Reviews & Ratings for Hala Atcha Inflatable SUP Board — 10 reviews — Page 1

A big sister to the Atcha 86, the classic Hala Atcha is playful and responsive, but has bigger dimensions for bigger water. Absorbs churning currents and glides over big waves in spring runoff or in bigger canyons. Overall this board is the standard by which all other whitewater boards are measured. It is nimble, playful, responsive, burly, and an unbelievably smooth ride. You will find yourself able to step your whitewater game up when you step onto this board. Yep, it's expensive, because it's made out of the same stuff commercial rafts are, except WAY better reinforced, and it has a huge surface of soft, nubby decking that lets you do your fancy footwork on the waves. It also has the Stomp Box, which is a retractable fin that really allows you to find whatever the best line is, even if there's a rock under the surface! Love the travel bag, mostly I use it as a storage bag. Also really love the graphics. Comes with a repair kit, but more importantly, comes with a 3 year warranty.

I think this is the best board for average to large-sized riders for whitewater (smaller riders could look towards the Atcha 86). The rocker in the nose punches through wave trains with ease, and the extreme stability has me wondering how I'm still standing when I've thought I'd lost it for sure. It really helps with confidence, which then really helps with progression to the point where class 2 feels relaxed and I now enter class 3 with a focused confidence instead of just shear terror and tenacity. Because of the tail rocker, the board also surfs well on impromptu river waves, and in whitewater parks. Smaller boards will provide faster turning and better carving for advanced riders, but this is a great board to learn to river surf on and is still fun. It's a big enough board to use for SUP yoga, and the stability lends confidence for that as well. The padded board surface is nice for yoga too. I'm really happy with it. It's my go-to board for whitewater, and for learning to surf new waves, or when the flows are really high and my usual waves are too crazy for a smaller board. The stompbox has an auto-retracting center fin that's great for low water and you can put in bigger or smaller fins for high or low water, or too adjust the feel of the board for surfing.

The extra foot in length on this board is a valuable asset for anyone looking for a super durable all arounder board that could comfortably float 2 people and a dog in flat water. If you have the space to store the extra foot of board (in comparison to it’s smaller version the 8’6”) you will be psyched on the 9’6 as one of your main go to boards for any sort of paddling adventure.

This board is a true whitewater machine! Unparalleled durability and remarkable maneuverability really set this board apart. The retractable fin works well in the shallows and the roller bag is convenient for travel and storage.

The Atcha is the best board I’ve ever ridden. It is amazing in difficult whitewater. Very stable and the rocker helps punch through large holes. Its also a great board to learn how to surf river waves on! I also love doing SUP yoga and the Hala Atcha is a great stable platform to do yoga on! Love and definitely recommend getting this board!

I came to the Atcha after paddling another popular whitewater board for a couple years.
At first I was not convinced that this is the board for me—as a somewhat big guy (6'1", 210 lbs) I felt a little unsteady, and I also was also not used to running a center fin. After getting used to the Atcha for a couple months, though, I don't think this board can be beat for downriver paddling. Once I became accustomed to the enhanced rocker, I found it much easier to both catch waves and execute successful ledge drops. I now find myself catching waves on the fly where before I had a lot of difficulty catching any waves at all, even after eddying out.

I prefer to ride using a single set of low-profile (orange) fins positioned in the front fin slots, along with the center stomp box fin. This combination helps me track while avoiding the dreaded "Superman" (where the board stops when a fin hits a rock but you go flying). The foot index, located just in front of the stomp pad, makes it easy to feel where my back foot should be placed without having to look down when trying to surf standing waves. Lately I have been using the angled stomp pad in the back of the board to sink the tail of the board as I pivot. I find myself riding in a much more surfer stance that I did on my previous board, which helps with the catching waves on the fly. I am very happy with my Hala Atcha and I expect that I will get many years of use out of this awesome board.

This board makes everything more fun. It is stable enough for yoga, drops, surfing holes, whitewater and anything you throw at it. As a woman, this board is easy to maneuver to the point where I get on other boards and wish they would be as easy to turn. It lets you get away with many mistakes while learning with plenty of room to catch yourself. There really is nothing not to love. I have dragged it over rocks to portage and take it in crazy low water with the Stompbox. The packability and durability make it an easy choice. It has removable fins so you can paddle year-round.

When it comes to the river, the Atcha is a guide, a companion, spiritual advisor and your own personal cheerleader all in one! This board feels like home to a first time paddler and feels at home being pushed to the limits by a whitewater veteran. The Atcha encourages you as you stretch out of your comfort zone and rewards you when you do. It is a platform of growth and exploration for any paddler at any stage of their whitewater SUP life.

Love my Hala Atcha.

I use it for flat water through to multi day's on stretches of white water. The board is stable with a load and the best part is that it can run proper white water while still being responsive and fast enough to have a solid surf.

Best part of the board? The rocker which makes surfing and running rapids way easier.