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the ocean kayak nalu SUP is a hybrid design, meaning you can sit down and paddle it if conditions are too rough, or the wind is too strong. With the proper back rest strap it becomes a fairly quick SOT kayak. Standing up on it requires a bit more skill and flat water. I got to try one for the afternoon on the ocean in Maine, when I traded for my Yak board. If you have paddled a yak board you know they are very stable and can catch waves too small for a surfboard to catch. The Nalu is less stable as a kayak since the paddler sits up above the water. It does accelerate much faster when paddled, but will not turn on a dime like the yak board. The trade off being that the extra length and shape make the board have much better carry, over a distance the Nalu will be faster. I attempted a few waves with the Nalu as a SOT kayak, with out a back rest I couldn't brace myself in tight and got dumped most of the time. Catching waves was more a matter of pointing at the beach and paddling in. riding across the beach to stay in the wave longer wasn't easy as steering was nearly impossible due to the length of the board. compared to the 8 foot yak board the Nalu isn't very responsive for surfing. Standing up brought a new challenge. while the hull is 31" wide, you can't stand with your feet spread as wide as a normal surf board would allow. Your feet must stand in two trenches in the top of the board, meaning you can't increase your stance to help keep your balance. The guys I borrowed the Nalu from were big football player looking guys. they couldn't stand up on it even out beyond the breakers, where the water is flatter. Being built more like a runner I could stand up, but since I couldn't spread my feet out, any waves made me fall off. Pros for flat water paddling the Nalu is fast, the fact it can convert to a SOT kayak quickly is a plus. not everyone can SUP due to balance or ability, for a water toy on a lake or river the Nalu would be great for just about everyone to get on the water. with a lower price than the average SUP you get a fast design that can double as a kayak if you need it to. Cons the board is shaped so you can only stand on the foam pads set in shallow trenches. the rest of the hull is slippery plastic. standing with your feet spread wider and toes out would give better stability for a beginner, due to the hull shape and slippery plastic, you can't have your feet outside of a narrow area. Unless you are an experienced SUP rider this board will only serve in flat water. Usage for exercise and touring the Nalu is great, Surf isn't exactly the strongest point of the board, but for a basic fun board it fits.

my dad got a yak board back around '99, since then no visit to the beach is complete without at least one of these (he has two now). For surf they are great, I can catch waves any day even the days that the surfers on York Beach, ME can't due to them being small. I have never used a yak for fishing or anywhere but the beach and that is where they shine, on days when the surf is dead I have taken them paddling out to nubble light house or just exploring the rocky coast.

My dad got the yak for another reason though, it makes a great float and boat for free diving or snorkeling, something he likes to do. You will get a wet seat using one of these, I wear a wet suit anyway surfing unless the day is over 90* so no big deal there for me. Make sure you get the rubber seat back it is more comfortable than the cloth on my dad paid extra for, for those complaining about the yawing during paddling, try shortening your paddle, my dad shortened his and it helps, plus for surf a shorter paddle seems easier for quick side to side bracing or paddling.

neither of my dads yaks seem to leak that bad, unless I am punching through a lot of waves and getting wet all the time I don't have to empty that much water, the biggest leak seems to be from the rivets that hold the tie offs. As with any plastic boat store these out of the sun or you will end up with a weak hull or a pile of plastic.