SUPs

[KC7777]

Hi,

Just interested in some opinions on SUPs....

I have owned a 10'6" Naish SUP (28" wide, 4.5" thick, wood version, tri-fin) that is 160L ....sold it to BWD.....and now own a 11'6" Naish SUP (29.75" wide, 5.5" thick, AST padded version, single fin) that is 230L.

Sailing

I found both Naishs very stable (easy) when windsurfing on them. I actually like the 10'6" better as it felt more nimble (lighter) than the 11'6" when sailing and is easier to get planing with a smaller sail. I could get planing on the 10'6 with a 4.5M in 20 - 25, whereas the 11'6" is very slow to plane (not that you want to be planing on these things as they have no footstraps).

So in my opinion both are very easy to sail.

SUP'ing

At 170 lbs, the 10'6" was pretty unstable, even in flat water. The 11'6" is super stable and easy to SUP on and tracks well in flat water....you can go really far really fast on it. With the 10'6" Naish SUP you were always waiting to fall in (and I did a lot).

SUPing in crappy, mushy waves (with very little time between waves) both the 10'6" and 11'6" Naish SUPs were hard to paddle out standing up and often required kneeling and paddling out. But both can catch small, crappy waves very very easily.

I have also demo SUP'd the Starboard Whopper in flat water and found it pretty stable for a 160L -170L SUP as it is so wide (ie 34"+ wide vs 28" for the small Naish SUP). Also tried the Starboard Big Easy 12' x 32" which felt similar to my 11'6" Naish.

I also see Naish has an 11'4", tri-fin, SUP that is only 4.5" inches thick and 30" wide....that is probably an ideal size.....in between the 2 sizes I have tried!

Also, in my opinion I would spend the extra $ for the wood Naish version.....looks much cooler and is way lighter.

Any thoughts/comments on SUPs tried....sailed, SUP'ed on flat water or the waves?

I am thinking these shorter, 9' - 10' super-wide SUPs are the way to go in wave SUPing or SUP sailing? Footstraps not required.
Thanks,

[Mattdog]

I'm selling my 10.0" x 29" Oxbow. It's 140 Litres

Very stable and rides like a longboard in the waves. I've had it in anything up to overhead in Tofino.

Also quite fast on flat water. This board had consistently good to great reviews

I'm 180 lb.

I'm buying something around 9'3" now for the waves - shortboard style SUP.

likely around $800 plus more for the paddle. not set on the price yet. Also have a real board bag for it ...

PS ditch a big centre fin and try 6 to 7" for a way turnier ride. also allows you to pivot 180 to setup twice as fast.

[eastside]

I wrote the following in response to the post in the buy sell......This board (AHD)is close in size to my Starboard extremist 9' 8" vol 155, 30 in wide. (Starboard doesn't make this volume size this year) With the same fish shape. Although this one is shorter. I am happy with my board. I can see going a little smaller once my proficiency improves in bigger waves but on the other side I like the stability of this size, especially in lighter winds. Plus it would be good size for beginners, especially if they are lighter.I am medium weight. Powerbox fin in the middle of the board is a good idea for beginner sailors as it would really add stability but as you can remove it you are not stuck with additional weight of a fold up mechanism. I have had lots of fun at cb in the small waves with the sail so it should be great on Hornby. I have tried sup with paddle at cb which seems a little harder as the period of the waves is so short. You seem to have to run them down to catch them as they just break in a clump. This size is easier to store and transport. Down side would be tracking and glide which I am sure would not match a longer board, although I find mine fine for casual sup.

[nanmoo]

My input from the wall...

I rode everything from a 12' 6" down to a 9' 8" which was by far my favorite (I'm 6' 1" 185 lbs). I found the smaller board to actually be more stable paddling out as it didn't get "rocked" as badly paddling out over the wave and accelerated quicker coming riding in. It was also much 'turnier' than the big boards, on all of them I preferred the thruster fin setup over a single fin.

[voodmon]

I've had my mistral pacifico for a few years, i am light about 145lbs, it weighs 28 or so lbs and has an asa skin with a complete deck pad stem to stern, no center fin, and power box fin, i use an orca weed wave for the kelp at dallas, it has footstraps and a mast track, however it lacks a center carry handle which is a bummer since it is 32 inches wide, 11.5 and 205 litres, i thoroughly enjoy this board sailing it at dallas rd with a 5.3 is best, i did have a 6.3 super freak which i used on it a few times but uphauling a 6.3 in the dallas chop was trying, anyway, yes it's slow to turn, but give it any kind of wave and it wants to surf, yes it planes well in 25 knots in the straps and glides well in zero knots when all of the kites have fallen out of the sky, i havn't really paddled it that much but it is super stable, mistral does have another wavier version although now that Anders has taken over the company i am unsure what their new board line will look like. Anyhow it's a nice board, takes me back to my one design and div 1+2 racing days and being made from asa bombproof, one day i am hopeing to sail or sup it on the west side of clover in those wonderful easterly waves that curl around the pt.

[KC7777]

Thanks for the info,

I may consider getting a 9' - 10' fish-type, wide SUP for surf sailing and SUPing waves exclusively....I go surfing lots down in Westport, WA with my kids in the summer....kind of side shore wind (10 - 15) with 2' - 6' waves in the summer. And I would likely keep the big 11'6" Naish SUP for SUPing flat water around Hornby.

Those short windsurf SUPs with a centre fin (ie the AHD Summer Board that KUS talks about) could also be a very useful kids learning windsurfing board too.

Just checking out the Naish 2010 SUPs......they are making a new model, the Naish Nalu Window 11'6" which comes equipped with a Plexiglass window for viewing the ocean floor.

The Naish Hokua 9'6" x 29.25", fish-type SUP, quad-fin option looks sweet....anyone know if it can take a windsurf rig?

KC

[eastside]

I have used my Starboard Extremist 9' 8" with my 5.3 or 5.8 in 8-15 knots at Longbeach in 2- 8 feet plus paddled it. It works great. Lots of fun and huge wave count. Picks up the waves easily and is relatively easy to maneuver. It gets out through the break well. I haven't used another SUP so I don't have anything to compare it with. I am still playing around with fins, mast track placement, foot straps( I just tried those at cb the other day). Doesn't really plane but I don't care about that as if the wind picks up I will go to another board. Super for Longbeach as it rarely blows when it is supposed to but does get into that 8-15 knot range quite regularly, when not forecasted.

[KC7777]

Hi again,

Done a bit of research. Fanatic also makes SUPs now ...9'6", 10'0", 10'6" all with windsurfing mast compatibility. (I love my Fanatic windsurfing boards).

The Naish Hokua 9'6" SUP supposedly does have a screw in it to take a 1-bolt windsurfing mast foot too.

Starboard's short SUPs also look very interesting (see below):

1. Starboard Superfish 9'8" x 28.5" (141L)

2. Starboard Stinger 9'0" x 30" (132L)

3. Starboard Element 9'8" x 30" (141L)

What I like about the Starboards is that you can order a FCS quad fin option (for surfing) but also have a larger A-box fin too (for wave sailing/windsurfing).

You can also have footstraps on the Starboards...which could be really useful in the waves.....or for rippin' flat water at the Nat on this thing!

Eastside....your Starboard Extremist sounds close to the Element or the Superfish? How is it with footstraps?

I'm thinking the 9'0" Stinger, fishtail, quad option (for a 170 lb sailor).....I'll tell my wife it is a SUP for her and the kids.

Thanks,

Keith (KC)

[frank]

what about this one!!??....compact is good.....

http://www.a-h-d.com/boards/windsurf/2009/sealion

[KC7777]

Hey,

Thanks, that AHD Sea Lion looks like fun too....I like the idea of the twin fins .....check out the pics of the guy SUP surfing on it. Maybe the AHD rep for around here should try to get us a demo....

I like this comment from the AHD Sea Lion page..."Strapless planing is a true sensation builder. "

Ya....sensation = fear.

KC

[eastside]

Don't think you will do much planing on the starboards, certainly not mine. Next time I am out I will try it with a 10 in or 11 in central fin and no thrusters and see how that works. Sealion write up seems to indicate planing in marginal wind. Have only tried the footstraps once in 10-15 but I liked them and don't see a negative as I didn't find them in the way. But probably not that big a deal in non planing conditions . It's no problems in the waves without the straps. They are great when carrying the rig as it's tough without them with the sail connected. It's hard to figure out the difference in the Starboard family from the write ups. 30 inches 76 cm wide is supposed to be the stablity sweetspot from what I have read. Check out the Starboard forums.

[nanmoo]

Speaking of Westport, has anyone windsurfed there? It's gotta be a half the driving time than Tofino if you exclude the ferry, plus $12 cases of beer.

[KC7777]

Hey nanmoo,

I go to Westport, WA about 4 - 5 times a year for longboard surfing. I haven't windsurfed there....as I am usually filled with surf gear. You head south to Olympia on I 5 and then out to the coast.....looks and feels like Oregon without the extra 2- 3 hours of driving.

I can cross the border at 8:00 pm at Sumas and be at the Wal-mart in Aberdeen (approx. 20 miles from Westport) by midnight or so. I sleep at the Wal-mart there and then can be in Westport for the morning waves (glassy).....and there is a Starbucks right beside the Walmart. It is a way easier/cheaper trip to make than spending money on the ferries to hit Tofino.

Westport is an neat little fishing town with 2 good surf shops....and the Red Apple Market is open 24 hours in case you run out of beer in the night.

At Westport you can pay for a campsite near the beach ($20/night) or park in a small field next to the surf shop ($5/night) or I usually have my 2 boys with me so I drive back out to Aberdeen to catch a movie at night and then we sleep in the back of my truck in the Walmart parking lot ($0/night). Walmart keeps their washrooms open all night for campers.

At the main Westport beach (where the jetty is) the wind is mostly sideshore. Last year approx. 1/4 the time it would be sailable....5.0 - 5.8 (say 2 out of 8 days I was there).

But most days it breezes approx. 8 - 12 or so which would be perfect for SUP sailing.....hence this thread here!

There is also a crescent shaped beach to the right of the jetty where it is mostly onshore (and the waves are smaller)....I have seen a few kites there every now and then. It is pretty safe in that bay.

The surf at the jetty is mostly 2' to 6' in summer. Most days the waves are OK....but some days they are spaced too close together and the whitewater can be hard to get through. My last trip there is was 15' and nasty. But I also had one day there this summer where it was glassy and 5' waves with long spaces between. Perfect for longboard surfing. It is a safe place to surf and both my boys (aged 10 and 12) surf for 5 - 6 hours a day in the mush on 6' fish surfboards. Skimboarding is not bad either.

At the main jetty beach there are washrooms and hot showers in the parking lot for getting cleaned up after surfing.

....I'll try to find some pics of the Wesport main beach (jetty) and the crescent shaped beach to post here.

[KC7777]

Hi,

First pic is the main jetty beach in Westport....a no wind, small wave day.

The 2nd pic is the "protected" inner, crescent-shaped beach....it was 5.2M/100L board this day....NOTE: the jetty beach parking lot is right over the dune you can see on the far side of this little bay...if you look close...a bit to the right you can see the washroom building. They jetty beach is a 50 yard walk past that building

Keith

[nanmoo]

Thanks for the info Keith,

any surfing pics at this spot?