Honu Byron 10’6 SUP
Pros
- Stiff and rigid yet super lightweight (16.9 lbs) due high quality construction.
- High-performing due to its thinness (4.7’’); has a hardboard-like feeling on the water.
- Fantastic glide and is easy to get up to speed.
- Clean, minimalistic design without lacking any functionality; this SUP is great for hassle-free daytime adventures.
- Very stable and zippy on the water!
- Upgraded backpack and new split fin box! The 2023 model of this SUP is now equipped with a more durable, high-quality, and well-sized bag + a split fin box for easy portability and storage.
- Peace of mind for longevity thanks to the 4-year manufacturer defect warranty.
Cons
- More of an FYI than a con: paddlers over 200 lbs are within the weight limit, but will have less stability/performance. We’d recommend looking at the Honu Fairlight instead for those paddlers
- Would like to see the front cargo area extended or moved up toward the nose for more cargo and deck pad space.
It may be thin and lightweight but its performance is top-notch – so much so that we are surprised by the boards lower-than-expected price tag.
When Justin first stood up on the Honu Byron 10’6 All-rounder for our testing, he only had one thing to say: ‘wow’. In my time here working at SUPBoardguide, I’ve never seen a board render him speechless. Usually, he’s firing away his thoughts for the review at warp speed and I struggle to get everything down on paper, so the respite that Byron provided was more than welcome.
Since that first day, Honu’s Byron has continued to impress us and everyone else we’ve dragged out to give it a try. It’s light but rigid, uncluttered but functional, compact but accommodating, maneuverable but tracks well, quick but stable, and so on and so forth; I’m clearly still trying to wrap my head around how well this board fits the definition of ‘all-rounder’. Even now, several years after we first got our hands on the Honu Byron, it has remained one of our go-to all-around iSUPs for our own use (and one of our top recommendations).
The bottom line is that the Honu 10’6 Byron is a performance-focused all-around iSUP option that rises above the pack when it comes to innovative lightweight build quality, stiffness, stability, maneuverability, and speed. Because this 10’6 by 32” SUP is only 4.7” thick, it has more of a hardboard-like feel on the water than other 6” thick all-around SUP options.
However, because of its 4.7″ thickness, it also has slightly less volume than 6” thick SUPs of similar lengths and widths making Honu’s 10’6 Byron best suited to paddlers within or below a 110-230 lb weight range. Paddlers above this range can also enjoy this board but will experience a slight decrease in performance. These paddlers would benefit from the added volume of the Honu Fairlight.
We think the Honu Byron 10’6 would be great for paddlers who
- Are between a 110-240 lb weight range
- Want a lightweight all-around that doesn’t sacrifice rigidity and performance
- Want a hardboard feel with all the benefits of an iSUP
- Prefer a cleaner look to your deck space instead of a variety of action mounts, D-rings, etc.
Honu Byron 10’6: Spec Sheet
- Main Category: All-Around, Inflatable
- Board Dimensions: 10’6 X 32” X 4.72
- Listed Board Weight: 16.9 lbs
- Listed Max Capacity: 240 lb
- Recommended PSI: 20
- Fins: Universal 9’’ Air-7 Dolphin Fin
- Paddle: not included
- Materials: X- woven fused drop stitch
- Warranty: 4 years of manufacturer warranty
*Honu offers a variety of high quality paddles for additional purchase, and a discount is provided if you bundle it with your SUP.
*Boards must be registered for the warranty to receive 4 years of free repairs
Performance Review of the Honu Byron 10’6 Stand Up Paddle Board
Overall Score: [9.5/10]
- Stability: 8.8/10
- Speed: 8.6/10
- Tracking: 9/10
- Maneuverability: 9.4/10
- Construction Quality: 9.8/10
- Features/Accessories: 9/10
Stability Rating: [8.8/10]
The Honu Byron 10’6, with it’s 32” width and impressive stiffness, provides plenty of stability for our paddlers between 110-240lbs. Because it’s only 4.7” thick, the Byron also lowers your center of gravity, contributing to a more solid feel for smaller paddlers. The caveat to this, however, is that going from the usual 6” thickness that most iSUPs have to the Byron’s 4.7” thickness slightly decreases the volume of the SUP, which can cause inexperienced, heavier paddlers to feel less stable on the water.
Even so, the Byron performed surprisingly well for one of our product testers who is about 230 lbs. He is a veteran paddler though, so his experience will not be universal for paddlers with a beginner skill set. He also still prefers the Honu Fairlight 10’9 as a higher volume, more stable alternative to the Byron 10’6, that doesn’t force you to sacrifice having a lower center of gravity.
Speed Test: 8.6/10
| Top Sprint Speed: | 5.25 MPH |
| Average Cruising Speed: | 4.05 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 40-35 strokes per minute for approximately 30-60 seconds and record the average speed.
Being that the Honu Byron 10’6 is an all-around board, we were pretty impressed with its speed. No, it’s not going to rip through the water like a dedicated touring SUP, but because it’s lightweight (16.9 lbs), it feels pretty effortless to paddle and easy to get up to a decent cruising speed when compared to heavier all-around options.
We also think the Byron’s level of stability helps with the speed in that beginners can focus on their paddling form rather than trying not to fall off. Lastly, this all-around also sports a single fin, which should help to decrease any extra drag in the water that side fins may cause (though we can’t say for sure without being able to test it with side fins).
Tracking: 9.0/10
Assuming you have proper paddling technique (if you’re unsure, check out our video How To Improve Your Stand Up Paddleboard Technique), you’ll find the Byron keeps a reasonably straight path in the water.
We want to note that if you are a smaller paddler (hence shorter arms), you’ll enjoy the Byron because it’s not so wide that you have to expend extra energy reaching far over the edge. Without extra reaching, it’s easier to sink your paddle in the water at a vertical angle, which is an important technique for achieving improved trackin
Maneuverability: 9.5/10
Honu’s 10’6 Byron impressed us in every aspect of our testing, but where it really shines is in maneuverability. This lightweight board changes direction with ease when it comes to a casual turn, and its stability combined with its well-placed raised kick pad makes stepback turns a breeze even for inexperienced paddlers. It only took our team on average 3.5 reverse sweeps to turn in a full circle, which is impressive!
The placement of the kick pad is one of our favorite aspects of the Byron. Honu has made it so precise that all you really have to do is stand with one foot on the pad to sink its tail. You don’t have to push down or work for it at all. Then, when you need to really sink the tail and turn on a dime, the Byron performs very well. It not only turns on a dime but does so without losing stability.
Construction Quality: 9.8/10
Honu as a whole displays a commendable level of attention to detail when it comes to lightweight, rigid, and thin iSUP construction, and the Byron 10’6 is no exception to this rule.
The Byron is constructed with a woven fabric core held in shape with cross-oriented drop-stitch threads. Two layers of PVC are then fused to the woven fabric with heat, instead of heavier glue, to keep the Byron light.
After the PVC solidifies, Honu adds the rails to the SUP in 3 separate PVC layers to enhance the rigidity and durability of the Byron 10’6. As a final touch, the Byron features are added such as the carry handles, spliced deck pad, and front and rear cargo areas.
When asked how they keep these boards so rigid yet remarkably lightweight and only 4.7” thick, Honu’s Mark Travers gave most of the credit to their rail process and some to their cross-woven drop stitch. He explained that adding 3 layers of PVC to just the rails stiffens up the board without needing to add multiple layers of PVC throughout the board. This helps them remain lightweight without sacrificing a great on-the-water feel.
Of course, it’s always hard for us to verify construction information without cutting apart the board, but you can actually see the demarcations of the 3 layers on the Byron’s rails (top left photo in the grid above).
What we can verify with more certainty is that the Byron performs very well and feels great out on the water.
Board Stiffness:
Stiffness Test: 1.5” Bend
In order to attest to the rigidity of each board, we use a bend test curated by Supboardguide. In order to obtain the results, we inflate the board to its maximum recommended PSI and then place it across two sawhorses that are 7 feet apart. We then take a measurement in the middle of the board. Then, we place 150 lbs worth of sandbags on the middle top of the SUP. Last, we record its displacement (the movement from its original position). We use this method for every board we test as a way to mathematically compare boards across a common denominator.
During our bend test, we set two sawhorses 7 feet apart, set the SUP on top, and then place 150 lbs at the board’s midpoint (usually at the handle). We then measure how much the board bends under this weight. We realize that this test is not replicative of how the board behaves on the water, but it serves as an ongoing way for us to better understand how SUP construction contributes to stiffness underweight.
The Honu Byron 10’6 did excellent in our bend test with only 1.5” of bend when inflated to its max of 20 PSI. This rivals triple layer boards that we’ve tested that are near twice the weight of the Byron. Honu SUPs continue to impress us with the quality and attention to detail that is put into manufacturing.
Features/Accessory Review: [9.7/10]
Features:
As is the case with most performance focused SUPs, the Byron 10’6 shows off a cleaner, less accessory cluttered deck space than more casual all-arounds.
Still, the Byron has 2 carry handles as well as a small cargo area at the front of the deck pad to store a couple of dry bags, shoes, or water bottles. There’s also a smaller bungee located at the tail of the board behind the much appreciated kick pad that turns out to work great as a paddle holder. Admittedly, I was really skeptical of this little bungee at first and thought it was a poorly executed water bottle holder, but now that I know its purpose it may be my favorite feature on this board.
I also loved the comfy diamond grooved deck pad as well as Honu’s decision to trade out their D-rings for nylon loops. Though I will be interested to see how the nylon holds up for our saltwater paddlers.
Included Accessories:
Listed below are the accessories that are included with the purchase of a Honu Byron 10’6. We also want to note that we were super happy to see Honu using minimal and compostable packaging for their SUP and accessories.
- Roller backpack (with front zipper compartment)
- 10’ coiled leash
- 9’’ Touring Fin
The Honu SUP backpack is roomy enough that your SUP and other accessories easily fit inside, and there’s an external pocket on the front of your bag to store your fins, leash, or whatever you want. I’m also partial to the FCS II fins because I love the easy set-up and the customization ability that comes with a universal fin box. However, I would advise being careful not to bump your fin on anything because it’s somewhat easy to knock out of the box.
Being a performance-oriented SUP, the Byron does not come with a paddle included. Instead, Honu provides the option to choose from their variety of high-quality paddles for an additional discounted cost when you bundle it with your SUP.
Summary Review of the Honu Byron 10’6
All in all, the Honu Byron 10’6 is among the best performing all-around iSUPs in the market right now. It’s lightweight, stiff, stable, easy to get up to speed, and maneuverable in the water.
That being said, the Honu Byron is definitely more of a minimalistic paddler’s board (myself included in there). If you’re looking for an array of action mounts, d-rings, rod holders, etc. then this might not be the right choice, but for paddlers who value performance above all else, the Byron is a great fit.
As a final note, I’m super excited to see Honu continue to make innovations and work to set the bar for iSUP construction and performance.
Thanks for sticking with us through our review of the Honu Byron 10’6, stay safe and get out on the water!
Laura Coor
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With the minimalist design is there a kayak seat the Byron would support? First time buyer.
Thanks for providing these reviews.
Hi KC,
The Byron does not support a kayak seat.
Overall Rating:
10
My wife 150lbs/68kg and I 180lbs/82kg are just about to purchase some ISUP boards and am on the fence between 2 Byrons or one Byron and a Fairlight. When you said that Justin opts for the Fairlight is that because you don’t have 2 Byrons or that he really likes that one better? We will mostly be on flat water relaxing and exploring with under 20lbs of total extras shoes, clothes, dry bag etc. Great review by the way.
Hi David,
We do have 2 Byrons, he just prefers the tiny bit of extra volume he gets from the Fairlight.