I've had the 11'6" and the 10'6" version. Bought both as starters for the family and they fit the bill perfectly although the weight became inconvenient particularly with any distance to walk to the water. Many top-end boards would weigh only half as much.
The 11'6" is a good cruiser for flat and ocean paddling. Both boards are quite good in the surf up to around head high and perform much better with a decent centre fin and sides removed. One of my regular paddling partners uses a 10'6" as his surfing sup, and he is a very talented longboarder.
I agree that at that price they are great value. They provide a very stable board to learn on and are good enough to give you time to understand what you ultimately want from a board.....then spend the bucks when you know