Please explain downwinder...?

[Caribsurf]

Don't want to sound like an idiot but could somebody please explain a downwinder both the shape and the word?

Am I to believe you paddle these boards down wind only?  Is there a car waiting for you to take you back?    Are they too narrow or difficult to raddle back up wind?

Thanks

[Dwight (DW)]

Downwind is the most fun direction when you have wind at your back. The wind makes it possible to get the board on a plane.

This is why we go downwind.

Upwind is all work and not fun unless you like hard work.

Yes, we drop cars.

[Caribsurf]

Thanks DW  I kind of knew going with the wind was a downwinder, but nobody ever mentions coming back upwind so I figured they had a pick up once they reached the destination.  Maybe the upwnd part of it isn't  worth writing about..

It sounds like there are shapes made specifically for downwinders

thanks for the clarification

[PonoBill]

There are indeed special Downwind shapes and special downwind places. Here is a collection of downwind articles from Ke Nalu.

http://www.kenalu.com/index.php?s=maliko&x=0&y=0

And here's a slightly different slice at the same thing that picked up some other articles:

http://www.kenalu.com/index.php?s=+downwind&x=7&y=12

I need to modify Ke Nalu's search feature so it permits more complex searches.

[Caribsurf]

Thanks Pono  good information there   I have really only SUPed in surf so wasn't familiar with the downwinders...that would be such a luxury to paddle with the wind knowing you had a ride back at the end and didn't have to fight it coming back

[DavidJohn]

Here's a great new vid from Evan.. It may help you understand what a down-wind board is.

DJ

Sandwich Island Composites F-16 v1 vs. F-16 v2-video

[Caribsurf]

thanks alot  DJ wow those are some radical boards, very high tech and what's with the antenna?  Thos boards must fly on a glassy day                                          Definately not your father's SUP

[bigdom]

a downwinder is an open ocean one-way point-to-point excursion
which follows the prevailing wind and swell

or (in the SUP community) a board especially adapted for such excursions

you can do a downwinder in other paddle vessels

[noworrieshawaii]

The antenna is part of the drain/vent plug.  The F16 gen 2 is not currently available in the molded hollow construction. Only the custom foam is available. And like Mark said, both generations actually come to life with a bit of wind behind them. Glassy flat water is a grind still.

[PonoBill]

For some people the F16 MK1 is faster, but the Mk2 is much more forgiving. I think very experienced, midweight paddlers might still prefer the MK1.

[aircube]

Downwind is the most fun direction when you have wind at your back. The wind makes it possible to get the board on a plane.

This is why we go downwind.

Upwind is all work and not fun unless you like hard work.

Yes, we drop cars.

On a "plane" really?

[Sam Pa'e]

Colin,

On a "plane" really?

You want to see a board "on a plane?"    I mean really! 

[PonoBill]

On a "plane" really?

Cool video Sam, looks like a fun run. We got to do some Maliko runs when I get back in November.

On a plane for SURE. Even in a river. The Ke Nalu article "Micro Maliko" shows this GPS track:



You can see that a lot of the peaks are over seven miles per hour. If the curve wasn't so smoothed out it would show peaks a lot higher than that--probably more than ten MPH which is common on a Maliko run. That's well into the planing regime for these hulls. I expect that we'll see guys like Jeremy Rigs and the Kalamas averaging 15 knots for a Maliko run soon.

[aircube]

thats Wild, so basically its a downwind run in outside swell, or rollers that are'nt breaking?