Customer experience: the Saimaa SUP Sun 10.6 and Moon 11.8 speed test

For me, SUP is currently my main summer hobby and passion. My dream is to get my whole family of three to join me on a group SUP trip on warm summer days. So far we only have two boards, so we are looking to buy another one. I had the opportunity to test two "flagship" models of the Saimaa collection, Moonia and Sun.

The Moon was the first to be speed tested, because as a travel soup enthusiast I was excited to try this new 355 x 76 cm board size with a 30 cm fin, 25 psi pressure and the standard Sun and Moon package. carbon fibre pulley as standard in the packages, with plastic blade. On the day of the test the wind was about 1 m/s straight ahead, so the first leg was in a slight headwind and the return leg in a headwind. The route was the same as the previous test Joben Dunalla and Angara my walk around the nearby island. So no buoys were needed, as the island determines the length of the route and thus corresponds to a typical paddling route on a lake.

The average speed on the moon was 7.0 km/h in 20 min 29 s over a distance of 2380 m. My Suunto Ambit 3 clock showed a maximum speed of 7.9 km/h and an average heart rate of 163, so I paddled myself to the max. The Moon really lived up to its billing in terms of directional stability, averaging 8 paddles per side before changing. On the day of the test it was quite cold +10, so I had to wear a wetsuit.

Next up for the test was the underdog board Sun 320 x 81 cm with the same 30 cm fin and also with a maximum pressure of 25 psi and a Saimaa carbon fibre paddle. The test day was a couple of days later than the Moon, because after the Moon I "gave it my all" and simply couldn't be bothered to do another maximum performance test on the same day. The wind was about 1 m/s, this time crosswind. The temperature was already +18, so the test was successful in my dream outfit, my swim trunks.

The average speed on the sun was 7.1 km/h in 20 min 19 s over a distance of 2400 metres. The maximum speed was even a staggering 8.6 km/h and the average speed was 164, so we were going at full speed. Sun as a shorter board required a paddle half change every 5 strokes on average and because the shorter board meanders a bit more the distance to the route was 20 meters more than Moon. Already while paddling I felt that Sun was gliding really well, but only after seeing the result on the heart rate monitor I was convinced that Sun won in 13 seconds. Of course, this 13-second speed advantage over Moon could be explained by the fact that the wind was from the side, so there was no headwind at any point during the test. The wet suit when paddling Moon added a few extra pounds and some stiffness to the paddling, so that also helps to explain Sun's nice speed difference.

I also tested both boards in 5 - 6 m/s winds. The surprise was that the Sun can handle 6 m/s winds, although it requires a lot of "top" power from the paddler. The Moon, on the other hand, blows through 6 m/s waves like "cutting through melted butter with a knife".

To sum up, both boards are equally fast at maximum power in cruising paddling. Sun's speed is really excellent for a basic board, so I think Sun is also suitable for 1-10 km flights if the wind is not too strong. Of course, the Moon is a dream board for a touring kiteboarder with its directional stability, which allows it to go well in headwinds of up to 6 m/s. The third board in our family is definitely the Moon, because my runs are on average 10 km long and I don't want to miss a swim even on "wet" windy days.

Read also Jobe Duna and Angara speed test, but note that these tests are done with an optional full carbon fibre paddle (€259), which adds a little extra speed to your paddling.

- Satisfied customer