Author Topic: Newbie nesds advice  (Read 45719 times)

Wetstuff

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Re: Newbie nesds advice
« Reply #15 on: February 12, 2016, 07:35:18 AM »
Might want to look at a line of boards made in Miami. Some nice looking shapes and many options: Indigo http://www.indigo-sup.com

Jim
Atlantis Mistress .. Blue Planet MultiTasker ..   Atlantis Venom

Dkyachtphoto

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Re: Newbie nesds advice
« Reply #16 on: February 12, 2016, 07:43:10 AM »
Might want to look at a line of boards made in Miami. Some nice looking shapes and many options: Indigo http://www.indigo-sup.com

Jim
Great looking boards,  unfortunately most of there weight capacities are already what I weigh without factoring in cargo.  Thanks for the suggestions anyway.

Dave


ninja tuna

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Re: Newbie nesds advice
« Reply #17 on: February 12, 2016, 07:51:47 AM »
Hey DK,

I fish off my paddleboard  in the keys, both the back country and the ENP.  So I am also familiar with where you paddle and the way you want to paddle. I recommended the "touring" type boards for the reason tropiclayankee did. I will add a few things to back up my reasoning.  I would stay away from any type of board that looks like a longboard surfboard in the nose and towards a board that has not only a pointy nose but a vee in the nose too like a boat.  This will help if you get caught in any kind of chop while you are out paddling in the bay.  If you are looking at fish and other wildlife under water, this type of nose is also much quieter and will not spook the fish as fast. Even if you are paddling into a small ripple, that flat longboard style nose will chatter and spook stuff 150 feet out in front of you. 


You have two places near you that could carry possibly something like this.  Florida bay outfitters is just to the north of you and then Paddle  the  florida keys is just on the south side of Tavernier Creek Bridge.

I will mention some boards in the realm of what I thinking.

Fanatic Ray
Jp Sportster
Both good choices as mentioned

Hobie has there Venture series boards on both 12'4 and 10"4, don't know if you want to go smaller for the wife.

Tahoe Zephyr 12'6
Riviera Fish On 12'6
BOGA El Tiburon 12'6"
Stand on Liquid Octane HPT 12'6"
Stand on Liquid Native HPT 14'0"
the Rogue Tour board series, they have 12'6, 11'4 and 10'2
Lakeshore river rover
Amundson TR 12'6


All of these are at least 30" wide with the exception of the Amundson which 29".

Also if you are not in a hurry, don't be afraid of looking on Craigslist list for used ones to save some money. They do pop up here and there.

And having a wide board to cover distance is no big deal.  My fishing board is 14' x 34" wide  and I have paddled that thing 8 miles easily while fishing all day.  That is my heavy board (45lbs) while also with carrying probably and extra 20-30 lbs of gear too. THe advantage to having a wider board will come in to play for carrying stuff and also after hours of standing on the board giving you extra stability.  Yes you can and will get better as you paddle more, but this is not a speed competition or a surf performance thing you are looking for so going narrower won't benefit you more than your enjoyment.

And yes we want to see "the hot wife in the middle of nowhere" photos :D :D :D

TropicalYankee

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Re: Newbie nesds advice
« Reply #18 on: February 12, 2016, 07:56:14 AM »
I just went through the same decision you are going through. I wanted a board for casual fishing and touring in South FL and the Keys waters (I'm in Jupiter). The Bote boards are really attractive and paddle nicely. They are made in FL and have a lot of cool features. I really, really wanted one. It's the features that are the problem. Whenever you add glassed in features, you introduce potential failure points. A number of dealers (who don't sell Bote so take this with some salt) have said that Botes tend to develop leaks and suck in water. While this can be fixed if it were to happen, you'll never be able to get the board totally dry inside thus increasing the already heavy weight. The only other thing I can say about them is that every one I've ever seen not in a shop looked pretty beat up with lots of chips and scratches.

My original list of boards was:

Bote Rackham
Starboard Avanti
Sunova Surf 10'11"
Fanatic Fly 11'2"
Fanatic Ray WE 12'
JP Sportster Touring

All these boards are 32 wide or wider, all very stable and be stable for you at your size and you could even carry some cargo on them. I narrowed it down to the Ray and the Sportster and purchased the Sportster. I couldn't detect any difference in paddling the two boards so my decision came down to price and availability. I am thrilled with the JP, been freezing my butt off the last couple of days paddling with manatees in the IC. The board is so stable the thought of falling in never occurs. I tend to paddle slowly and take in the nature. On the sportster I'll take a few strokes and just glide watching birds and fish, it's great fun.

The Avanti, Sunova and Fly are large surf shapes. They work in flat water but don't have the glide that touring shape offers. If you're only considering one board and think you might want to surf it in small waves you should look this direction, if not, definitely go the touring shape route.

I'd recommend you message JimK on here. He owns Extreme Windsurfing in NJ but ships boards al over and offers Zoner deals. If you buy a Fanatic or JP from him, you can pick the board up from their respective warehouses in Miami which at a minimum, saves you the tax. Jim is also a big guy and knows big guy needs in a board.

Good luck with whatever you choose.
Wow tropicalyankee that's a lot to consider...... I had heard about the Bote boards being more "fragile"  vs others and asked around about that. The best answer I got regarding that came from a dealer in Dania Beach. These boards aren't like my rotomolded Kayak,  you can't run them up on the beach/shore and not expect some damage. As with anything that fiberglass if you drop something on it or bang into something your gonna get a ding or crack. He said the 2 best things to do are use a board bag for transportation and use the stake out poles when u get to your destination instead of beaching it. With the tackle rack I do see it being a spot where you might eventually get stress cracks but I can deal with that if it happens.

It sounds like you and I are very similar in our paddling ways.  I love gliding and checking out the fish and crabs and nature. I'll definitely look into those 2 boards you narrowed it down to. Ultimately I think for me I will end up with a bote just because of the features. They really really appeal to my needs and fit exactly what I am looking for. I'm really surprised more companies are offering similar features at the Botes...

BTW where do u paddle in the Keys?

Dave

Dave,
I paddle out of a private marina at 99 where my friend owns a condo. Although, I do most of my paddling in the Loxahatchee and IC up here unless there's surf.

You're right about using a board bag. Most dings occur getting the board on and off the car or stacking them in the garage, etc. As far as beaching vs. staking, as long as you don't run your board up on the beach and instead, carry it and set it down where the water can't move it, the stake is unnecessary.

What helped me with my decision was my fantasy vs. my reality. Bote (and the other brands) have great marketing and sell the dream. In my mind, I would get visions of catching marlin on a board with a cooler, tackle rack, fish finder, a couple of rods, etc.. My reality is light rod, a small tackle box, a small soft sided cooler with drinks and snack and pulling jacks out of the IC. I would recommend you think really hard about whether or not you need the tackle rack. If you do, definitely consider Bote and you might also look at Dragonfly that is made in Vero Beach as they are true fishing beasts. http://www.dragonflypaddleboards.com Otherwise, get a board with less gimmicks. You can always add almost everything the Bote's have later to another board. A lot of the Bote features are unnecessary. The stash pod can be replaced with a dry pouch and you're never going to paddle with an open bottle of beer in it as it quickly fills with water to warm the beer. The travel link can be replaced by a number of strap carrying systems avail be for any type of board or your board bag and this assumes you can't just carry the board with the board's handle. Rod holders can be epoxied on if you feel you really need them. Cooler mounts and/or bungee mounts can be epoxied on as well. Consider too that using a tackle rack and hard cooler considerably raises the center of gravity of the board making it less stable. You can lay your rod  and stake between your feet while paddling. You don't need a through hole to use a stake, you just plant the stake and wrap your leash around it.

There are a lot of great videos on youtube of paddle board fishing in South FL. Check this one out by someone sponsored by Bote. Notice how much the tackle rack is (not) really doing and notice how stable the board of the guy filming is. I think this is most people's reality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c78EYqlBTic

stoneaxe

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Re: Newbie nesds advice
« Reply #19 on: February 12, 2016, 08:21:23 AM »
I'm not familiar with other boards having the same features but pretty much and decent sized board can be converted for fishing. My old Starboard 12-6 is my fishing platform. I added some tie downs fore and aft and strap my cooler down in position to sit on it. I carry minimal tackle usually. Tropical makes a good point about displacement hull up front. Biggest problem I have with the Starboard for fishing is that it only takes some ripples to make the nose slap...not as stealthy as I'd like.
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

Dkyachtphoto

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Re: Newbie nesds advice
« Reply #20 on: February 12, 2016, 08:36:50 AM »
Ninja and Tropical,  really great info and suggestions guys thank you. I will definitely look at the boards mentioned. I'm not super interested in the tackle rack or the stupid bottle holder thing to be honest. I found a little device that hooks onto the tied owns then u can attach the Ram Mounts to them. So that more than covers my cup holder and rod holder needs. I do want a hard cover because I do have a bad knee,  so having the option to sit every once and a while is very important to me.

My sea Kayak has the V front you mentioned and I totally agree and understand about being way quieter. My Kayak weights 70+pounds empty so going to a 40 or 45 pound SUP is gonna be a huge difference

You guys gave me so much info,  now I gotta look at it all! I'm not opposed to adding some tie downs if I needed to. Obviously I'd rather buy it already set up.

Dave


starman

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Re: Newbie nesds advice
« Reply #21 on: February 12, 2016, 09:19:02 AM »
Another possible choice;

http://alexaguera.com/fishing-sups/

Dkyachtphoto

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Re: Newbie nesds advice
« Reply #22 on: February 12, 2016, 09:42:28 AM »
Another possible choice;

http://alexaguera.com/fishing-sups/
Dam that thing has some huge weight capacity!!  One thing I'm noticing is some of these board companies HAVE to improve their websites...... I like info,  lots of it.  Videos, photos, accessories, specs...... The more the better. Some of these sites your lucky to get a board length and width.

Dave


supthecreek

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Re: Newbie nesds advice
« Reply #23 on: February 12, 2016, 11:55:49 AM »
Dave
Since many new options have been thrown out, I'll  add one you may not find easily.
It doesn't have all the bells and whistles for fishing.... but if touring in comfort is your goal, you may want to seriously consider this board.

The Sunova Venture at 12'6 or 14'

14' x 31.5" 338 L
plenty of spare capacity for gear, built for stability and easy long distance paddling
Really great build quality... and it will be much lighter than your other choices. Not even in the same ball park.

Probably $400 to $500 cheaper than other quality options.

Not a molded board. Handcrafted quality.

PM me for more info on these boards... I think you will be nicely surprised with the quality and weight.

Dkyachtphoto

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Re: Newbie nesds advice
« Reply #24 on: February 12, 2016, 12:30:54 PM »
Dave
Since many new options have been thrown out, I'll  add one you may not find easily.
It doesn't have all the bells and whistles for fishing.... but if touring in comfort is your goal, you may want to seriously consider this board.

The Sunova Venture at 12'6 or 14'

14' x 31.5" 338 L
plenty of spare capacity for gear, built for stability and easy long distance paddling
Really great build quality... and it will be much lighter than your other choices. Not even in the same ball park.

Probably $400 to $500 cheaper than other quality options.

Not a molded board. Handcrafted quality.

PM me for more info on these boards... I think you will be nicely surprised with the quality and weight.
Really nice boards but it's the same price as the Ahab I'm considering "$2400". Thanks for the suggestion.

Dave


robon

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Re: Newbie nesds advice
« Reply #25 on: February 12, 2016, 12:59:23 PM »
You're on the right track. It's a good time to be getting into the market for this type of board because there are a lot of options now. Including Wider offerings like Bote for max stability with a load of gear, and you can go a bit narrower and still have a high carrying capacity while probably going a bit faster. Haven't tried a Bote yet but they look nice. You can get the boards I listed for under 2K. My two cents on board bags is that they are a pain in the ass and more of a consideration for myself when travelling long distances. Most dings and holes happen when entering and exiting the water in my experience, although some damage does happen when loading and unloading boards, but you are much likely to damage a board when getting in or out of the water.

Tahoe Tallac 14 x 31.5". Last years on reduced pricing in many stores
Lakeshore Paddleboard Company- River Rover 14 x 31
Amundson TRT 14 X 29.5 Last years models are on closeout pricing right now
Boardworks Greatbear 14 x 30. I recommend this for a high capacity board that can handle rough, open water paddling.
« Last Edit: February 12, 2016, 01:03:20 PM by robon »

supthecreek

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Re: Newbie nesds advice
« Reply #26 on: February 12, 2016, 03:30:47 PM »
Dave
The Sunova website prices are in Australian dollars

I am pretty sure its $1,899 US $$$

Dkyachtphoto

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Re: Newbie nesds advice
« Reply #27 on: February 12, 2016, 04:25:49 PM »
Dave
The Sunova website prices are in Australian dollars

I am pretty sure its $1,899 US $$$
Oh ok sorry,  I must have missed that.

Dave


HanaSurf

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Re: Newbie nesds advice
« Reply #28 on: February 14, 2016, 12:12:32 PM »
Please let us know what boards and your opinions of them that you and your wife are able to demo. Not a lot of real world info on touring boards here. THANKS

robon

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Re: Newbie nesds advice
« Reply #29 on: February 14, 2016, 02:10:05 PM »
Please let us know what boards and your opinions of them that you and your wife are able to demo. Not a lot of real world info on touring boards here. THANKS

Hey Hanasurf,

Quite a few of us on here or several:) either own or have paddled boards geared towards the touring end of things, or have boards that double nicely as touring/expedition boards. I'm on a 14 x 29 Naish Glide kitted out for touring myself and have some experience/familiarity with bigger boards like the Amundson TRT, Boardworks Greatbear, LPC boards, Older Starboard touring models, etc. Some good information can be had by doing a search on the flat water/touring forum and gear talk. Bwilliam is a big dude who is on a River Rover. Other paddlers like Levity and UKriversurfer have some experience in expedition paddling and have posted some great accounts of their experiences. I threw up a couple of my touring trips on the flatwater/touring section as well. I'm no seasoned veteran when it comes to expeditions or touring boards, but will gladly help out if you have any questions.

 


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