March is the time of year all paddlers look forward to. The weather gets warmer, snow starts melting, and the rivers start rising. With the water levels coming up, the board that needs to get into the water is the Hala Atcha 86.

This board is very versatile and maneuverable in whitewater, and sporty on all those wave trains. It’s the new smaller version of the whitewater-class defining Hala Atcha and like all the Hala Gear boards, is Hala’s super durable inflatable board.

Using an inflatable SUP is great because it can be rolled up, placed in a rolling bag and you can start traveling with it very easily. From Oregon to Japan, the Atcha 86 has been on everything from shallow, rocky and technical rapids to huge high volume class IV and it held up to the challenge! At 34” wide and 6” thick, it provides a sporty platform that is stable in certain areas of the river.

Despite being a shorter board it still punches through large holes and waves with ease. The rocker profile is perfect for river surfing on those little surf pockets you find along you river run. The board is so nimble and has good speed as it enters and exits eddies. Having a board like this is essential to your whitewater SUP quiver.
Another amazing feature new this year is the StompBox™ and click fins. With the new StompBox™ the fin retracts into the board anytime it hits a shallow spot in the river. So no more “supermaning” off your board in spots that are least ideal. The click fins are also great because it allows you to customize the fin set up for different features of the river or surfing.

Everyone has a different style for running whitewater on their boards. With this whitewater SUP being only 8’6” it makes a great board for those smaller paddlers.

Check out our events calendar or head to a local retailer to demo the Atcha 86.