12'6" Bullet V2

[Blue crab]

Hi everyone,

I am in the market for a new DW board. A decent deal on a 12'6" V2 came up which would make this board considerably less expensive than the 14' version. I am wondering what people think about the 12'6" relative to the 14". Here are the parameters that I am looking for in a new board:

1. Fun factor. At the end of the day, I want a board that catches glides easily & is highly surfable. My current board is a 2011 carbon Glide  which I still love, probably because I am really dialed in on the board. I want a board that planes early & often like the Glide, and works well for our local high period, low amplitude conditions in Puget Sound.

2. Better speed. The only drawback of my Glide relative to the 14' V2, is that I probably miss 5-10% of bumps due to the tendency of the Glide's banana nose to push water. As a result, I am a bit slower.  I was actually pretty happy with my time at the Gorge Challenge, especially given the fact that I didn't train much at all this summer.  However, based on my experience demoing , I think my time would have been ~5% better on a V2 14' board.  I rationally shouldn't care about this one bit: the Gorge Challenge is my only DW race of the year; I will always be a crappy racer; there is 50% chance I'll miss this race each year due to work.  Nevertheless, it would be good for my fragile ego to go a bit faster.

3. Great teaching board. The reason that I really want a 2nd board is to impart the love of downwinding to several friends who are interested in trying the sport, as well as my wife.  She is a decent paddler and has had 2 great DW experiences. Ultimately, the 12'6" would be her board, but would double as a beginner board for friends trying DWing for the first time. 

Asking a lot for one board. Interested in people's thoughts.

[DavidJohn]

How heavy are you?

[Blue crab]

I am 175-180 lbs. My wife's weight is considerably less than mine... can't give an actual # for security reasons.

DJ... As fan of your videos, I have a feeling you'll weigh in on the 2014 Glide. My wife & I demoed the 14' non-carbon version in Hood River and were really impressed. It looked a bit barge like at 30' wide and wasn't much fun to carry around.  However, it was fantastic on the water, by far the easiest board I have ever used in high winds. Stable beyond belief, very responsive & like the Bullet, easy to "un-pearl". My wife had never been out in >20 knots and she did not even come close to falling in.  More importantly, she had an easy time catching bumps, and I think caught the bug.  Yet, I fear it may be a touch slow relative to the V2... or is my thinking fallacious?

I tried the 2014 12'6" Glide in flat water and it felt just too big. Didn't like it.

Also demoed the Imagine Connector 27' in a heavy DW. My experience was counter to most other reviewers.  It glides beautifully and is FUN. However, balance was much more of an issue for me  on this board than either the Bullet or the Glide. I couldn't really tell why but it had something to do with the massive nose.

[covesurfer]

You will not get better speed and more glide out of a 12'6" board compared to a 14'. A 12' 6" can be fun to ride and will be ok to campaign against your buddies, if they too are riding a 12'6". Otherwise, expect to be eating your 14' friends' spray.

12'6" boards do not glide as easily or as long as a 14. I am a big fan of many SIC boards but the one you mention is not one of my personal faves. I have ridden that particular board and it is fun and stable but I wouldn't call it fast.

Ride before you buy. Did I mention try before you purchase??  Even though your Glide pushes water, a relatively wide, heavy 12'6" is not going to give you an advantage. If you are serious about going shorter, and you want faster, look for an ultra-lightweight, narrower board.

You said you wanted to share the love of downwinding - introducing downwinding on a 12'6" and expecting somebody to feel the thrill of fast glides, that's  kind of a stretch. A good paddler with a lot of experience may be able to have some real fun on a 12'6" in downwind conditions but other than stability, these boards do not facilitate catching and holding onto glides. If the rider is light enough, maybe 140 lbs at the upper end, you could probably do ok with the shorter length but for anyone that is carrying more on their bones, chances are the 12'6" length board is going to be a bit of a slug. Your mileage may vary and my opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it.

[covesurfer]

BTW, I rode a Javelin 14'x26" carbon board at the paddle challenge. Fantastic board for semi protected water downwinders as in the Gorge. I personally would NOT want to ride this board at home in Hawaiian open ocean conditions but in the river, it rocked.

The carbon version of the Jav is just 22 lbs and I even used it in the course race although I could really tell the width in flat conditions. It felt like a barge, but a very, very lightweight barge. On downwind, even in windy conditions - around 30 knots - it was extremely fast, surfed well, easy to turn and maneuver, a fantastic board. The carbon boards are extremely fragile, however, and that can be a big drawback.

[Blue crab]

Very helpful advice. Thanks Cove. I saw you on that board and you looked extremely fast. The Jav is probably too much for me.  I have the 2011 and take it out in high winds when I am in the mood. I almost think of these as training runs for my other DW runs.  Occasionally, I'll go 6-8 miles DW on the Jav & not fall in. However, I definitely spend too much time & energy thinking about balance / bracing etc... No doubt, I am faster overall on a true DW board.  I have heard the 2014 LEs are more stable than the 2011 by a large margin, but stable enough for an intermediate sort of paddler like me with inherently poor balance?.... not so sure. I would however love to try the LE at some point.

[covesurfer]

Blue, wish that we'd met and said hello last weekend!

I got on a 2011 Javelin when I was an advanced beginner.  I got my balance figured out on it after a week or so of paddling it daily, at least when it was flat, glassy water. Eventually, I was doing downwinders in the Gorge on the old Javelin. I fell in a lot until I really got used to it. It was a frustrating and humbling process but eventually, with lots of dunkings, I grew to like (not love) and really appreciate the 2011's good points - it's fast and it is a blast to get out in honking downwind conditions. No, really! It actually gets relatively stable when it is surfing.

I rarely ride mine anymore, and so far, only in glassy conditions. It still feels tippy as a tightrope. I've taken it out on small days and surfed it in 2 footers out on the reefs when nobody is around and it's a hoot. But I am really reluctant to take the old 2011 Jav out in open ocean downwind conditions. Those tall boxy rails, a high deck that puts your center of gravity way up, complete lack of any hard rail, even on the tail, and the narrow ends don't exactly spell 'user-friendly' when the water gets choppy.  But, they are pretty fast, if you can get your balance to the point where you can actually start paddling the thing hard.

I honestly think our bodies learn to balance unconsciously,  just by spending time on the water, like a sailor acquiring their sea legs. It's whether you have the patience and inclination to suffer through that learning curve that determines whether or not you'll get to the point where a tippy board starts to feel at least somewhat comfortable.

Having now spent a full week and having paddled seven or eight Gorge downwinders on the 26" wide LE, I'd say that it is so much more stable and predictable than the 2011 Javelin, there is no real comparison between the two. The 2014 LE is screaming fast on downwind Gorge runs. If I still lived in the PNW, and I could only own one racing board for everything, that LE would most likely be the ticket. I loved it. Even though I could tell that the stability came with a price - more wetted surface and drag - the board instilled so much confidence in rough conditions, like the choppy water of a big race start or going around buoys with 20 of your best friends. Because it's so light, I think I'd put up with the extra drag just to have all the stability and versatility that comes with the LE's design. When it gets really windy and the swells get more choppy, it does become more challenging to ride but it is way more forgiving than the old model.

If you get a chance, paddle an LE on a light to middlin' downwind day in the Gorge. Big Winds likely has a demo you could rent. You may get wet but you'll have fun. Your balance does adapt and faster than you'd expect.

The biggest advantage on the LE is it's weight - 22 lbs is stinkin' light. It accelerates like crazy and the lightness also makes the board very maneuverable. If you owned one though, you would need to be fanatical about making sure a tiny crack didn't allow water in. They are pretty darn delicate too. Once water gets in, all bets are off.

In flat water, the LE does not feel like a knife, as some race boards do, but it is darned decent. You would probably love it like crazy in flat water and work into loving it on downwind runs. If you get a chance to try one out, I'd love to read your impressions.