SUP board suggestion for Ocean paddling in Hawaii

[limulady]

Aloha All,

I'm been searching and searching through posts but finally thought I'd just ask. 

I'm experienced but out of shape and want to get a new board.  Had an older Hulakai 11' (affectionately called the 'barge') on which I taught many a friend to SUP.  It was stolen .   My other boards are a 12' C4 Holoholo, which is only about 27 1/4" wide and a PSH 10'6" widebody for a buddy board.  The Hulakai was slow and not responsive, but very stable.  The Holoholo moves, but is tippy in the crosswind conditions and I can't put beginners on it at all.  The PSH is very lightweight and fun in the bay, but I think I need a little more volume for ocean paddling and too light for larger friends (I'm 160lbs and in my 60's).

So, my dilemma.  I want to get back into open ocean paddling. Nothing extreme, no racing, but a few miles down and back along the coast, often in cross wind conditions. I guess I would like something between the Hulakai and the Holoholo.   One that has good tracking but stable that I'm not fighting a crosswind and wave all the time (Holoholo wears me out with it's tippiness) in these conditions.  One that I can put my granddaughter on with me, or put a newbie on to learn. Oh yes! And light enough that I can put on and off my car and schlep to the beach. 

Yep, I want it all:  a board that will move on open ocean, stable enough to let newbies play with, and light enough that I can handle it fairly easily (I haul SCUBA tanks around, so I'm not a wimp).

There are so many new boards out there. Any suggestions from the new lineups?  So far recommendations are Naish and Surftech.  What about the Naish Alana touring 11'?  Or any other recommendations? 

Mahalo!

[baddog]

Look at the Sic Bullet 11' and maybe the Bullet 12'6" first.  There's a new 12'6" from Blue Planet called the Bump Surfer, luv to hear more about this one.

[Area 10]

Yeah the Bullets would be worth looking at for sure. But maybe they are a bit more performance oriented than you need? If you want something that newbies could also use, or you could put your granddaughter on then maybe consider the SIC Recon 11.11. It is 31" wide so should have the stability you need but be a bit more sporty than the Alana 11 (which would also be worth trying).

[DavidJohn]

I'd recommend boards like the 14x29 Naish Glide or the 14x28 Bump Rider from Blue Planet Surf.

The Naish Alana touring is a great board and tracks well for a short and very wide board but the rocker is pretty flat.

[PonoBill]

I'll second the production SIC 11'11" Recon--probably an ideal board for you. It's 31" wide and super stable, but it has that great Kunalu rocker so it glides and glides. It's single fin, so it surfs like an old school longboard, but it's a great flatwater and downwind shape. I used an 11'11 recon as a race board in the surfboard classes and did very well with it. And it's bulletproof and just over a thousand bucks. It's 26 pounds, which is not featherweight, but not heavy either. I have one in Hood River that I sometimes use for downwinders, and it's my goto board for the grandkids. their standard SUP method is three boys on the 11.11 and one on my 8'8" L41.

Fast, unaffected by crosswinds, surfs and downwinds. I think it's the most versatile board currently available.

[limulady]

Great!  Thanks for the suggestions.  I'll look into the SIC Recon if I can find someone on the Big Island who carries them. Would like to try before buy.... Sounds like the size workable (like the 31" width), the weight's not bad. 

My hesitation on the Alana was it's width and rocker too.   

[limulady]

Aloha again,
Is there anything in the Surftech or NSP line that fills this gap?  Most of the shops over here carry those. Can't find much info on them.

Thanks!

[PonoBill]

I don't think anyone else really builds a versatile board that's reasonably fast. At least I've never experienced one. Not a big market. People either want absolute beginner boards or they want something specific.

Tokanuga Store in Hilo is an SIC dealer. They'd almost certainly have to order it for you though. It's nopt a common board. I have a warm spot for Tokanuga, they were one of the first KeNalu paddle dealers when I cofounded the company. The gave us a respectable first order, which I assumed they would be sitting on for a long time. A week later they called up and ordered more.

[limulady]

Thanks.  Need to think about it, but a couple of you recommended the SIC board and it does sound interesting.

I agree about Tokunagas.  I used to get random gear there for marine science work and snorkeling.  I still love to stop in just to browse.  Will give them a call as I'd love to give them the business. 

Happy Holidays!

[limulady]

Just gave Tokunaga's a call.  They only have 14' and 17' SICs.  Said they never bring in the shorter ones.  He recommended Starboards:  the Allstar All arounder, the Freeride 12'2" X 30", or the Cruiser. They look longer and heavier.  (sigh)

Any suggestions on any of these?
Thanks.

[PonoBill]

Call SIC on Maui. They can stick one a Young Brothers barge. I've shipped boards to Oahu many times, it's cheap and fast.

[baddog]

All Stars are great all around race boards, if he's recommending them, then they must work well where you are.  They are expensive and you're sounding like you're not ready for a 12'6" size race board.  The Free Ride is big and heavy and ditto for the Cruiser.  I have never seen a 11'11" Recon, but based on your past experience, I doubt if you should go any bigger then the 11'4".  You're going to have to bust out for a trip to Oahu or Maui and try some boards out.  Definitely worth the cost and effort to try before you buy.

[Area 10]

You could perhaps consider the Surftech Bark Excursion 12'0". But it might be more expensive and less durable than you'd want for your applications, perhaps?

There are other touring Surfechs that are cheaper (like the Sabre) but I suspect they will be very heavy and will seem sluggish compared to the Holoholo.

It is true that you can't beat trying before buying. It is time well spent.

The Holoholo is a great board - I owned one once - but I wish they'd have made it an inch or two wider to give it a more relaxed feel in chop.

[PonoBill]

There's good reason to go past 11'4". The 11'11" is a special board, though probably not very popular. It's like the ancient KuNalu or the 12'2" Starboard that was based in the KuNalu. The difference is that while the 12'2"/KuNalu is 26" wide and impossible for any beginner, the 11'11" is 31" wide. The 12'2" is widely regarded as the most versatile board ever made for those that get used to riding it. Connor Baxter told me once that he regretted selling his for just that reason. I'll always own one--I have a 12'2" in Hood River and a KuNalu hollow carbon version in Maui. Fun to race, tour, surf, sail, or downwind. I even fish and bowfish from mine.

The 11'11" is the more practical version. Equally versatile, nearly as fast, great for downwind, solid surfer. It's really a one board quiver.

Like all versatile boards, it doesn't do anything as well as a specialized board, but it does everything very well.

[Area 10]

Yeah, the PSH 12'0" Gun was a board like that too. I took mine out for a general ocean mooch recently after more than a year off it and I couldn't believe how good it is. Blane Chambers was well ahead of the game back then and his designs still put most of the current offerings to shame.

I'd buy the SIC Recon 11.11 in a heartbeat. Mark Raaphorst, like Blane, is someone I trust as a designer. I don't think 12ft is too long either, if you've already been fine with the 12ft Holoholo. Bigger boards are more fun, really, as long as you can carry and transport them. A lot of the tendency towards small boards is I think driven by the windsurf market, to whom even a 8ft surf SUP looks huge, and they want to be able to get the board in the van not on the roof. Whereas if you have a surf background then 10ft+ boards don't phase you, and you'll have grown up with classic images from back in the day when boards were boards and men were men, and a board weighed about as much as one, so the desire for a "sinker" board isn't quite so synonymous with competence.

Anyway, if you liked the Holoholo except for it's tippiness, then you probably want a board about that length but wider, and not built like a barge. There aren't that many to choose from like that these days but the SIC 11.11 is one of them, and it will be more stable than a secondhand PSH 12 Gun (which I guess you might also find knocking around the Hawaiian Islands). Btw if you are looking at used boards then maybe an old 2010-11 era Naish Glide 12 (29.75" wide) might work too. You can pick them up for next to nothing now but they make a great board for general ocean mooching. A bit heavy by today's standards (but not cripplingly so), but as tough as old boots and good in chop.