Is this part of what Jim Terrell warned us about?

[Pierre]

Awesome, this 18' Hobie, a pity that rocker is too much, better to have a bit too flat that too much, as speed is allowed by a flattest rocker on longest part of board...
Regarding Jim terrel "philosophy" I admit that a 4 m class out of UL  may be profitable, but I am not afaid about loss of "surfing" roots as SUP takes roots in surf as well as in canoeing/kayaking/ sailing... handling a 18 footer on a downwinder does not need only a surfing background, and performing a flat water sprint is much closer to canoeing, excepted the difference on design.

[blackeye]

It's important to know so if we paddle recessed boards we know whether to feel guilt for betraying the roots of the sport.

That is very, very funny.

I'll add it to my personal list of irrational guilts. Always room for one more.

[surf4food]

It’s funny for me.  I come from a surfing background (tho I am no Kelly Slater by a long shot) and standup IS very much a direct offshoot of surfing, unlike what Steve West implies.  As I said before, once upon a time it wasn’t even a separate sport from surfing, but now it's moved far beyond just surfing to where the surfing part is only a small part overall of the sport.  So with that being said, I kind of feel more of a connection to outrigger (even tho I’ve only paddle an outrigger canoe once in my entire life) than I do surfing when I’m out paddling.  I would love to try OC1 one of these days but in the meantime SUP is a more accessible way to do something close to it.
     

[digger71]

Just saw this posted in the M2O thread but figured I would drop it in over here as well.  Robert from BluePlanet giving us a great look at James Casey's DEEP board. 

[Board Stiff]

This coming year, SIC, who have surely been one of the most race-oriented SUP outfits from the very beginning, aren't bringing out new narrower super-high spec 14ft raceboards. Instead, they are bringing out ruddered 12-6 and 14ft versions of their all-conditions, flat-decked boards (FX) that are 30" wide. The rudders won't even be race-legal (although you can fit a fixed fin too if you did want to race). So much for boards getting ever more specialised and difficult to ride...

Sorry to hijack the discussion, but as I found this thread searching for info on the SIC FX, this comment caught my eye. What kind of conditions/usage is a 30"-wide FX with a rudder aimed at? I thought the FX was designed to be a little more conditions-tolerant than the X-14 Pro, but a lot more race-oriented than the Bullets. So why make a fat one with a non-race compliant rudder? If the idea is a downwind board for big riders or beginners needing more stability, wouldn't one of the Bullets be a better basis for such a design?

[Muskoka SUP]

It's for the large chunk (large, get it?) of us who don't give a rat's ass about racing. We're into fun.  The FX shapes owe a lot to the V2 and V3 custom bullets as well as the flat water X series.  The idea of a rudder that can be swapped out for a fixed fin is just what the doctor ordered.. if you're really stuck on the idea of a race, easy Peasy.  But really, it's a board for touring in all waters.  Who wants to spend all their energy balancing on a skinny anorexic race board?  Some, sure, but for every 1 person obsessed with competing there's probably ten who really just don't care. That's the market.

[yugi]

I fully understand the convenience of a rudder for general riding, most especially, or even exclusively, for sidewind conditions. But I wonder… as much as paddling on one side sucks and extra effort is supplied to keep craft from heading downwind isn’t a rudder cranked to keep the board heading into the wind a full-on hand brake.

In sailing being overpowered in the sails (then leaning and luffing) and compensating by a constant hard core bearing off at the tiller is as close as one can come to putting hand brakes on a sailing craft. Definitely the exclusive domain of kooks. Any sailor worth their salt refrains from such measures.

So I wonder about the usefulness of a tiller on recreational SUP. Could be a false comfort.

[Board Stiff]

It's for the large chunk (large, get it?) of us who don't give a rat's ass about racing. We're into fun.  The FX shapes owe a lot to the V2 and V3 custom bullets as well as the flat water X series.  The idea of a rudder that can be swapped out for a fixed fin is just what the doctor ordered.. if you're really stuck on the idea of a race, easy Peasy.  But really, it's a board for touring in all waters.  Who wants to spend all their energy balancing on a skinny anorexic race board?  Some, sure, but for every 1 person obsessed with competing there's probably ten who really just don't care. That's the market.

Muskoka, I totally understand the need for a board like that, but isn't the F14 already that board from SIC? From their website:

The F 14.0 offers more volume and stability without sacrificing performance. The wider mid-point and widened tail enables the paddlers to put power behind their stroke and mitigate power loss often associated with rail-to-rail instability. The rocker profile is de- rived from the new Bullet 14.0 V2, which makes the board quick to plane and prolongs the glide. The F 14.0 was designed for the larger bodied paddler who is looking for more stability. It’s multi-purpose fitness, down-winding and touring hull design makes this board a crowd pleaser. Make no mistake, if you want to feel confident and secure in all conditions, the F 14.0 will give you confidence in the open water like no other.

I guess I could see if the wide FX is intended as a more flatwater-friendly board than the FX, it's just that a steering system seems unnecessary for such a board. Not having any experience with steering systems, though, maybe they're more versatile than I imagine. 

[PonoBill]

Companies sell what people want, or think they want. And it's a guessing game. Might be redundant, might not suit anyone, could be a big seller. If people perceive that a wider board will be better for them, that's what they'll buy. Likewise steering. Given that the general sup purchaser is a bit older and feels the constraints of age, a wider board with steering might be very attractive.

a rudder is definitely a two-edged sword. Use it too hard and the board drops out of a glide. Used without care it's a brake. But at the trim level (2-3 degrees) it's faster than foot-steering a fin board. I wouldn't have realized that if I hadn't made the RC rudder system with autopilot. Setting the autopilot to aim for a distant object and limiting the amount of trim proved to have a significant speed advantage. It's both the shortest course and least braking. Turning using the rails and fin slows the board too, the wig-wag course we generally take is not an efficient one.

[yugi]

^^ I like your RC rudder system idea.

My biggest problem with the current concept of rudder is having to stand at a fixed place. We tried a 14' Bullet w/ steering and we just don't have enough big days to stand where the rudder is.

The tapping idea of yours is awesome. As is the autopilot. I presume you also eliminate wiggle (slack in cables).