Gili Meno Touring Inflatable Paddle Board Review

Paddling on a faster touring board can be so much fun. What’s nice about the Gili Meno Touring ISUP is that it’s 31″ wide making it a little more stable than many other leaner touring boards I have tried.

With the 12’6″ length and 31″ width it’s stable enough to feel fairly comfortable but still tapered and sleek enough to glide through the water smoothly with decent speed.

This board will suit paddlers of all different sizes. I was very comfortable on the Meno Touring and my boyfriend really enjoyed it as well.

I have often used a slightly smaller touring board but the extra size of this one felt more stable in waves and chop and would work well for paddling with a dog as well.

SPECS

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BEST SUITED FOR

This board is best suited for easy touring. If you are used to paddling an all-around board and want to make the step up to a faster and more efficient SUP, the Gili Meno Touring is an easy one to transition to.

It offers more performance but isn’t so unstable that you feel uncomfortable. It’s easy to get used to and is a really nice ride.

Even beginners can get on this board and improve their paddling skills quickly.

If you want a good touring board that can also be used with your kids or dog this one would work for that as well.

Of course a touring board has a more tapered nose and tail so there isn’t as much width or space up front but there’s still enough center width and space to accommodate a child or dog.

Although be warned a touring board will always take a little more skill and balance to paddle with a passenger on board.

I would say this ISUP is best suited for longer straight paddles where efficiency is key.

PERFORMANCE

Although I found the Meno Touring to glide best on flat water don’t be scared to take it out in choppier water as well.

It takes a little more effort to paddle through wind but it plows through chop easily.

It’s not the fastest touring board I’ve paddled but that’s to be expected with the 31″ width.

It feels a little more stable and quite comfortable but it’s efficient and smooth.  It is truly fun to ride.

With the tapered design, well built construction and the racing fin the Meno Touring moves swiftly and easily through the water and makes for a great board to do some longer paddles and explorations.

SETUP

If you haven’t used an inflatable SUP before you should know that setup is pretty darn simple.

With the Meno touring simply unroll, remove the valve cap and push the valve pin in and twist so it pops up.

Secure the Gili hand pump to the valve and inflate until you reach 15 PSI.

Then secure the easy snap-lock fin (which only takes a second to secure) and your board is ready to go.

With the included High Flow hand pump it took me about 7 minutes to inflate. So from the time you get to the water you can expect to be fully setup and out having fun in about 10-12 minutes.

PORTABILITY

Even with the 12’6″ length this ISUP rolls up into a small package and fits inside the Gili backpack.

It’s very portable and perfect for storing in a smaller space and to travel with.

The Gili Meno boards come with a backpack with wheels so you don’t even have to carry it on your back if you don’t want to.

With the wheels you can pull it to your destination easily and not have to carry any of the weight making it ultra portable.

CHECK FOR THE BEST DEAL ON THE GILI MENO TOURING INFLATABLE SUP AT GILISPORTS.COM.

IMPORTANT FEATURES

There are a few key features on this board that help to make it functional and comfortable to use.

FRONT & BACK BUNGEES

There are bungee tie down systems at both the nose and the tail.  I find having two sets of bungees very useful.

You may not always use both sets but on days when you have extra gear along with you they come in really handy.

The back bungees can be unclipped and removed if you want to keep the back end clear for stepping back and doing pivot turns or other maneuvers.

CARBON FIBER RAIL

For extra rigidity the Meno Touring has an added carbon fiber rail along the side of the board.  A more rigid board will typically perform better and you often see the carbon rails in racing boards.

It’s a nice enhancement that helps to push the Meno Touring into a top class of inflatable SUP’s.

SMOOTH LINED DECK PAD

The EVA deck pad on this ISUP has a few different patterns.  The center where you stand has smooth wide lined grooves.  It then transitions into just a plain smooth foam and further back towards the tail it transitions into a diamond groove pattern.

I don’t find the center lined grooves to have as much grip for fast cadence paddling but overall the smoothness feels very comfortable whether standing or kneeling.

The diamond groove at the back does help with extra grip for your feet if you are stepping back to perform different maneuvers.

SIDE PADDLE HOLDER

On one side of the board you’ll find two velcro strips that are used as a paddle holder.  You can place the velcro around the shaft of your paddle to keep the paddle secure and out of the water.

This allows you to go hands free if you choose and to keep the paddle off the board if you need more free space when you are not paddling.

BACK KICK PAD

At the back of the deck pad is a raised kick pad.  The kick pad is great for positioning your feet when doing quick pivot turns and maneuvers.

If you like you can remove the back bungees so they are not in the way of your feet.

PADDED CENTER CARRY HANDLE

The nylon center carry handle has some good neoprene padding stitched in that really makes it more comfortable when carrying the board any distance.

EIGHT GRAB HANDLES

The grab handles at both the nose and tail are ideal for grabbing from the water or pulling the board into shore.

There are also two grab handles just above the top of the deck pad that can be grabbed while on the board as well as a grab handle on either side of the front and back bungees.

These handles are really handy and I find I use them often.

ACTION MOUNTS

There are four action mounts included.  Two can be found at the top of the deck pad attached to the bungees and there are two more three quarters of the way back on the deck pad as well.

These action mounts can be used to secure an action cam such as a Go Pro, a phone holder, a cup holder, fishing rod holder, etc.

They are extremely handy for customizing your board to suit your needs best.

INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE

This board comes with a complete high end package that includes:

• Rolling Backpack With Wheels
• Dual Chamber Hand Pump
• Carbon Shaft 3-Piece SUP Paddle
• 8′ Coiled Leash
• 3 Fins
• Repair Kit

BACKPACK WITH WHEELS

The backpack that comes in this package is awesome.  It has so many good features and truly makes it easy to transport this ISUP anywhere.

The backpack has two integrated wheels so you can pull it like a suitcase.  It zips open on three sides so it is quite easy to take the board in and out.

The bag is large enough to store the board and all of the accessories but not too big to carry on your back if you want to.

There is great padding on the backside and the shoulder straps, waist strap and chest clip are all adjustable so you can have a secure fit.

Plus there are multiple other pockets that can be used to organize the accessories or store other small gear.

The bag is durable and strong and I would say it’s one of the better ones out there in an ISUP package.

3-PIECE SUP PADDLE

Gili offers the option of a carbon shaft paddle with nylon blade or for a slightly higher price you can get the lighter full carbon paddle.

The paddle breaks apart into three pieces so it stores easily in the backpack and is perfect for traveling.  The height can be adjusted from 67″ to 86″ and it breaks down to 38″.

These are nice paddles and quite light weight.  The carbon shaft/nylon blade paddle weighs 29 oz and the full carbon paddle weighs 27 oz.

3-STAGE HIGH-FLOW PUMP

The Dual Chamber Triple Action Hand Pump is a heavy duty pump that works great.  This pump makes inflating the board even easier with the three stages of inflation.

The pump can inflate up to 26 PSI but you’ll only ever need to inflate your board up to 15 PSI and you can watch your progress on the integrated pressure gauge.

With this pump you can definitely shave a bit of time off the inflation process.  The only downside to the pump is that it is a little heavy and it adds weight to the package.

However the handles and base are removable, which helps to make it a little more convenient for storing in the backpack.

REMOVABLE RACING FIN

The Gili Touring board includes one large 9″ racing fin.  The fin easily snaps into the fin box and can be removed when storing the board away.

The racing fin is ideal for faster cadence straight line paddling.  It greatly helps with tracking and smooth efficient glide.

If you are paddling in shallow water you can remove the fin but otherwise it is worth using at all times as it greatly helps with performance.

8′ COILED SUP LEASH

The leash secures to the back D-ring on your board and to your ankle.  The leash is a good one, durable and strong and will keep your board close if you should fall in the water.

It is recommended that you wear the leash at all times.

REPAIR KIT

All inflatable SUP’s come with a repair kit.  If you ever need it, it includes a couple PVC repair patches and a valve wrench so you can easily tighten the valve on your board if it ever becomes loose.

WARRANTY

All Gili inflatable stand up paddle boards come with a great 2 year warranty and 60 day ride it guarantee.

IN SUMMARY

If you aren’t concerned about winning any races but want a more efficient touring board that still provides decent stability without compromising the glide, then the Meno Touring is an excellent option.

This board is designed well and built very strong.   I found it a pleasure to paddle and it feels solid in the water yet is still light and portable so easy to bring anywhere.

This board has a lot going for it and it’s a lot of fun to ride.  The whole package will impress even the most seasoned paddler.

With the 2 year warranty and 60 day ride it guarantee this one is an easy choice.  I would definitely recommend it.

WHERE TO FIND THE BEST DEAL

For the best price on the Gili Sports Meno Touring paddle board go to GiliSports.com.  They have a special sale on right now that works out to a really great deal plus free shipping in the US.

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