Author Topic: iSUP into the wind?  (Read 6523 times)

ruralwaters

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iSUP into the wind?
« on: May 24, 2016, 07:54:14 PM »
I saw a comment on another thread that iSUPs were difficult to paddle going against the wind.  Can folks elaborate?

I am looking forward to buying my 1st board and want to know more about the pros & cons of iSUP vs SUP.  Expect to be on flat water for the foreseeable future.

Thanks!

Fog City Rider

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Re: iSUP into the wind?
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2016, 08:22:32 PM »
I SUP into the wind too  :P.  Stoked to hear you're looking into getting a board. 

I'm not the most technical dude on this forum, but my experience is that inflatables do everything a little less efficiently than a hard board and paddling upwind is no exception.  That being said, paddling is paddling and if you can afford to, invest in a hi-end inflatable that blows up to 20+ PSI like a Red or an ULI.  You'll be stoked! 

Regardless of your board, time on the water is your best weapon against upwind & other difficult conditions. 
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LeeBee

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Re: iSUP into the wind?
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2016, 08:40:29 PM »
Having both, I think the sharper rails and better fins on the hard board are certainly contributors.
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capobeachboy

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Re: iSUP into the wind?
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2016, 09:31:41 PM »
Depends on the iSUP.  At ULI the 100mm (about 3 7/8") thick material was used on their SUP boards was the norm up until about 2010 /11 when they started experimenting with 150mm (or 6") thick boards.  They were much stiffer at lower pressure but tippier due to a higher center of gravity and hard to paddle with anything but a tail wind due to the extra volume of the board above the waterline.  They are really poor in the surf too unless you're going straight in or out. The past couple years ULI has added 120mm thick boards to the lineup which has the stiffness characteristics of a 6" thick board but much easier to balance & paddle into the wind. They actually surf pretty good too - a custom 11' x 120mm board built for surfing became the basis for the ULI Zettian which won the Payette River Games last year. ULI Board's Kevlar Tech Performance stiffening system gives the thinner boards more rigidity and better flex characteristics without the need for a thicker board, and their performance in the surf speaks for itself.
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PonoBill

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Re: iSUP into the wind?
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2016, 09:44:14 PM »
Crap, you made my post redundant Capo. Oh well, here it is anyway:

The biggest problem with inflatable is that if they have thick rails they run the length of the board--the dropstich fabric doesn't really lend itself to a tapered board or volume control by thickness--one thickness for most of the length. If you get a thick board it will be stiffer at the same pressure, but the super thick ones--like 6 inch and even 10 inch--get blown around like a liferaft.

The thinner, high pressure boards don't, but they generally need some other stiffening method to keep them from the dreaded taco. I've watched CapoBeachBoy race ULIs for years. He does fine with them regardless of the wind direction.
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Green Water Sports

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Re: iSUP into the wind?
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2016, 02:12:17 PM »
For side/head on wind I find that keeping the nose down (weight forward) and 'gripping' the water goes a long way to prevent the board being blown off course, keeps a long water line for grip. For head on wind, similar but not so far forward. iSUP noses are not as pointy as hard boards so don't pierce as well. If you can keep the nose up a little, you can glide over the water, however, the nose too high and you'll go from a few degrees to 45 degrees off the wind in no time. It's a balance.
But it's like that for any board, but iSUPs are more susceptible due to the full length thickness as mentioned.

Sea Eagle have the needle nose which is very nice but cumbersome when deflated.
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Off-Shore

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Re: iSUP into the wind?
« Reply #6 on: May 25, 2016, 05:33:44 PM »
Paddling an iSUP into the wind is generally a little more difficult than a similar hard board but really only noticeable if you compare a sharp nosed hard race board to a boof nosed race ISUP.

Here is a vid going upwind (and downwind) on a Surf style iSUP

https://youtu.be/PgvgQgCLuSg

And another on a Race iSUP

https://youtu.be/ICKPQqAblbM

The race board is obviously better with its boof nose.
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ruralwaters

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Re: iSUP into the wind?
« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2016, 08:58:09 PM »
Awesome insights.  Thank you.  I catch myself with a slight bias against inflatables without any justification so your commentary is very helpful.  Probably just all those demolished beach toys as a kid.   8)

Any recommendations on SUP vs iSup for a 1st board?  Flatwater.

Quickbeam

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Re: iSUP into the wind?
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2016, 12:40:07 AM »
I don’t have the same experience level as a lot of others on this board, but I’ll give you my quick impression. I own the Red Paddle Co. Race 12’ 6” x 29”. It’s a 2014 model that they no longer make. It’s a long story but the very brief version is that I had planned to use this board as my touring board. We really only do day type tours and on our vacation last year this is the board I took with me. It worked great until one day the wind blew up. I’m not talking crazy wind. I come from a kayaking background and this was the kind of wind I used to have fun in with my kayak. In any case, I was making almost no forward progress on my board going into that wind. I wasn’t to the point where I was on my knees on the board, but I was getting close to trying that.

When we got back home from our vacation I swore I would never paddle that board in wind again and I bought a hard board for touring. I haven’t had the hard board all that long, but have had it out in some small wind situations with nowhere near the same level of difficulty.


You also asked for recommendations on hard board vs. inflatable for a first board. Given what I’ve said above you probably think I don’t like inflatables but that’s not really true. Inflatables can be good boards and are useful in certain circumstances. As an example, if storage is an issue or transporting a hard board is an issue the inflatable is good alternative.

But if storage and transporting the board are not issues, then I would take a hard board every time over an inflatable. That’s just my personal preference, but I think you will find most of the experienced people on this forum will tell you the same thing.

And besides, after your first board it won’t take you long until you’ll want a second, and then a third, and then a fourth and then… well, you’ll soon enough find out.

Best of luck with your search.
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Off-Shore

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Re: iSUP into the wind?
« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2016, 02:18:08 AM »
There is no question a hard board will generally be better than an iSUP upwind and I think the newer stiffer iSUPs are better than the old. It really depends how much you are going to paddle upwind. I've been in situations where I've had to get to shore and walk both hard and iSUP boards along the coast because the wind has been too strong... or get down on my knees but it is all part of the experience and for me I actually like a good upwind work out and often do circuits where I paddle directly upwind for 1km and then downwind 1km and repeat

Here is a 2013 RedPaddle 12-6 race

https://youtu.be/ciy6jik86o0

And here is a pure upwind / downwind on the 14' iSUP

https://youtu.be/_8RafJLdjbE

And a similar one on a hard board (SIC Bullet 14v1)

https://youtu.be/hodGzV9mJAU
« Last Edit: May 26, 2016, 02:29:59 AM by Off-Shore »
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Area 10

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Re: iSUP into the wind?
« Reply #10 on: May 26, 2016, 02:35:52 AM »
Yes. Paddling upwind and cross-wind is never much fun on a SUP, but it's generally much harder on an inflatable. Inflatables come into their own in flat windless conditions, and the more you move away from that the larger the performance discrepancy with hard boards. Swings and roundabouts. Most people round here start off with an inflatable to find out if they'll enjoy the sport. And then progress to a hard board if they do. Or they live in the city and it's the only option open to them. Getting to the 30th floor of a high-rise apartment block with a 17ft 4" double-carbon SIC Bullet under your arm might prove a challenge...

Very rarely is an inflatable chosen on performance or paddling pleasure grounds.

spirit4earth

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Re: iSUP into the wind?
« Reply #11 on: May 26, 2016, 06:20:18 AM »
Awesome insights.  Thank you.  I catch myself with a slight bias against inflatables without any justification so your commentary is very helpful.  Probably just all those demolished beach toys as a kid.   8)

Any recommendations on SUP vs iSup for a 1st board?  Flatwater.

I've been researching some boards myself.  The Red Paddle Co boards are excellent inflatables----the 11' Sport or the 12'6 Race might work for you, depending on your size.  Also, the Bic AceTec Wing 11' might be a good board for you.  The Reds are expensive, the Bic is a good price for a beginner board.  My best advice would be to by something that might be just a little more than you can handle at first, so you can grow in to it.  In other words, don't get the standard 10'6 x 31 that some sellers might advise.  If you can demo where you are, that would be most helpful.

 


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