Author Topic: ??Best entry level touring SUP??  (Read 10582 times)

TC-RC-MGC

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??Best entry level touring SUP??
« on: August 27, 2016, 11:01:10 AM »
I currently have an "all around" shaped sup that I paddle mainly on flat water (SD Bay) for exercise and the pleasure it brings me. I would like to move faster on the water, but still maintain a desent level of stability. I've been looking at some of the entry level touring paddle boards.
1.) Riviera Voyager 12' 6"
2.) Imagine Mission 12' 6"
3.) Star-Board elite touring 12' 6"

Out of the three listed what would you guys say is my best buy??? Or is there a broad I'm leaving out that may be of higher quality and preformance at the same price range???

Any assistance will be appreciated.

Area 10

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Re: ??Best entry level touring SUP??
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2016, 11:09:20 AM »
Why not get a 14ft board? Most people in most conditions find them faster and more rewarding. More adaptable for touring too (eg. load lugging).

Ichabod Spoonbill

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Re: ??Best entry level touring SUP??
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2016, 11:41:51 AM »
How big are you?
Pau Hana 11' Big EZ Ricochet (Beluga)

Eagle

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Re: ??Best entry level touring SUP??
« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2016, 01:23:31 PM »
All those board choices will be more efficient and faster on the water than an all around shape.  And depending on your balance level would go from the narrow board to wider.  So 30 Elite then 31 Mission then 32 Voyager.  I paddled a surf all around board the other day and it did not track at all and was very slow.  Ok for a starter board or for surf - but not an efficient shape for flat water.
Fast is FUN!   8)
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hbsteve

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Re: ??Best entry level touring SUP??
« Reply #4 on: August 27, 2016, 01:48:29 PM »
Add the Lahui Kai 12' 6' x 30 touring sup.

DavidJohn

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Re: ??Best entry level touring SUP??
« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2016, 03:03:06 PM »
We have these..  8)


Quickbeam

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Re: ??Best entry level touring SUP??
« Reply #6 on: August 27, 2016, 04:12:15 PM »
Add the Lahui Kai 12' 6' x 30 touring sup.

Again, we don't know what size the OP is, but as mentioned in an earlier thread, Lahui Kai has some crazy prices on their boards right now. The OP might want to take a look at either the 11' 6" x 29" or the 14' x 27.75". Both boards are at very good prices with free shipping. And no, I don't work for Lahui Kai. I did just recently buy their 12' 6" x 26" Team Race though, and the more I paddle it, the more I like it.

Lahui Kai website is here: http://www.lahuikai.com/
Infinity Blackfish 12’ 6” x 23”
ONE SUP Evo 12’ 6” x 24”
Infinity Whiplash 12' 6" x 24 1/2"
ONE SUP Evo 12’ 6” x 26”
Bark Competitor 12’ 6” x 29”
Red Paddle Explorer (Inflatable) 13' 2" x 30
Starboard Airline (Inflatable) 12’ 6” x 27

TC-RC-MGC

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Re: ??Best entry level touring SUP??
« Reply #7 on: August 27, 2016, 06:00:36 PM »
I'm 5'8 - 155lbs

Quickbeam

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Re: ??Best entry level touring SUP??
« Reply #8 on: August 27, 2016, 06:14:16 PM »
What size is the "all around board" that you currently have? Also, have you ever paddled any other boards?
Infinity Blackfish 12’ 6” x 23”
ONE SUP Evo 12’ 6” x 24”
Infinity Whiplash 12' 6" x 24 1/2"
ONE SUP Evo 12’ 6” x 26”
Bark Competitor 12’ 6” x 29”
Red Paddle Explorer (Inflatable) 13' 2" x 30
Starboard Airline (Inflatable) 12’ 6” x 27

TC-RC-MGC

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Re: ??Best entry level touring SUP??
« Reply #9 on: August 27, 2016, 06:25:25 PM »
The board I have is w 10'10"

And I've only paddle another all around board 11'6 surftech

Quickbeam

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Re: ??Best entry level touring SUP??
« Reply #10 on: August 27, 2016, 07:54:34 PM »
I’m not sure how wide your current board is or the width of the Surftech you’ve paddled. You really want to go as narrow as you can while still maintaining decent stability. Generally speaking, the narrower the board, the faster it will be. The other side of that however, is that as a board gets narrower, it also gets less stable. It’s a bit of a balancing act (no pun intended).

Best advice is always to test paddle different boards if you can.
Infinity Blackfish 12’ 6” x 23”
ONE SUP Evo 12’ 6” x 24”
Infinity Whiplash 12' 6" x 24 1/2"
ONE SUP Evo 12’ 6” x 26”
Bark Competitor 12’ 6” x 29”
Red Paddle Explorer (Inflatable) 13' 2" x 30
Starboard Airline (Inflatable) 12’ 6” x 27

Fog City Rider

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Re: ??Best entry level touring SUP??
« Reply #11 on: August 27, 2016, 08:13:42 PM »
I’m not sure how wide your current board is or the width of the Surftech you’ve paddled. You really want to go as narrow as you can while still maintaining decent stability. Generally speaking, the narrower the board, the faster it will be. The other side of that however, is that as a board gets narrower, it also gets less stable. It’s a bit of a balancing act (no pun intended).

Best advice is always to test paddle different boards if you can.

Ditto this advice. 

At 155 lbs. you could get away with 28" width pretty easily & be stoked in the long run.  It will be sketchy for a few days, but you'll quickly get the balance. If you go 14', 27" wide would not be out of the question.     

That will widen your search criteria quite a bit, and lots of deals come up on Craigslist around here.  I've see good deals at all 3 of the local shops too - OEX, West Coast, & Paddle Planet. At the very least you could demo/rent something to see how it feels. 

* If you have balance issues or any disabilities, scratch what I just said. 




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Quickbeam

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Re: ??Best entry level touring SUP??
« Reply #12 on: August 28, 2016, 12:41:32 AM »
I’m not sure how wide your current board is or the width of the Surftech you’ve paddled. You really want to go as narrow as you can while still maintaining decent stability. Generally speaking, the narrower the board, the faster it will be. The other side of that however, is that as a board gets narrower, it also gets less stable. It’s a bit of a balancing act (no pun intended).

Best advice is always to test paddle different boards if you can.

Ditto this advice. 

At 155 lbs. you could get away with 28" width pretty easily & be stoked in the long run.  It will be sketchy for a few days, but you'll quickly get the balance. If you go 14', 27" wide would not be out of the question.     

That will widen your search criteria quite a bit, and lots of deals come up on Craigslist around here.  I've see good deals at all 3 of the local shops too - OEX, West Coast, & Paddle Planet. At the very least you could demo/rent something to see how it feels. 

* If you have balance issues or any disabilities, scratch what I just said.


Sorry to sound like a broken record, but that 14' x 27.75" Lahui Kai for $1,210 is a crazy good deal.
Infinity Blackfish 12’ 6” x 23”
ONE SUP Evo 12’ 6” x 24”
Infinity Whiplash 12' 6" x 24 1/2"
ONE SUP Evo 12’ 6” x 26”
Bark Competitor 12’ 6” x 29”
Red Paddle Explorer (Inflatable) 13' 2" x 30
Starboard Airline (Inflatable) 12’ 6” x 27

robon

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Re: ??Best entry level touring SUP??
« Reply #13 on: August 28, 2016, 09:18:40 AM »
Going back to another thread, I think many beginner paddlers who are in your weight range can start out on boards that are 27, 28 and 29" wide and not get that "sketchy" feeling at all. Depends on the board design and paddler stats. Get out there and try as many as you can.  Even most larger paddlers have a relatively easy time on boards like the Amundson TRX- 14 x 27.5, and it would be probably be really stable for a 155 pound paddler. I felt very stable on the newer Amundson TRX 12'6" x 29" at over 200 pounds. The Lahui Kai 14 X 27 that has been mentioned gets a lot of praise for being quite stable for it's width.

Too many options to list at your size because a narrower board that may feel a bit twitchy for a 200 pound+, or even 180 pound intermediate paddler might feel stable for you. Out of the three you listed, I would probably lean towards the Starboard in the 30" width and it has the lowest volume of the three. Next would be the Imagine. The Voyager will feel like an aircraft carrier at your size. Going over 30" wide is overkill for your size, and 30" might feel too wide once you get your sea legs.






mrbig

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Re: ??Best entry level touring SUP??
« Reply #14 on: August 28, 2016, 10:06:57 AM »
I am 68 years old 5'8" and weigh 150. Not a racer, but I like to paddle on flatwater and go as fast as I can in the name of Cardio Rehab. Also had (still have) balance issues. Here is the boards that have come and gone:

Exocet Marlin 12'6 x 30. Rounded canoe. Primary instability high, secondary high. A 32 centimeter fin helped a little. End of year deal.

Jimmy Lewis Blade II 12'6 x 29. Faster, more fun except horrendous with boat wakes.
A closeout!

Imagine Rocket 12'6" x 27. Rounded pintail. Fast in glass. Challenging in cross winds. 2013 closeout.

JP 2015 12'6" Race 28" wide. 21 pounds of speed and Tippy for me. Boga Boy O'Hara borrowed it and said fast, but really tippy! He has serious skills OBTW.

Focus 14' Bluefin 26" wide. Stable, good in chop, wakes, DW. A little heavy and not ax fast as I had hoped. A straight swap for a short sup.

Too many "wrong boards" "right price" experiences. Too many boards that are unstable in chop, boat wakes, cross winds.

Don't worry you'll get it in time! Hah!

Try as many different boards as you can. If you are on lakes, rivers, that are truly "flatwater", that is a very different environment  than open ocean conditions, or voodoo chop in tidal estuaries, and bays.

It seems to a trend in "real" raceboards to be on a board that you can put the overwhelming majority of your effort into paddling as opposed to staying upright.

My own experiences with closeouts, deals has been mixed to say the least. I am now far wiser and more experienced than I was.

Executive Summary:

1. Get the "right board" at the "right price"..

2. Get a board that is designed for your specific conditions.

3. Get a board for your current skill level. It will improve. Struggling on a recreational board that ain't right, for a variety of reasons, sucks!

4. There is an enormous amount of info on the interweb with multiple boards being tested. Google sniff around. You will learn many things.

Good luck with your search!!

Of the three you mentioned I would go for the Starby!

 ;D  ;D  ;D
« Last Edit: August 28, 2016, 10:36:21 AM by mrbig »
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