Author Topic: Pintail or not? (Read 6202 times)

Henrik F · « **on:** April 26, 2012, 11:46:07 AM »

Hello!
I am looking for the right 14' board. Where I paddle most of the time I've com to the conclusion that I need a piercing bow. ( I think that is the word for it) Not the front end of a Bark Dominator or a Hovie Comet. I have to go through the chop as with a Naish Catalina or similar.

But what about the rear? The tail? For flatwater and chop, what is the most efficient? Fastest? I weigh just under 169 lbs. Please help!

Henrik F

DavidJohn · « **Reply #1 on:** April 26, 2012, 01:52:24 PM »

IMO.. thats like asking what color is fastest.. Tail shape is more noticeable on a surfing board.. On a flat water board it's more about stability and tracking than it is about efficiency or speed.. Square tails keep the rails straighter making the board track better.. but straighter rails do not turn so well (surfing turn).. But most of our turning on these boards are sink tail turning and not carving/suring type turns.. and square tails have an advantage with sink tail turns because they are more stable.. I also think they (tail shape) are also about making a 15-16' board fit into a 14' class.. By just chopping the tail off.

DJ

Henrik F · « **Reply #2 on:** April 26, 2012, 02:26:33 PM »

Quote from: DavidJohn on April 26, 2012, 01:52:24 PM

IMO.. thats like asking what color is fastest.. Tail shape is more noticeable on a surfing board.. On a flat water board it's more about stability and tracking than it is about efficiency or speed.. Square tails keep the rails straighter making the board track better.. but straighter rails do not turn so well (surfing turn).. But most of our turning on these boards are sink tail turning and not carving/suring type turns.. and square tails have an advantage with sink tail turns because they are more stable.. I also think they (tail shape) are also about making a 15-16' board fit into a 14' class.. By just chopping the tail off.

DJ

Ok. I thought that there were some high tech speed thinking around this. But as you say, if a square tail tracks better it'll probably make at least me faster

Thanks

Henrik F

PonoBill · « **Reply #3 on:** April 26, 2012, 04:22:31 PM »

Think straight and flat. Curves are slow. A square or squashtail generates some turbulence that you could do without, but the straighter rails pretty much make up for that. Most of the new flatwater shapes I'm seeing have minimal to no rocker, piercing or canoe nose, and flat tail with hard rails. That will probably change some in the near future, but that's the style right now.

JonathanC · « **Reply #4 on:** April 26, 2012, 05:22:11 PM »

Hi Henrik,

Look I'm a Starboard tragic and sponsored by Starboard Australia but please try this.....

http://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=12489.0

They really are startlingly good.

balance_fit · « **Reply #5 on:** April 26, 2012, 05:35:38 PM »

Quote from: JonathanC on April 26, 2012, 05:22:11 PM

They really are startlingly good.

Indeed. An unusual shape. Narrow and fast....and tracks excellently.

Henrik F · « **Reply #6 on:** April 27, 2012, 11:12:00 PM »

Quote from: balance_fit on April 26, 2012, 05:35:38 PM

Quote from: JonathanC on April 26, 2012, 05:22:11 PM

They really are startlingly good.

Indeed. An unusual shape. Narrow and fast....and tracks excellently.

They look really good but a bit quirky

I'm not sure what that bow will do in the conditions I face here in Sweden. If we have waves they will be like 1-3 feet high and there are 3-5 feet untill the next wave. So when I am out on my Surftech Bark Competitor and going upwind it wants to go over the waves or if I stand a bit forward it will slow down a lot going through the wave. But with my Naish Catalina I can pierce through the wave with almost no loss in speed compared to the Bark. My conclusion is that I need a bow that pierces the waves. What will the Starboard do there?

Henrik F

DavidJohn · « **Reply #7 on:** April 28, 2012, 12:08:16 AM »

Quote from: Henrik F on April 27, 2012, 11:12:00 PM

Quote from: balance_fit on April 26, 2012, 05:35:38 PM
Quote from: JonathanC on April 26, 2012, 05:22:11 PM

They really are startlingly good.

Indeed. An unusual shape. Narrow and fast....and tracks excellently.

My conclusion is that I need a bow that pierces the waves. What will the Starboard do there?

Henrik F

They go BOOF! ..

DJ

Henrik F · « **Reply #8 on:** April 28, 2012, 01:13:23 AM »

Quote from: DavidJohn on April 28, 2012, 12:08:16 AM

Quote from: Henrik F on April 27, 2012, 11:12:00 PM
Quote from: balance_fit on April 26, 2012, 05:35:38 PM
Quote from: JonathanC on April 26, 2012, 05:22:11 PM

They really are startlingly good.

Indeed. An unusual shape. Narrow and fast....and tracks excellently.

My conclusion is that I need a bow that pierces the waves. What will the Starboard do there?

Henrik F

They go BOOF! ..

DJ

It's like the Bark Competitor then.

Henrik F

balance_fit · « **Reply #9 on:** April 28, 2012, 02:46:37 AM »

Henrik

I weigh 163 lbs and have tested both piercing and blunt bow sup's in similar conditions. Where I paddle, I do a circuit on a small inlet that requ :)ires upwind against chope and waves, side swell turn at the mouth of the inlet, downwind and repeat. This for hours. Piercing nose was nice until a side chop or gust blew the bow off course. And this happens whenever going up or at an angle to chop and wind many times. Quite tiring to correct course repeatedly. Blunt nose like that of my Starboard was most resistant to this change of course, not wanting to steer from the bow and offcourse.
Boofing is nice!

Henrik F · « **Reply #10 on:** April 28, 2012, 04:15:51 AM »

Quote from: balance_fit on April 28, 2012, 02:46:37 AM

Henrik

I weigh 163 lbs and have tested both piercing and blunt bow sup's in similar conditions. Where I paddle, I do a circuit on a small inlet that requ :)ires upwind against chope and waves, side swell turn at the mouth of the inlet, downwind and repeat. This for hours. Piercing nose was nice until a side chop or gust blew the bow off course. And this happens whenever going up or at an angle to chop and wind many times. Quite tiring to correct course repeatedly. Blunt nose like that of my Starboard was most resistant to this change of course, not wanting to steer from the bow and offcourse.
Boofing is nice!

Yesterday I did 3500 meters in knee high to thigh high side chop (Swedish style

) with my Catalina. Seriously tiresome! But if had done it with my Competitor the wind would have got hold of it and pulled me more out of course than I experienced yesterday. I think.

It sucks that the closest Starboard dealer is 440 km away

Henrik F

balance_fit · « **Reply #11 on:** April 28, 2012, 06:54:20 AM »

440 km ! That's quite far away Henrik ! What other options do you have to test ride, closer to home?

Henrik F · « **Reply #12 on:** April 28, 2012, 09:22:28 AM »

Quote from: balance_fit on April 28, 2012, 06:54:20 AM

440 km ! That's quite far away Henrik ! What other options do you have to test ride, closer to home?

Well this is quite a problem for me. The Naish dealer is about 350km away. Surftech, Starboard, Tahoe, Fanatic are 440km away.

Some NSP and perhaps some of the Pryde stuff can be tested in summertime 10km away at a place owned by a jerk that thinks anNSP 10' long 32" wide is a raceboard.

That is my reality

I have to look into this forum a couple of times before I decide what to do. I rely on you folks!

Henrik F

balance_fit · « **Reply #13 on:** April 28, 2012, 10:04:03 AM »

Difficult situation, although not impossible

!

I live in an island and face similar dilemmas. I'm paddling a Starboard, not represented locally, and decided to buy it based on reviews from the Zone and other internet sources. Thanks to those Zoners that write and post videos about sup's and reviews i read elsewhere, i made an excellent choice that i happily use in my most paddled conditions.

My recommendation: read a lot about board design, from sup, surfing, windsurfing and prone paddle board. You'll be able to use this knowledge to choose a board.
Then, among the available brands you mentioned, choose the 14' models you like the most, based on your most paddled conditions and information from the board's manufacturers websites.
Research those models in this forum and the web, read about old versions of these too and how they've been modified with time.
Check the 14' reviews, such as http://www.supvic.com/the-rps-supvic-ultimate-14-board-test/ , write to Zoners that have those boards....and then....do the road trip to test if possible.
Good luck !
Be well

Henrik F · « **Reply #14 on:** April 28, 2012, 10:15:13 AM »

Quote from: balance_fit on April 28, 2012, 10:04:03 AM

Difficult situation, although not impossible !

I live in an island and face similar dilemmas. I'm paddling a Starboard, not represented locally, and decided to buy it based on reviews from the Zone and other internet sources. Thanks to those Zoners that write and post videos about sup's and reviews i read elsewhere, i made an excellent choice that i happily use in my most paddled conditions.

My recommendation: read a lot about board design, from sup, surfing, windsurfing and prone paddle board. You'll be able to use this knowledge to choose a board.
Then, among the available brands you mentioned, choose the 14' models you like the most, based on your most paddled conditions and information from the board's manufacturers websites.
Research those models in this forum and the web, read about old versions of these too and how they've been modified with time.
Check the 14' reviews, such as http://www.supvic.com/the-rps-supvic-ultimate-14-board-test/ , write to Zoners that have those boards....and then....do the road trip to test if possible.
Good luck !
Be well

Yes I think that's the way I have to do it. Many thanks for all your input!!!
Had an excellent day today, by the way. Almost glassy conditions and did 4.5 km in 35 minutes on my 12'6" Catalina and a Ke Nalu Maliko. The Maliko is I of course bought because of all the feedback here on the Zone!

Henrik F

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