Honu's New Board Release: The FAIRLIGHT
10 Sep 2021During the winter months, we’ve been crazy busy working on a bunch of new things... new updates to our existing boards, new colors, and well, new boards...
You read that right, one of the things we’ve been working hard on these past few months is the design and construction of our newest board, the Fairlight.
And we’re so excited to finally share it with you!
So let’s get straight to what this new board is all about, shall we?
WHAT MAKES FAIRLIGHT DIFFERENT?
You may be thinking, “What sets Fairlight apart from Honu’s other SUPs?”
Think of it this way. The Fairlight is a bigger, wider, more stable version of the Byron. So you get the same multi-purpose, all-rounder benefits of the Byron, except that you have more space and volume. You can fit and carry more, yet still feel really stable on this board.
In terms of dimensions, the Fairlight is 33 inches wide and slightly longer than the Byron at 10'9.
The bigger, wider platform of the Fairlight gives the board more volume, which makes it perfect for bigger guys. It’s better suited for folks who are in the 110-kilo weight range.
The Fairlight also has more capacity compared to our existing boards, which makes it suitable for SUP yogis to freely exercise their poses. More space equals more freedom to go all-out with your SUP yoga moves! Plus another key thing about this board: stability is not a problem. So you won’t have to worry about getting off-balance while you work those yoga poses.
And if you’re a parent to multiple kids, but have always found it impossible to get them in one SUP board, this is the board for you. Because it’s wider and has more capacity, you can finally take more than one kid on your SUP adventures. With that said, this board also makes carrying larger fur babies possible. Great fun!
UPGRADED FIN BOX
Another key highlight of the Fairlight is its newly designed fin box.
To give you a little background, we’ve been searching all over for a fin box that would fit a standard 9” fin as well as a touring fin, but to no avail. We couldn’t find a fin box that had enough room for the fin to be adjusted forward or back.
Although the standard US fin box on inflatable boards can fit both a standard 9” fin and touring fin, this particular fin box can take up a very large area of the board—an area that can’t be folded or rolled. This makes the board more difficult to pack away.
To solve this problem, we decided to design our very own fin box. A lot of hard work went into creating the mold to make the best possible fin box for inflatable boards.
For us, the design philosophy was simple. These were our three guiding principles:
1. Must fit both an FCS II touring fin + other 9” fins, so that paddlers can choose their preferred fin.
2. Must have the smallest possible footprint on the board, so that packing up the board is made easier.
3. Must be made of the highest grade polycarbonate material, so that it can take a beating and even outlast the board.
The result? Honu Compact 185 Fin Box
Track length: 185 mm
Total length: 275 mm (55 mm shorter than the market-leading fin box brand)
Durability: We couldn’t break it... even when destruction testing in the factory included presses and weighted drop testers.
WHY DID WE CALL IT “FAIRLIGHT”?
Now that you know the purpose of this board, you’re probably thinking, “So why call it Fairlight?”
Fairlight is a famous spot located in Manly Beach. It’s a beautiful harbour bay, known for its picturesque landscape where people flock to do their much-loved SUP yoga. Also across Fairlight is a famous surfing spot.
That’s why we decided to give the board the name “Fairlight,” because just like the beach, this board is most ideal for SUP yoga. But it’s also versatile enough to have some fun in the surf to catch some small waves.
WE’LL BE LAUNCHING IT ON...
So now the biggest question: when will this new board be available? We’ll be releasing the Fairlight by the end of this month (Australia) and this coming 2022 (USA)! We can’t wait for you to check this new board out. :)
Update: We are now open for backorders and expect to ship the boards in the last week of September.
(click on the photo to see it in full)
