HALA Gear Urban Dictionary Definition:
"
Hala Gear is the most amazing SUP you will probably ever meet. Really good at surfing, river running, glassy lakes, multi day trips, fishing, yoga, too sexy to even comprehend, just as strong as she is sleek, big and stable. Pretty pro-active with anything, cool and helpful. If you don't already have a relationship with Hala, you should probably try and get with the program."
If your in the market for an inflatable SUP, give Hala a try. My better half Rey Rey and I started shopping around for inflatables a couple years ago.
There are a zillion choices - arghhhhhh. A friend (only around campfires in remote areas) told us about
Hala Gear SUP. We dug the fact that they were a local company out of Steamboat Springs, Colorado and actually responded to emails and phone calls instantly. It's nice to be able to talk about the product your interested in, and get great feedback about all the designs.
Last year we ordered up a couple of their river runners - the
Hala Atcha's. Holy smokes they were fun on the water; solid, light, strong, stable, we instantly liked them. We beat the heck out of them all season, and never had a problem except when I tried doing yoga on one. This was a bad idea. At least the lawn was stable and the beer absorbed my fall fairly well.
Disclaimer: Yoga and SUP boards are a bad idea. Unless you actually do yoga and have good balance....
This year we bought the
Hala Playa (so sexy), The
Hala Hoss (their do everything, multi task beast) and the
Hala Fame (you talking to me? destroy anything in it's path, huge, strong, multi sport platform)......
Soooooo, at this point I have given up on yoga but want to play in the ocean, surf, fish, take friends out, run whitewater, overnight trips, discos, etc... We now have the boards to do any of those things. Each one will do most of them, but some better than others. Options are great...
Hala Playa Key Points:
10’6" x 30″ x 6″ is a speedy and fun longboard / gun hybrid that doubles as a shorter touring board (friggin sexy looking also). Tour it. Surf it. Play on, Tan on it, Sleep on it, Playa.
Hala Hoss Key Points:
10’10" x 35″ x 6″ Big and stable, but still has the right rocker for maneuverability.
- Good for avoiding or running over tubers.
- Great board for all kinds of skill levels and water types - lakes, rivers, ocean and perfect for families, whitewater, raft trips, fishing, and multiple clingons...
- Use as a comfy paco pad while multi day tripping...
Hala Fame: Key Points:
11’3" x 37″ x 6″ is a big platform for fishing, whitewater, hauling people or gear, and is perfect for adaptive paddling - I sometime strap my Lazy Boy to it for a day of Bass fishing.
Friggin' huge. This board will blast through anything - super stable, whitewater slayer, solid fishing platform. It's the the Titanic, well, similar - except it won't sink...
"Due to size, this product may cause humans to run screaming, depending on how well you present it, and how nice it will preform after initial contact"
So bottom line, these boards are built to last, from a local Colorado company that is having fun paddling and creating on the water every single day.
Check them out on FB, Instagram and on there blog. Very cool, honest company spreading the love of SUP and water...
Pros:
- They look awesome (hey, this sometimes is important)
- Quality and durability is the best I have ever seen.
- Best warranty in the business (3 year)
- Lots of designs to choose from
- Super cool transport bag/backpack. Take these boards anywhere.
(Yup, I sometimes use the transport bag without the SUP. It is that good)
Cons:
- Addiction to water soon follows. Life becomes way too fun...
- Not cheap to buy. You will pay good $ to play. It's worth it...
- You will attract strange new friends..
