Is 12'6 like a 26" Mtn Bike?

[2Rivers]

Now I'm starting to have second thoughts about getting a 12'6 board. I recently went to the Lake of the Sky race in Tahoe to check out some 12'6 boards. When I spoke to the reps about the type of paddling and conditions I'm doing, almost all of them recommended that I should be looking at a 14' board instead. The response was liken to a response I would receive if I was interested in getting a 26" mtn bike when 29" and now 27.5" are the current trend. Bike wheels got bigger and now 26" bikes are quickly becoming obsolete. Is the same trend happening with 12'6 SUPs?
If I'm is not racing, why do I need or want to get a 14' board? Thanks

[vertseven]

Do you plan on racing? If so, you'll be racing against other 12'6" boards and not the 14' and unlimited guys. There was a similar freakout in BMX in the early '90s. A lot of racers went on to ride 24" cruisers and the 20" wheeled bikes were on a down turn. But now, you seldom see a well stocked cruiser class. Regardless, the two bikes are in their own classes. You should just ride what you like.

[suprbowl]

Sometimes I think it's just a certain sales slant. I recently was in a shop asking about the Starboard Freeride 12'2", and the guy barely acknowledged the board, although they sell it. He then proceeded to show me all their 12'6" touring boards priced way more than the Freeride, even after I told him price and storage were issues. He wasn't rude about it, but he was definitely nudging me one way. It has happened with other products that I've shopped for too. There are reasons why you can buy a 12'6" and 14' Glide. Make sure of your needs, demo if possible, and stick to what you want.

[Badger]

I don't race and have both a 12'6 and a 14'.

The longer board is way better IMO. It's faster, glides better. It's just better all around. Both boards are similar shapes but the 14 footer is my flatwater and downwind board of choice. I bought the 12'6 first but once I got on the 14 it was like night and day. I don't even use the 12'6 anymore. I guess I should probably sell it.

I also have a 29" Mt bike. Big wheels roll over the terrain better. The drawback is that they take a little more power to get them turning which is a drag climbing hills. I can't think of any drawbacks with the 14 footer.

[photofr]

Here's my take on it...

I am not very tall, and I was very stubborn when the 29" first came out.
Once I made the change, I never looked back... 29" even adapted a bend in their frames to accommodate smaller riders.
I would NEVER go back to (a fun but) much slower 26" wheel bike.

For paddling, it's a similar story: I am a feather and therefore 12'6 boards should be very well adapted for me. I have "just started" paddling SUP last year, but have already put in over 3000 km on different boards. I take every fun sport very seriously, therefore have tested many different boards on my own, with me on them. Here's what I find, in a nutshell:

12'6 BOARDS - in general
Slower, do not glide (the feeling is horrible when used to a surfski)
Still doesn't surf very well
Pretty good downwind
Quick to accelerate
More maneuverable and more agile
Still, the feeling of being on a boogie board is horrible to me.

14'BOARDS - in general
Faster and more stable for the same width (what more could you ask for?)
Do more things, put more things on it... if needed
Super fun downwind
Slower to accelerate, but makes up for it BIG TIME in average speed
Slightly less maneuverable and a little harder with side wind (but nothing to really worry about)
A much nicer feeling of glide - hands down !

UL BOARDS - in general
Just way faster - they can't even compare to the rest
Biggest drawback: side wind... so this is precisely why I would recommend a rudder system on your UL
It's all about the speed, the long distances, and of course: the GLIDE.

[2Rivers]

Do you plan on racing?

I have no racing interest at this moment. I just like the speed and glide of a race type board.

The longer board is way better IMO. It's faster, glides better. It's just better all around. Both boards are similar shapes but the 14 footer is my flatwater and downwind board of choice. I bought the 12'6 first but once I got on the 14 it was like night and day. I don't even use the 12'6 anymore.
I can't think of any drawbacks with the 14 footer.

14'BOARDS - in general
Faster and more stable for the same width (what more could you ask for?)
Do more things, put more things on it... if needed
Super fun downwind
Slower to accelerate, but makes up for it BIG TIME in average speed
Slightly less maneuverable and a little harder with side wind (but nothing to really worry about)
A much nicer feeling of glide - hands down !

Both above statements pretty much summarize everything that I'm hearing, hence the second thoughts I'm now having about a 12'6. I've demo'ed some 14' boards and the difference was noticeable in speed, but reduced maneuverability. I think I would just have to get used to getting back farther on the deck for making turns.

I have no issue going 1.5' longer to get better performance. Storage is also not a problem. So I'm finding it hard now to justify a 12'6 over a 14' other than price and possibly weight.

If I went the 14' foot route, what kind of volume should I be looking for? According to King's calculator, I'm supposed to be on a 195-210ltr "race/tour/dw"board, but it doesn't define the length variances. My guess is to find the lowest volume 14' in the width that I like. So far 26"-27" seems to be the sweet spot, but I did recently try the Boga Typhoon Team 12'6 at 25.5" and it seemed super stable to me, so I'm OK with going slightly narrower. What I am a little confused on is most companies seem to make their 14' equivalent boards a little wider (.5-1"). I thought with the added length of a 14', you could actually go a little narrower. Am I missing something? Thanks

[Area 10]

If you paddle in very windy confused conditions (like I do) then a board shorter than 14 can make sense. I'm not convinced that 14s have any advantage in those conditions, and might actually be slightly disadvantaged, especially if you also want to surf your board. But in that situation - mostly found in the sea - a typical 12-6 raceboard might not be optimal either, especially if you aren't racing. For instance the Bark Excursion 12-0 or maybe the SB Freeride might be more fun for general bad conditions paddling and small wave surfing.

Otherwise, I'm not sure why you'd get a 12-6 over a 14. Lots of women seem to want a 12-6 and I think maybe they, and the pro racing community, are largely keeping it alive. I suspect the female preference for 12-6, where it exists, reflects a complex mix of gender stereotyping and need to have a lightweight and easy-to-handle board rather than aspects relating to performance or paddling pleasure. The 12-6 length is a historical accident really, whereas the 14ft length was adopted partly by accident I suspect, but equally through trial and error because it was more practical than an unlimited class board (especially in terms of shop floor space) but  was about as long as you can go before rudders become worth the expense and hassle. So there might not be a particularly good reason why we paddle 14ft boards rather than say 13.5 or 14.5ft boards, but there is likely to be a little more logic behind it in terms of performance than for the 12-6 class. This is why most people think that if one class were to disappear it would be the 12-6 rather than the 14. But in the meantime, 12-6 boards seem to be selling just fine, especially when they are inflatables. So I'd just demo as many boards as you can and pick the one that feels most "right" to you, and don't worry about what anyone else is paddling. The great thing about not being a racer is that you can paddle whatever you want!

[photofr]

Just for the record, I wouldn't worry about maneuverability either...
My 3rd board ever was a flat water 17'6 with hardly any rocker; probably the least maneuverable board on the market. Within a week, I found several ways to make that thing turn on a dime. When I am back on a  14 footer, making it turn becomes a total breeze. Basically, it's all relative, but I doubt that in time you'll find a 14 footer hard to maneuver.