A Stretch is Born

[Beasho]

After 7+ years I went out and ordered a new, custom SUP.  This was only the 2nd SUP I have purchased brand new.

Stretch hasn't made many SUP's but he knows his sh-t being a leader in the Quad revolution and making a large portion of the Mavericks guns.  He also has extensive experience with Windsurfers, Kiteboards, and Tow Boards.  He has been using advanced materials longer than most and was working with epoxy back when most people thought fiberglass resin had 'better flex.'  Some of you may remember the days of fiberglass windsurfers that fell apart after a season of jumping. 

The criteria:

• I brought in my broken Jeff Clark 10' 0" board and said: "This was my first SUP and it has been on of the best for medium to larger surf COPY IT"
• I want this board optimized for 8 - 18 ft
• It should be as unbreakable as possible.  The last one broke in half twice, buckled 4 times.  I want it more durable.
• The benefit of my prior board was paddleability.  The board got into waves early and gave me the confidence I would make the drop
• Do your Stretch thing

Here is what I received: 10' X 28" X 4"

[Beasho]

Custom Deck Padding. 

After 7+ years of using wax on one board, padding on others and the customized checkered padding on others I decided to combine the artistic padding on the tail with more modern Hexatraction up front.  Party up front, business in the back.

[Beasho]

Characteristics:

5 Fin futures configuration.  2 deep boxes up from, 3 short, 1/2" boxes in the rear.  Epoxy, Glass with Vectornet carbon full bottom, 3/4 Vectornet on deck.  Full Carbon rail.  Tail is a fairly wide diamond shape.  The rails go from perfectly rounded to squared off in the tail which has been shaped to a perfect 90 degree sharp edge.  It looks like a turtle's beak (see below).  Should be good for flow separation.

Initial observations: 


• Board weight: 21.5 lbs.  Not too light but light tends to break.
• The board is noticeably thinner than my others.  All my boards, barring the L41, are also 28" wide.
• The tail has significant rocker over the last 18"
• Static stability is lower than I expected.  First day out in windy, choppy conditions was hard to stand.

1st day out was 10 @ 10 in 18 mph wind.  I was hoping this board would be my go to in good and bad conditions able to chew up the crap, Maui glass and make it perfect.  Not so.  Stability was less than all my boards.  I was worried.

Fast forward 5 sessions and 65 waves later: 


• The board takes some learning, stability still appears to be an issue.  Like learning on a lower volume board my legs hurt but I am pushing through.
• Still whining about stability BUT I catch 18 waves in 9 to 14 foot conditions and don't fall in until my 12th wave.  Pretty good.
• Another session:  7 to 11 ft and don't fall in until my 10th wave.  Feels unstable but the data suggests otherwise.
• Then I get on a wave with power the board is a machine.  It will turn at speed (measured up to 27 mph so far).
• It growls through bottom turns and snaps off the lip better than a 10'er should snap.

It can only get better from here 

[XLR8]

Sweet board!  I always enjoy seeing your reports.  looking forward to the ride reports!

[Subber]

Nice review Beasho. Always interesting stuff.

Which fins (how many, what size, etc.) in the futures boxes?

Do you think the lower stability than expected has to do with the tail kick?
Maybe less initial stability and more secondary?

Sounds like it surfs really well.

[SUPcheat]

That's a great report, thanks!

[SlatchJim]

I'd like to order a new ME, optimized to surf 8-18'. 

[surfcowboy]

So cool to see a board from design to ride report. And what a shaper man.

I'd figure that the stability drop is also what makes it's so great at speed. Seems like you choose one or the other at that size and speed. Love that you're getting it dialed but I know what you mean about "feeling" unstable but not necessarily falling.

[Night Wing]

Congrats on your "new" addition. BTW, must feel real nice for you to "scratch that 7 year itch". 

[southwesterly]

Nice looking board Beasho. You're in the 1% of zoners that benefits from significant tail rocker over the last 18".

Your hometown break provides all the speed and power you need.

[surfinJ]

Nice looking stick. Personally on a gun I prefer a pulled in tail. And why did you skip a box for a single fin or single plus sides?

[TallDude]

I like the flatter deck with the taper at the rail. keeps the volume closer to the edge. The stability on most of my boards hasn't changed since the first time I paddled them. I used to tell myself that after I get use to it, it will feel more stable. The fact is, I just get used to the lack of stability. That being said, I still gravitate towards the less stable. Most of my wider stable boards are either gone or go unused. You probably have more stable boards, but I bet they are going to collect dust. I do get more worn out, and feel like I'm bracing a lot, but it's worth it for the performance. 

[Wetstuff]

Happy to be the first to applause your deck-pad-art: Bravo.   A couple of years ago it was common ..now, everybody seems to have simply accepted what they're given  ...even that 'throw up' looking pad.  Yeech.. I'd never buy a board with it.

Jim

[supthecreek]

Nice looking weapon Beash, sorry I missed it 1st time around.

Seems like your conditions would call for extra stability. I hope it works out for you.
Nothing like a challenge to ramp up your skills.

Hows the paddling speed getting into a larger wave compare to your PSH?

Your deck pad looks awesome!
And how do the Hex work out for you as a main pad?