 Sources

  1. Hala Playa Inflatable
  2. Hala gear
REVIEW OVERVIEW
Hala Playa Paddleboard Review
SUMMARY
The Hala Playa Carbon is one of the most outstanding paddleboard/surf board you can find. Its versatility allows you to choose from different activities you might want to get into.
5
OVERALL SCORE