Naish 2016 lineup

[Area 10]

So which of these boards is their dedicated downwinder / open ocean board?
Being Hawaii based I would have thought a dw would be top of the list.

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

It seems to me that most brands have given up on competing with SIC (or JL...) in terms of specialist DWers, and are fighting instead over a more middle ground board: a flat-water capable race-oriented board that can also shine in small downwind conditions (like you get inland). There aren't many big DW races outside of Hawaii.

[DavidJohn]

I hope Naish are working hard to bring us a 28'' wide version of the new Javelin Maliko.. 

In the GTW construction please.. and before Christmas .. Just for us bigger guys that find 26'' too tippy.. 

I asked the guys at Naish about this and they said ''that's what the 29'' wide Glide is for''... 

[Board Stiff]

It seems to me that most brands have given up on competing with SIC (or JL...) in terms of specialist DWers, and are fighting instead over a more middle ground board: a flat-water capable race-oriented board that can also shine in small downwind conditions (like you get inland). There aren't many big DW races outside of Hawaii.
[/quote]

A10 - I think this goes back to your point about wanting affordable boards. Most recreational paddlers can't afford a dedicated downwind board for big conditions and a flatwater/race board, especially when they're offered in expensive and fragile carbon construction. So other than the two traditional downwind specialist manufacturers who still make boards for the big downwind niche, most manufacturers are focusing on the all around market, with designs that are either a little more flatwater or downwind oriented.

If I lived near the Gorge or somewhere with similarly reliable big downwind conditions, I'd consider a dedicated downwind board. But here on the NH seacoast, we rarely get more than downbreezer winds (especially in the warm months), and with the coastline running north/south, the winds we do get rarely lineup and are typically accompanied by a cross swell coming in from the east. So I get more use out of an all-around design that I can race, tour, downbreeze (usually in protected bays), and occasionally surf. I'd still like that board in the cheap, tough, 26-28 lb construction you described, though!

[Muskoka SUP]

I hope Naish are working hard to bring us a 28'' wide version of the new Javelin Maliko.. 

In the GTW construction please.. and before Christmas .. Just for us bigger guys that find 26'' too tippy.. 

I asked the guys at Naish about this and they said ''that's what the 29'' wide Glide is for''... 

I'd be over the moon if Naish offered the 26" Maliko Jav in a GTW construction.  As I'm only 5'-9",  I have no issues with my 27" V2 Glide.. (Even with its occasional idiosyncratic freak outs ... ).    So anyways, as I stated earlier, I'm moving the New JL 14 x 26.5 Rail to the top of my list.  Too bad the new Bark downwind isn't available in a 26" width...<sigh>.   I guess I sound grumpy and old.... But guess what..   It's us older demographic types buying the boards... And I wouldn't be as grumpy if I could buy what I wanted...you hear me Naish... Ya I'm talking to you Robbie.   Oh wait, you're getting old too... Ya must be losing your hearing...

[Area 10]

I hope Naish are working hard to bring us a 28'' wide version of the new Javelin Maliko.. 

In the GTW construction please.. and before Christmas .. Just for us bigger guys that find 26'' too tippy.. 

I asked the guys at Naish about this and they said ''that's what the 29'' wide Glide is for''... 

Put me down for one of those too...

[yugi]

…
  I think Area 10 (or was it Pono) was correct in stating that the boards that are being marketed today, and probably in the near future, are either going to be ultra narrow (<25”) super light race models or fat wide touring types.   Not much in the 27-28” variety that work as a quiver of one.  Precisely why I’m not giving up my V2 Glide … Though I’d certainly like to move forwards with a newer shape.   

Well, not really. The 2016 Javelins will now come in 28” wide and the Jav Maliko, JL Rail, and the like, are filling in that gap that was between race and DW boards. I see the gap disappearing rather than the opposite.

The fast 14’ DW boards like Bullet V2 or Rogue Rage (both 27”) make really good quiver-of-one all-round boards as is. We're  getting some narrower faster ones now.

…
 the three boards discussed here (Naish Jav Maliko, SIC FX and Fanatic Falcon 2016; plus perhaps the SB All Star) fulfil this category on the face of it, the fact that (All Star excepted) they are all 26” wide or under, suggests that these boards are aimed at inland paddlers more than ocean ones. But I guess the number of people who actually do ocean DW is still pretty small, and those people may buy a full-on planing nose board like a Bullet, M14, and/or wider boards like the F14 or Glide 14x29 etc.
…

Well, oddly, there is a bit of the opposite going on too. My gang are inland paddlers and are on SIC, JL 27” and 28” wide pure downwind boards have worked just fine for all conditions paddling as we weren't interested in race results. On the other hand the guys getting after some pretty serious DWs in Sth France do it on their race boards. Coz they can mostly I guess.

The 28” & 30” wide DW boards will continue to serve bigger guys really nicely. If big and on wider boards such as these they are hardly going to be killing it races anyway.

I find it nice to see the new 26” race/DW hybrids coming out. Just exactly what I’m ready for. Perfect quiver-of-one boards for my purposes. Bet the racy guys in Sth France will be happy too and DW will become ever more popular.

[Luc Benac]

Too bad the new Bark downwind isn't available in a 26" width...<sigh>.

Not sure if the Bark Vapor might also be an option as an all around fast board.

Cheers,

Luc

[Board Stiff]

That Vapor looks pretty nice too! Lots of compelling boards to check out next year.

Interesting to see so many boards converging on a similar shape/design after what seems like a period of more divergent experimentation. Is this a case of follow-the-leader, or has all the experimentation started to reveal some general principles about the optimal shape for and all-around race/downwind board?

[yugi]

That Vapor looks pretty nice too! Lots of compelling boards to check out next year.

Interesting to see so many boards converging on a similar shape/design after what seems like a period of more divergent experimentation. Is this a case of follow-the-leader, or has all the experimentation started to reveal some general principles about the optimal shape for and all-around race/downwind board?

A bit of both. Designs gravitate to that which works. The pendulum swings a bit too far on any one aspect that works then comes back. I think we're seeing that magic happy medium emerge.

You see the same design patterns in new sports like Mtn bikes, paragliding, kite surfing, snowboards, freeride skis. After a few years you start to get equipment that accommodates ease or safety while also being performant.

[stoneaxe]

Is it just me or is it kind of shitty that they called this the Maliko. I love the folks at Naish but seems kind of thoughtless to me. Stepping on toes for sure.

[Board Stiff]

Is it just me or is it kind of shitty that they called this the Maliko. I love the folks at Naish but seems kind of thoughtless to me. Stepping on toes for sure.

I love my KeNalu paddle, but I wouldn't name SUP products after well-known Hawaiian places and expect them to remain uniquely named in a sport steeped in Hawaiian culture. 

[Luc Benac]

That Vapor looks pretty nice too! Lots of compelling boards to check out next year.

Interesting to see so many boards converging on a similar shape/design after what seems like a period of more divergent experimentation. Is this a case of follow-the-leader, or has all the experimentation started to reveal some general principles about the optimal shape for and all-around race/downwind board?

I know I just ordered a Bark Downwinder (14x28) that could me my wife all-around board board and that I can borrow for downwinders. Pretty excited about it but always think about the greener pastures yet to come.
There are some nice looking all-around fast board coming along on the 26/25" range:

• Bark Vapor
  
• SIC FX14
  
  • SB Allstar 2016
    
  • Blackbox Uno El Camino
    
  Even at 163LBC I would never have thougth that I could manage a 25" wide board but my 2015 Allstar is surprinsingly stable and all these are likely to be the same or even better.
  Still I think that 26" is a sweet spot for me for an all-around board.
  I some point it is better to stop reading about new boards :-)
  
  Cheers
  

[stoneaxe]

Is it just me or is it kind of shitty that they called this the Maliko. I love the folks at Naish but seems kind of thoughtless to me. Stepping on toes for sure.

I love my KeNalu paddle, but I wouldn't name SUP products after well-known Hawaiian places and expect them to remain uniquely named in a sport steeped in Hawaiian culture. 

Kenalu started out as an online magazine, not a product and nalu is used all over in a variety of ways. I wasn't even referring to the Kenalu Maliko but to the Foote Maliko...the original "Maliko" downwind board. naming another DW board Maliko seems a but much to me. I understand that its bound to be used elsewhere...already has obviously.....but it still seems a bit petty and unnecessary with two directly competing products. I also can't help but remember the controversy when Kalaoa paddles came out just because to the haole ear it sounds almost the same as Kialoa. This doesn't rise to the level of Naish calling their new board the Foote but it seems a bit close for my taste. Still a shitty thing to do IMO. I actually thought Kalaoa was OK simply because of the origin....didn't matter that they sounded similar....Kalaoa was started in ....Kalaoa.

[Board Stiff]

Ahh, didn't realize there was a Maliko downwind board too. That's certainly confusing! Time to start using more original names... how about the Naish Breaking Wind? 

[Eagle]

I wasn't even referring to the Kenalu Maliko but to the Foote Maliko...the original "Maliko" downwind board. naming another DW board Maliko seems a but much to me. I understand that its bound to be used elsewhere...already has obviously.....but it still seems a bit petty and unnecessary with two directly competing products.

^^^ It may be Jimmy named the M-14 initially as the Maliko -> then switched to M-14 -> and is now M-Series on his website.

https://wetfeethawaii.wordpress.com/2012/08/08/jimmy-lewis-maliko/

http://www.jimmylewis.com/Hawaii/paddle/race/