![\"Honu](\"https:\/\/www.supboardguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Honu-Sorrento-126-hero-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Check Prices<\/a>\n When it was first launched a few years back, the Honu Sorrento 12\u20196 quickly established itself as a front runner in the 12\u20196 touring class, delivering excellent performance and a very smooth ride, plus of course those other benefits that we\u2019ve come to expect from a quality brand like Honu; the top-notch construction and a great set of accessories.<\/p>\n But then Honu announced that they were significantly redesigning the 12\u20196 Sorrento for 2025, which immediately got our attention. Redesigns can be risky; sometimes they reduce the overall performance, but more often they simply end up repositioning the board to somewhere else on the performance spectrum, improving it in some areas while making it slightly less effective in others. What were we going to find with the 2025 Sorrento 12\u20196? All will be revealed in our write-up, but we can put your mind at rest right now, this is most certainly not a case of the redesign reducing the overall performance!<\/p>\n We think the Honu Sorrento 12’6 would be a great SUP for:<\/p>\n Check Prices<\/a>\n To set the scene in this review, it\u2019s worth getting into geek mode straight away, and looking at what has actually changed with the 2025 version of the Sorrento 12\u20196. Because we retain all the boards we review (oh yes, we have a LOT of boards here in our store!), it was a simple matter to haul out the previous model so we could compare them side by side.<\/p>\n It\u2019s immediately obvious that the changes are a whole lot more than just cosmetic alterations or tweaks to the construction. The shape has also been extensively modified. The new Sorrento 12\u20196 has a slightly widened tail, but a whole lot less width and volume in the nose. Indeed the nose shape itself has been altered very significantly, pulled in significantly and then rising to a slightly odd-looking beak-like point. The whole balance of the board has been changed. The construction has indeed been altered too, most noticeably in the use of a reduced thickness of drop stitch, reducing the overall thickness of the board by around 1cm. This may not seem like a lot, but thickness is one of those parameters where every little helps. The closer you are to the water, the better the ride.<\/p>\n After the visual comparison, it was time to get out onto the water for some comparative paddling between the two versions of the Sorrento 12\u20196. This sort of in depth testing process is essential to really get a handle on what\u2019s going on, and understand what the changes have actually done to the performance. We\u2019ll discuss our findings as we move through the review.<\/p>\n The stability score shown here is a global rating, based on comparative performance to all other sizes and styles of paddleboards (other than multi-person boards).<\/em><\/p>\n So this is an interesting one. (Well, to us geeky paddleboard reviewers every review is an interesting one, but the case of the 2025 Honu Sorrento 12\u20196 was particularly so!). We really liked the previous version of the Sorrento 12\u20196, but we did feel that the tail was just a fraction too narrow, adversely affecting the stability. And sure enough, in this latest version the tail has been widened slightly – but the nose has also been made considerably narrower, proportionally much more so than the change that has been made to the rear section of the board. If it had been left at that, the end result would have been clearly an overall loss of stability. However, because Honu has reduced the thickness as well, the rider is now closer to the water, which adds a plus factor to the stability equation! So there\u2019s a whole lot of stuff going on here, and overall there\u2019s no doubt that it\u2019s changed the feel of the board very significantly.<\/p>\n But enough of the geeking – how is the stability, we hear you cry! Well, the primary stability of the new Sorrento 12\u20196 has definitely been reduced; the board responds much more immediately to weight shifts and it\u2019s noticeably easier to push a rail down, due to removing the support from all that shape up front. However, there is still plenty of secondary stability to get you back onto an even keel, and you just need to learn to trust it. So overall, our stability rating is essentially unchanged. It\u2019s definitely not the most naturally stable 12\u20196 x 30 out there, but it does the job.<\/p>\n One other noticeable benefit, the reduced thickness and extra bit of width in the tail also makes it feel more stable when you walk back to crank a step-back turn.<\/p>\n So let\u2019s take a look now at Honu\u2019s suggested rider weights for the Sorrento 12\u20196. Their website suggests that the board can carry up to 140kg (around 300 lbs). Our take is that this is a little optimistic; the board feels more optimised for a lighter rider. For sure, a 12\u20196 is generally not considered to be a first-time board so we can assume that anyone buying it is already a reasonably experienced paddler, looking for more performance. However, even then we\u2019d suggest that for paddlers much over around 230lbs there are definitely more stable and user-friendly board options of this size to choose. Whereas for the lighter paddler, the light, responsive nature of this board will be much appreciated.<\/p>\n As for cargo carrying, again because it has such a sleek narrow profile, and the tail is still relatively narrow compared to most other boards this size, we wouldn\u2019t choose to weigh it down with much more equipment than perhaps a camping overnighter. This isn\u2019t a shape optimised for heavy cargo.<\/p>\n Over the many years that we have been reviewing paddleboards at supboardguide.com<\/a>, we have experimented with numerous different methodologies for speed testing, involving various hardware and software solutions. However, none have proved replicable; even using the same rider in the same conditions the numbers would vary from day to day, and of course when using different riders, or even just a different paddle, the results would change significantly. For this reason, while we still test all boards in cruise mode, fast cruise mode and then push them as hard as we can, we no longer give \u2018absolute\u2019 speed data (ie 5.5mph etc) – which ultimately doesn\u2019t really matter unless you\u2019re specifically looking to compete – and now report more on the general feel of the board when asked to perform.<\/div><\/div>\n The Sorrento 12\u20196 has not lost any of its sprightly performance that we really enjoyed in our previous reviews, but it has changed its character quite a bit. It\u2019s definitely better suited now to rougher conditions and more challenging waters. Our only criticism is that the nose shape isn\u2019t quite working to its best potential. It\u2019s just a bit too high, and thus permanently out of the water unless you\u2019re paddling through rough stuff, and thus not contributing to speed or stability. If this could be lowered just slightly for future models the performance would be improved even further.<\/p>\n Tracking ultimately comes down to board length; a longer board will almost always track better than a shorter board of the same general width. So our tracking scores are intended to show how a board compares to other boards in its size. In the case of the Honu Sorrento 12\u20196 the scores compare to other boards in the 12\u20196 all-purpose\/touring category.<\/em><\/p>\n This is another area where the reshaping of the Honu Sorrento 12\u20196 has resulted in quite significant changes to the performance. The board is noticeably more willing to change direction than its predecessor, due to having so much less width, volume and grip in the nose. In a straight line with no wind this does mean that the tracking performance has been reduced, but being a 12\u20196 x 30\u201d board its tracking is still significantly better than you\u2019ll get from any shorter, wider recreational board anyway, so in the greater scheme of things it\u2019s still pretty good! Having the fin box placed very close to the tail – much closer than on the smaller Sorrento, or indeed any of the other 12\u20196s we\u2019ve reviewed this year – also helps lock the board onto its course.<\/p>\n Interestingly though, what we also found was that when paddling across the wind, it was significantly easier to keep it on track, because the weather-cocking factor was considerably reduced. So again, this plays in very well with the board\u2019s generally increased capabilities in more challenging conditions.<\/p>\n So overall, while we\u2019re reducing the tracking score slightly for this year, it\u2019s still a perfectly capable performer in this department, and tracks better than any of the wider 12\u20196s. We were also genuinely impressed with its capabilities in a more challenging cross-wind environment.<\/p>\n Maneuverability scores are based on comparative performance to boards of a similar general length and style. In the case of the Honu Sorrento 12\u20196 the scores compare to other boards in the 12\u20196 touring board category.<\/em><\/p>\n If you\u2019re new to the 12\u20196 class then you\u2019ll instantly notice that they are a lot less willing to turn than a shorter (and probably wider) all-round board. However, the Honu Sorrento 12\u20196 is actually a pretty good performer in this respect. In general, there tends to be a very strong inverse correlation between tracking and maneuverability, as one is essentially the opposite of the other. And this was most certainly the case with the Sorrento 12\u20196. It\u2019s substantially easier to change direction while paddling than on its predecessor. When it comes to the type of \u2018real world\u2019 turning that you\u2019re doing on a board like this; cruising along at a good speed and then the channel or coastline that you are following changes direction a bit, so you bung in a few sweep strokes to alter course while still maintaining your forward speed. Having so much less resistance in the nose means that the 2025 Sorrento responds with ease and alacrity to this sort of turning input. It likes crossbow turns too, for similar reasons.<\/p>\n Turning using reverse sweep strokes is slightly less responsive, due to that extra width and volume in the tail and the rearward fin position both doing a good job at resisting your efforts to turn from that area of the board. But it still goes round OK. And those same factors have had a beneficial impact on the stepback turning performance too, giving a little bit more support underfoot in the tail area. However, it\u2019s still relatively narrow in the tail compared to most other boards of similar size, and the lack of shoulders up front does make it feel quite a bit more twitchy underfoot when you\u2019re moving around on the board, so we wouldn\u2019t particularly recommend the Sorrento 12\u20196 for paddlers wanting a board for learning stepback turns. But if you already know what you\u2019re doing, you\u2019ll have no problem at all.<\/p>\n Overall, while it definitely has some areas of maneuvering that it prefers to others, it\u2019s a good allrounder, and probably the easiest to turn of the 12\u20196 x 30\u201d boards we\u2019ve reviewed this season. We were particularly impressed by that ease of changing line while on the go.<\/p>\n To understand more about turning styles and how to do them, check out our how-to video<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n The 2025 Sorrento 12’6 has had some significant upgrades from the (already impressive) previous versions of the design.<\/p>\n Inside the board<\/strong> Top and Bottom Skin<\/strong> Side Construction<\/strong> Extra Stiffening Features<\/strong> Overall<\/strong> Board Stiffness:<\/strong><\/p>\n Stiffness Test: 1.14\u201d (2.9cm) Bend<\/strong><\/p>\n The deflection reading for the 2025 Honu Sorrento 12\u20196 is just slightly higher than we found on last year\u2019s model, but this is only to be expected since the board has had its thickness reduced. If they\u2019d managed to maintain the same stiffness then sort of witchcraft would have had to be involved! It\u2019s still an excellent result for a board of this width, and the board certainly doesn\u2019t feel flexy when you\u2019re on the water.<\/p>\n Check Prices<\/a>\n The Honu Sorrento 12\u20196 comes in one colorway, the \u2018Clear Waters\u2019 scheme shown in these pix, gentle pastel colors giving a cool and classy feel to the board.<\/p>\n The Sorrento 12\u20196 comes with a reasonable set of features. At the front of the board we find a handle and a big hefty D Ring, great if you need to take the board under tow. We loved that the handle continues the same graphic lines as are on the board. It\u2019s only a little thing but we love the attention to detail<\/p>\n Then we have a permanently fixed criss-crossed bungee with 6 fixings, of the webbing loop variety rather than stainless steel D rings. It\u2019s a neat, light and low profile set-up, but the easily-removable straps as used on the tail of the board do offer a lot more versatility when it comes to cargo carrying. Next up is a screw-in action cam mount on the centerline at the front end of the deckpad. This would be a good position for a cupholder or a speaker, but is just a little too close to the standing position to be ideal for a camera or phone.<\/p>\n The deckpad itself is die-cut EVA foam with a high-traction diamond groove pattern, and is very comfortable underfoot, either paddling barefoot or in boots. The center carrying handle is nicely padded and it too is extremely comfortable to use.<\/p>\n At the rear of the pad we have three lateral stretchy (and tensionable) webbing straps, which can very easily be unhooked from the webbing loops on the board and removed completely, which we really like because it leaves the deckpad largely uncluttered. In general, unless you\u2019re particularly wanting to carry cargo in this tail area we\u2019d suggest removing them completely until needed. It\u2019s really nice to be able to walk all the way back to the well-positioned stomp pad for step-back turns without having things to trip over! Plus which, since the tail is still relatively narrow compared to most 12\u20196 boards you aren\u2019t going to be wanting to carry too much extra weight back here anyway.<\/p>\n Finally, we have the leash fixing, valve and a big padded laterally-oriented handle on the tail.<\/p>\n On the underside we find the one split-style US fin box, positioned very close to the tail as discussed in our speed analysis earlier. The board comes with a high quality touring-style 9.4\u201d fin.<\/p>\n Included Accessories:<\/strong><\/p>\n Honu boards come with a coiled leash and repair kit, and a well-made carry bag, crafted from 1680D ripstop nylon. It has roller wheels, reinforced handles and internally organised pockets. The shoulder straps and waist belt, for when the bag is being used in \u2018rucksack\u2019 mode, are extremely well padded and comfortable. It\u2019s not a hardship to travel with this bag!<\/p>\n The Sorrento 12\u20196 is not packaged with a paddle as standard but one can be ordered during the online purchase process (click \u2018create your bundle\u2019). The carbon ($225) and carbon\/bamboo ($245) paddles are excellent and very stylish 3 piece paddles which would suit the board perfectly.<\/p>\n The Sorrento also doesn\u2019t come with a pump as standard, but in the bundling process you can choose either a double-action hand pump or an electric pump.<\/p>\n While the 2025 Honu Sorrento 12\u20196 is undoubtedly quite a different beast to its predecessor, it\u2019s essentially still appealing to the same market. It\u2019s a high performance, high quality 12\u20196 touring board that is particularly well suited to either the lighter rider or the more experienced paddler looking for something fast and purposeful that has a bit more carrying capacity and versatility than a full on raceboard. It\u2019s definitely at the performance-orientated end of the 12\u20196 spectrum, more twitchy and responsive in feel than the majority of boards of this size, so it won\u2019t be for everybody, but if this is the sort of board you\u2019re looking for then you\u2019ve come to the right place.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re wondering whether to upgrade from your existing Sorrento 12\u20196, you\u2019ll definitely appreciate the changes if you like to paddle in challenging conditions. The 2025 model has a smoother and more immediate feel through the water, and cuts a faster, easier line through rough water. So, to go back to the question we opened this review with – does the Honu Sorrento 12\u20196 still qualify as a top recommendation? The answer is yes, it certainly does.<\/p>\n Happy paddling! We hope you enjoyed this review of the Honu Sorrento 12’6. If you have any questions or comments please leave us a comment below!<\/p>\n Check Prices<\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n
Honu Sorrento 12’6: Spec Sheet<\/h2>\n
![\"Honu](\"https:\/\/www.supboardguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Honu-Sorrento-126-hero-2.jpg\")
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Performance Review of the Honu Sorrento 12’6 Stand Up Paddle Board<\/h2>\n
![\"Honu](\"https:\/\/www.supboardguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/niceheader.jpg\")
Overall Score: [9.5\/10]<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Stability Rating: [7.9\/10]<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Speed Test: 8.7\/10<\/strong><\/h3>\n
SUP Board Guide’s Speed Testing:<\/strong>
\nThe speed score given above is a comparative rating to other sizes and styles of paddleboards, whereby 14\u2019 raceboards would be scoring in the high 9s, and the widest all-round boards or surf-orientated shorter boards would be in the 5s or below. <\/em><\/p>\nCruising<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\nPaddling at a relaxed pace, maybe around 30 strokes per minute.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\nThe Honu Sorrento 12\u20196 cuts a very easy line through the water in cruising mode. It feels responsive and fast, and while we don\u2019t like to put specific numbers on our speed tests any more, we can confirm that it certainly seemed to set a good pace when cruising in this mode.<\/p>\nFast Cruising<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\nPaddling at a harder pace, but still comfortably aerobic so it\u2019s sustainable over a good distance, with a cadence in the low 40s.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\nThis is very much the \u2018sweet spot\u2019 mode for the Sorrento 12\u20196. It responds cheerfully to the extra power that you\u2019re putting in, and picks up to a considerably faster pace than in relaxed cruising mode.<\/p>\nGoing Hard<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\nReally gunning it, 60+ strokes per minute.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\nIn this mode we found the board quite conditions-dependent. On smooth water or when paddling with the wind behind you, the nose remains high and out of the water so you\u2019re not getting the full benefit of the full 12\u20196 of length, and in rolling swells just occasionally the front area of the board would catch slightly, due to being so low in volume. (This board really does have less volume in its nose than pretty much any other performance-related inflatable!). However, paddling into wind, through chop or any kind of more challenging water environment, it was a different story. The board really showed good pace and penetration, and is substantially better than its predecessor in this respect. That narrow and quite high nose really cuts a good line. If we had to choose a 12\u20196 for an upwind race in bumpy conditions, this would be our go-to, for sure!<\/p>\n\n\n![\"Honu](\"https:\/\/www.supboardguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Untitled-189.jpg\")
\n![\"Honu](\"https:\/\/www.supboardguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Untitled-192.jpg\")
Overall<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Tracking: 9.4\/10<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Maneuverability: 9.4\/10<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n\n![\"Honu](\"https:\/\/www.supboardguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Untitled-206.jpg\")
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Construction Quality: 9.8\/10<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n\n![\"Honu](\"https:\/\/www.supboardguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Honu-Sorrento-126-side.jpg\")
\n![\"Honu](\"https:\/\/www.supboardguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Honu-Sorrento-126-valve.jpg\")
\nAll iSUPs may appear to be very similar in how they\u2019re built, but this is far from the truth. There are three main areas of construction to consider when you\u2019re comparing paddleboards. What\u2019s happening on the inside, how the top and bottom outer skin are constructed, how the sides of the board are constructed. Some boards also have additional stiffening mechanisms or materials added to give the board further rigidity.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\n
\nHonu is using a new thickness of dropstitch, quoted (and confirmed by our measurements) as 5.5\u201d thick. The performance benefits of this have already been discussed elsewhere in this review. The dropstitch format is X-woven, whereby layers of woven drop-stitch are fused during the manufacturing process, and the polyester threads running through the vinyl are crisscrossed similar to carbon fiber, making it super light and stiff.<\/p>\n
\nThe outer skin features fusion construction, whereby two layers of PVC are fused together with heat and pressure. This process is tough yet light, offers great rigidity, and has pretty much become the industry standard for quality construction.<\/p>\n
\nHonu\u2019s exclusive rail construction process uses heat and pressure welding to fuse the inner rail with a 25mm strip. Then a 50mm 3K carbon rail is bonded under the outer rail layer to further increase the stiffness & durability.<\/p>\n![\"Honu](\"https:\/\/www.supboardguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/unnamed-43.png\")
\nThe deck and underside of the Honu Sorrento 12\u20196 have a 3K carbon strip bonded to the board under a layer of PVC top and bottom, to add extra stiffness to the board.<\/p>\n
\nHonu\u2019s are superbly built, and we want to acknowledge that, hence the really high score. The only reason it didn\u2019t get a full 10 is due to a couple of very minor cosmetic issues on the seams, plus the \u2018beak\u2019 at the nose is slightly unsightly from an aesthetic point of view.<\/p>\nSUP Board Guide’s Bend Testing:<\/strong>
\nTo ascertain the rigidity of each board we review, we have been using our own specific laboratory bend test process since 2021. The board is inflated to its maximum recommended PSI and positioned exactly on our measuring jig. 150lb weight is then applied to the standing area to see how much bend it causes. While this isn\u2019t 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 relative stiffness of the various board construction processes.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\n![\"Honu](\"https:\/\/www.supboardguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Untitled-199.jpg\")
Features\/Accessories: 9.2\/10<\/h3>\n
Features:<\/h4>\n
\n\n![\"Honu](\"https:\/\/www.supboardguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Honu-Sorrento-126-bungee.jpg\")
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\n\n![\"Honu](\"https:\/\/www.supboardguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Honu-Sorrento-126-bungee-2.jpg\")
\n![\"Honu](\"https:\/\/www.supboardguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Honu-Sorrento-126-deck.jpg\")
![\"Honu](\"https:\/\/www.supboardguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Honu-Sorrento-126-hero-3.jpg\")
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![\"Honu](\"https:\/\/www.supboardguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Honu-Sorrento-126-kit-2.jpg\")
Summary Review of the Honu Sorrento 12’6<\/h2>\n
![\"Honu](\"https:\/\/www.supboardguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Untitled-195.jpg\")