AHD 7'6" Sea Lion Sup

[jdmotes]

 Just received the Sea Lion today. Too windy here in Jax, Fl to test it today, but as soon as the wind backs off I'll get it wet and report back...  Here's a few pic's...   JD

[WB_BB]

That looks awesome. Do you have the rest of the dims for the board. I wonder how something like that would work for someone around 185 - 190 lbs

[Sam Pa'e]

That looks awesome. Do you have the rest of the dims for the board. I wonder how something like that would work for someone around 185 - 190 lbs

I'm 230lb...........and I would love to surf this.....Cool looking board!

[jdmotes]

That looks awesome. Do you have the rest of the dims for the board. I wonder how something like that would work for someone around 185 - 190 lbs

Volume=135 ltrs
Width=29 1/4"
Weight=8.3 kg

I weigh around 162 lbs. Hope to get her wet tomorrow morning. Not much surf here but got to see how she paddles...  Later,    JD

[csx355]

From what I can gather the Sea Lion is AHD's windsurf biased compadre to their SUP brand 'Nah Skwell'. Both  can be sailed, paddled and prone surfed but the emphasis with the Sealion is on sailing as opposed to paddling the Nah Skwell. The Nah Skwell has no dagger board facility.

I'm 200lbs and of average ability and the stability of my NS78 is mind blowing even in chop. One thing - there is no glide - to surf you paddle in late. Great fun and very skatey when on a wave. Those bars on the tail are not for fun - get your back foot on one and you pirouette.




clip from my blog ref the Nah Skwell dimensions

Length (cm) 238 (7'8") Bloody Short
width (cm) 75 (29 1/2") Fat (ish)all the way down
Thickness 12 (4 3/4") Thick (ish)
Weight 8,5kg (18 3/4lbs) Bloody light
Volume 127 ltr
Fin concept Twins (bloody huge)
Who’s that for? - Advanced surfer - (Nah - I'm not read on)
- Small to medium frame - (well that rules me out)

Not sure why the volume is different though.



You are going to have fun.

[jdmotes]

From what I can gather the Sea Lion is AHD's windsurf biased compadre to their SUP brand 'Nah Skwell'. Both  can be sailed, paddled and prone surfed but the emphasis with the Sealion is on sailing as opposed to paddling the Nah Skwell. The Nah Skwell has no dagger board facility.

 Thanks for the great input csx355... We are currently in the process of setting up an east coast US distro for the Nah Skwell line starting out in Fla and then slowly branching out to include the whole east coast. Haven't got our hands on an NS line yet (here in Fla-waiting on product), but Jurg did have the 1st cousin Sea Lion which he sent me to demo out...   Later,    JD

[CB1]

Can't wait to hear your report JD!  The Sea Lion looks sweet!  As a windsurfer, I'm interested in how it works out (paddling and sailing).  Pulling double duty is a plus, but sailing it would be my primary interest, with playing around paddling it for fun 2nd. 

I like AHD's 0 - 15 concept for the Sea Lion, but a little hesitant since it's not widely available or tested in the US.  For my personal situation, I'm not really into the super  long SUP boards with mast tracks, but the Sea Lion is interesting for a number of reasons.   

(BTW, I'm not knocking the other boards out there with mast tracks! They all work fine. I just have different plans.)

[1tuberider]

With volume at 137 this board should easily float a 200lb er with a wetsuit on with no problem.
Looks like it should work well.  My 8'5" has a volume of 127 and I weight close to 200 with my cold water gear on.

Don't step off the tail, and tell us how it works.

[colas]

I have had the Sealion for one year. It is really exhilarating for windurfers, its shape is adapted to windsurfing in that is faster on a plane that a 100% SUP shape (less kick). It is also thicker, with different rails. It is a really interesting board for a Windsurfer, much much more lively than longer ones. The strapless ride will bring a new dimension to your sailing and will make you a much better windsurfer.

As for its SUP use: it is ok for less than 175lbs. I weighted 220lbs when I tried SUPing on it, and it is also doable but terribly tiring. I am selling it now because I now have a 8'11" sup - http://www.gongsup.com/8-11-Vulcan.html -  that surfs and turn much better and is much more stable (the sealion feels very "corky" and is thus quite more difficult to turn on the rail than a real surf shape - no problem with a sail)

CB1, as you say: "sailing it would be my primary interest, with playing around paddling it for fun 2nd.  " - this would be the perfect board for you.

[csx355]

Here is a snippet of a conversation that I had with JP Riou of TRIDENN, the French Distributors of A H D and Nah Skwell, regarding the differences between the Nah Skwell and the Sea Lion. Both have their bias' and this is explained fairly well here.

"To be clear: the SeaLion was developed as a board to be sailed at wavy beaches in lower winds below 15 knots, the objective being to have a board voluminous enough to float over the “white-water” and be surfed down the wave. Surfing the waves more than sailing through them being the answer, the rider stance had to borrow a lot to surfing and strapless it had to be.

While testing the idea to paddle it came up, and it proved a nice additional use, mostly when the wind was deceptively light or inexistent, this saved the trips to the beach, even if the board was not an absolutely perfect SUP in some aspects.

Why that: the shape obviously had to take the sail-power into account, leading to thicker rails for a better grip and a rather powerful tail to cope with the sailor foot pressure when fully powered.

Further experience in SUPing the SeaLion could lead to the development of a fully dedicated SUP in the same philosophy, Rails were thinned, tail (freed from Sail Power) was redesigned. Incidentally this gave a more stable board than the SeaLion.

If paddling proved a “second” activity for SeaLion users, it appeared that a number of SUPers wanted to try a rig on their boards, this is why we have added threaded mast inserts on our range."



here are are some more 'static' pics of the NS78 , have to say it has been a blast.

[CB1]

Thanks for sharing that information Steve (csx355)!!!  Really explains the differences between the 2 shapes!

[jdmotes]

 Deb and I took the 7'6" Sea Lion down to the beach yesterday for a test run. It was glassy but flat (no waves)... Deb (125 lbs.) took it out first and , I must say, I was quite impressed as she just took off on it paddling it all over the place with no balance issues at all. She commented on how light it was but, more importantly, how easy it was to pivot turn... She finally (with some coxing from me) let me have a go... I'm 162 lbs.. Jumped on it, got to my feet and took off paddling. At the start, it did feel a little tipsy but as I paddled it more and more, I found it to me quite floaty and relatively easy. It does pivot turn on a dime (to be expected) but impressed with it's paddle speed too (for such a short board)... We did some paddling tag and she could beat me (she was on an NSP 10'6") but not as bad as I would have thought... Can't wait to get it out in some waves. I'm sure with a swell going, it will be more challenging... I'll report back after after first wave sesh...  Later,    JD

[jdmotes]

 Ok Guys and Gals...  I have been demo'ing this board (AHD Sea Lion 7'6" Fish) for about a month now. I'm so frigging spoiled, I never want to ride my Walden Magic 9'11" anymore. I know any day soon my boss is going to call me up and tell me it's time to sell the AHD SL76 and a sad day that will be. I have rode this board in all types of conditions from small glass to overhead chop. This board surprises me and all who have given her a try. I was out on her today and a sup friend who weighs around 225lbs asked if he could demo the SL...  This guy is a very good long-board style sup rider currently on a 10' C4... He jumped right up on her, paddled into a wave and surfed it all the way in to the sand. I was flabbergasted! I mean this guy is a pretty big guy and had never been on a board anywhere near this small... Way to go Alan! Anyway; Just a shout out if you ever get a chance to ride one of these (or it's first cousin - the 7'8" Nah Skwell Fish) Do It!!!   Remember, if you are anywhere near North Florida and would like a chance to demo one of these, just PM me and I will try to set up a demo sesh with you...   Later,    JD

[colas]

Hi JD,
I have the Sealion too, but I am not satisfied with the fins for SUPing, something feels not right (they work great with a sail, though). And the other Sealion owners I talked to thought the same. Did you by chance tried other fins? I was thinking of experimenting with old fish-style keel fins to help with rail-to-rail continuity and drive (but I dont think I can find ones for US Boxes)... I guess a Sealion with a quad setup would be killer, though.

[jdmotes]

 Hi Colas... Wow.  You just lit a fire under my butt!  I have a set of Sea Shepperd racked keel fish-fins I can try on the Sea Lion or the NS78 and give em a go... May make paddling a bit harder but should really loosen up the board even more... I'll try them at the next sup opportunity and post back on this... Thanks for the idea...            Later,     JD