Standup Zone Forum

Stand Up Paddle => Downwind and Racing => Topic started by: yugi on August 11, 2015, 02:33:53 AM

Title: Bark Vapor
Post by: yugi on August 11, 2015, 02:33:53 AM
any beta?

from Outdoor Retailer show:
   http://www.supthemag.com/gear/boards-outdoor-retailer-2015/

Quote
The Surftech Bark Vapor is a marriage from the depths of legendary shaper Joe Bark’s paddling mind: why not put a prone paddling nose from the famous Bark Commander prone board on a SUP? The result is the Vapor, available in both 12’6″ and 14″ (both 26″ wide). According to Bark, this is an extremely versatile shape, most at home in the rugged open ocean but also fast on flat water as well. This board has the potential to become your everyday distance sled for riding bumps to surf races.

(http://stwww.supthemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bark.jpg)
Title: Re: Bark Vapor
Post by: Muskoka SUP on August 11, 2015, 03:55:32 AM
Well it looks like a similar nose to the series of boards that Brian S. shaped for Starboard - the New/Ace, Coast Runner/Open Ocean, etc.   
Title: Re: Bark Vapor
Post by: yugi on August 11, 2015, 04:38:55 AM
Never judge a board by it's top!
Title: Re: Bark Vapor
Post by: Muskoka SUP on August 11, 2015, 02:20:15 PM
Never judge a board by it's top!

True Yugi.  I made the assumption that Joe would be using a similar nose shape to his tried and true prone shapes like the Commander..
Title: Re: Bark Vapor
Post by: yugi on August 16, 2015, 03:07:57 AM
any pics anyone?
Title: Re: Bark Vapor
Post by: Lakeshore1 on August 16, 2015, 07:39:00 AM
Is it just me, or does it seem that all the manufacturers are making DW and "hybrid" boards in rather narrow widths? I would think they'd want to appeal to a broader base of buyers. Not everyone can handle a 26" wide DW board. I am considering a Bullet V2.... but not too sure i can handle it in most of the conditions we get for DW runs on Lake Michigan.  On inland lakes where conditions are more "lined up", i LOVE the speed of the V2, but on Lake Michigan, it's rarely lined up perfectly and because of that it's very choppy and confused. That's where my SIC F14 is such a solid board. I am a bit slower, but i don't fall much either. Last DW run was in 4-8' waves, quite a bit of chop and a 25mph wind. 10.5 miles and i fell about 9 times. 4 times were in the shorebreak.
I want to buy another DW board, but just think that manufacturers are forgetting about us non-superhuman paddlers.
I am 46 years old, 6'4" tall and about 225.
Title: Re: Bark Vapor
Post by: Muskoka SUP on August 21, 2015, 04:29:31 PM
Here's some more on the Vapour.  http://distressedmullet.com/2015/08/14/surftech-2016-preview-bark-commander-light-bark-contender-light-and-bark-vapor/
Title: Re: Bark Vapor
Post by: TN_SUP on August 21, 2015, 05:54:56 PM
Having just received my new Commander Pro Elite, I will never buy a Surftech board sight unseen. The pad is over an inch off center and full of 3" diameter bubbles and one side of the board has a series of scrapes and chips although the packaging was perfect. I did get 10% back from them which was nice, but can't believe this board passed inspection. Paddles great though, can't imagine that glide on a sup. Aha- found a video of it being paddled - wait till the end of Gary's blog video: http://www.paddleboardspecialists.com/info_blogpost.asp?id=164
Title: Re: Bark Vapor
Post by: Area 10 on August 21, 2015, 09:12:15 PM
Is it just me, or does it seem that all the manufacturers are making DW and "hybrid" boards in rather narrow widths? I would think they'd want to appeal to a broader base of buyers. Not everyone can handle a 26" wide DW board. I am considering a Bullet V2.... but not too sure i can handle it in most of the conditions we get for DW runs on Lake Michigan.  On inland lakes where conditions are more "lined up", i LOVE the speed of the V2, but on Lake Michigan, it's rarely lined up perfectly and because of that it's very choppy and confused. That's where my SIC F14 is such a solid board. I am a bit slower, but i don't fall much either. Last DW run was in 4-8' waves, quite a bit of chop and a 25mph wind. 10.5 miles and i fell about 9 times. 4 times were in the shorebreak.
I want to buy another DW board, but just think that manufacturers are forgetting about us non-superhuman paddlers.
I am 46 years old, 6'4" tall and about 225.
No, it's not just you. 2016 is going to be a tough year if you are over 200lbs and paddle choppy waters and want a new board. Not many options from the biggest brands. It's a shame that SIC don't make the F14 in the lighter SCC construction. Presumably, the 28" and wider distance SUPs just haven't been selling. Or perhaps the brands are trying to anticipate where the market's skill set will be in a year's time, and it is assumed that if you are 200lbs or more you aren't likely to be winning races (a self-fulfilling prophecy since there is no UL category in most races worldwide and at over 200lbs on a 14 you are at a distinct speed disadvantage) so you will give up on speed and be a "tourer" who wants a big heavy (but stable) and cheap "touring" board, not a "race" design. This baffles me a bit since to my eyes there are just good designs and bad, not "touring" vs. "race" shapes. But clearly I know nothing. Maybe it's a sign of the growth of women in the sport, since many women paddlers will want a fairly narrow board. Although there doesn't actually seem to be that much increase in female racing numbers over the last year or two, to my mind. Or the growth of the youth market.  Or maybe most SUPs are "aspirational" purchases, where people buy boards that are above their current skill set, in the hope (often forlorn) that they will grow into them. Whatever, I'm not quite sure why there has been quite such a rush to make 26" the new 28" for 2016, but it isn't good news for most bigger guys. The new SIC FX looks to be perfect for what many people would want - but at 27-28" wide, not 25", and the same thing could be said about the Bark Vapour too, to my mind.

I sense that the racing bubble might be about to burst though, as far as increases in participation goes. We've matured enough as a sport now that if you want to do well at racing it's the same as in most other sports: you need to spend many hours a week doing boring drills, watch your diet very carefully, and make sacrifices in terms of work, family or social life. This will always limit the number of serious or even semi-serious racers there are. But the increase in more "social" paddling and non-competitive paddling (eg. surfing, downwinding, and mass participation events for charity etc, i.e. activities done because they are inherently fun rather than through the need to compare yourself to others) should still increase IMO, and for these activities people will need more flexible designs and widths. So I think we might see a return to 27-29" widths for 2017. I hope. Or maybe bigger guys should band together and kick-start a UL class revolution...
Title: Re: Bark Vapor
Post by: Off-Shore on August 21, 2015, 09:21:45 PM

I sense that the racing bubble might be about to burst though, as far as increases in participation goes. We've matured enough as a sport now that if you want to do well at racing it's the same as in most other sports: you need to spend many hours a week doing boring drills, watch your diet very carefully, and make sacrifices in terms of work, family or social life. This will always limit the number of serious or even semi-serious racers there are. But the increase in more "social" paddling and non-competitive paddling (eg. surfing, downwinding, and mass participation events for charity etc, i.e. activities done because they are inherently fun rather than through the need to compare yourself to others) should still increase IMO, and for these activities people will need more flexible designs and widths. So I think we might see a return to 27-29" widths for 2017. I hope. Or maybe bigger guys should band together and kick-start a UL class revolution...

I'm seeing the same here.. You got is spot on about the recreational racer dropping out of racing because of it all getting a bit too serious at the top (and expensive).. Perhaps this is one of the reasons some of the brands are bringing out downwind boards as this is a fun social group thing to do. I can always get a group together to downwind or downbreeze... but racing or even training to race.. it's getting harder. In fact I am seeing people selling their race boards and buying downwind / touring boards as a result. Probably best we take this discussion to a new thread...
Title: Re: Bark Vapor
Post by: paddlestandingup on August 26, 2015, 01:42:48 PM
I agree with you guys 100%.  I think the fun and the challenge factor is pushing people to want to try downwinding.  It's getting more and more popular around here. 
Title: Re: Bark Vapor
Post by: yugi on September 01, 2015, 02:34:37 AM
And I beg to disagree .. with the whiners. In full agreement with the board designers and manufacturers.

I don’t get all this whining from you 200lb guys. You have a whole lot of great DW (and touring) boards nicely spec’ed for you in 28” and 30” wide already. There were lots of skinny/tippy flatware race steads (that suck in chop) for the light n fast racer types. Now we are getting a very nice in-between faster, better on flats, DW racy boards for both the racer types and the guys who are in-between race size and 200+ lbs. Just what was missing.

OK, OK, OK, I get it. You are whining coz you aren’t getting any new toys. I have noticed the most whining comes from the guys with the biggest quivers to begin with.

Jeese. You want to play with those toys too? Here’s an idea for you. Drop 30 lbs.

I did. Went from 190 to 160. Without any of the special diet or social sacrifices like A10 thinks it takes. All I did was paddle more. Hell, I still down as much beer as I want to and I even have more friends to drink with (and more occasions - like every night).

I wasn’t even porky to start with. I was an athletic guy anyway, mtn biker, ski alpinist (don’t ride lifts much), with just a soupçon of a desk jockey gut (Mmmmmm… beer). Without any special diet or drill training it just melted all away once I really got carried away with my paddle addiction. In fact everyone in my SUP gang, all athletes (some 1/2 my age), have gone down a size in clothes. We’re not only getting stronger (and paddling better) but we’ve all shrunk!

TOW guys. TOW. That’s all it takes. I know you love it so just do it. More TOW also means those trickier boards suddenly become fun.

So where a 28” wide DW board fit me nicely a couple of years ago I’ve just, completely naturally through more TOW, evolved to fit a 26” or 26.5” wide DW/racier board. I’m a quiver-of-one type of rider anyway. I’m loving the DW/Race evolution. A lot. In skiing I’m an All-Mountain/Freeride kind of guy, in MtnBiking Enduro is the name of the game. So glad to have this in SUP boards. To me, the new boards of 2016 are just perfect. Mahalo!

Title: Re: Bark Vapor
Post by: Lakeshore1 on September 02, 2015, 05:28:18 PM
@Yugi..... Not whining. Just an observation.
Title: Re: Bark Vapor
Post by: Rideordie on September 17, 2015, 05:14:52 AM
Right on Yugi!!  I think boards are getting better too. Whereas in the past, we may have needed a downwind board and a race board, we are actually getting single boards that can handle both really well. I like the direction and evolution. Fast, stable and versatile. Makes it easier for racers to travel with only one board too. These type boards are hot sellers for a good reason. But they have to be winners. Speed sells. What wins on Sunday sells on Monday.  If the new FX 14 is as good as I hope, I will buy one.  Can't wait to hear more about it and test one out.
Title: Re: Bark Vapor
Post by: Area 10 on September 17, 2015, 11:18:20 AM
Right on Yugi!!  I think boards are getting better too. Whereas in the past, we may have needed a downwind board and a race board, we are actually getting single boards that can handle both really well. I like the direction and evolution. Fast, stable and versatile. Makes it easier for racers to travel with only one board too. These type boards are hot sellers for a good reason. But they have to be winners. Speed sells. What wins on Sunday sells on Monday.  If the new FX 14 is as good as I hope, I will buy one.  Can't wait to hear more about it and test one out.
Nah, you are just getting boards that are moderately fast in flat water, and fairly limited in their downwind abilities. This is not a bad thing, but I think it is right to recognise that they are compromises. Good compromises perhaps, but compromises nevertheless. And that's not whining, that's just an observation.
Title: Re: Bark Vapor
Post by: robon on September 17, 2015, 11:50:03 AM
Ouch Yugi,

Drop 30 pounds? Some peeps on here haven't been below 200 or 195 since they were teenagers. I'm pretty lean at 200 pounds and can count all of my ribs at 195 and that just ain't healthy lol. I have to seriously put in the cardio multiple times a week to get under 200 pounds and watch my diet big time, and yes paddling definitely helps. Only time I didn't have to watch my diet to get a little under 200 pounds was when I was logging,  brushing, or fightfighting (on active fires) which was burning up to 4000 calories a day, and I was working out by paddling, jogging, or hitting the gym when I got home from the bush too. Muscles decrease in size when you are working that hard, which helps to drop weight too, but it's just not overly realistic for some folks to get under 200 pounds in a healthy manner. Especially those who are really tall with broad, athletic builds. I couldn't imagine Pono or Tall Dude under 200 pounds. They would look like concentration camp prisoners.

There is a lot a lot more choices out there for boards now than a few years ago for heavier paddlers. That much is true. Especially those right around the 200 pound range.

Title: Re: Bark Vapor
Post by: Eagle on September 19, 2015, 11:43:33 AM
Nah, you are just getting boards that are moderately fast in flat water, and fairly limited in their downwind abilities. This is not a bad thing, but I think it is right to recognise that they are compromises. Good compromises perhaps, but compromises nevertheless.

^^^ Was chatting with a SIC dealer and he noted the 25" FX is targeted at paddlers with decent stability who need a board with a bit more bulbous nose float.  He noted it is a compromise crossover board -> not a flat water speedster - nor stable like a Bullet 14V2 DW.  For smaller general AW conditions he expected the FX to fill a specific market void.

In contrast dedicated boards just feel right whether for flat water or big wind DW.  Many of our DW crew have opted for the versatile Bullet 14V2 as an all-purpose board that works a charm for them.  Most all the crew have multiple boards including F14s and F16s better optimized for bigger steeper short period swells we often get.

http://youtu.be/6vGyZlG740I
Title: Re: Bark Vapor
Post by: XLR8 on September 30, 2015, 05:00:55 PM
My friend and Surftech rider, bikeski here on the Zone, has just gotten his custom Vapor this week and we have gotten out already for a couple of downwinders.  The premier west Michigan shop, The Outpost, has another custom 14'x26 and their main man Jim joined us recently.  The Vapors are a nice, trim shape. Svelte, with a real pleasant gun-like outline out in front of you from the standing area.  Nice boards and these guys are fast on them.  Bikeski commented that the board was better at chasing little bumps than his Bark downwinder.  Not light lay-ups at around 27 lbs I'm told.

Title: Re: Bark Vapor
Post by: Area 10 on December 24, 2015, 02:16:34 AM
Any updates on this board? Anyone else tried one? There are quite a few hybrid boards for 2016 and I'm trying to make up my mind which to get. The Vapour is a little on the heavy side perhaps, but it will be tougher than a full carbon board and is massively cheaper in Europe than, say, a SIC FX (which I'm also considering, but may be too tippy for me).
Title: Re: Bark Vapor
Post by: SUPsideATX on December 24, 2015, 06:27:28 AM
My friend and Surftech rider, bikeski here on the Zone, has just gotten his custom Vapor this week and we have gotten out already for a couple of downwinders.  The premier west Michigan shop, The Outpost, has another custom 14'x26 and their main man Jim joined us recently.  The Vapors are a nice, trim shape. Svelte, with a real pleasant gun-like outline out in front of you from the standing area.  Nice boards and these guys are fast on them.  Bikeski commented that the board was better at chasing little bumps than his Bark downwinder.  Not light lay-ups at around 27 lbs I'm told.

Those are 14x26? Those look really long (17') for some reason.
Title: Re: Bark Vapor
Post by: coldsup on December 24, 2015, 06:39:04 AM
Maybe the guys are three ft high?
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