Body weight = Board size = Good performance....

[Shawn Michael]

Talking with Joe Bark, if you want to go fast it is what conditions are you going to race in and how much do you weight, but most importantly, how much do you weigh. 

To my novice, non expert common sense it is doesnt compute that a 150lb and a 240lb person would be able to run well on the same board.  For a specific bodyweight you need a certain displacement for the board to work well.  So for a lighter guy or gal a 12'6 might run really really well, but for a big tall heavy person, it might never run well.  My sister gets on a 10ftx28 board and glides along, I get on it and I am pushing a ton of water to move.  What is so great about SUP is you can actually get a board made for your bodyweight.  My 6'7 355lb buddy can get something made that will work where as he literally had to have a 2 man outrigger canoe reinforce and fitted with one seat for the boat to work, and it worked quite well...he could actually go pretty fast when he had the right amount of displacement.

Seems obvious but as some boards are claimed to kick ass with everybody isnt this most important?

Am I wrong? 

[stuey c]

   Hey Shawn, with friends like that, I'm not gonna argue with you! Seriously though you are spot on. I'd also add with downwinders it's far better to have over floatation than under. What tends to happen if the board doesn't have sufficient bouyancy for the paddler is that the tail in particular ends up sitting too deep in the water. What this does is create all sorts of turbulance around the back end preventing the water from exiting cleanly which equates to a whole lot of drag around probably the single most important area. Interestingly, when Woogies lightweight wife paddles his 18'8" Penetrator although she can still paddle it extremely quickly she is too light to take full advantage of the board, what happens is because she can't sink it far enough about 3 feet of the tail and 3 feet of the nose sit clear of the water, effectively making the waterline length somewhere around 12'. She gets way more benefit from the 14' else I'd have to shape her an extremely thin 18' so she could utilize the length. That's how it works with my design anyway, that given though they tend to be fairly weight tolerant with a paddler of say 240lbs able to ride a board built for someone of 180 with little effect on it's performance.

[Dwight (DW)]

I've experienced the same weight issues when comparing my wife and me. Just this week we were swapping between the C4 Vortice (14') and Holoholo (12').

When my wife paddles the Holoholo, you'd swear it was a Vortice from a distance. The way the nose and tail ride in the water matches the trim I get paddling the Vortice.

Put me on the Holoholo, and it's just another 12 foot board with the nose barely above water. I sink the board so much, it completely hides the true nose scoop.

[warped]

Everything you guys are saying definitely makes sense.  Even though many stock boards "can" accomodate a wide range of bodyweights, they definitely don't perform the same at all those different bodyweights.  For example, I previously owned a C4 Vortice, and while it was an OK downwind board for me, it worked MUCH better for my friend who is about 60 lbs. lighter than I am.  So my question is this:  If you're on the bigger side like myself (6'3", 230 lbs.) and want to get the absolute best performance from a downwind board, can that only be accomplished by having a board that is 16+ feet?  Could a custom 14' or even 12'6" be built that gives a bigger person great performance on a slightly shorter board?  On a 14' or 12'6", would a bigger person always be at a disadvantage compared to the lighter riders on those same sized boards?

[stuey c]

    In answer to Warpeds' questions, in my opinion, a downwinder of around the 18' mark will be superior in almost all conditions due to the inherent glide and speed the extra waterline length will give. That said though a properly built custom of 14' or even 12' can be made to perform extremely well for a larger person simply by going either thicker or wider or even a combination of both. It's just crucial that the board is bouyant enough for the rider so that it's not bogging down and pushing and or pulling too much water around with it.......

[Shawn Michael]

Talking with Joe, he said for me being 255-260 + 3 liters of hydration and wet clothes he suggested 18'6X28 or 19x27....his boars maybe a bit thinner I really think the dramatic improvement for me getting on a bigger board was not that I was pushing the hull speed but that I finally had sufficient floatation.  I see some light guys really gliding well on short boards.

Strength to weight is always going to be a issue in paddling and I dont think it is an accident that top paddlers have a certain build...extra fat/muscle heavy bone structure is not going to be ideal but if you are a tall or heavy guy you will really benefit from trying a board that fits you.

In my opinion having a wider board present the problem of weakening you stroke because your strength is greater closer to your centerline....if you get on a 26 wide  board vs a 31 you can really feel how reaching across with your top arm not only grinds you shoulder but your power here is significanly reduced.....easy to demonstrate on a one arm cable pulldown, you are stronger and in a better position for the joints when you are closer to your centerline, same for the lower hand. 

[Shawn Michael]

question for stuey, where are your boards for sale, didnt seem the 572 on the site. 

[stuey c]

  Hi Shawn, my Penetrator models are available through Laguna Bay Longboards, their website is www.noosasurfworks.com the site is about to be updated and in the next week or so should have photos up and all relevant info on the different models. Due to the fact that our Aussie dollar is only worth around 65 cents US we can get them landed in the States for around the same price as your locally produced boards. If, as our government has predicted, our dollar will drop as low as 47cents US by early next year you guys could be onto a real bargain. By the way I really like the look of Joe's boards, glad you are enjoying yours,
                         Cheers,
                                   Stuey

question for stuey, where are your boards for sale, didnt seem the 572 on the site. 

[DavidJohn]

Hey Shawn.. I had a paddle of a friends Pene last week and took these pics.

DJ

[FB1]

Is that a 14' board?

[stuey c]

Hi FB1, The board in the photos is an earlier 16', a few design improvements have been made since this one........

Is that a 14' board?

[StandUpPaddleSurf.net]

DJ - How did it ride? Share w/ us the low down...

[Shawn Michael]

Thanks for posting, great looking board!