MOAI Touring & Race 14′ board: Review with ISA SUP Coach Dominika Głąb

Hi Dominika, welcome to TotalSUP! You are one of the most influential promoters of the sport in Poland, actively involved in the Polish SUP scene. Where does your passion for doing more than just teaching come from – what inspires and motivates you?

Hey! Thank you, I really appreciate it. How does it happen that it works? It all comes naturally, one action leads to another, and the passion and sincerity in what I do just complete the picture, creating true SUP goodness! I’m inspired by the people in the SUP community, conversations with participants during our trips, observing the SUP world, and my addiction to taking action and creating.

Could you tell us more about your BANANA venture?

BANANA is an unconventional school! I created it together with my partner Mateusz, and from the beginning, we knew we didn’t want to build a ‘standard company’ (though we are one, of course 😉), but rather focus on the message, the way we operate, and most importantly, building a community. I am always incredibly grateful and pleasantly surprised that my vision has truly come to life! We don’t have just a company!

We have a beautiful educational space where we prioritize the quality of our training and all our activities, while still maintaining fun, wonderful relationships, authenticity, and staying true to ourselves! Both in Winter (we offer SKI/SNB training) and Summer, participants come to us from all over Poland because they specifically want to be trained by Dominika & Mateusz! That is the greatest value for us – people see how much effort we put in and how much they can gain from it!

You are an active rider, competitor, and Coach who has tested many boards. What do you pay attention to first when launching your gear?

For me, the most important element is the comfort of propelling the board and the feel of it during various manouvers. I say that the board needs to resonate with me! I need to feel it in order not to feel it (I hope you understand what I mean?). The weight of the board is also a crucial factor! With my featherweight frame, every kilogram matters!

If I’m choosing equipment for training purposes, I need a board that I won’t have to think about on the water, that won’t surprise me in different situations, and that I won’t have to fight with! Because here, I’m focusing on the students, not on maintaining my balance or other elements! But if I want to feel the wind in my hair and I’m going out to train, I like to push different limits, play with the equipment, and then I allow myself to experiment with different widths – the narrower, the better!

We’d like to talk about one of the MOAI boards in your collection – the MOAI Touring SUP 14 Race.

Sure – I paddled on it throughout the entire last season!

What was your first impression after unpacking:

I’m like a magpie, just like most women, and without a doubt, when I unpacked the board, it was “Wow, it’s so beautiful!” I liked everything!

A sturdy backpack with wheels, a really nice paddle, and I immediately noticed the quality of the included paddle—I emphasize this because, let’s be honest, these paddles often leave a lot to be desired! But here, I was pleasantly surprised.

Paddles are relatively lightweight, with solid joints and clamps, even a gasket between the connections on the shaft – these are little details, but I pay a lot of attention to them! The other accessories were also among the better quality ones! So, after opening it, I was full of admiration!

After launching: When Mateusz brought it to the shore, it was already SUPer! And here, a pleasant surprise—despite the weight, it was very easy to accelerate! We got along from the first launch—stable, manoeuvrable, and it keeps its course!

Could you add a few words about:

Quality: On a scale of 0-5, I give it a solid 3.5/4! A huge plus for the double-welded layers. In terms of the foam adhesion there was some peel off due to the frequent use and wear and tear.

Board Weight: This is where I’m on a fence – despite so many advantages, the board weighs around 14kg. Can we hope for a model upgrade to reduce the weight?

Stability and Tracking: This model is definitely more touring than race, but that doesn’t detract from it at all! We got along for the 100% comfort of paddling – I never felt like I was “overestimating my abilities” no matter the situation or conditions; this board simply carried me! For me, this model is one of my favourites for most SUP trips!

Behaviour on flat water vs. tougher conditions: I didn’t notice any difference! Stability and comfort in acceleration were consistent in all conditions, and maintaining direction in waves or wind didn’t require any extra effort from me. In moments like those, I completely forgot about the unfortunate weight.

What do you pay the most attention to when it comes to inflatable touring or race boards?

Weight, Stiffness, Acceleration and Directional Stability!

Can the MOAI 14 be a board for everyone?

I think it can be for anyone who has mastered the basic skills of controlling the equipment and feels more relaxed on the board.

Your verdict?

Well, MOAI is one of my favourite boards – combining quality and style! We’ve spent a lot of time on the water together and it definitely has a solid place in my quiver!

To find out more about the MOAI brand, visit moaiboards.com 

Explore MOAI 2024 collection here 

Follow MOAI on Facebook and Instagram

Follow Dominika and her Banana SUP school on Instagram and Facebook

*Images courtesy of BANANA / Dominika Głąb