Author Topic: Inflatable Shapes  (Read 15050 times)

beaner

  • Malibu Status
  • **
  • Posts: 66
    • View Profile
    • Email
Inflatable Shapes
« on: May 28, 2015, 04:46:27 PM »
I hear changes are coming in inflatable technology, but will rails, bottom contours, other shaping elements ever approach what is available on hardboards? I see a lot of discussion about making them stiffer, but are technology improvements likely to address the issue of making shapes more refined?

There are a lot of things I like about inflatables, but will features like sunken decks, hard rails, piercing noses, hard rails, etc... ever be possible?

spookini

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1666
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Inflatable Shapes
« Reply #1 on: May 28, 2015, 05:02:15 PM »
Guessin..

Sunken decks would be possible, but would make the board a wet noodle/prone to taco'ing.
ULI has the wiki rail, bt only on the rear 3rd of the board.
Piercing-style nose being done by some folks already.
At the end of the day though (literally/figuratively), these things still need to rollup for storage.  I'd say there's always a limit/tradeoff to the shape an iSUP can achieve.
-- My doctor says I suffer from low kook --
Do sharks attack?  Hope not
Do flying fish hate us?  Hells yes

DavidJohn

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 6675
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Inflatable Shapes
« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2015, 07:03:16 PM »
I know Starboard have big things coming for 2016 with their inflatables.. and by big I don't mean big as in size.. but big as in improvements..

I'd like to see slight concaves in the bottom nose area to help reduce the stick that you get when surfing a wave and the nose comes down and touches.. even if that means a slight concave on the deck as well..

It's good to see most have changed the air filling hole to the rear (where it should be) and it would be nice if all boards went to a standard type fin box..

I'd like to see all future BOP style races on inflatables only..




Area 10

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 4057
    • View Profile
Re: Inflatable Shapes
« Reply #3 on: May 28, 2015, 07:27:43 PM »
I know Starboard have big things coming for 2016 with their inflatables.. and by big I don't mean big as in size.. but big as in improvements..

I'd like to see slight concaves in the bottom nose area to help reduce the stick that you get when surfing a wave and the nose comes down and touches.. even if that means a slight concave on the deck as well..

It's good to see most have changed the air filling hole to the rear (where it should be) and it would be nice if all boards went to a standard type fin box..

I'd like to see all future BOP style races on inflatables only..
+1

I'd also like to see nose cone type shapes to create a real displacement type nose, and ULI-Style rails at the rear when required. And dual- or triple-chamber technology for safety far from shore.

Traveling with epoxy 12-6 or 14ft boards is silly. If all that matters is speed then we'd all be on UL boards. But instead we have decided that it is preferable to race slow boards (in most races worldwide). So why not go all the way and race internationally on boards that can be taken internationally? This will also spur on inflatable board technology. Personally, I hate paddling iSUPs. But if the technology was sorted out they wouldn't be so hateful for eg. distance racing, and it would bring international races within the financial scope of a lot more people. Who can afford to have your £3000 GBP board snapped in half travelling from an international race as one of the top UK guys did recently coming back from the ISA champs in Mexico? Compare that with slinging an iSUP on your back and there's no contest. If this is to be truly a global sport then we need to make it as easy as possible for people to take part. The same people will win no matter what you put them on, as long as the construction technology is the same, be it hard or iSUP. I think Dave Kalama was right, radical though the idea sounded at first.

lucabrasi

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1813
    • View Profile
Re: Inflatable Shapes
« Reply #4 on: May 28, 2015, 07:29:35 PM »
I know Starboard have big things coming for 2016 with their inflatables.. and by big I don't mean big as in size.. but big as in improvements..
Does that mean you will be seeing those around this September?


DavidJohn

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 6675
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Inflatable Shapes
« Reply #5 on: May 28, 2015, 08:17:28 PM »
I know Starboard have big things coming for 2016 with their inflatables.. and by big I don't mean big as in size.. but big as in improvements..
Does that mean you will be seeing those around this September?

Yes.. Sept/Nov.. Hopefully..

We have a new 2016 AllStar DW board here in Melbourne right now that the guys in the shops got to see.. But not me because it's too early..  :'(  ..(The Aussie Starboard distributer is in town) .. Apparently it's something special.. I guess they need to keep up with something special coming from Naish (DW specific board).. 8)

beaner

  • Malibu Status
  • **
  • Posts: 66
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Inflatable Shapes
« Reply #6 on: May 29, 2015, 04:23:08 AM »
I wonder if we'll ever look back and say "I can't believe that was the technology back then". Anyone remember when this was the method for putting more nose rocker into a windsurfer?

UKRiverSurfers

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1079
    • View Profile
Re: Inflatable Shapes
« Reply #7 on: May 29, 2015, 04:25:56 AM »
Badfish SUP have already done a sunken deck with the MCIT and the new Rivershred.

SIC Bullet 17v2 Custom
Richmond Custom Carbon 16'
Starboard Point 14'8
Starboard K15
Starboard Astro Touring 14
Starboad Big Easy
Redpaddle Ride 10'6
Badfish Rivershred
Jackson SUPercharger
Badfish MVP 9'o
Badfish IRS 7'2
Pack OC1 12'

UKRiverSurfers

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1079
    • View Profile
Re: Inflatable Shapes
« Reply #8 on: May 29, 2015, 04:28:54 AM »
Here is another interesting looking shape for an iSUP although the brand is a mid 'entry level'

https://www.seaeagle.com/NeedleNoseSUP/NN116
SIC Bullet 17v2 Custom
Richmond Custom Carbon 16'
Starboard Point 14'8
Starboard K15
Starboard Astro Touring 14
Starboad Big Easy
Redpaddle Ride 10'6
Badfish Rivershred
Jackson SUPercharger
Badfish MVP 9'o
Badfish IRS 7'2
Pack OC1 12'

lucabrasi

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1813
    • View Profile
Re: Inflatable Shapes
« Reply #9 on: May 29, 2015, 04:41:11 AM »
Mistral had some new magic thread technology that they touted a year or two back. Could make an inflatable lighter and stronger.
Is this something that really was a game changer or was it really just hoopla?
I thought it looked rather interesting but it seems to me there would have been so much more news and input from people who actually paddled them if there really was anything to it especially by now.

baddog

  • Sunset Status
  • ****
  • Posts: 437
    • View Profile
Re: Inflatable Shapes
« Reply #10 on: May 29, 2015, 09:45:39 AM »
Mistral had some new magic thread technology that they touted a year or two back. Could make an inflatable lighter and stronger.
Is this something that really was a game changer or was it really just hoopla?
I thought it looked rather interesting but it seems to me there would have been so much more news and input from people who actually paddled them if there really was anything to it especially by now.

I was super interested (suckered) when the new 'iCross' technology hype appeared last year.  Since then, the 'iCross' moniker has disappeared, the German factory seems to be gone and the manufacturing has apparently moved to Romania(?).  This year the 'Super Light' and/or 'Equipe' is the old 'iCross'.  They are limited to 15psi and I find it hard to believe that they can be as stiff as a board at 25psi.

What makes them lighter?  They are a single wall construction where the majority of the Mistral iSups are still double wall and hence, heavier.  I reread the marketing hype from last year.  The fabric is 'double-walled' not the construction.  I'm sure Capo can give us the real down low.

I gave up on the lightest and went with the best, Red :)

« Last Edit: May 29, 2015, 09:48:48 AM by baddog »

pdxmike

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 6186
    • View Profile
Re: Inflatable Shapes
« Reply #11 on: May 29, 2015, 11:07:38 AM »
I know Starboard have big things coming for 2016 with their inflatables.. and by big I don't mean big as in size.. but big as in improvements..

I'd like to see slight concaves in the bottom nose area to help reduce the stick that you get when surfing a wave and the nose comes down and touches.. even if that means a slight concave on the deck as well..

It's good to see most have changed the air filling hole to the rear (where it should be) and it would be nice if all boards went to a standard type fin box..

I'd like to see all future BOP style races on inflatables only..
+1

I'd also like to see nose cone type shapes to create a real displacement type nose, and ULI-Style rails at the rear when required. And dual- or triple-chamber technology for safety far from shore.

Traveling with epoxy 12-6 or 14ft boards is silly. If all that matters is speed then we'd all be on UL boards. But instead we have decided that it is preferable to race slow boards (in most races worldwide). So why not go all the way and race internationally on boards that can be taken internationally? This will also spur on inflatable board technology. Personally, I hate paddling iSUPs. But if the technology was sorted out they wouldn't be so hateful for eg. distance racing, and it would bring international races within the financial scope of a lot more people. Who can afford to have your £3000 GBP board snapped in half travelling from an international race as one of the top UK guys did recently coming back from the ISA champs in Mexico? Compare that with slinging an iSUP on your back and there's no contest. If this is to be truly a global sport then we need to make it as easy as possible for people to take part. The same people will win no matter what you put them on, as long as the construction technology is the same, be it hard or iSUP. I think Dave Kalama was right, radical though the idea sounded at first.
Area and DJ--all good points.  Then imagine if inflatable unlimiteds become realistic.  Some have already been made.  That takes away the whole reason for limiting races to shorter boards. A 17' inflatable may be slower than a hard one, but still faster than a hard 14', and far easier to travel with.  Unlimited inflatables could create an ironic situation someday where a race that has 14' and inflatable categories (with the assumption that inflatables need their own category because they're slow and used only by casual racers) ends up with the inflatable winner being faster.


Inflatables went from being a novelty for racing to being viable in just a couple years, and actually already having advantages besides traveling ease (i.e. being more durable for BOP).    It's another reminder how stupid it is to set up race board rules based on today's technology, since nobody can predict how technology will advance.

airSUP

  • Rincon Status
  • ***
  • Posts: 121
    • View Profile
    • air-SUP.com
    • Email
Re: Inflatable Shapes
« Reply #12 on: May 29, 2015, 07:59:49 PM »
on the fin front we have some pretty cool things coming in the next few months : "FCS" brand fins compatible fin box (using grub screws),
and when using our new fins : no fin screw required  - we call it ClickFins

note: FCS brand is not associated with this fin system, this fin system is compatible with the fins they made popular world-wide.
Brett Bennett
Owner : airSUP inflatable SUPs
Web: http://air-SUP.com

baddog

  • Sunset Status
  • ****
  • Posts: 437
    • View Profile
Re: Inflatable Shapes
« Reply #13 on: May 31, 2015, 08:57:29 AM »
Thanks Capo, the lightweight is certainly attractive.  Next time around I'll take another look.

surf4food

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1746
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Inflatable Shapes
« Reply #14 on: June 01, 2015, 02:59:14 PM »
Inflatable has really come a long way.   Even for kids.

 


SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal