The Gili Air is a new board to hit the market and we really like the look, design and features that this ISUP offers.
It is a perfect starter board that won’t break the bank. It is ideal for light touring, cruising on flat water lakes or rivers and it plows through chop and wake quite well.
This board is fun to paddle and being so light weight it is easy to carry and transport anywhere!
We especially like that just about anyone can use the Gili Air, no matter what age or skill level, so it is great to share with the whole family.
Specs For The Gili Air
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- Length: 10’6”
- Width: 31”
- Thick: 6”
- Weight: 19 lbs.
- Max load: 275 lbs.
- Fully Loaded Backpack Dimensions: 34″L x 16″W x 12″D
Material:. Military grade PVC
Best Suited For: Beginners to intermediate paddlers, cruising on lakes, rivers, ocean bays, light surf
Pros: Lightweight and super portable, glides nicely, quick to turn and maneuver, versatile, easy to paddle, large bungee section, comes with everything you need to get on the water (except your PFD)
Cons: No kicktail, no side fins, only 1-year warranty
Click Here For The Best Deal On The Gili Air At Gilisports.com.
More In-Depth Info
What really stuck out for us with this board was how easy it is… It is easy to carry, easy to set up, easy to paddle and easy to transport.
It only weighs 19 lbs. so it is very light weight and takes very little effort to paddle.
Being a smaller board it is quite responsive, quick to turn and easy to maneuver making it a lot of fun to ride.
A board this size will never be super fast but all things considered it glides nicely.
The 31” width provides a little extra stability without being too wide to slow it down or cause drag.
The 10’6” length provides a nice amount of length for easy touring and cruising.
With the 6″ thickness this board has a load capacity of 275 lb so you can load it right up.
However it isn’t a large board and although most anyone could be happy paddling this ISUP on flat water, we feel it is best suited for those under 220 lb. when paddling in chop or surf.
It wouldn’t be our choice for paddling with a large dog, although if you have the skill it is certainly doable.
Darryl and I were both however very comfortable paddling this board with our two little dogs.
All in all we feel that the Gili 10’6″ ISUP provides excellent value for the money.
Key Features
Front Bungees
The 6-point front bungee system is large enough to store your pfd, a dry bag and/or other gear.
We like the size and think it is ideal for storing essentials for a day out touring around.
We did find that the larger bungee system was not ideal for our dogs who like to ride shotgun but otherwise they are pretty great.
9” Snap In Removable Fin
The 9” touring fin is easy to install. No tools are needed, it simply clicks into place and feels strong and secure.
The fin greatly helps with the performance of the board so definitely use it unless you are in really shallow water.
Rear D-Ring
The stainless steel D-ring at the tail end of the board is ideal for securing your board leash.
Front and Centre Grab Handles
The centre carry handle has a neoprene cover that makes the board more comfortable to carry. The cover can also be used to secure your paddle when not in use.
The front grab handle is ideal if you end up in the water and need to grab hold of your board.
Diamond Grooved Traction Pad
The long diamond grooved EVA traction pad is comfortable and provides excellent grip. It is quite large allowing you to maneuver the length of the board if needed.
Included Accessories
Dual Action Hand Pump
The hand pump that comes with this package has two settings.
The first setting allows you to pump the board until it takes shape. Then you can switch to the second setting, which allows you to pump more easily to reach the target PSI level.
The pump works well and with a little effort we had no problem fully inflating the board in approximately 7 minutes.
3-piece Aluminum Travel Paddle
The 3-piece paddle is ideal for traveling and easy storage.
It is strong and durable and a great paddle to start with. Aluminum paddles are notoriously heavy so you may want to upgrade down the road to a lighter one but we didn’t mind using this paddle at all.
The blue blade to match the board is a nice touch. It makes for a sharp looking package.
Backpack
The backpack zips open on three sides making it easy to get everything in and out.
The backpack feels strong and durable and the heavy duty zippers work well.
The adjustable padded shoulder straps make it fairly comfortable to carry and the waist and chest straps provide a bit more support if you need to carry it a further distance.
There are side mesh pockets that allow you to store the paddle and side clips for cinching the package tight.
There is one top carry handle as well as a plastic ID pocket at the top.
The light color of the bag is going to get dirty easily so you may need to eventually do some spot cleaning if you care about that.
I kind of wished it had side handles for taking it in and out of the car but overall it’s a great bag!
10’ Coiled SUP Leash
A 10’ coiled SUP leash (blue to match the board) is included in the package.
The leash is an important safety item that keeps the board from being swept away from you if you should fall in the water.
Fin
The 9” center fin is included in the package.
Repair Kit
All inflatable paddle boards come with a repair kit that includes a couple PVC patches, waterproof glue and a valve tightener.
Hopefully you never have to use it but it is there if you need it.
Performance
The all-around shape and design make it quite versatile. You can really use this board in any type of water but we found that it excelled in certain conditions.
We tested it on flat water lakes, on a slow moving river and on the ocean where we had to deal with some boat wake and choppy water from the wind.
We had the most fun with the Gili Air on the lake and river. On flat water you can power out some good strokes and really get it moving, turn quickly and basically just have a lot of fun playing around.
We feel that just about anyone of any skill level would have a good time with this ISUP on calm water.
When the wind picked up it did get a little harder to paddle. The fact that it is so lightweight has pros and cons. The major pros being that it is so easy to carry and it takes very little effort to paddle.
The con being that it is more susceptible to being blown by the wind.
However regardless of wind we felt in control and although we had to work a little harder and stay a little more focused, it powered through chop nicely.
Darryl being larger than myself noticed more instability in choppy water but he got used to it quickly.
Being a smaller board we did notice that it felt more wobbly when ocean paddling. However we still had a lot of fun and wouldn’t hesitate to use it again for paddling around ocean bays.
Setup
Setup is really fast and easy. The dual action hand pump that comes with the package will inflate the board in roughly 6-8 minutes depending on your pumping speed.
With an electric pump it is even easier and well worth upgrading to later on. Once you use an electric pump you won’t want to go back to hand pumping again. 🙂
To setup the board take it out of the backpack carry bag, unroll and open the valve cap.
Push down on the valve pin and twist so that it is in the ‘popped up’ position. Then attach the inflation hose and start pumping.
At 15 PSI the board will be rock hard. At that point secure the fin, attach the SUP leash to the back D-ring and you are ready to go!
The whole process is extremely quick and we love how light and easy it is to carry to the water.
Versatility
Overall this board is quite versatile. Being so lightweight we feel that it is particularly ideal for traveling and exploring different waterways around the world… #goals 😉
With only the one 9” fin it is better suited for light easy touring and cruising on calm water.
It wouldn’t be our choice for surf or ocean touring/expeditions but you could certainly take it out on just about any type of water and play around.
We feel it is best suited for beginner to intermediate paddlers and it is absolutely a great board to learn on or work on improving your skill level.
The stability is decent and you will get used to the feel of it quite quickly.
The size would be workable for kids and teenagers to paddle as well. It isn’t too wide to affect their reach and is light enough for a smaller person to manage on and off the water.
Dislikes
Our dislikes are not huge, there are just a few things to point out.
1. There is no kicktail on this board, which for most people just won’t matter.
We happen to love a kicktail at the back of the board. It allows for more control when maneuvering your feet or doing quick pivot turns.
It is definitely not something that is critical but it is nice to have all the same.
2. There is only one touring fin as opposed to a tri-fin setup. The fin is great and it really helps with tracking and glide.
However with the all-around design we were surprised that there weren’t also two smaller side fins, which tends to make it a little more versatile.
Again not critical, just being nitpicky.
3. The warranty is only 1-year. This is not unusual but a longer warranty would be nice to see for sure.
All things considered however you get a lot for your money with the Gili 10’6″ Air and with the low price tag the pros most definitely outweigh the cons.
Bottom Line
This is a very attractive package for an excellent price. The board is not fancy but it looks great, we love the blue color and the fact that the accessories all match.
It is an excellent starter board and we feel very confident that you will have a ton of fun paddling it.
Where To Buy
Click Here For The Best Deal On The Gili Air Inflatable SUP At Gilisports.com.
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Bought this board and went out for the first time today!! Absolutely loves it. Have never been on a paddle board before and found this very easy to maneuver and felt very sturdy. Not to mention the awesome pack it comes in. Can’t wait to use it more often.
Hey Ashley, That’s so cool and great to hear! Hope you have a fantastic summer with your new SUP!!
Allison,
Your reviews are so helpful, thanks! I am torn between the Gili and the Burke Quest 9’. I,be only paddleboarded once, on a friend’s basic I-Sup (10, 6”, x 32” x4”) and had no trouble standing, as I’m a snow skier and have good balance. Her board weighed 30 pounds, though, way too heavy for me, at 5’ and 108 pounds. I will use my board on ocean bays mostly. Quest or Gili…can you make a recommendation?
Thanks,
MJ
Hey Mary Jo, Glad you are finding the reviews helpful! So between those two boards, the Burke Quest is made stronger with thicker material. However it is quite small at only 9′ long and 4.75″ thick, super responsive though but will feel less stable in choppy water for sure. Sounds like you have good balance so this might not be an issue at all for you. The Gili 10’6″ will feel more stable and I would say is a little more versatile. It will feel more secure but also a little slower to paddle. The price on the Quest 9 right now on Amazon is insanely cheap. I’m guessing they are trying to blow out old stock because Burke is definitely not making any money on a board priced that low, especially one that is good quality like this one. So for the price I’d tend to say grab it, it’s an insane deal. My only hesitation is I wonder how old that board is, how long it has been sitting there that the company is willing to sell it off for that cheap?.. Although there should be some kind of warranty on it.
I like that this board is so light weight. I weigh 130 lb and want to bring my 6 year old out with me sometimes. Will this board support the two of us, wondering if it is too small?
Hey Cynthia, Definitely no problem! The board is rigid and strong. It will easily support you and your 6 year old. The added weight of paddling with a child on board will make you work a little harder but it is totally doable. 🙂
What’s the size of the backpack when loaded? That’s nice to know for those of us who fly with our iSUPs. (Need to make sure it’s small enough not to incur extra fees).
Also, are there shorter fins that can be used on this board? I fly to Florida a lot and a long fin doesn’t work well on a lot of the intracoastal areas I go to. But no fin at all isn’t good either. 3″ is ideal.
Hi John, Good question, I just went and measured the loaded backpack… 34″ long x 16″ wide x 12″ deep. I’ll add those specs to the review as well. Unfortunately there are no smaller fin options at this time. I do wish that this board included two smaller 3″ or 5″ side fins, which would make it more versatile in different conditions. However for now there is only the one 9″ fin available.