HONU Paddle Boards Enter US Market Just in Time for Summer 2021

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HONU inflatable paddle boards compared. Includes Airlie, Bondi, Byron, and Sorrento SUPs.

Honu, well-known Australian stand up paddle board brand, has just arrived on American shores for the 2021 summer season. Like many brands this year, they were a bit delayed due to the shipping and supply chain challenges, but Honu is now officially shipping out of their Salt Lake City, Utah warehouse in time for the July 4th holiday.

Honu — named for the Hawaiian green sea turtle which symbolizes good luck, endurance, and long life — has a history that goes back nearly 20 years of crafting longboard surfboards, fiberglass SUPs, inflatable SUPs, and more. In 2019 the new owners, Mark and Megan Travers, decided to narrow Honu’s focus solely to inflatable paddle boards and embarked on a redesign of their iSUPs.

Their current design philosophy is decidedly minimalistic in its approach – Mark will proudly point out that their boards choose to omit the many accessories and mount points that are increasingly popular on other brands these days because those all add weight and often go unused by many buyers. Instead they are laser-focused on engineering paddle boards with advanced construction and materials that are light, strong, stiff, durable, and ultimately high performance. As Mark will point out, you can always add an action mount after the fact if you need one!

Honu Paddle Board Lineup

They’ve also kept their lineup simple, currently consisting of just four boards – each designed for a specific application:

Honu Airlie

Kids SUP | 8’6″ x 27″ x 4.7″
Availability: US, Australia

The Honu Airlie is a high quality all-around paddle board for kids or small paddlers. Unlike some brands that skimp on their kids’ boards to keep it cheap, the Airlie features the same construction and materials as the rest of their lineup. Honu recommends the Airlie for riders up to 135 pounds and is best suited for flatwater or on small waves.

Honu Byron

All-Around SUP | 10’6″ x 32″ x 4.7″
Availability: US, Australia

The Honu Byron is a classic all-around paddle board made for flatwater cruising, yoga, or even some basic surfing. It is unusual in that it is thinner than the typical 6 inch thick iSUP, made possible by its triple-bonded rails and higher PSI.

Honu Bondi

Surf/All-Around SUP | 9’3″ x 31″ x 4.7″
Availability: US, Australia

Honu couldn’t be a company based out of Australia’s surf coast without a proper surf SUP. The Honu Bondi is actually a surfing/all-around hybrid made for those who want the fun of surfing without the hassle of a composite board. Like the Byron, it is also a thinner board for better “feel” of the water.

Honu Sorrento

Touring SUP | 12’6″ x 30″ x 5.9″
Availability: US, Australia

The Honu Sorrento is their touring board made for long distances and efficient paddling. At only 30 inches wide, we suspect this might not be the largest board for cargo-laden adventures but it should fly fast.

Carrying the HONU Sorrento paddle board to ocean

Honu Hallmarks

We’re looking forward to getting hands-on with some Honu boards and testing them later this summer. In the meantime, here are a few of the details that stand out to us from reviewing their tech info and talking to their owners:

  • All new designs: Every board has been entirely redesigned and reengineered in the past two years.
  • Fused & woven drop-stitch construction: A recurring theme in a lot of our top-rated boards this season (including THURSO and NIXY) has been a shift to woven drop stitch construction for a lighter, stronger, and stiffer board. Honu employs this technology in all of their boards and we’re expecting similarly good results.
  • Pick your own paddle: Rather than locking you into the included package paddle, Honu allows you to select from a range of different quality paddles (or no paddle, if you already have a great one). This seems like a great idea for paddlers on their second or third board who may be picky about their paddle choice.
  • Warranty: Honu again stands out from the crowd with an outstanding, but somewhat complicated offering. Their 2+2 warranty goes like this… you get a standard two-year replacement warranty for manufacturing defects. In addition they give you a concurrent four years of accidental damage repair for free; you just pay for shipping to their repair center in Florida Australia (depending on which country you’re in). So in essence you’re covered for a full 4 years… or 2+2.

For more information about Honu and their paddle boards, see our Honu overview and SUP comparison.

Honu Sales & Discounts

Honu periodically offers limited-time promotions featuring discounts on select paddle boards and accessories like these deals below. For all the best deals from Honu and other top SUP brands visit and bookmark our SUP sales and discounts page.

Honu US Summer Sale

Honu Australia Pre-Season Sale

Honu Rewards Program

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