Durability for sailing

[aircube]

How do the starboard SUPs hold up for windsurfing?

Years ago I converted a 9' bic by adding a mast box and strap inerts and it sails great but was a bit small for lighter days, and a bit thin to carry the weight of the sail, even while surfing.

This led me to use a dual suction-cup mast base that I made to try out my 10'Naish wood veneer surfboard/longboard.  (not a SUP)  I let go of the sail when I bailed (in fairly light conditions) and the boom hit the side of the board up front and cracked the rail a bit.  Obviously surfboards are not built to withstand boomhits,   and hitting waves and chop under power and at speed.

How do the Starboard SUPs hold up under these conditions, because it seems there are all kinds of warnings about not planing, not jumping etc.  Seems to me that the construction fo a 10' 200Litre SUP at 20-28 lbs is going to be pretty fragile.

Any experience?

[PonoBill]

I've pounded the crap out of mine without a problem. Was getting some serious air here in the gorge before the weather turned cold and the wind died--and I land on it with 250 clumsy pounds. I'm using a 12'2" Technora. Since I'm still blowing jibes right left and center I have dropped the mast on the nose lots of times. No cracks, not even any dents. I don't think the woody versions will be as tough, but this one is bombproof.

[JonathanC]

I've got one of the first 12'6 Starboards and sailed quite a bit on it - no problems at all.

One thing to watch is your mast base, my previously bulletproof Hot Sails Maui carbon base became a "two-piece" in a little shore break incident I had last year. I told Jeff just so that he would know about it - silly guy wanted to replace it under warranty, I told him he was crazy! The forces are huge, certainly not what the base was designed for, stick with aluminum.

I've sailed rented 12'2 Starboards on Maui heaps as well, never a problem, the 12'2 is a fantastic light wind windsurf board if you can get one.

[PonoBill]

Jeff is pretty serious about his warranty, I broke a lower mast section last year and went by to buy a replacement--he wouldn't take my money. Said they are guaranteed. I said "hey, when a 250 pound guy blunders into the mast it's gonna break". All he said was "guaranteed". and that was that.

[Jeroensurf]

Boards will hold up fine.
The parts you might break first are the extensions (broke 2 of them) and lower mastbase because of the wider rails and enormious powers that are on it in the surf.
I Use a Inspiro 12ft Nofriends for over 2 years now and its still doing well. My Starboard 9.8 Element has no dammage at all.
In size i personally prever the longer boards for Wind-SUPing.
Good to keep in mind: use a stiffer fin because the centre of the power shifts forward when you also got a sail on your board giving more leverage on the board.

[Caribsurf]

I am not sure of the mast base attachment/set up for most SUPs , but one valuable accessory you can buy to keep the boom or mast form hitting the board is the
Deviator

http://www.isthmussailboards.com/prodinfo.asp?number=DV82

it deflects the falling mast and prevents it from hitting board

rental operations swear by them

[Jeroensurf]

I have seen a couple of boards where the back of mastrail was teared out of the board while the front part was pushed in by Deviaters.
I would never recommend them.
 

[Caribsurf]

maybe on a glass board the Deviator could do more harm than good, but they would work fine on an epoxy board especially with a deck pad.  If they didn't work you wouldnt see them on  rental boards in Aruba , Bonaire and Margarita...they must be doing something right