Allstar 14 X 27

[Area 10]

A friend of mine had a 2014 All Star and after 16 weeks of normal use it had taken on so much water through so many holes that it was basically a write-off. Starboard use (or were using then) PVC pipe that looks like plumbers' pipe to make the drain holes, and it is tricky to get a good bond between PVC pipe and fibreglass/epoxy, so as the board flexes, leaks can occur. So if you are buying a Starboard that has drain holes it might be wise to check very carefully around them.

[Area 10]

You still not been out on your All Star, coldsup?

[coldsup]

Tonight was the first go...can only compare it to the M14 which as you know is a different animal. I did a few miles along the coast.

I found the Allstar a wee bit more stable....stable in a different kind of way....it really resists going over. Certainly faster and more glide. Love the nose....has a small sprinkle effect. Cuts through nicely and doesn't feel like it slows much.

I paddled into a mild wind...no probs. I haven't properly paddled for a long while due to illness....couple of easy surfs but nothing else.....but I felt I could go further with less effort on this board.

I paddled over to a bay which sometimes has 1 ft or 2 ft waves coming in on a small easterly. They were less than 1 ft today....boooo! Anyway, still had a go and what surprised me the most was the thing picked them them up easy and kept going!! On the M14 I would be paddling hard trying to catch and stay on. I reckon this board will be an amazing small bump machine...it is going to catch bumps super easy.

I didn't feel that tired after the paddle especially the legs which is great.....and I am out of condition.

I guess it will be good in choppy stuff but I have some doubts on paddling cross wind....any board with a full nose is going to catch wind. A few days ago I watched two of my pals on a 30 Knots DW ....they had to paddle straight out on their knees  for 20 mins before they turned with the wind. One was on an M14 and fired out really easily whilst his friend with a high railed board was blown sideways and struggled big time.

Still got loads to find out about the Allstar but so far very good....just ideal for coastal paddling and downbreezers. Any negative.....well....the centre handle could be say an inch further back to be bang on....but because it is one of those foamed carry handles it can get away with it...I carried it no probs and it is easier to carry than the lighter M14 which has those horrid old fashioned handles.

Hope it is durable....at 14 kg it should be okay.....by the way....you don't feel that weight much in the water.

Strangely I found the M14 tracks better in a straight line...the Allstar is easier to for steer...wonder if that means it will surf well?

I would still want to to be on the M14 for a proper DW....just don't know how that lack of nose rocker would handle it.

Hope that helps....will update as I go on.

[coldsup]

Tonight was the first go...can only compare it to the M14 which as you know is a different animal. I did a few miles along the coast in light winds.

I found the Allstar a wee bit more stable....stable in a different kind of way....it really resists going over. Certainly faster and more glide. Love the nose....has a small sprinkle effect. Cuts through nicely and doesn't feel like it slows much.

I paddled into a mild wind...no probs. I haven't properly paddled for a long while due to illness....couple of easy surfs but nothing else.....but I felt I could go further with less effort on this board.

I paddled over to a bay which sometimes has 1 ft or 2 ft waves coming in on a small easterly. They were less than 1 ft today....boooo! Anyway, still had a go and what surprised me the most was the thing picked them them up easy and kept going!! On the M14 I would be paddling hard trying to catch and stay on. I reckon this board will be an amazing small bump machine...it is going to catch bumps super easy.

I didn't feel that tired after the paddle especially the legs which is great.....and I am out of condition.

I guess it will be good in choppy stuff but I have some doubts on paddling cross wind....any board with a full nose is going to catch wind. A few days ago I watched two of my pals on a 30 Knots DW ....they had to paddle straight out on their knees  for 20 mins before they turned with the wind. One was on an M14 and fired out really easily whilst his friend with a high railed board was blown sideways and struggled big time.

Still got loads to find out about the Allstar but so far very good....just ideal for coastal paddling and downbreezers. Any negative.....well....the centre handle could be say an inch further back to be bang on....but because it is one of those foamed carry handles it can get away with it...I carried it no probs and it is easier to carry than the lighter M14 which has those horrid old fashioned handles.

Hope it is durable....at 14 kg it should be okay.....by the way....you don't feel that weight much in the water.

Strangely I found the M14 tracks better in a straight line...the Allstar is easier to for steer...wonder if that means it will surf well?

I would still want to to be on the M14 for a proper DW....just don't know how that lack of nose rocker would handle it.

Hope that helps....will update as I go on.

That should be foot steer......not for steer.

[Fog City Rider]

A friend of mine had a 2014 All Star and after 16 weeks of normal use it had taken on so much water through so many holes that it was basically a write-off. Starboard use (or were using then) PVC pipe that looks like plumbers' pipe to make the drain holes, and it is tricky to get a good bond between PVC pipe and fibreglass/epoxy, so as the board flexes, leaks can occur. So if you are buying a Starboard that has drain holes it might be wise to check very carefully around them.

I have seen that before in my friend's All Star that I repaired for her.  Water was leaking & bubbling out of the drain pipe area, I found little cavities under the surface. 
   

[Area 10]

Cheers for the review of the 14x27, coldsup. It sounds like a very good board for what you want.

It's a shame that the handle isn't perfect. It's unforgivable really that it shouldn't be. Especially if I'd paid Ł2500+ for a carbon one, if everything about it wasn't absolutely perfect I think I'd throw a wobbler. I just don't understand how Starboard could be getting it wrong. It's not rocket science.

It's interesting what you say about cross-chop. That's the one area where Larry Cain noted a weakness of the All Star, in an otherwise highly effusive review. Unfortunately it's also an area that matters a lot to me. Several of my DW runs also have substantial cross-wind sections. I wish I could demo one...

But then, no board is perfect, and this one sounds like it's pretty close.

[coldsup]

That's weird ....a load of posts appear to be missing.

Just checked with Admin ......seems to have been a load of stuff lost this morning.

[coldsup]

Well, one thing the new Allstar is NOT good at is handling cross winds.....that nose is a total f&ŁKer to try and keep straight.

Okay, not many big nosed boards will be good but I really struggled when I know my M14 would be much easier. So, there's a weakness.

It also can't surf small waves anywhere as good as the M14 but I didn't expect it to.

[Area 10]

Yeah, you'll want to be on the M14 if conditions are lively. When these brands talk about "all waters" race boards, they kinda have in mind "all waters that you'll encounter in Florida" not "all conditions you'll encounter in Scotland"! Different worlds altogether. 90% of the world paddles in milder conditions than you get on 90% of days.

[burchas]

Well, one thing the new Allstar is NOT good at is handling cross winds.....that nose is a total f&ŁKer to try and keep straight.

Okay, not many big nosed boards will be good but I really struggled when I know my M14 would be much easier. So, there's a weakness.

It also can't surf small waves anywhere as good as the M14 but I didn't expect it to.

What wind speed are we talking about here?

[Area 10]

Well, one thing the new Allstar is NOT good at is handling cross winds.....that nose is a total f&ŁKer to try and keep straight.

Okay, not many big nosed boards will be good but I really struggled when I know my M14 would be much easier. So, there's a weakness.

It also can't surf small waves anywhere as good as the M14 but I didn't expect it to.

What wind speed are we talking about here?

It can get a bit breezy here in the UK. Here's a measurement from my local beach weather station a couple of months ago. Gusting 75 knots. It's not at all unusual to have whole days that blow in the 35-50 knot range, especially in winter. Where coldsup lives the wind is actually stronger than where I live (at the opposite end of the country).


The problem is that this can be quite unpredictable. So the situation that coldsup describes, where you end up dealing with more than you bargained for, is quite common. So a board that can really handle some juice is a comforting thing to have.

[Chilly]

With a side wind of over 10 mph put me on a planning shaped board.  Once you have to paddle into the wind then put me on a displacement shaped board. Another factor is board length. A 14 is way more affected in side wind compared to a 12’6.

[burchas]

With a side wind of over 10 mph put me on a planning shaped board.  Once you have to paddle into the wind then put me on a displacement shaped board. Another factor is board length. A 14 is way more affected in side wind compared to a 12’6.

That's what I was going for. I wanted to know at what speed of cross wind coldsup is starting to lose the nose
on his 14 SB and compare it with my 12.6.

Also, what kind of chop this wind generating, in my area when the wind is 15mph+ I can start catching
some waves here and there, white caps throughout.

[burchas]

Well, one thing the new Allstar is NOT good at is handling cross winds.....that nose is a total f&ŁKer to try and keep straight.

Okay, not many big nosed boards will be good but I really struggled when I know my M14 would be much easier. So, there's a weakness.

It also can't surf small waves anywhere as good as the M14 but I didn't expect it to.

What wind speed are we talking about here?

It can get a bit breezy here in the UK. Here's a measurement from my local beach weather station a couple of months ago. Gusting 75 knots. It's not at all unusual to have whole days that blow in the 35-50 knot range, especially in winter. Where coldsup lives the wind is actually stronger than where I live (at the opposite end of the country).


The problem is that this can be quite unpredictable. So the situation that coldsup describes, where you end up dealing with more than you bargained for, is quite common. So a board that can really handle some juice is a comforting thing to have.

A10, what's your general area? Just for reference

[Area 10]

I live on the south coast of the UK. Where windsurfing was invented, in fact, and a lot of the world's best sailors have come from. So I guess it's not surprising that there is wind.

The wind at sea here is pretty much 15 knots or over 5 or 6 days every week throughout the year.  I find that hybrid type raceboards, and even some displacement nose ones invented by people who go in the sea a lot (e.g. the SIC X14) are pretty much fine up to 15 knots. In fact, my Bark Vapor is fine quartering the wind and waves up to about 20 knots or maybe a tad higher. But after that you really need to be on a planing nose board if you are doing it for any distance. So, if 15 knots is a decent blow where you live, you should be fine on most race boards IMO.