Gili Komodo 11 iSUP Review
Pros
- Excellent all round capabilities
- Full nose-to-tail deck pad
- Comes complete with kayak seat, footrest and paddle converter
- Great set of deck fittings and fixtures
- Buy one and Gili donate $650 to dog rescue charities!
Cons
- The kayak seat cushion would benefit from a way of securing it to the seat frame.
Gili has given a bit more length and a new role to their classic Komodo model, but it still remains at heart a very nice versatile all-rounder.
The Gili Komodo 10’6 fared well in our reviews last season, marketed as a cruiser/yoga sup. For 2024 Gili has put an extra 6” of length into the design plus a whole lot more attachment points on the deck, and rebranded the Komodo as a SUP/kayak hybrid. Which is a smart move as hybrids are definitely all the rage at the moment. But have they actually changed the character of the board in any other ways? Read our review to find out.
Gili are also doing some great things for charity with the Komodo 11. In their own words: When you buy this paddle board, we’re donating over $650 worth of top-notch dog gear to dog rescues (you choose the rescue), ensuring that your purchase not only enhances your outdoor experience but also supports a cause close to our hearts. Nice one Gili!
As with all our supboardguide.com reviews, we put the Gili Komodo 11 through its paces in various locations with a variety of different riders, and in comparison to other boards of a similar style. We checked out how the board performed in terms of stability, speed, tracking and general maneuverability, explored its kayaking mode, and then back in our testing laboratory we gave it a thorough workout with our measuring and deflection testing equipment. So we know the board pretty well, and of course because we review so many boards (and have been doing it for many years), we have a huge amount of data and experience to draw on when it comes to writing these reviews. So we do hope you find it useful.
We think the Gili Komodo 11 would be a great SUP for paddlers who:
- Want a nice all-round general purpose SUP
- Like the full length deck pad (great for yoga, fitness, carrying more people, equipment etc)
- Are into the idea of doing some kayaking as well as paddleboarding
- Like a board with a whole lot of fittings and deck options, so it can be used in a wide variety of ways
Gili Komodo 11: Spec Sheet
- Board Category: All-round SUP/kayak hybrid.
- Listed Board Dimensions: 11’ x 33” x 6”
- Measured Board Dimensions: 11’ x 32.5” x 6”
- Listed Board Weight: 21 lbs
- Listed Max Capacity: 410 lbs
- Recommended PSI: 15 PSI
- Fins: 3 fins
- Paddle: 3 piece adjustable carbon/fiberglass composite paddle with plastic blade, plus additional kayak blade.
- Board Shell Construction Materials: Dual layer fusion
- Drop-stitch type: Knitted
- Price Range: $700
- Warranty: 2 years, with 30 day return period
Performance Review of the Gili Komodo 11 Stand Up Paddle Board
Overall Score: 9.2/10
- Stability: 9.2/10
- Speed: 8.9/10
- Tracking: 8.9/10
- Maneuverability: 8.5/10
- Construction Quality: 9.2/10
- Features/Accessories: 9.5/10
Stability Rating: 9.2/10
The modern plan shape of the Gili Komodo 11 is very much about maximizing stability. The board maintains plenty of width throughout but particularly in the rearward area, leading to the wide, square tail. The result is a very stable platform.
The three fin configuration also plays its part in helping stabilize the board. The primary stability (ie its general feeling of stability when you’re just standing on the board) is really good for a board that actually measures less than 33” in width, and the secondary stability (how tippy it feels when you move from side to side), is also impressively good, thanks to that plan shape.
All in all, the Komodo has more than enough stability to be an ideal learning board for anyone under around 190 lbs, and to work well in its kayak mode too.
While we didn’t get the chance to test out this particular performance claim for ourselves, we feel that the quoted all-up weight of 410 lbs is rather ambitious for a board of this width, though. While it would most certainly still float with 400 lbs on board, the weight would need to be very uniformly and carefully distributed. Our suggestion would be that the board could be used OK by a competent rider of up to around 270 lbs, but any extra cargo weight on top of that would make the board feel incredibly tippy. Really, if you’re looking for maximum weight carrying ability, you need a wider board, end of story. Our recommendation would be to view the board as having a maximum all up weight carrying capacity of nearer 300 lbs, or maybe slightly more if you’re in 2 person kayak mode.
Speed Test: 8.9/10
| Board | |
| Sprint Speed: | 5.2 MPH |
| Average Cruising Speed: | 4.3 MPH |
To obtain our speed test results, we use a Speed Coach Sup 2. This gives us accurate readings on how fast we are paddling and our current stroke rates. For the top sprint speed, we paddle as hard as we can for approximately 10-15 seconds and then record our average speed. For the casual test, we paddle at 35-40 strokes per minute for approximately 30-60 seconds and record the average speed.
The bullet-like plan shape of the Gili Komodo is very conducive to comfortable cruising; the board moves easily through the water and holds its speed nicely. At slightly under 33” the width is just about OK for allowing an average height paddler to maintain good paddling form with a reasonably vertical paddle shaft. We found it easy to hold a pretty respectable cruising speed, with no noticeable flexing or distortion from the board.
When you step it up a bit, the board is happy to oblige, up to a point. With any board much over 30” wide, eventually you reach that point where the board reaches its natural top speed and just isn’t interested in going much faster, no matter how much effort you put in. Being slightly heavier than average also takes its toll. Nevertheless, the Komodo performs above averagely well in this respect, thanks to its modern streamlined plan shape.
If you do want to really push it along in a hurry, removing the side fins reduces the drag quite a bit. The large-bladed paddle that the Komodo comes with as standard is definitely more suited to slower, more sedate paddling, so a higher performance paddle will also help in this respect.
Tracking: 9.1/10
Tracking is a really important aspect of an all-round paddleboard’s performance. The better the board is at holding a straight line, the less often you have to change sides with your paddle so you can get into a better paddling rhythm.
So how did the Gili Komodo 11 fare in this respect? Well actually, this is probably one of its greatest strengths. For a board nearly 33” wide the Komodo holds its line really well. Again, the modern bullet-like plan shape really pays dividends in this area of performance. The three relatively large fins in the tail also help lock the board onto its course.
If you’re in kayak mode then of course you won’t be worrying too much about tracking at all, as kayaking is a much more symmetrical paddling activity.
Maneuverability: 8.5/10
As regular readers of our reviews will know, in general if a board scores highly in tracking it usually means that the maneuvering score comes in rather lower. All the qualities that make a board good for one tend to detract from the other.
That said, the Komodo can still be turned just fine; it just takes a bit more effort if you’re using standard paddle turning techniques, and a few more strokes too. Hence its relatively average score in this department. However, for more competent paddlers the board is undoubtedly pretty fun for pivoting moves standing further back, as the wide square tail gives plenty of stability and support for this.
If you want to loosen the board up so it turns a bit more easily, then experiment with different fin configurations. Removing the side fins or indeed the center fin makes a noticeable difference. Just don’t take them all out at the same time; you’d then find the board actually to be rather too maneuverable for your liking!
Construction Quality: 9.2/10
The Gili Komodo 11 is made from a dual-layer fusion PVC shell on a 6” knitted drop stitch core. Dual-layer fusion is now pretty much the industry standard for quality paddleboards and is a well tested construction method. Two layers of PVC are fused together onto the top and bottom substrate layers of the drop stitch material during the actual cloth manufacturing process, which gets rid of a whole lot of excess weight and potential manufacturing errors.
Despite the fusion construction, our review board did feel a little heavier than the manufacturer’s quoted weight of 21 lbs.
The top and bottom are then connected at the sides with an inner rail band, and another wider band glued over the top of that, and then also taped at the top and bottom along the seams for extra reinforcement (those black lines running along the top and bottom of each rail in the picture above.)
The board is manufactured with just the one color option, (described simply yet undeniably accurately, as ‘blue’), as shown in our pictures. We like (and endorse!) the SAVE OUR REEFS screen print on the underside of the board.
Board Stiffness:
Stiffness Test: 1.1875” Bend
The Gili Komodo 11 feels reasonably stiff on the water, and our standardized bend test measurement backs this up. Anything at/about 1” of deflection under 150 lbs of weight is pretty good.
The rigidity is coming from the good quality construction, the 6” thickness, plus a plan shape that naturally forces more stiffness into the board.
To ascertain the rigidity of each board we review, we use our own specific laboratory bend test process. The board is inflated to its maximum recommended PSI and then placed across two sawhorses positioned exactly 7 feet apart. We then measure the distance from the middle of the board to the floor. Then, we place a 150 lb weight on the middle top of the SUP, and measure the distance to the floor again. The difference between the two measurements shows the deflection, or ‘sag’, that the board has experienced due to the added weight. We have been reviewing the stiffness of boards using this technique since 2021 and while it isn’t an exact replication of the weight distortion that occurs when a rider stands on a SUP board in the water, it still gives a very useful comparative tool in determining the stiffness of the board’s construction process.
Features/Accessory Review: 9.2/10
Features:
First thing to say; this is a good looking board! That all-over deckpad (which we love) gives the board a really sleek elegant appearance. The deckpad is comfortable underfoot; grooved for better drainage in the front section, and more textured in the tail area if you’re stepping back there for maneuvers. We liked the subtle interplay of the colors, too.
In terms of fittings and fixtures, the Gili Komodo comes with everything you’d expect from a modern quality paddleboard. Substantial and easily removable bungees are in place on the nose and tail, and down each side are multiple attachment points for other bungees, and/or kayak seats.
The Komodo comes as standard with one kayak seat and footrest, and one specific set of stainless steel fixings for these, but Gili claim that the board could easily be configured with two seats if so desired, using the additional webbing loops as the attachment positions. This would mean that you’re attaching the seat and footrest to slightly less sturdy mountings (webbing rather than stainless steel), so it’s probably best not to put too much force on them if you are going to use the board this way, but the board would certainly have enough length to work comfortably with this configuration.
The board also features a paddle holder on the right hand side, and several action camera/accessory mounts positioned around the deck. In our review last year, we queried the positioning of these since having them on the deck slightly conflicted with the yoga role. With the board now repurposed as a sup/kayak hybrid, their positioning makes rather more sense.
We also really like the large handles on each side between the bungee D rings at the nose and tail area, as can be seen in the pic above. They make the board super easy to carry when in kayak mode, and easy to grab for board control when you’re standing in the water, too.
On the underside of the board we find a central finbox, with two additional side fins. The fins are of the click-in style, no bolts or tools required.
Included Accessories:
The paddle that comes as standard with the Gili Komodo can either be configured as a single-blade paddle for SUP, or double blade for kayaking. The shaft is fiberglass/carbon composite and feels good in the hands, while the blade is nylon. In SUP mode it’s adjustable, and the handle has length measurements on it, but there isn’t a guide to ensure that the handle is properly aligned with the blade, so you’ll need to check that by hand when you alter the length.
The paddle blade is quite large by modern standards, and more intended for casual recreational paddling than the more committed enthusiast looking to cover longer distances or at a higher cadence, for whom we’d suggest upgrading to a more high performance paddle. This applies also for the kayak mode, for which the two large parallel blades with no drip rings is again more oriented towards the occasional kayaker rather than the experienced enthusiast.
The kayak seat is comfortable and well made, as is the footrest. We definitely recommend using the footrest as it allows you to paddle so much more efficiently. The seat comes with a hard foam cushion, which allows you to raise the seat off the deck, again massively improving the ergonomics for kayaking (albeit at the expense of some stability; you definitely feel a bit more tippy raised up off the deck!). We couldn’t find any way of actually securing the cushion into position though, which seems something of an oversight as the seat can all too easily move around on top of the cushion, and it tends to come out completely should the board tip over. Top tip: Use a bit of sticky backed velcro to connect the seat bottom to the cushion, so that you don’t end up losing it.
Summary Review of the Gili Komodo 11
We rate this board highly, because it’s such a versatile platform. Other than the extremes of SUP action such as racing or surfing, there’s pretty much nothing that this board couldn’t turn its hand to, if you so desired. General all round paddleboarding? Check. Learning the basics on or teaching a friend? Absolutely. Paddling for fitness? No problem. Loading up with some cargo and taking further afield. Bring it on. Fishing? Why not? And what about the yoga that its predecessor had in mind? Totally – it’s still got that all over comfortable deckpad, and is a bit longer now too, so you’ve got even more deck space to play on. Plus of course, the kayaking options as well. And on top of all that, it looks good – and when you buy the Gili Komodo you make a bunch of dogs real happy somewhere. All in all, it’s a very versatile platform for a wide variety of paddleboarding activities and styles.
Happy paddling! We hope you enjoyed this review of the Gili Komodo 11. If you have any questions or comments please leave us a comment below!
SupBoardGuide
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