Gili Adventure Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board Review

This is a board that everyone can love. It’s stable yet fun to paddle, light yet solid on the water and being an inflatable of course it is super portable.

The Gili Adventure works great for solo adventures, piling on gear and exploring coast lines and beautiful lakes.

However it works equally as well for bringing out the kids, paddling with your dog and enjoying some good ol’ family fun on the water.

I’ve had this board out on several adventures with family and friends.  It’s an all around awesome board!

*In picture above I am on the Gili Adventure on the left and my friend is on the Gili Komodo (10’6″x33″x6″ Also a very cool board!) on the right.

The Adventure ISUP comes in two different size options:

• 11’x32″x6″
• 12’x32″x6″

I have the 12′ version, which both my boyfriend and I really enjoyed.  I found the extra length worked great for bringing out my dogs with me.

Also the 12′ model is a little extra stable, which I also really liked when paddling in choppy water.  That being said if I didn’t have my dogs I would probably prefer to use the 11′ Adventure myself.

COLOR OPTIONS

The Adventure is a popular board and comes in 4 different color options so you can choose the color that suits you best!  Color choices include:

• Blue
• Teal
• Yellow
• Orange

Click here to see the different color choices for the Gili Adventure.

SPECS

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VIDEO REVIEW

Rather watch a video?  My 5 minute video below will cover everything you need to know about the Gili Adventure inflatable SUP plus you can see it in action!

BEST SUITED FOR

As the name implies this paddle board is perfect for those who are into Adventuring. It can go anywhere and handle most water conditions.

It would suit both beginner to intermediate riders who want a stable board that still glides well.

Load on the gear, map out your route and away you go. The Gili Adventure is ready to tackle the day.

Whether you’re out with the family, your dog, exploring new areas, fishing, out cruising with friends or even trying out a few SUP yoga moves, the Adventure will feel comfortable, secure and fun to ride.

PERFORMANCE

The Adventure is easy to paddle and feels great on both flat calm water and when paddling through wind or taking on some small waves.

You’ll appreciate the 32″ width if paddling on choppy water as it feels stable and secure. Yet the slight taper at the nose and tail keeps it gliding smoothly.

The tri-fin setup keeps the board tracking straight and helps to keep the back end stable.

This board feels great in most situations. It’s not the sleekest fastest board out there but it glides along nicely and is perfect for all day adventures on the water.

This Gili ISUP is a board that I would feel confident taking on just about any paddling trip. It handles most situations well, can be loaded right up and is still easy and fun to paddle.

IMPORTANT FEATURES

This board is rich in features and has a lot to offer. Gili has thought of pretty much everything to make this SUP ready for whatever you need.

FRONT AND BACK BUNGEES

There’s lot’s of space for securing gear. The front and rear bungee sets are perfect for securing a dry bag or two and any gear you need to bring out for the day.

The 6-point front bungees offer lots of space and can easily fit a couple good sized dry bags.

The 4-point back bungees are slightly smaller and great for securing another dry bag and I usually store my flip flops and my water bottle under there as well.

The back bungees are removable so if you don’t need to use them you can remove them to have more free space for moving around and manoeuvring your feet.

3 REMOVABLE FINS

The Adventure comes with a flip-lock race fin and two flip-lock side fins.

I thought the race fin was an interesting choice as I don’t consider this board a race board or a fast touring board by any means. A large touring fin would have done the trick just fine.

However a race fin doesn’t hurt at all and it really helps with tracking.

I preferred paddling this board with all three fins attached but you can customize it based on your needs.

If paddling in shallow water remove the race fin and just use the side fins.

The fins are quick and easy to click into place and to remove.

3 ACTION CAM MOUNTS

I love all these boards including action mounts in their packages now. I’m a photo junkie and am always taking pictures while out paddleboarding.

To be able to attach a GoPro or other accessories to your board is pretty cool and this feature is definitely something I appreciate.

There is one action mount at the nose of the board and two smaller mounts on either side at the top of the deck pad.

3 SCOTTY MOUNTS

Love to fish? Then you’ll love these Scotty Mounts located one up by the front bungees and two at the rear of the deck pad.

The mounts open up whole new possibilities for convenient fishing from your SUP.

NOTE: Gili also sells fishing rod holders so you can add on to your purchase to deck out your board for some great fishing adventures.

SIDE PADDLE HOLDER

On the right side of the board is a paddle holder. The two velcro straps secure your paddle when you need to be hands free and keep your paddle out of the way.

This is a convenient feature that really is quite cool but I have to be honest I almost never use it. The odd time I find it comes in handy but most of the time I don’t mind my paddle being loose.

However there are times for example if you are just hanging out on the water chilling, maybe you’re fishing or doing some yoga that you might want to keep your paddle safely out of the way.

It can also be handy when carrying your board so you don’t have to carry the paddle as well.

It’s really easy to use, simply secure the velcro straps around your paddle and it stays secure and in place.

NOSE, TAIL AND BUNGEE GRAB HANDLES

There’s lots of grab handles to choose from. The front and rear handles are ideal for carrying the board with two people or for grabbing from the water if you fall in or when pulling to shore.

The side grab handles on the bungees also provide more carrying points, and help to grab when climbing back onto the board from the water.

All of these grab handles can also be used as tie up points if you need to secure your board somewhere.

18 D-RINGS

With 18 stainless steel D-rings you have lots of options for securing gear, a kayak seat, a cooler, a shoulder strap, your leash and anything else you need to keep safe on your board.

This board has two D-rings for a kayak seat at each side of the deck pad.  There are also 6 D-rings being used by the front bungees and 4 D-rings being used by the back bungees.

Then you’ll find one D-ring at the tail for securing your board leash as well as one D-ring at the nose of the board attached to the action mount and one D-ring on each side of the deck pad further back towards the bungees for a total of 18 stainless steel D-rings.

PADDED CARRY HANDLE

The center padded carry handle is padded and durable. A little padding really helps to make it far more comfortable to carry the board any distance.

REAR RAISED KICK PAD

Raised kick pads at the rear of the deck pad are great for foot placement when doing pivot turns.

If you plan to use this often I would recommend removing the back bungees so that you don’t trip on them when placing your feet.

SMOOTH LINED DECK PAD WITH REAR DIAMOND GROOVE TRACTION PAD

The deck pad is very smooth with wide lined grooves. It feels comfortable when standing, kneeling and if you’re stretching out or doing yoga as well.

I don’t find the smooth lined deck pads to have as much grip as other types of deck pads but overall they are very comfortable and great for easy paddling.

However worth noting the back black section of the deck pad is diamond groove which provides better traction when stepping back and doing pivot turns.

INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE

I really like the Gili accessory package. It has been well thought out and suits this board well.

BACKPACK

The backpack is particularly nice and I would say this is one of the more comfortable ISUP backpacks I have tried.

It has really nice padding at the back, at the shoulder straps and also on the waist strap. The back of the pack also has breathable padded mesh that feels great when carrying on your back.

The straps are all fully adjustable so you can tighten it for a secure fit.

There are lots of pockets for storing the accessories or any little extras you want to bring with you.

The bag zips open on three sides so it is very easy to get the board in and out and it’s large enough to easily fit everything in the package.

It is definitely a nice bag. The only bummer is that it doesn’t have wheels.

3-PIECE SUP PADDLE

When you purchase your board you have the option of choosing between three different paddles:

1. A fiberglass paddle with nylon blade
2. A carbon-shaft paddle with nylon blade
3. Or a full carbon paddle with carbon blade

Basically the fiberglass paddle is the heaviest weighing 34 oz. The carbon shaft/nylon blade paddle is slightly lighter weighing 29 oz and the full carbon paddle is the lightest weighing 27 oz.

So you can choose the paddle that suits you and your budget best.

All three of the paddles are adjustable from 67″ – 86″ and they all float.

8′ COILED SUP LEASH

The SUP leash secures to your ankle and to the rear D-ring on the board. The leash will keep your board close to you if you should fall in the water.

The leash comes in different colors and will match whichever board color you choose. It feels comfortable on your ankle with no rubbing and is easy to secure and take off.

DUAL ACTION HAND PUMP

The hand pump works great. There are two modes to help inflate the board to 12-15 PSI easier. It took me just over 7 minutes to inflate the 12′ Adventure to 15 PSI with fairly steady pumping and a few breaks to rest my arms.

QUALITY OF CONSTRUCTION

The Gili Adventure is made with dual-layer fusion technology, which makes for a durable, strong and lightweight paddle board.

When fully inflated it is very rigid yet light and with a little care should last a long time over many adventures.

GILI’S COMMITMENT TO OCEAN LIFE

Gili has devoted themselves to helping the world’s oceans and sea life.

Each year Gili gives a portion of every paddle board purchase to organizations that help save sea creatures, reefs and endangered species.

It’s always nice when a company gives back and it’s nice to know that your purchase of one of their boards is helping to keep sea life safe and healthy.

WARRANTY

All Gili inflatable SUP’s come with a 60 day ride it guarantee (love it or return it within 60 days) and a 2 year warranty against any manufacturer defects so you can buy with confidence.

WHERE TO FIND THE BEST DEAL

The best deal for the Gili Adventure inflatable SUP is to buy directly from Gilisports.com. They offer free shipping within the US and have a great sale on at the moment!

If you want a board that can handle a lot, is portable and easy to take anywhere and is backed by a great warranty then this board is fully worth your consideration!

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