Review: Orca Boards KEIKO 11'
First impressions
The first thing to note about this board was the plastic free packaging. Everything was beautifully and carefully wrapped in 100% recyclable brown paper and tied together with string. The little thank you notes and tags are a nice touch also.
What’s inside the box
11' x 33" x 6" inflatable paddle board
Slide & clip in central fin
Coil leash
3-Piece aluminum paddle
Double action hand pump
Repair kit with glue
Carry bag
Board, fin and leash
As all-rounder boards go, this one has a more pointy front end which helps this board glide nicely through the water with little effort. It feels stable under foot and we could perform some more technical maneuvers with ease such as a step back turn. It has the standard bungee setup on the front deck, perfect carrying all your SUP essentials.
The board doesn’t have handles at the nose or the tail of the board. Handels would be a great addition as they help with carrying the board between two people, and are also useful when tying it down on a car roof. A tail handle can also help with a self rescue from the back of the board if struggling from the side.
The eva deckpad itself is a diamond shaped foam which looks beautiful. In our experience, this design is a bit of a pain to keep clean, however some say it offers more grip and traction. The board does feature a little kick pad at the tail which helps for getting that nose in the air when showing off your step back turns.
We think some branding along the rail would be a nice addition. Also the board's name and size isn't printed on the iSUP. Orca are proud to say that the KEIKO 11' is 2kg lighter than a standard double layer board, due to the way the PVC is glued. We have weighed the KEIKO and it's coming in at 10.7 kg, so not as light as we expected but still easy enough to carry.
To help you understand the weight, here’s a comparison.
iSUP A (KEIKO) (dual layer) 11', 33", 6" ” - 10.7kg
iSUP B (also dual layer) 10’6”, 32”, 6” - 10.4kg
iSUP C (also dual layer) 10’8”, 32”, 4.7” - 12.7kg
The KEIKO comes with a coiled leash and clip-in central fin. The board has two side fins permanently moulded in. The clip-in fin is a little flimsy and in our experience the little clips easily break, but on the bright side they’re cheap to replace.
Paddle, pump and carry bag
Like most iSUP packages, the KEIKO comes with a 3 piece paddle. We (perhaps unfairly) judge an aluminum paddle before even trying it, because from experience they are heavy and don’t float so well. Aluminum tends to be the cheapest option.
We’ve given this one a go and it does actually float, but it is heavy which can cause fatigue. It does however boast an anti-twist shaft which is a nice surprise, this will provide smoother paddling. The material of your paddles shaft and blade can have a dramatic effect on performance and efficiency and this is something iSUP buyers should take into account when doing their research and comparing SUP packages.
The Orca paddle is of a teardrop shape and has a standard offset angle to help with paddling efficiency. For a beginner, It will do the job but you might consider replacing it with a fiberglass or carbon fibre paddle, depending on your budget. For a package costing £599.95 we would like to see the KEIKO come with a better quality paddle. Orca now stock a full carbon fibre paddle which costs an additional £245.95.
The KEIKO comes with a simple carry bag with no waist clips. It’s not as sturdy compared to other packages of a similar price.
Let’s summarise the Orca KEIKO inflatable SUP
Orca pledge the following when purchasing the KEIKO
We will plant a tree.
5% profit will go to marine conservation.
5% profit will go to river and ocean clean up projects
This along with the plastic-free and recyclable packaging will appeal to eco conscious minds. We were certainly impressed with the packaging, even the tape used to seal the box was eco friendly.
A few additions such as more handles and a better quality paddle and fin would make the KEIKO value for money, in our opinion. However it does glide through the water very well and it's even sturdy enough for SUP Yoga, as you can see in the photos above.
The KEIKO currently retails at £599.95 and you can purchase it via their website here. We love that the Orca guys are local and a family run business. It was great that we could meet Atiqur in person. They currently have a £25 off discount as well! If you’ve got the KEIKO, let us know what you think.
We hope you find this review useful, thanks for checking it out.
If you’ve just bought yourself a board and want some help setting up, or perhaps you fancy a lesson, just head to our booking page here. We are here to help, so feel free to drop us a message with any questions you may have.
India & Joshua
