Elan is an outdoors company from the Slovenian mountains, more known for its long history in making downhill skis.
To be exact, their hand-made skis, made from local wood since 1945. The brand is also known for its prestigious sailing boats. What a combination, right?
Well, they have also recently broadened their spectrum to snowboards and paddle boards as well. The range of Elan inflatable stand-up paddle boards is rather small, but definitely something to look out for. In the vast and colorful sea of different types of paddle boards, their boards stand out for having great technology and design, placed in the mid-range price category. Let’s have a look at their 11’ Sunrise, a SUP I’ve owned since the summer of 2023.
My way to the 11’ Elan Sunrise Air was through a place I used to work in where they sell and rent the whole Elan Ski range along with Thule. I must state that these two companies started out about the same time (Thule from 1942, Elan from 1945), and some Thule products are also featured in this review. So, let’s have a look if their quality and longevity also match up.
The board:
Elan 11’ Sunrise is an all-around paddle board for comfortable cruising. The 11’ length, 32” width, and 6” thickness make it slightly longer than the average all-around iSUP in 10’6” length, which is also one of the most produced inflatable SUP sizes on the market. It’s a surprisingly good package – from the board to the fin and all the accessories – you can tell straight away it’s an honest deal. There’s no place where they’ve cut corners to lower the overall quality.
- SIZE: 11’0“ x 32″ x 6″ / 335 cm x 81cm x 15cm
- VOLUME 305 L
- SUP BOARD WEIGHT: 23lbs (10.4 kg)
- PACKAGE WEIGHT: 44lbs (19.6 kg)
- MAX LOAD: 460 lbs (210kg)
- OPTIMAL WEIGHT CAPACITY: 220lbs (100kg)
Inflation
It takes around 10 minutes max to be settled on the water from arrival. Unpack the rolled-up board from the bag, and inflate the board with a single or double-action pump mode to the recommended range of 12 to 15PSI. It takes less than 500 hits to max it to 15PSI (1 bar) which is then capable of carrying a whopping 440lbs (200kg)! I usually keep mine at around 12PSI.
Once the board is inflated, bring it to the water line to attach the fin. It takes some practice to get the fin in right at the first go, but once it’s in there – it is good to guide you like a large single fin should. It’s a tool-free attachment of three pieces – the fin, a tiny square threaded plate, and a bolt that you tighten by fingers
Note: I wouldn’t recommend laying the board on flat surfaces with the attached fin though, and remember to avoid shallow waters and rocks.
Single fin
The board is equipped with a nice black large single fin, with no small side bite fins. It tracks nicely once you get the hang of it.
To attach the fin:
- Place the fin inside the fin slot, starting from the middle
- Attach the metal place by threading the bolt in a few turns
- Guide the metal plate near the very end
- Unscrew the bolt
- Tilt the fin in place
- Thread the bolt to the plate with your index finger and thumb
- Make sure it’s tight!
The ride
As the 11’ Sunrise is an all-around SUP, expect a comfortable cruise. It’s definitely not a fast SUP, but it isn’t slow either. It’s great for exploring trips. The 3-piece paddle is light and effective, well-made as well (carbon fiber, if not mistaken). It also has a height guide on the top to adjust the paddle according to your height and preferences too.
Recommended SUP paddle height is 4″ – 6″ (10-15cm) above your height.
On the water
It is easy to navigate the 11′ Sunrise on the water. The bungee straps on the deck can easily fit a 20L dry bag (not included) with some of the essential gear needed. The deck is also comfortable and offers great grip, even when wet. It’s hard to tell it’s inflatable by the looks and feel, but you’ll thank the fact once you happen to fall on the board!
On calm bodies of water, the board tracks nicely once you get the hang of it. I paddle mine 3x from one side, and 2-3 from the other – depending on the wind and preferred direction. It is stable as can be, it even holds up by standing on the very tip of the board!
On windy ways
Unless you are super fit and know your way around iSUPs, I wouldn’t recommend taking it out with more than a breeze over the warm water. It excels best in closed waterways, but in windy conditions and waves, I’d second-guess going out for a fun spin. Once you still consider going in and the wind takes you away from your preferred location – be ready to carry the board on land through with wind (which is a great but clumsy upper body workout).
The only way I managed to paddle through the wind was by sitting on the board with my feet on the front, and paddle the board like a canoe.
Transportation & packing.
The carry bag is a great quality product that fits everything but the pump inside. There are two large slots for the pump and the paddles on the outside, each side of the bag. Two straps inside the bottom of the bag help to secure the rolled-up board for transporting. Few large pouches for the rest of the items as well. You can also carry the bag on your shoulders, just make sure to adjust the shoulder straps accordingly (the main weight should be on the hips, not on the shoulders).
Due to its great compact size, it fits to almost any trunk out there. I tried to carry the inflated board on the roof bars, which was attached to the well-known Thule Dockgrip 895, a small boat/kayak carrier. All because I wanted to try out different nearby spots and didn’t bother inflating it 3x in 5 hours. It held up nicely on the roof, even up to 80mph (130km/h) speeds. It was safe and easy to place and strap the board on racks as well.
Rolling up
To end your session, I’d recommend deflating at least the first tip of pressure away from the crowds as it does make a loud-pitched noise for the first 5-seconds.
Note – The valve has an on/off position. Make sure to click it back up before you start inflating it again, otherwise, you’ll be losing a bunch of needed once you remove the pump before going in again.
To get all the air out from inside the board, you can use the pump to literally pump out all the air for compact packing by placing the hose on the back side of the pump. Once the board is out of the air, roll it up like a burrito, preferably from the nose part. There’s still some air coming out at the very end, then click the grey valve button!
Overall
Nevertheless, it’s an awesome-looking mid-range SUP you can use for many exploring and adventure trips over the years. Elan is, after all, a brand you might want to look into if you are after innovation and design. They are small yet very appreciated in their niches of downhill skiing and sailing boats. Let’s hope that we’ll come across more of their awesome boards in the future!
I’ll try to make more content and waiting for your comments as well!
The good
- Looks and feels great – nice distinctive styling
- Good size – for an all-around board
- Great material use – everything’s in place
- Good paddle – with good grip and little flexibility
- Great pump – single & dual-action modes. I pump the first 2/3 with with dual-action and the end bit with single-action mode. Great warm-up for the start!
The bad
Although this post isn’t sponsored by Elan, I must admit that there is not a single thing I haven’t found useful or likable about the board.
Watch the video too:
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I created Nulltuul to share my experience, research and analysis with other surf enthusiasts out there. If I'm not surfing on my travels - I like to photograph waves, surfers, and the surf lifestyle in general.
