Author Topic: New Blue Planet downwind board  (Read 10597 times)

lavafrog

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New Blue Planet downwind board
« on: June 28, 2015, 07:34:27 PM »
I had a great morning at the Blue Planet Demo at Ala Moana Beach this morning. I had the opportunity to ride a ton of boards, if your looking for a board go to a demo day!  I was able to paddle boards from Blue Planet and Starboard like the BP Zen Master, Multitasker, and Easy models. I also tried the Starboard Freeride, WidePoint and Whopper.  I even tried boards as small as the BP Funstick 9'4x33 and the Starboard Hero 9'x33, which I didn't think I would be able to do.  They were mostly underwater with 210 lbs squishing 'em down, but I could still reasonably get them moving. Even though they were close in size, they ride differently due to nose shape and volume.  I really enjoyed the Mulitasker 10'6x34 and the Wide Point 10'5x32 the most out of the general/surf boards...lots of board to grow with and use in the surf, they were both really stable, would turn very nice and both had great glide.

I was really there to demo a few downwind boards.  I rode the SIC 14' Bullet and 14x28 Blue Planet Bump Rider, but the board for me was the 14'x30 Bump Rider in carbon construction.  We were in calm water with very little to no wind and the SIC was tippy to me.  I got used to it, but would probably be very hard for me in the ocean. The 14x28 Bump Rider was better, but the 14x30 was confidence building! I rode this board four different times to keep checking how it felt before and after the other downwinders.  I could walk around a bit and still have reasonably good stability, step way back on the tail for turns (I fell a few times doing this) and standing in the middle, I could dip the rails for stability and directional control. MAGIC!! I enjoyed it so much, I went to the shop after lunch and bought one up along with a new KeNalu Konihi 95!!  I AM STOKED!!  I can't wait to do some coastal cruising, downwind training and get some fast runs in!  I bet this thing will be really fun in the small waves too.  8) I don't have any pics yet, matter of fact, I left the board at the shop until my racks for the new turbowagen get in...Ill put up lots of pics soon.

If you get a chance to stop in at Blue Planet, do yourself a favor and go visit. Rob & the crew are awesome, they totally hooked me up with board, board bag, paddle, leash, a Future Cali fin and a bunch of stickers.  Laurie was with me and the crew made her feel welcome too!  She was interested in the different fins...she's only paddle once, but will be back to get her board when she's ready!! She was totally impressed! 

Aloha!
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.  ~ Mark Twain

stoneaxe

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Re: New Blue Planet downwind board
« Reply #1 on: June 28, 2015, 08:04:25 PM »
Awesome. Sounds like a great day. I bet you would have been fine on either the SIC or the 14 x 28 after a short while but having fun is what it's all about an the 30 sounds like it will bring it. Having Blue Planet as a resource has to be great. We don't get many demo days out here.
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

lavafrog

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Re: New Blue Planet downwind board
« Reply #2 on: June 28, 2015, 08:48:18 PM »
No regrets here, it was so much fun! I had such a steep learn curve when I first started, but that board was not really fun for me.  I have so much to learn about downwinders...I didn't want to go through that again.  I'm all about paddling, learning and having fun!! 
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.  ~ Mark Twain

blueplanetsurf

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Re: New Blue Planet downwind board
« Reply #3 on: June 29, 2015, 09:27:19 AM »
Thanks for coming to the Clinic and for buying the Bump Rider afterwards.  I think you will really like this board, it makes downwinders so much more fun than trying to do them on a tippy board.  A lot of the guys in our Wednesday's training group are on the 14 Bump Riders now and you will see a lot of them in the M2O race stock division.  Here are a few pics of yesterday's clinic.  Please keep us posted with a review of the board after using it on a downwinder.  I'm looking forward to seeing you back at the shop with your wife and also at our Wednesday's training group.
Aloha, Robert

Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

lavafrog

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Re: New Blue Planet downwind board
« Reply #4 on: June 29, 2015, 11:18:13 PM »
Cool Robert! Thanks for the photos!  That's me in the white shirt in the second to last photo, lol! The guy in blue was telling me how stoked he was about the board he just got done paddling, he was super excited. 
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.  ~ Mark Twain

Badger

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Re: New Blue Planet downwind board
« Reply #5 on: June 30, 2015, 02:57:25 AM »
Any pics of the board?

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blueplanetsurf

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Re: New Blue Planet downwind board
« Reply #6 on: June 30, 2015, 05:43:13 PM »
Lavafrog has not picked up the board yet, it's still at our shop, so I will post a pic for him.  Check the link for more pics of the Bump Rider.

http://blueplanetsurf.com/products/blue-planet-140-bump-rider-carbon-2014
Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

supthecreek

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Re: New Blue Planet downwind board
« Reply #7 on: June 30, 2015, 07:33:19 PM »
Good stuff.... It would be great if we all had demo day's like that, to try a lot of different boards

Nice layout Robert... you guys do it right!

lavafrog

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Re: New Blue Planet downwind board
« Reply #8 on: July 04, 2015, 01:35:38 AM »
Sorry everyone, will be picking up the board on the 4th hopefully.  I'll get some pics out and put some more thoughts down after the ride.  Mine is slightly different from the photo, it's all white with a two-tone grey deck pad...the wife and I are going to do some cool art work on the nose with acrylic paint pens and clear over that section.  The board should look awesome, flat sanded finish white over carbon fiber with gloss over color on the nose.  I'll do a separate thread for the art.
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.  ~ Mark Twain

lavafrog

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Re: New Blue Planet downwind board
« Reply #9 on: July 04, 2015, 01:40:33 AM »
Found a photo of one similar, mine doesn't have all the logos/sticker up front...yet!
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.  ~ Mark Twain

SUPJorge

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Re: New Blue Planet downwind board
« Reply #10 on: July 06, 2015, 08:39:24 AM »
Great looking board!
14' SIC Bullet V2 - 9'1" Naish Hokua X32 LE

lavafrog

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Re: New Blue Planet downwind board
« Reply #11 on: July 13, 2015, 12:44:19 AM »
The board is great!  I am dialing in where I need to stand to pivot turn, about 3 - 4 ft from the tail with the Futures Cali downwind fin.  It's a bit of a challenge, but turns really good so far.  Most of my paddling has been in the bay up in Haleiwa, so no downewnd runs yet.  It seems really fast to me, glides forever and is quick to get up to speed.  I bought a KeNalu Konihi 95 paddle as well, and it's so different!  I found that as many already know, you gotta increase the cadence, and use smooth consistent strokes...no real feedback from the paddle, but boy do you move!  You can't try to power the blade, it just doesn't like it at all.  You can dig the few couple, but after that, higher rpm, consistent strokes are the business of the day.   Here's a pic of the art work in progress, more to follow!!
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.  ~ Mark Twain

baddog

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Re: New Blue Planet downwind board
« Reply #12 on: July 13, 2015, 11:25:41 AM »
Like the looks!  How does board go in flatter waters (SoCal) and who's the shaper?

Kieranrsup

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Re: New Blue Planet downwind board
« Reply #13 on: July 13, 2015, 12:48:48 PM »
A friend and I hire two boards from Robert for the recent Da Hui 4th of July race on the Nth shore, I had Roberts personal 14 x 28" Bump rider and my mate got a 14' Bullet.
I was very impressed how the Bump Rider handled. We surfed the boards everyday at Turtle Bay and it surfed really well.
It went really good in the mild small bumps that we had on race day; it was very easy to plant the nose just behind the bump in front and hold it there.
At 28" wide it is super stable.
All in all I really liked the Bump Rider and would reccomend you to give it a go if you get a chance. :)
SIC custom hand shaped 17' x 25.5" V3 Bullet.
NSP DC 17'10" x 26" .
Starboard Ace 14 x 25".
Starboard Sprint 14 x 24".
JP 10' x 29"
Starboard Pro 8.0 x 29".
Starboard Pro 8' x 29".

lavafrog

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Re: New Blue Planet downwind board
« Reply #14 on: July 14, 2015, 10:43:27 PM »
Like the looks!  How does board go in flatter waters (SoCal) and who's the shaper?

The board is very stable and fast in flat water! It is fast period, I can't wait to get a downwinder in.  I've super busy at work, but can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  A few digs, and the thing takes off, keeping it up to speed is easy.  I imagine that it will glide and surf for days in open water after learning where the weight needs to be.  I'm 6 ft, 205 lbs and it handle me just fine.  Mine is 14'x30" so the 28" would be great too, I just wanted more stability.  Robert Stehlik at Blue Planet Surf designed the board, call him at the shop or look him up on the Zone, I'm sure he'll give you at the details you could ask for.
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.  ~ Mark Twain

 


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