MOAI 12’6″ Paddle Board Review

The MOAI 12’6″ Paddle Board has the speed and the looks

The MOAI 12’6″ Paddle Board is a great inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board for higher speeds and longer trips because of the stable but aerodynamic design. The board is wider in the middle so the rider has some extra balance, but with the pointy nose and the narrow tail it makes the board suited to cut through the water.

The package that comes with the MOAI 12’6″ Paddle Board comes with a height adjustable aluminium paddle, coiled leash, double action pump, backpack and a repair kit. As I have mentioned in the reviews of the MOAI 11′ Paddle Board and the MOAI 10’6″ Paddle Board I love the design and that the valve even says “Designed in Holland”.

For a price of €649 (currently about $700) the MOAI 12’6″ offers a very decent and great looking Stand Up Paddle Board that offers a great and stable shape for higher speeds and longer touring and that comes in a complete package. Not all boards of this size can say that, so it is a good deal.

Moaiboards.com

MOAI 12'6 Touring

€589.00

Click for best price

The MOAI 12’6″ Paddle Board is most suitable for:

The MOAI 12’6″ Paddle Board is a high quality board that feels very stiff because of the dual layer technology combined with the fusion technology. Other paddle boards in this segment are often heavier and have a lower carrying capacity. With a weight of only 9.5 kg / 20.9 lbs and a carrying capacity of 170 kg / 375 lbs this is a very lightweight board.

This is the biggest board in the MOAI Paddle Board series that also contains the MOAI 11′ Paddle Board and the MOAI 10’6″ Paddle Board. (And soon the MOAI 9’5″ and MOAI 12’4″ will be added to the collection too!)

This board is only recommended for both beginners and advanced paddle boarders, but for beginners I would recommend to check out the previously mentioned MOAI 11′ and MOAI 10’6″ since it is even easier to keep your balance on that. Do you know exactly how to stand and how to paddle and do you even have some experience? Then this board is perfect for you.

Because of the high maximum carrying capacity of 170 kg / 375 lbs you might think this board is suitable for multiple persons too. The carrying capacity does indeed allow this, but the shape is not very inviting for trying this out and it will take away the whole purpose of reaching higher speeds. Check out the Best Inflatable Multi Person Paddle Boards for this instead.

The board is very stable and has a size of 12’6″ long and 32″ wide. The 32″ width only goes for the middle though, the pointy front and the narrow back are streamlined so you can reach higher speeds. The thickness of 6″ supports this and makes sure the board does not bend in the middle.

Because of this shape you can reach a lot higher speeds and cruise through the water easily because the board splits the water easily. If you are looking for an inflatable Stand Up Board meant for relaxation and leisure check out the previously mentioned MOAI 11′ Paddle Board or the MOAI 10’6″ Paddle Board.

The MOAI 12’6″ Paddle Board offers good value for money and comes in a complete package with all accessories you need to start high speed paddle boarding and touring right away.

What I like most about MOAI are the beautiful design and that they donate part of their profits to Waves For Change, which helps change lives in Africa and creates a better future for children there. A noble cause and a great gesture to help out instead of just making profit.

If you are a bit more advanced and looking for an inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board to start reaching higher speeds, the MOAI 12’6″ offers a great and complete package with a high quality board with a perfect shape and a great design.

Moaiboards.com

MOAI 12'6 Touring

€589.00

Click for best price

Primary use
Racing / Touring

Speed on the water
The board is designed for higher speeds while still staying stable. So it is great for reaching higher speeds and touring around.

Transport
The board has a weight of 20.9 LBS / 9.5 kg and is not hard to carry in the supplied backpack that has a convenient front lock.

Stability
The 32″ width in the middle makes this board more stable than the average racing board while the streamlined nose and tail makes this better suited for reaching higher speeds at the same time. The 6″ thickness and the sturdy material offer even more stability and support.

My own experience

I loved the complete package and all the accessories, all in matching MOAI style with the tribal design. The accessories are all of good quality, although going back to an aluminium paddle down from all the fiberglass and carbon paddles is not a good thing. Especially when you want to paddle at higher speeds like with this board.

Below you can see a quick movie of me inflating the MOAI 12’6″ Paddle Board like the unleashed beast that I am.

A lot of things are included when I started to unwrap the package. The design is one of my favorite Stand Up Paddle Board designs and I like that this is implemented on the packaging and all the other accessories too. They say a NIKE designer made this and it is clear that a lot of attention has been paid to making this board attractive.

After the unpacking I started inflating the MOAI 12’6″ Paddle Board as you have seen in the video above. It took me 4 minutes and 45 seconds to fully inflate the board up to 15 PSI, which is very decent. If you take a slower pace it would take you about 7 minutes.

Do you think you could do this even faster than me? I’m very much looking forward to your video 😉

The MOAI 12’6″ paddle board weighs 20.9 lbs / 9.5 kg which is very light for a board with this size (these often weigh about 50% more). This board is very stable on the water because of the thick material and it has a high carrying capacity and two bungee cords, so I was able to take all the stuff that I needed on the water (and more).

On this day I took all the MOAI boards out to the water to try them out. So the MOAI 10’6″, the MOAI 11′ and the MOAI 12’6″.

The aluminium paddle is not great for paddling faster and for longer touring as I said earlier, because it is heavier and takes more energy. This makes your arm muscles sour faster, so I would recommend to purchase a paddle upgrade if you are planning to tour a lot with this board.

As said this board has bungee cords on the front and the back, but in this case I only used the front one. I prefer the front one anyway since I can actually see my stuff. If something would happen to the back bungee cord I probably wouldn’t find out my stuff was gone until after quite some time. I only trust as far as I can see 😉

As you can see above the board has a great diamond grip deck that allows you to have a good grip with your bare feet, even when they are wet. It also has some grip on the front of the board as you can see the imprint there, so even if you want to take a pet for instance it could stand right there and still have some grip.

The board felt very stable, also on higher speeds. It was pretty decent to steer but this would have been better if the board included a kick pad so I could lean back a bit. The big fin make it easy to stay on a straight line when paddling faster, so there is not problem in that department.

This board only has one fin in the middle, where other MOAI models have three fins. This is because of the shape of the tail of the board. The tail is pretty narrow and does not allow enough space for three fins, hence there is only one central fin for extra easy navigation.

The MOAI 12’6″ Paddle Board is great for more all users that want a light board that reaches high speeds and still want to maintain a good stability. The quality is great and it offers such a high carrying capacity with a low board weight. There is a 1-year warranty on the board, which is pretty standard. Do not get too used by those 5-year warranties that are handed out by Red Paddle and Bluefin!

If you really like the design of the board but you prefer to slow down and relax a bit more, check out the MOAI 11′ Paddle Board or the MOAI 10’6″ Paddle Board.

Moaiboards.com

MOAI 12'6 Touring

€589.00

Click for best price

Important features

Setup

• Center Handle – The board has a center handle to easily carry the board to the waterside once inflated.
• D-rings & cargo net – The board has several d-rings. At the front you will find a cargo net created from a leash cord with 4x D-rings. Ideal if you want to bring additional gear such as a dry bag. At the D-ring at the bottom end of the board you can attach a leash for surfing. At the tail of the board there is also another bungee cord that is attached with 4 D-rings.
• Comfortable pad – The board has as a comfortable foot cushioning foam pad with diamond shapes for extra grip to stand on.
• Detachable fin – The board has one big fin that is easily detachable from the board.

Fins
The MOAI 12’6″ Paddle Board comes with one big fin at the bottom for extra stability, which is removable for easy storage. This allows you to keep a straight line easier when reaching higher speeds.

Material
The MOAI 12’6″ Paddle board has the very sturdy and stable drop-stitch material but with a double PVC layer. The tens of thousands of polyester threads make it a very sturdy and solid board that is absolutely hard. 

Inflate / deflate
The MOAI 12’6″ Paddle Board is inflated in nearly 5 minutes with the included double action pump, or around 7 minutes if you inflate it on a lower speed.

Warranty
1 year warranty on production failures

Design
Very stylish and modern design with beautiful MOAI design made by an established designer: designed in Holland!

In the package

Paddle

The board includes the MOAI standard paddle. This paddle is made out of high-quality aluminum and is adjustable in length. The height can be set with the length indicator that is on the paddle.

This paddle exists out of 3 pieces for easy transport and is decorated with the MOAI tribal print on the blade. I love the matching design of the blade, don’t you?

As said I would advise you to check out better paddles if you are interested in reaching higher speeds. Lighter fiberglass and carbon paddles will make your arms tired less quickly and will allow you to paddle on for longer.

Check out fiberglass and carbon paddles that are suitable for longer tours in my Best SUP paddles for 2021 guide

Pump

MOAI has a double action pump included with the package and it seems to work very well. When I tried this out it only took me 4 minutes and 45 seconds to inflate the board to the desired pressure of 15 PSI. On a lower pace this should take you about 7 minutes in total.

The pump has a clear manometer to measure the current air pressure so you know exactly when you have inflated the board enough.

Do you want to find an electric pump instead? Check out the Best SUP Pumps for 2021

Leash

The MOAI safety leash is included with the board. This is a coiled leash, so it only extends when you actually fall in the water. You can lock it around your ankle with velcro and it has a sturdy construction with aluminum pins. The band has a nice thick padding so it feels comfortable around your ankle and will not irritate your skin.

Backpack

The MOAI backpack is very comfortable and has a great design that matches with the board. It has a handy small zipper pocket in the front. This backpack has wheels to easily roll it over steady surfaces. It has handles on the top and on the side for carrying, but mostly you will use the carrying straps with convenient front lock.

To be fair this backpack is of pretty bad quality and it will break pretty quickly, where the other accessories are of decent quality. A backpack upgrade may not be a bad idea on a later moment in time.

Optional accessories (not included)

Restube classic
Because extra safety measures never hurt anyone!

Buy Restube Classic

Fiberglass or Carbon paddle
If you want to paddle faster and get tired less quickly.

Check out Best Paddles

Difference between an Inflatable board and a Hard board

Other reviews of the MOAI 12’6″ Paddle Board online

The MOAI 12’6″ Paddle Board is a nice paddle board created for higher speeds and long tours with an exceptional design, but there aren’t many reviews to be found online since the board is pretty new.

An overview of the reviews I have found below:

Amazon.co.uk: Rating 5/5. “Chose the MOAI 12′ because I wanted a sturdy and fast board. After a few tries I’m absolutely impressed. Love the design – received great reactions on the water. Quick to inflate.” – Based on 1 customer reviews as on 15th of May 2021.

Frequently Asked Questions about the MOAI 12’6″ Paddle Board

Conclusion – Should I buy the MOAI 12’6″ Paddle Board?

Moaiboards.com

MOAI 12'6 Touring

€589.00

Click for best price

The MOAI 12’6″ Paddle Board is a high quality paddle board that is very stiff and shaped for reaching higher speeds and taking longer tours. This board comes in a complete package and has the great MOAI design that the whole series has and that is imprinted on all the supplied accessories.

To be fair a fiberglass paddle would have been nice as you get tired quite quickly when paddling on high speed or during longer trips with a rather heavy aluminium paddle, with a high speed board it is not strange to expect this. The same goes for the missing kick pad, that is something you would expect on this type of board and missing this is a minus.

As you have seen in this article the MOAI 12’6″ Paddle Board is a stable and well designed board. The board is stiff and stable but still light because of the double layer drop stitch. The MOAI 12’6″ Paddle Board package includes a height adjustable paddle, double action hand pump, backpack, coiled leash, repair kit, 9 D-rings, a big grip deck and one big fin (which is removable).

For a touring/racing this is a good and complete package that can get you out on the water quickly. As mentioned in other reviews I really love the MOAI design and the fact that part of their profits go to the Waves For Change charity to help children in South-Africa to improve their lives. Often racing boards come without a paddle or leash at all, so this is a great deal for a decent price.

Overall this is a very nice board where you can surely reach some higher speeds and tour for a longer time. The board will not bend through quickly because of the high maximum carrying capacity of 375 lbs / 170 kg. If you are looking for a high speed board this is a great and stable choice.

What do you think about the MOAI 12’6″ Paddle Board? Do you like the shape and the design of the board, or do you prefer more stability and less speed instead?

Have you tried out a Stand Up Paddle Board like this that works for touring and also for higher speeds? If so which paddle board did you try and how did you like it, if not why haven’t you tried it and would you like to in the future? Let me know, I’m curious about your wishes.