GILI Adventure

“Just bought 2 for my wife and I. I can't speak for longevity, but they SEEM high quality. Everything felt very well thought out and not complicated at all to get on the water. Pump super nice, paddle has clear height markers, fin snaps in intuitively, easy to carry with handles, etc. Sure - all basic things, but the point is, nothing bothered us or had to be googled/slowed us down.  So, who is this paddleboard for?  Short answer - it's for us. Long answer - we both have rented paddleboards a few times a summer and loved it. We use it to make swimming more fun. I.E., we hop on paddleboard, get away from the swimzones, enjoy the scenery, jump in a few times, and sun bathe.  * Is it 3/4ths as fast as rental paddleboards? Yes.  * Does it look nice / make us feel good / feel solid and high quality to us? Yes.  * Can we paddle a mile (or less) away from the crowds to enjoy a small adventure & swimming? Yes.  * Can we let our friend's kids take them out on camping trips? Yes.  * Will we fall off / be stranded from land at the first site of wind & waves? No.  Sure, if you want to spend some time waiting for a sale for some isle board, go ahead. But my wife & I won't be going more than 5x per year, and I CANNOT UNDERSTATE the peace of mind I have about the Costco warranty. Instead of stressing about going out at all and damaging my fancy "community approved" paddleboard, I don't even have to give a second thought. Just because you appreciate a good warranty doesn't mean you hate the environment and are wasteful.  I'm guessing our experience is about 90% of people looking to buy paddleboard. We will never be paddleboard enthusiasts, going for long intense trips or "water hikes" or whatever you call them. We will take them on road trips and have a better time in the water than those stuck with floaties in the swimzone.  Im not a fan of "beginner" connotation, more accurately "casual". Because beginner implies someone who is trying to get into serious Paddleboarding, whatever that means (racing, long-distance, etc.) while most people will be "casual" their whole life and aren't looking to upgrade.  So that's my perspective. Basically, I'm just arguing that it's good enough for casual users, it's (relatively) inexpensive, and you get the benefit of lifetime warranty. If you can't stomach something in this post, then the board is not for you, go find a good discount somewhere else :)”