Hey guys recently got myself a 12'6" lahui kai hollow moulded stand up just thought i do a quick reveiw .
First thoughts that come to mind when you see this board are bullet proof, the hollow constructions is super tough and really strong also the outline looks really nice with the pulled in nose and tail.
In flatwater the board is quite quick off the mark and has really good glide and the rocker is really flat so it slices through the surface with ease. The board is really stable and has really high rails which gives you plently of float. I did a long distance lake paddle and the board performed well and was comfortable , also when you step back it turns quite well around markers etc.
In the surf the board punches through white water well with the nose pushing up and over white wash with ease i havnt really tryed surfing it on a wave yet so not sure how well it would handle.
I did a couple of down winders in choppy tough conditions and the 12'6" performed ok was really good on the smaller runners as it picked these up with ease and hung onto them well, but on the lager steeper swells the flater rocker was a little hard work with a lot of skill involved to keep the nose up . Also the high rails made it a little unstable in the chop as my light arse 70 kgs didnt sink them at all, but once you turned and headed down wind the sup became much more stable.
The 12'6" is a good all round cruiser and great in flat water and in and out of the surf also moderate for down winding in big seas but a good well built board at a good price range . Special thanks to AA from Balmoral Paddle Surf for helping me out with this model
cheers Dan