FunWater 11 Review

The FunWater 11 left our testers highly impressed with its incredible bang for the buck. Its dimensions place it somewhere between the shape and size of a touring board and a recreational board, giving it a nice blend of glide performance and stability. The lightweight construction makes it easy to transport and quickly inflate, and the included fins, leash, dry bag, and paddle provide everything you need to get out on the water except your PFD. If you're looking to try paddle boarding for the first time and want the convenience of an inflatable board with a full package of accessories for an outrageously low price, the FunWater is a great option.

Performance Comparison

Stability

With its 11-foot x 33-inch x 6-inch dimensions, the FunWater 11 provides comfortable stability for most recreational paddlers. It's one of the wider boards in our lineup, but it does have a more dramatic sidecut that curves to a pointed nose and narrow tail, making it a bit less stable than models that are more uniformly wide from front to back. That said, this board should be stable enough for most novice paddlers to feel comfortable while paddling in calmer conditions and for intermediate or advanced paddlers in all but the choppiest of water.

The FunWater also has a large center fin and two detachable side fins. Using the board with all three fins aids in its stability and helps it track in a straighter line. The only time our experienced testers struggled with this board was when paddling parallel to an ocean breakwater, where the wave energy rebounds back and creates inconsistent choppiness.

A 26-pound dog was barely noticeable on this board, even when walking from the front to back. The length and width make it great for bringing a furry friend on board.

Glide Performance

The geometry of the FunWater, with its aggressive sidecut and pointed nose, is similar to that of a touring board and helps it glide through the water nicely. The pointed nose does a good job of cutting a path through the water, and the 3-fin design helps keep the board stable and tracking in a straight direction, both of which help glide efficiency and performance. Our testers were pleasantly surprised by the overall glide and speed of this board, especially when considering the awesome price tag.

One potential hindrance to the glide performance of this board is that the air valve system and included pump didn't allow us to fully pump it up to the higher end of the recommended 12-15 PSI air pressure. Once the pressure gauge on the pump reached about 12 PSI, the hose and pump couldn't withstand the pressure anymore and started leaking air, so that's where we had to stop inflating. It's possible that the pressure gauge reading was inaccurate, and the board was already at or above the recommended pressure, but we think this is unlikely since the pump performed like this from the very first time we used it.

Since the stiffness and rigidity of a more highly inflated board will allow it to also glide more efficiently, we feel like we weren't quite paddling the FunWater in its optimum condition. However, this wasn't a deal-breaker for us since we had no problem inflating it to the lower end of the recommended pressure range. We were also still pleased with the overall performance of the board and were able to use it as intended with the included pump. Since the pump and board both have universal attachment points, it's easy enough to swap out a different pump or hose apparatus to inflate to the desired pressure.

Maneuverability

The same features that allow the FunWater to excel in the stability and glide performance metrics become somewhat of an obstacle for maneuverability. The 33-inch width, pointed nose, and 3-fin design that help keep it stable and cut through the water also make it a little more challenging to turn on a dime. This board requires a larger turning radius to make 180-degree turns and generally takes a little extra effort to make quick changes in direction.

There are typically trade-offs where the same features that allow a certain product to excel in one area prevent it from excelling in another. In many cases, boards that glide well and track straight aren't able to turn as easily, and likewise, boards that can maneuver easily don't necessarily track or glide well. Considering that the FunWater is meant to be an entry-level recreational paddle board, we think it does a nice job of balancing all-around performance that will suit the needs of most recreational paddlers.

Ease of Use

The FunWater scores near the top here, thanks to its scant weight of just under 19 pounds. The bag is simply designed; it opens from the top, so you just dump everything out or in and then use a drawstring to close it up. The board unrolls and folds up easily, is compact enough to easily grab and move in and out of the included carry bag, and is light enough not to be a burden when hauling it on your back. The overall footprint of the packed-up carry bag is smaller than other boards, making it fit more easily in the trunk of a car or corner of the closet.

The included carry bag definitely does the job, but it isn't all that impressive. The backpack straps are comfortable enough, but that's considering that the fully loaded bag is quite a bit lighter overall than those of competitor models. The top drawstring opening of the bag is sufficient to load and unload the folded board and accessory equipment but is not nearly as convenient as a full-zip bag with a much wider opening.

The comfortable and sturdy middle handle on the board makes carrying the fully inflated FunWater easy for one person, but the lack of front or rear handles makes it almost impossible to share the load with another person. When a board lacks a front or rear handle, users are typically more likely to drag it across the ground when entering or exiting the water, which can eventually cause excessive wear or damage to the fins. Unfortunately, we experienced this first hand, breaking the center fin during an over-aggressive beach landing.

The FunWater inflates pretty quickly compared to many of its competitors but has one key demerit. As mentioned above, something in the interface between the air valve system and the included pump didn't allow us to fully inflate the board up to the higher end of the recommended 12-15 PSI pressure range. The hose and pump housing started leaking right as we hit 12 PSI, the lower end of the recommended pressure range.

Construction Quality

The FunWater uses a high-density, dual-layer PVC, though it feels notably lightweight. It's impossible to ignore that some concessions had to be made to accommodate this board's bargain-basement price.

In regards to our pump issues, it's possible we received a faulty one, though nothing was obviously wrong or broken on it. While this was a minor drawback, we were still pleased with the ease of inflating the board up to 12 PSI. Additionally, the air valve is universal, which allows the use of any other universal pump attachment.

Should You Buy the FunWater 11?

With one of the lowest list prices on the market, the FunWater provides an almost unheard-of value. If you're looking for an affordable way to get on the water, you've found it. While this certainly isn't the ultimate high-performance board, it provides everything that most recreational paddlers need. While we haven't owned this board long enough to comment on the long-term durability after many years, its construction seems solid for the price and held up just fine during our testing period and beyond.

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