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Professional water-skier Jeff Jobe founded the Dutch company that bears his name in 1974 and it quickly went on to become a major European water sports brand offering a large assortment of wake boarding, boating and standup paddleboarding products. In the paddleboard line, Jobe has a handful of rigid and inflatable SUP’s including the popular Duna 11’6 Stand Up Paddleboard that we’ll talk about in this review. The Duna 11'6 is a lightweight inflatable touring board ideally suited to novice and experienced paddlers alike. It’s at home paddling on flat water lakes as well as moving water of rivers and streams.
The following video overview illustrates the Duna’s features and benefits so be sure to give it a watch:
The Duna’s slender shape and 31” width means that it’s not only sleek in the water with good tracking but also stable for those new to the sport. Since it’s not as wide as other boards it remains nimble and maneuverable in the water for those that are more concerned with fun than covering distance. With a pointed bow and 9” of rocker it’s an efficient paddler able to tackle small waves or even surf eddies on the river.
Five millimetres of EVA foam on the deck of the Duna provide comfort and traction, while two bungee storage nets securely lash your gear to the board. Forward and aft there are D-ring connectors for securing the board to shore or attaching the included 10’ coiled leash. On the underside you’ll find the 8" tool less mounting fin which helps keeps the Duna upright and stable. The ability to install and remove the fin without the need for tools means that it can be quickly and easily be removed and won’t be damaged in transport.
With an inflation rate that is 5PSI more than most other iSUP’s Jobe had to ensure that the Duna was designed to be rugged and sturdy to accommodate this additional pressure. To do this, they used a heat bonding technology that allows for added PVC layers. This improves stiffness as does the X-Stitching Construction which uses drop stitch technology but crosses the nylon fibres in an X-pattern, keeping things rigid yet surprisingly light.
The 324L volume of the Duna means that it can easily carry loads of up to 120 kg/ 265 lbs and when the weight of the paddler is subtracted from this, it still leaves plenty of room for additional gear for that multiday lake or river trips.
When it comes to inflatable paddle boards there are endless options to choose from but Jobe stands out from the pack for several reasons—none of which have to do with gimmicks or frivolous features. Jobe simply builds their inflatable paddleboards with quality as a top priority and this is why they use heat bonding technology to incorporate added PVC layers in the construction process which makes their inflatable SUP's more durable and rigid. Addition they use X-Stitching Construction instead of traditional drop stitch construction which further improves the quality of their boards. These two processes allow Jobe iSUP’s to have an inflation rate of 20PSI when most other brands use only 15. Because Jobe incorporates this added quality of construction the additional 5 pounds of pressure can be easily accommodated and makes boards like the Duna stiffer and more efficient to paddle.
Jobe also spares no expense on the other items included with the Dun 11’6” SUP. Other brands will typically provide the cheapest backpack they can in order to reduce overall costs of their SUP’s, not the case with Jobe as they provide a high-quality waterproof pack that easily saves you a few hundred dollars if you were to buy it as an extra. Since I go out on a lot of multi-day paddling trips, having what is essentially a dry bag is a huge plus. I can store all of my camping gear, clothing and food in this waterproof backpack and hit the water for the weekend.
Jobe also includes with the Duna a high-quality dual action pump. This pump is sturdier and more robust than any other SUP pump I’ve come across in my paddleboard reviews which further confirms Jobe’s commitment to quality and design. All of these features which make the Duna a better paddleboard from a quality and paddling perspective increase the overall cost but Jobe did an admirable job of keeping the price tag within the realm of reasonable. At $1099.99 Canadian or $899.99US the price point of the Duna 11’6” SUP package is positioned right in the middle of the pack relative to its competitors.
With high quality, lightweight construction and optimal dimensions that can carry a hearty load, the Duna packs a hell of a punch for the money. What more can you want really? Oh yeah, it’s a blast to paddle as well!
PROS:
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CONS:
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Price: $1099.99CAN / $899.99US
Dimensions: 350x75x15cm / 11’6”x31”x6”
Nose Rocker: 9"
Pressure: 18-20PSI
Volume: 324L
Weight: 8.5kg / 18.7lb
Maximum load: 120kg/ 265lbs
Warranty: 3 years
Features 1.5/2 Construction 2/2 Function 1.5/2 Weight 2/2 Quality / Price 2/2 |
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