Standup Zone Forum
Stand Up Paddle => Gear Talk => Topic started by: SupPat on January 20, 2012, 06:08:38 AM
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Hi,
I'm considering the new Naish mana air and the starboard astro whopper as my first sup. does anyone have any first hand knowledge or experience with these boards? Anyone have any pics? I will be using the board primarily on east coast us(small surf) and some lake paddling. I weight 190-195lbs. I appreciate all the input in helping me make an educated choice!
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I bought the Starboard Astro and love it. I am about your weight as well. I have also owned the C4 10,6 and like this way more. The C4 was tippy in surf and would banana at my weight. It may have been the pump. I have posted a review if you search the post.
Overview-true rocker, camber in the middle to reduce the banana effect, great pad and decent pump. I will try to post pics this weekend.
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Just a note on the cambered boards (negative rocker in the middle), before you rush out to buy one: I have tried some boards with the camber (Starboards and Boardworks SHUBU) and found that it works well for cruising and flatwater paddling as it reduces the banana rocker that is created by the weight of the paddler standing in the middle of the board. The camber flattens out when standing in the middle and creates a flatter, faster rocker.
The big disadvantage of the camber is that in the surf, it is very difficult to lift the nose out of the water, even if you stand all the way on the tail, as the nose tends to keep flapping down unless you put so much weight on the back foot that you basically sink the tail. This makes the cambered boards harder to control and slower when on a wave. So, in my experience: in flat water: camber=good, in waves: camber=bad. Has anyone else had this experience?
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Hmm... I have not had this issue with my Astro. The waves I am catching are small though. My board has very pronounced nose rocker. I will post pics, it is almost exaggerated because of the thickness.
It will be interesting to test in larger waves and see if I have the same issues. Right now, I love it. It catches (small) waves like crazy.
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Hmm... I have not had this issue with my Astro. The waves I am catching are small though. My board has very pronounced nose rocker. I will post pics, it is almost exaggerated because of the thickness.
It will be interesting to test in larger waves and see if I have the same issues. Right now, I love it. It catches (small) waves like crazy.
Just curious what other inflatables you considered? Why the astro? The Naish mana air looks real nice too, not much info out there on it yet though. I'm hoping someone from the forum can give the the scoop on the Mana Air?
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I believe that there is a 4in and a 6in Mana Air. The 6in is supposedly substantially better (as heard from a Naish rep). The 4 inch is supposed to be a bit wobbly. I can't speak from personal experience with the Mana, but I have tried several other inflatable boards and the sloppy ones are not very awesome. If you were looking to get the Mana, I would check out the 6in one. It looks pretty sweet.
Good luck.
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SupPat, I considered all others including the Naish and Uli. The uli looked great but would have been mail order. The Naish is nice but I would have wanted the 6 inch model. Very high price though.
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SupPat,
I just bought a demo mana 6" at surf expo last week. While i have had a little trouble getting up to even 12psi (i think board should be at 20) I have paddled it for the last two days and i have been impressed. Yes it is bouncy but that is strictly because it is not inflated properly. Actually i took it out at 10 psi the first day and is tracked straight and felt stable. (though when shifting foot positions, i could feel the flex). Today i took it out at 12psi and it felt much better. (when going into the chop, it was a little wobbly) Such a huge improvement with just 2 psi difference, i imagine at 20 it is going to be awesome.
Disclaimer: I have not tried any other inflatables. I went with the Mana because it had the highest volume and would allow my clients who have children with special needs, to get on the board with their kids. I don't think the 4 inch or any of the typical inflatables would handle that very well.
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From my experience Uli was the best but I haven't tried the starboard one you mention. There is one Uli used for sale here. Not the one I am selling as mine is a 14' Uli for touring.
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I demoed both the 6inch and 4 inch Naish Mana Air with mixed opinions on both.
I'm an avid Naish SUPster (5 Naish boards in the quiver) and was intriqued about adding an inflatable for traveling.
Both thicknesses are good and stable, but my biggest issue with the 6inch was it was almost too thick. I took it on a river with others that were on C4's (4inch) and despite the banana effect of the C4s, I was constantly battling to catch up as the thickness of the rails provided a lot of resistance. Can't say how well it would surf as I didn't use it in the ocean. The 4inch was prone to similar banana-ing of C4s, so it almost seemed like 5 inch would have been a happy medium for my weight (180ish).
A couple other things I didn't like about the Naish's were the D-ring they put on the bottom side of the nose...wasn't sure what it was for (tying to a boat maybe) and the fact that both models came brand new with leaks (one seam leak and one where the mesh on the surface by the fin looked like it didn't get enough epoxy paint).
That being said, I didn't get the Naish and am now considering the Rogue inflatable that comes in a 5inch thickness.
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You can "try before you buy" the complete line of Uli's at Aloha Stand Up Paddle in Leucadia, CA.
The Uli's use a carbon fiber stringer that none of the other's use.
www.AlohaStandUpPaddle.com (http://www.AlohaStandUpPaddle.com)
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SupPat,
I just bought a demo mana 6" at surf expo last week. While i have had a little trouble getting up to even 12psi (i think board should be at 20) I have paddled it for the last two days and i have been impressed. Yes it is bouncy but that is strictly because it is not inflated properly. Actually i took it out at 10 psi the first day and is tracked straight and felt stable. (though when shifting foot positions, i could feel the flex). Today i took it out at 12psi and it felt much better. (when going into the chop, it was a little wobbly) Such a huge improvement with just 2 psi difference, i imagine at 20 it is going to be awesome.
Disclaimer: I have not tried any other inflatables. I went with the Mana because it had the highest volume and would allow my clients who have children with special needs, to get on the board with their kids. I don't think the 4 inch or any of the typical inflatables would handle that very well.
If you get it up to a higher psi like 15-20, let me know how it performs. someone mentioned that due to the 6'' thickness that it kind of plowed in the flat water. i'm thinking this would be better if it were super rigid at a higher psi. this is a concern for me as i will be using it both in the surf and on a lake. thanks for all the info!
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I am 220lbs and I notice a big difference between 15 and 17psi on my 14' Uli. 17 is the sweet spot for me. It is as firm as a normal board but does have a bit of a vibration in chop. Although it seems to soak up side chop better than a normal board and my feet feel great after long paddles.
The extra pumps from 15 psi to 17 psi is just as much effort as getting to 15.
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I have been reading up a bit on this and apparently there is an incredible pump for these inflatables made by www.k-pump.com (http://www.k-pump.com) called the K-20. I am ordering one this monday for testing but have heard that it will get boards up over 20 very easy. There is even a disclaimer about going to far. I am starting to pick up some inflatables for our shop and after having to inflate some of these with the pump supplied, it might be a deal breaker for some clients who want the ease but don't want the trouble of having to get it up to the correct psi. I know some use electric pumps, but that almost defeats the purpose.
Will let everyone know soon.
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Just out of curiosity, are the supplied pumps even capable of getting the board to the proper psi? With a little muscle put into it?
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My thoughts are that all the boards, except ULI, are supplied with pumps that can make 12 psi. Anything more than that and even if you could push the handle down you would end up breaking it (just plastic).
I checked out the new SUP K20 pump and it is similar to what I was talking about with using the K-100. Use a high volume pump to get up to say 8psi and then switch to a low volume high pressure pump. The problem I see with using the K20 pump for the entire process is that it does not have a twist on hose. With the K pump they just sit on top of the valve and you push down against the board to hold it in place (or have someone hold it for you). If you use the supplied crappy pump with your board and get it up to shape then it is easy to use the K-100 pump against the valve.
Just my experience. Jill
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I agree the handles are all pretty weak. My brother rigged a steel bar across the handle of the Starboard pump and it works pretty well.
That being said, i find the Starboard pump easy to get to 17 pounds. my old C4 was a lot more work.
Yesterday we had pretty stormy conditions and the Starboard performed great.
Corey
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I agree the handles are all pretty weak. My brother rigged a steel bar across the handle of the Starboard pump and it works pretty well.
That being said, i find the Starboard pump easy to get to 17 pounds. my old C4 was a lot more work.
Yesterday we had pretty stormy conditions and the Starboard performed great.
Corey
You got any pics of the starboard? The only ones I seem to find are from their website. Did it come with a paddle?
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I did post some pics of it uninflated. Not the best pics lol.
I wish I had taken pics from yesterday, the conditions were fantastic! The biggest waves we have had for a while. It surfed great. I find with the width comes less flex. I can bury the needle( 17lbs) and it is hard as a rock.
I will try to post pics on the water soon. No paddle included. Nice bag though.
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Ps I am not normally a Starboard fan. I did not like some marketing they did in the past. This board is changing my mind.
Cheers,
Corey
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What are you using for a paddle? Sounds like the supplied pump with starboard is decent? Looking forward to the pics!
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Just noticed that the Mana Air is selling for $1599 online. That seems a bit rich to me, is this what people are actually paying for this?
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The pump supplied with the RED Paddle Co boards is a brand called Bravo and I have no problems inflating the Red Air's to 20psi. Had a look at the Mana Air last week at a boat show and I'm sure there must of been something wrong as there was virtually no rocker and it just looked like a lilo with the corners rounded off - $1599 :o That's mental price!!!
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The pump supplied with the RED Paddle Co boards is a brand called Bravo and I have no problems inflating the Red Air's to 20psi. Had a look at the Mana Air last week at a boat show and I'm sure there must of been something wrong as there was virtually no rocker and it just looked like a lilo with the corners rounded off - $1599 :o That's mental price!!!
I'm a newb to sup's and boards in general. If you don't mind me asking, what should I be looking at when it comes to the shape of the board and the rocker? The board will be used primarily in small surf on the east coast and some flat water lake paddling. I appreciate all the help, sorry if this is a dumb question. Just want to buy the right thing the first time, they are all a bit pricey!
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Hi,
I have tried the Mana Air 6". It's the way to go for any rider over 170lbs or any rider that wants to have fun, fun and more fun.
The 6" also offers more stiffness than the 4" which eliminates the sagging in the middle of the board and giving it unnecessary rocker when touring or surfing.
They are a bit pricey but if I am a 2 miles offshore the last thing I want is a cheap inflatable.
DCW
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The pump supplied with the RED Paddle Co boards is a brand called Bravo and I have no problems inflating the Red Air's to 20psi. Had a look at the Mana Air last week at a boat show and I'm sure there must of been something wrong as there was virtually no rocker and it just looked like a lilo with the corners rounded off - $1599 :o That's mental price!!!
I'm a newb to sup's and boards in general. If you don't mind me asking, what should I be looking at when it comes to the shape of the board and the rocker? The board will be used primarily in small surf on the east coast and some flat water lake paddling. I appreciate all the help, sorry if this is a dumb question. Just want to buy the right thing the first time, they are all a bit pricey!
SUP Pat Not sure if they're available in the US yet but pound for pound in Europe the RED's www.redpaddleco.com (http://www.redpaddleco.com) are unbeatable in use and price point! The RRP is €775 for the 10'6
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SupPat
I took it out today at around 15psi. Took some pictures of me and each one of my daughters on it with me. So that is 160 + 75 and 160 + 90. Paddled straight and wasn't too flexy. (will post later to tonight) Still though, it needs another 5 psi or so. It has little rocker but it is pretty solid and for knee or thigh high mush in south Florida (not sure where your at) it would work fine. For waist high low tide sandbar, your probably looking at another board all together. I would even say an epoxy board at that point.
Where are you located?
The red paddle boards are not available in the US. I have been talking to the owners via email to find out when and if they will have anybody. Taking to them about purchasing a demo board, but for now a qty of one shipped to me in Miami is 175 dollars from Aus. Would like to test one out before I commit to a large qty.
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SupPat
I took it out today at around 15psi. Took some pictures of me and each one of my daughters on it with me. So that is 160 + 75 and 160 + 90. Paddled straight and wasn't too flexy. (will post later to tonight) Still though, it needs another 5 psi or so. It has little rocker but it is pretty solid and for knee or thigh high mush in south Florida (not sure where your at) it would work fine. For waist high low tide sandbar, your probably looking at another board all together. I would even say an epoxy board at that point.
Where are you located?
Sounds good, looking forward to the pics. I am on the east coast, Philadelphia area. Board will be used at the jersey shore, Ocean city md, outer banks, myrtle beach and Florida. These are the places we frequent the most. We have a motor home and tow a jeep and it will be nice to just toss the board in the back wherever we go. My family has a house on a lake in PA where I plan on doing some paddling on flat water as well. So I'm just trying to find a nice all around inflatable board. I appreciate all the help!
The red paddle boards are not available in the US. I have been talking to the owners via email to find out when and if they will have anybody. Taking to them about purchasing a demo board, but for now a qty of one shipped to me in Miami is 175 dollars from Aus. Would like to test one out before I commit to a large qty.
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Ps I am not normally a Starboard fan. I did not like some marketing they did in the past. This board is changing my mind.
Cheers,
Corey
What did you end up paying for the starboard?
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I have paddled both the 4" and the 6" Naish as well as the Starboard Astro 10'0" - even surfing the Starboard this past Sunday in our wave pool.
The 6" Naish is designed for heavier riders (200+) and it works well for that size of paddler. My 120 lbs. son found it to "corky" for his liking - but I liked it fine.
The Camber in the Starboard made it great to paddle in flat water - and really helped to get ride of the banana effect that many other inflatables seem to have.
I found no issues with the nose pearling when surfing it (and our wave pool waves a very short and steep.
The Starboard does not come with a paddle (I find most "thrown in" paddles to be not as good as somethign you would buy). The Starboard pump is an aluminum shaft with a plastic handle and I have no problems getting it to 15+ lbs of pressure.
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Stubled across another decent looking board today made by Blue Planet Surf. Actually have a few variations of inflatables and a more moderate price. too many choices!!
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i have not been here for a while so...
first of all for those that do not know me and so there is no confusion like before
...i ride ULIboards...they work WELL...i am not allowed to say a lot here but...youtube has many videos of ULI's in action...search "uliboard"
a lot of comments about other guys pumps and psi in the boards...it used to be a problem...we have solved it...
;D
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I previously posted that I had picked up an Inflatable Hobie Drifter at the Surf Expo. It was one of the show boards and they had to ship me the pump....Came in yesterday and here's a few pics of the board (inflated) and the 3 piece paddle that comes with it. Haven't had it on the water yet and I'm interested to see how it paddles.....Tim
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Good to hear from you Steamroller! ULI will have a tent & demo boards at the Hanohano race this Saturday: www.hanohano.org (http://www.hanohano.org) We're gonna see how the new 12'6" and 14' go against the hard boards...
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Those racing ULI's look good.
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they sure do!!!
:o
i cant get out of work on sat otherwise i would be there too...have fun you guys...and say hi to the bulldogs if they are there...
:D
(http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj110/stmrlr/lily.jpg)
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I have a Naish Mana 6in,
It is a fun board. Super easy to paddle. I have no experience on other boards, but this one felt more like a big board than I expected. Paddles into small surf easily.
The pump provided is super high quality, and easily pumps the board to the right psi. Actually I am looking to buy an extra pump like that for my kites because of size and quality. It tells you when there is enough pressure in the board. Pumping it up on the beach was getting a lot of attention. Pretty funny really.
The Naish board also has things of for bringing a little cooler (read: beer) with you on small excursions. Super cool that you can put it in a bag and go. Though I would not use it in big waves, I think it is amazing what companies comes up with these days.
The board goes well with the telescope paddle.
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I actually wrote this about a week ago but the dodgy internet connection prevented me from posting it. It's a bit late but still relevant even now the Imperial effect has waned. -
Quick disclaimer here - I am a die hard Uli fan and have been for four years. Jim and the guys pretty much invented the inflatable Board concept and whilst the basic bladders may be from 'shared' (read copied) variants the finished ULI products are massively reworked in the US. That reworking involves tuning the rocker with carbon 'stringer' strips and the use of hi quality US sourced fittings, grip and pumps.
I have had four ULI's to date and just this last week had the pleasure of hooking up with the ULI guy's again in Costa Rica where I had the opportunity to try an amazing new super stable prototype sub 9'r that I will probably be Steamroller'd for even mentioning. We surfed small punchy beach breaks and paddled down the coast a mile or so and three quarters of a mile out to surf an offshore reef at head high with total confidence.
My lightweight single skin 8'11 Munoz is well into it's 2nd season and has just been totally ragged two and three times a day at Playa Guiones for three solid weeks - no complaints no issues. ULI's are without doubt surf boards not just boards that can be paddled in the surf.
Personally I would rather have an original, but as I said I have a blow up bias. Just for the record I also love my Naish Hokua 9'3 and Mana 9, and am currently getting intimate with a DW 7'10" Dumpster Diver, not sure if any of that is relevant but all those boards are proper surf boards and my ULI stacks up well with any of them, the main difference being they don't fit in my suitcase.
Currently weighing in at 210lbs and typing this from our balcony in Guiones on our last night in Costa loaded with Imperial and Marguerita's. Buenos Noches or something like that.
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most people I've met that knock an inflatable are those that didn't get the pressure up high enough - 10psi is not enough.
with a board at 15psi or more you should have less to complain about.
if you're an average adult, and the board can't do at least 15psi - don't buy it for surfing.
notes:
the boards with the "wavy" pattern on the top & bottom max out at about 12psi
(they have less drop stitch strings between top and bottom layer and are more prone to twisting).
the boards with a "golf ball" dimple pattern can take the higher pressure.
(more strings in side the board holding it together and allow higher pressure, both making it stiffer).
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Airsup has got it spot on in my opinion - all inflatables are not the same - drop stitch is the state of the art in this field, couple that that with a carbon stringer, 17 - 20 psi and a custom shape and you are talking about a proper usable surfboard. Stiff and totally rip'able rather than a soggy, mushy mattress.
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SupPat
I took it out today at around 15psi. Took some pictures of me and each one of my daughters on it with me. So that is 160 + 75 and 160 + 90. Paddled straight and wasn't too flexy. (will post later to tonight) Still though, it needs another 5 psi or so. It has little rocker but it is pretty solid and for knee or thigh high mush in south Florida (not sure where your at) it would work fine. For waist high low tide sandbar, your probably looking at another board all together. I would even say an epoxy board at that point.
Where are you located?
The red paddle boards are not available in the US. I have been talking to the owners via email to find out when and if they will have anybody. Taking to them about purchasing a demo board, but for now a qty of one shipped to me in Miami is 175 dollars from Aus. Would like to test one out before I commit to a large qty.
Hey guys, there is a Red Paddle distributor in Canada, I got 3 of the 10'6's last year. The pump is good, and I have no trouble getting the board to 17PSI. I have 2 new ones that are for sale, see my post in the classified section. They are a nice board, paddles surprisely well in flat water, and I've surfed it in small waves and had a blast.
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SupPat
I took it out today at around 15psi. Took some pictures of me and each one of my daughters on it with me. So that is 160 + 75 and 160 + 90. Paddled straight and wasn't too flexy. (will post later to tonight) Still though, it needs another 5 psi or so. It has little rocker but it is pretty solid and for knee or thigh high mush in south Florida (not sure where your at) it would work fine. For waist high low tide sandbar, your probably looking at another board all together. I would even say an epoxy board at that point.
Where are you located?
The red paddle boards are not available in the US. I have been talking to the owners via email to find out when and if they will have anybody. Taking to them about purchasing a demo board, but for now a qty of one shipped to me in Miami is 175 dollars from Aus. Would like to test one out before I commit to a large qty.
Hey guys, there is a Red Paddle distributor in Canada, I got 3 of the 10'6's last year. The pump is good, and I have no trouble getting the board to 17PSI. I have 2 new ones that are for sale, see my post in the classified section. They are a nice board, paddles surprisely well in flat water, and I've surfed it in small waves and had a blast.
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:D
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Not spongy?
So I gather from this thread that the new inflatables are not spongy, at all? I bought a cheap Sevelor inflatable early on. It challenged my already challenged balance.
So which boards can zoners assure me are 100% hard, When inflated to 15+lbs? How hard is that Ulo 14' when fully inflated?
Go ahead a chime in Steamroller.
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The ULIs are rock solid. Most people don't believe its an inflatable even after squeezing it. You will get some flexing when you are on a wave face, and if you jump up and down on it. But the board maintains its rocker profile even with 200+ riders, which is pretty incredible. If it won't take at least 15 psi, just walk away.
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I am currently looking into an inflatable SUP mostly for traveling. Currently I have a 12'6 lightweight Carbon board. Any recommendations or any thoughts on C4 Waterman iTrekker would be greatly appreciated.
http://www.c4waterman.com/2012/boards/isups/isup-itrekker/ (http://www.c4waterman.com/2012/boards/isups/isup-itrekker/)
Thanks
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I'll be at the Hal Rosoff race at the Newport Aquatic Center tomorrow with the latest ULI 14 prototype if anyone wants to try it out. At 16 psi it's got less flex than my last EPS/epoxy 18'6" unlimited race board. The guys will probably have a tent & demos at the Dana Point races on 3/3 and 3/10. ;D
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Last week I got my first look at the new Mana Air.. and I took these pictures.. It looked nice and paddled great.
DJ
(http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy27/djp-3/DJ%202012%20pics/IMGP4794Medium.jpg)
(http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy27/djp-3/DJ%202012%20pics/IMGP4795Medium.jpg)
(http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy27/djp-3/DJ%202012%20pics/IMGP4796Medium.jpg)
(http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy27/djp-3/DJ%202012%20pics/IMGP4797Medium.jpg)
(http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy27/djp-3/DJ%202012%20pics/IMGP4799Medium.jpg)
(http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy27/djp-3/DJ%202012%20pics/IMGP4800Medium.jpg)
(http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy27/djp-3/DJ%202012%20pics/IMGP4803Medium.jpg)
(http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy27/djp-3/DJ%202012%20pics/IMGP4804Medium.jpg)
(http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy27/djp-3/DJ%202012%20pics/IMGP4805Medium.jpg)
(http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy27/djp-3/DJ%202012%20pics/IMGP4806Medium.jpg)
(http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy27/djp-3/DJ%202012%20pics/IMGP4809Medium.jpg)
(http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy27/djp-3/DJ%202012%20pics/IMGP4813Medium.jpg)
(http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy27/djp-3/DJ%202012%20pics/IMGP4814Medium.jpg)
(http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy27/djp-3/DJ%202012%20pics/IMGP4822Medium.jpg)
(http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy27/djp-3/DJ%202012%20pics/IMGP4821Medium.jpg)
(http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy27/djp-3/DJ%202012%20pics/IMGP4825Medium.jpg)
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Thanks for the great pics. Curious, it looks a little heavy? Do you know size and weight. Thanks again!
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Thanks for the great pics. Curious, it looks a little heavy? Do you know size and weight. Thanks again!
Naish do a 6" and 4" version and this was the bigger 6" thick Mana.
I've always thought these inflatables are very heavy but I was surprised how light this one was.
DJ
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Go ahead a chime in Steamroller.
ok then...im chimin' in...
we are the original inflatable board guys... have been building inflatable boards for over 10 years now...weve done all the testing...all the R&D...we got it pretty much dialed in...we stand behind and... ON TOP.... of all our boards...
;D
(http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj110/stmrlr/Snapshot62-13-20125-48PMcopy.jpg)
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FaHGQ6MEdms" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
http://youtu.be/FaHGQ6MEdms (http://youtu.be/FaHGQ6MEdms)
faqtest1.wmv (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaHGQ6MEdms&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL#)
;D
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Very impressive!
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I just have to echo what Steamroller said. I've owned 5 ULIs and they are awesome. Just got back from a trip using my ULI 9'3" FAQ, AND THE BOARD IS AWESOME!! Plus Jim Weir is the nicest human on the planet. Hey Steamroller, I remember the old videos of you on a 10' ULI in your pool and Golden Retreiver was just a little pup :)
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@Steamroller and family ... That is what I call true R&D and Quality hardcore Control !! ;D
GREAT Video !!
Ditto about : ".. Jim Weir is the One of the nicest human on the planet. " 8)
Ren
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I was finally able to get some photos of the new Starboard Astro inflatable, this is the 11'2 x 32'' version. It is basically a inflatable version of the blend. looks pretty nice!
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not sure why the pictures came out upside down when I posted them??? Fixed it for you all!!!
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hey DJ, thanks (as always) for the pics of the Mana! Your close-ups of the center fin, and its keeper ended my wondering how the center fin was mounted, and detached. Thinking about getting one for the demo fleet.
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hey DJ, thanks (as always) for the pics of the Mana! Your close-ups of the center fin, and its keeper ended my wondering how the center fin was mounted, and detached. Thinking about getting one for the demo fleet.
Thanks.. I like the detatchable fin system.. My friends Uli had all his fins bent over when he rolled it up and they never came straight again.. Plus no center fin means that you can roll it up much smaller.. It looks like the new Starboard inflatable comes out of the same factory.. It's just a different outline shape.
Here's a few more pics of that fin system.
DJ
(http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy27/djp-3/DJ%202012%20pics/IMGP4812Medium.jpg)
(http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy27/djp-3/DJ%202012%20pics/IMGP4815Medium.jpg)
(http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy27/djp-3/DJ%202012%20pics/IMGP4816Medium.jpg)
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Just an FYI The SB Blend is 11'2 X 30 Not 32" like the Astro
JimK
www.extremewindsurfing.com (http://www.extremewindsurfing.com)
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Here's another vote for the Uli. Bombproof portable performance.
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/429922_10150610577014687_1463385511_n.jpg)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/396371_10150610583619687_560164686_8673589_969167442_n.jpg)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/405963_10150610584474687_560164686_8673611_1718930354_n.jpg)
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We have been testing our inflatable board prototypes for the last few months and just received our first shipment of boards today.
I'm excited to announce that they are now available to the public.
They are top quality boards, same drop stitch construction and heavy duty materials as the big name brands in this post with many features, at a great price.
As a special limited time offer we are including free shipping to anywhere in the US.
We have four models:
9'6" x 28"
10'0" x 30"
10'6" x 32"
11'0" x 34"
For more information and pricing, please visit our website:
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com/home.php?cat=293 (http://www.blueplanetsurf.com/home.php?cat=293)
For an informational video with instructions, visit:
BP Inflatable SUP instructions (http://vimeo.com/33853764)
For a gopro video of the 9'6" in action:
Surfing the BP Nalu Air inflatable (http://vimeo.com/35362588)
Evan Leong of standuppaddlesurf.net got some good pictures, too, I'll post some of these soon, along with some more product shots.
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Here are some surf shots using the inflatable 9'6" Nalu Air model.
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And some product/ model shots:
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those action shots are great! and those of the model ain't half bad neither.
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I like what Barry has to say about fins on SUP ...
http://youtu.be/JnqUu3BNp08 (http://youtu.be/JnqUu3BNp08)
airSUP brand inflatable SUPs use real fins that are fully adjustable and can interchange with various sizes and shapes.
airSUP use a " US fin box " for standard board fins (like you would see on most hard SUP).
in addition, you can move the fin back or forward in the box - anytime (even out in the surf) with the easy adjustable fin screw included.
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Add another new inflatable that appears to come out of the same factory too. BIC has an 11' x 29.5" with the same center fin set-up as the Naish, Starboard and B-P above.
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Any opinion on the best inflatable for say knee to waist high waves and all-around paddling.
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Just admiring the chick in Blueplanetsurf's shots and trying to think of something witty to say about pics 4 and 5 hanging together like her legs are on back to front and then I checked pic 6 out and thought 'what the hells going on there?' Looks like she might have suffered a severe contortion of the spine and poor lass has a massively overdeveloped forearm if that's the case can we be sure that this Stand up thing is actually good for us?
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I'm not sure what you are talking about but since you enjoyed the pictures, I'll include a few more of the model shots of Marina, our lovely intern from Germany.
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a few more pics...
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Just admiring the chick in Blueplanetsurf's shots and trying to think of something witty to say about pics 4 and 5 hanging together like her legs are on back to front and then I checked pic 6 out and thought 'what the hells going on there?' Looks like she might have suffered a severe contortion of the spine and poor lass has a massively overdeveloped forearm if that's the case can we be sure that this Stand up thing is actually good for us?
I didn't notice that sixth pic until you pointed it out - kind of freaky looking!
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I'm not sure what you are talking about but since you enjoyed the pictures, I'll include a few more of the model shots of Marina, our lovely intern from Germany.
OK I'll explain, two of the pics displayed coincidentally as if Marina's legs were the wrong way round and in an infantile and purile way I found it amusing but in the 6th pic of her holding the board it looks like she has someone else's arm and legs. Probably just a trick of the lite as now that you have posted more and explained that she is from Germany she looks completely normal. Would she be from Eastern Germany? ;D
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I just ordered a red paddle 10'6. These seem to be popular
Across the pond. I will post a review once I get it next week.
Addicted 1 year and counting...2nd board... Don't tell my wife I want more.
Now if I could only convince her i need to upgrade to a kenalu
Paddle ;D
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How long do these inflatables last? Always inflating, deflating, rolling and unrolling. Does it take a toll over time? Can anyone speak to this? Want to get inflatable, but not sure about quality. Are all inflatables created equal? The starboards, badfish, naish, shubu, C4, all look like same material while Uli looks a little more solid.
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I have put mine thru heavy use the past 2 weeks.
Looks just like the way it came other than a few black marks i
Need to scrub off from the rubber mat it the back of truck.
Defating takes 1 minute. Little longer to stuff in the
Bag it came with. Pumping up takes 5 minutes or less. First 8 psi
Easy. Last 7 little harder. Think of it as nice warm up.
Mine says to store inflated, partial inflated, or deflated. Does
Not matter. Strapped mine to hard board and drove 70
For 3 hours on truck rack with no issues. From my research
Get a board that can go to 15 psi with use otherwise heavier users tend
To sink in middle.
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I took my Red Air 10'6" x 32" x 4"out in small surf yesterday. It took a lot of effort to stay on it. It seemed more stable when my feet were not parallel. I was able to catch a few waist high waves though. I think an inflatable of this size would be great for someone under 200 pounds (I weigh about 230). Big boys (unless you have a lot of skill) would do better on the wider inflatables. It was a lot of fun though, just trying to stay on this thing! I had it pumped to around 20 psi.
I would love to try the Red Air 10'8" x 36" x 4", I think it would be perfect for someone my height and weight.
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The new ULI 8'4" surfs great and is stable enough to paddle with my 70 lb. dog. The board doesn't flex and surfs so well at times I forgot it was an inflatable.
I'll have them available for a "try before you buy" next week at the Aloha SUP retail store in Leucadia, CA.
www.AlohaStandUpPaddle.com (http://www.AlohaStandUpPaddle.com)
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I took my Red Air 10'6" x 32" x 4"out in small surf yesterday. It took a lot of effort to stay on it. It seemed more stable when my feet were not parallel. I was able to catch a few waist high waves though. I think an inflatable of this size would be great for someone under 200 pounds (I weigh about 230). Big boys (unless you have a lot of skill) would do better on the wider inflatables. It was a lot of fun though, just trying to stay on this thing! I had it pumped to around 20 psi.
I would love to try the Red Air 10'8" x 36" x 4", I think it would be perfect for someone my height and weight.rboard
The Starboard Astro 10' 0" x 35" is 200 liters of air. It will float you with no problem.
Where are you located? You can try mine.
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The new ULI 8'4" surfs great and is stable enough to paddle with my 70 lb. dog. The board doesn't flex and surfs so well at times I forgot it was an inflatable.
I'll have them available for a "try before you buy" next week at the Aloha SUP retail store in Leucadia, CA.
www.AlohaStandUpPaddle.com (http://www.AlohaStandUpPaddle.com)
yup they're pretty SOLID!!!
(http://i594.photobucket.com/albums/tt24/steamrollersurfpics2/Snapshot62-13-20125-48PMcopy.jpg)
:o
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That is a very nice offer. I'm a long way from SD though, I live in Petaluma (north of San Francisco). I would sure like to try one though. I like that Big Baron board from NRS but I don't think it's a good shape for surfing. Does the Astro have a good shape?
I took my Red Air 10'6" x 32" x 4"out in small surf yesterday. It took a lot of effort to stay on it. It seemed more stable when my feet were not parallel. I was able to catch a few waist high waves though. I think an inflatable of this size would be great for someone under 200 pounds (I weigh about 230). Big boys (unless you have a lot of skill) would do better on the wider inflatables. It was a lot of fun though, just trying to stay on this thing! I had it pumped to around 20 psi.
I would love to try the Red Air 10'8" x 36" x 4", I think it would be perfect for someone my height and weight.rboard
The Starboard Astro 10' 0" x 35" is 200 liters of air. It will float you with no problem.
Where are you located? You can try mine.
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Hey Tom, how does the uli 8'4" stack up with the FAQ and lopez for all around utility, like small waves and some relaxed flatwater/rivers? I'm looking for the right uli for all around fun in small east coast waves...
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http://alohastanduppaddle.com/Uli_Inflatable_boards_MDB8.html (http://alohastanduppaddle.com/Uli_Inflatable_boards_MDB8.html)
The 8'4" Uli should be perfect. Small and maneuverable.
It is buoyant enough for me and my 70 LB. dog and very stable.
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Anybody in the Santa Cruz area have an 8-4 Uli I could try? Love my 10-0 Steamroller, but after spending a bunch of surf time on an 8-0 L41 SIMSUP, the 8-4 Quad looks really appealing.
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how 8'4" compares to 9'3" FAQ?
i am happy with 9'3"... not sure if it worth an effort to upgrade, or rather downgrade...
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The 8'4" is narrower and a foot shorter than the FAQ. It is fast and easy to turn on a wave. They also have a "wikki rail" that is an edge to set the rail on when you turn. Smaller and lighter makes it an great travel board.
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We'll have an 8'4" Uli at Murphy's lake for some wake surfing soon. Demos available.
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Hi, have any of you tried the new mistral inflatables? I saw they have a 12´6 and a 14 and was wondering how would they perform...
Thanks!
Joao
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Here's the ULI 12'6" coming in for a landing at the Victory Kore Dry SUPcross in Carlsbad. Awesome event. Can't wait to do it again.
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What about this board? Anybody has any experience?
http://www.aquaglide.net/products/cascade-isup.cfm (http://www.aquaglide.net/products/cascade-isup.cfm)
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I was able to try 8'4 Uli with the wikki rail and the longer lopez Uli. Def the 8'4 is the better of all Uli i demo. Im 5'7" 170lb so the FAQ is really too wide for my taste. The 8'4 is really stable and surf pretty good on 3-4 ft wave but i think i need to get couple more session on it before i get use to it. Like any inflatable, the thick rail is hard to set on edge but the wikki rail helps alot. I think 8'4 w/ wikki rail is probably the best inflatable in the market for surfing.
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Hi...
Tom and/or "Ucycle" ... could you explain (or have pictures of) what the "wikki rail" on a ULI is ? ???
I am a big fan of the Ulis ... .I used to have 2 .. now I still keep the ULI GLX2.
Thx...
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This Starboard inflatable 12'6 was in top 3 position among rigid boards last week in Spain. Except this picture, I have no information. Anybody seen it or tried?
(http://www.stand-up-surf.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/starboard_inch.jpg)
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i was going to post the detail of the wikki rail but it is best to leave it to the Capobeachboy or ULI rep to response to it since im not sure if they going to get a patent on it or such. Maybe someone from Uli can chime in. But it def make inflatable rail more like a surfboard rail.
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uh oh... i thought that was still part of the ULIBlackWorld...
:o :o :o :o
didnt know they let that out into the light yet...
??? ??? ??? ???
oh well...too late now...
::) ::) ::)
the "wiki rail" makes the board go much... MUCH FASTER and much... MUCH MORE maneuverable...like a night and day difference between with and without the rail...
the amount of speed you can get off a wave and more importantly the speed you can KEEP coming out of a turn is just crazy...i can say in all confidence...i am never riding an Uliboard without one again...just not gonna do it...the old ones are way too slow...
this was the prototype that i took to hawaii to test in good waves...just all kinds of speed...total down the line confidence and drive...
;D ;D ;D ;D
you can get a look at it at 1:14.....
http://youtu.be/hFg6Y0fRvqY (http://youtu.be/hFg6Y0fRvqY)
ULIHotStepr.wmv (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFg6Y0fRvqY&list=UUPLyOfLVyqu8cNsyeOBbzdQ&index=2&feature=plcp#)
i wanted to call it the "Hot Stepper Rail"...but there you go....ha ha :'(
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Does anybody have any idea when or if this new rail design will be applied to the Lopez and FAQ?
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Last time I saw Clinton (at the BOP last year) I didn't recognize him--totally buff. You're looking good on that board dude. Air on an inflatable SUP?!?.
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Does anybody have any idea when or if this new rail design will be applied to the Lopez and FAQ?
they are getting a patent on the thing right now/or got it already..
.but the new rail will be standard stuff on all the new Lopezezez and the Steamrollers and the 8'4" whatever they are callin them....the Fatasses not quite yet...we're still testing those...
a lot... Lot... LOTS of R&D has to go into each board in order to get the rail just right and a mold template and positioning template made specifically for each shape...weeks of testing....
if not exactly correct and APPLIED exactly correctly.....bad... Bad... BAD things happen...
:o
we got um all ironed out now though...the Lopez, Steamrollers and the 8'4" work GREAT...still testing the FAQ...maybe thats why they havent fully released it yet...
ooops...maybe i open my big mouth too soon...ok forget i said anything before i get in trouble..but ...yeah...lots of REALLY COOL stuff on the way...REALLY COOL...
cant wait for this years Battle Of the Paddle...freesurfings gonna be FUN!!!
;D :D :D ;D :D ;D
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Steam..these are great News ! Uli always ahead of everyone else ! :-)
One question... Will the Uli team be able to retrofit the older Lopez Glx2, steamrollers, etc.. ? ???
It they can.. this will be awesome !
I am looking forward to the BoP CA.
Thx
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This Starboard inflatable 12'6 was in top 3 position among rigid boards last week in Spain. Except this picture, I have no information. Anybody seen it or tried?
(http://www.stand-up-surf.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/starboard_inch.jpg)
http://www.watersportspattaya.com/index.php/shop/resort-supplies/inflatable-touring-sup.html (http://www.watersportspattaya.com/index.php/shop/resort-supplies/inflatable-touring-sup.html)
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Steamroller may be the worlds best test pilot for inflatables. Nice surfing.
Uli Uli Uli Uli (Uli nation greeting)
Try before you buy at Aloha SUP's retail store in Leucadia, CA
http://www.alohastanduppaddle.com/Uli_Inflatable_boards_MDB8.html (http://www.alohastanduppaddle.com/Uli_Inflatable_boards_MDB8.html)
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ULI ULI ULI.... I have had experience on lots on inflatables and the ULI is the best! they are always mistaken for a hardboard and have the most rigidity... my only complaint is there fin system.
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The new SB 12'6 inflatable touring board arrived to Mallorca, Spain today.
My sons and I checked it out, it looks really good. I will hopefully test this weekend. Until then some pictures.
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/376314_10150965504802713_539725450_n.jpg)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/377768_10150965504952713_398355785_n.jpg)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/555755_10150965505017713_2067527574_n.jpg)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/314709_10150965505172713_66684684_n.jpg)
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I tested the new SB Touring 12'6 inflatable today and liked it a lot. We pumped about 18 psi and the board is rigid. I weigh about 85 kg (187 lbs) and the board didn't flex. It feels of course different than a rigid board but this is the best inflatable board I tested so far. Before, I tested Red Paddle Co. , SB Astro Whopper and also a local brand called Makoa, I heard Mistral 12'6 is also good but that board hasn't arrived to Mallorca yet.
The board is fast too. Not as fast as a rigid race board but my GPS test showed an average of 8.2 km/h (5.1 mi/h), with that pace I normally paddle average 8.5 km/h (5.3 mi/h) on a race board.
This board is a very good alternative for a comfortable and stable touring/training/racing board with the advantages of being inflatable. I decided to buy one. It will be my choice for the local BOP races too, no need to worry that the board will be damaged :-)
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More pictures of the Astro Touring
(http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/5676/img2141mt.jpg)
(http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/609/img2142w.jpg)
(http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/2316/img2144jh.jpg)
(http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/779/img2145kr.jpg)
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Dear Viatormundi, thank you for your review. I'm a curious about a few things. It looks like there is a bit of camber in the bottom, the opposite of a normal hard board, is that correct? Can you also add some comments regarding how the board tracks and how the nose responds in chop and wind. Thanks again Mike
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Yes, there is "camber" in the middle - so that when you stand on it the board then becomes flat - not banana shaped.
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Thanks EZR. I waited 3 months for my 12"6" Touring, but it never showed. That's OK, because the 12'6" x 29" would suit me much better. Any changes in the nose profiles? The website says the 12'6"s are "New Models". Regardless, I've got to try one of the new ATs. Thanks, Mike
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There are 2 new sizes of the Starboard Touring boards (rigid) - a 12'6" x 29" that is also thinned out a bit for a little less volume - and also a 12'6" x 32" Touring - for bigger people and or people that want to pack more gear on board.
They also come in more constructions.
The 12'6" x 29" and the 32" come in Carbon / AST Wood and now AST Silver.
The 12'6" x 30" comes in Carbon / AST Wood and now AST Silver and even AST White (the de-featured lower price point construction).
The 14' is still the same size - but comes in Carbon / AST Wood and now AST Silver.
Then there are the inflatable Touring boards. (Astro Touring)
3 sizes:
12'6" x 30" x 6"
14' x 30" x 6"
16' x 32" x 6" (designed for adding a bunch of gear weight to - or paddling tandem)
The 16' comes in white / navy blue.
The 14' and 12'6" come in:
white / navy blue
white / sky blue
white / red
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Dear Viatormundi, thank you for your review. I'm a curious about a few things. It looks like there is a bit of camber in the bottom, the opposite of a normal hard board, is that correct? Can you also add some comments regarding how the board tracks and how the nose responds in chop and wind. Thanks again Mike
Yes, there is a camber but not much. The board tracks OK, I am used to 14' board tracking obviously less than that but OK not as good as my previous race board 12'6 Fanatic White Carbon. Nose works fine in chop and wind. The board is very stable in general including choppy conditions. I need to make more paddling with heavy wind because our theory among my paddling friends is that the board will draft away more than a rigid board, we will see.
I love the board for many reasons. It is a great toy for my kids and wife. I take it to the beaches we go with us. It also gives me the freedom to paddle anytime I want since I have two small kids and little time, this is good for me. It is faster than a rigid allround board of 11-12' but little slower than a dedicated rigid race board, but this doesn't change the fact that it is a good training board. Most of the times I pump it up to 12-14 psi and let the kids play around and then pump up to 18psi and paddle myself. Total pumping process takes about 10 minutes. I consider buying an electric pump which can pump up to 14.5 psi and add the rest manually. Mistral has a pump like that. I can paddle with my two boys on the board with no problem.
Well, the price is high, it costs 1200€ here in Spain. Red Paddle Co. inflatables cost around 800€. That's the only downside.
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A little write up on the new Starboard Astro Touring boards.
http://www.theeasyrider.com/palladium/?p=1989 (http://www.theeasyrider.com/palladium/?p=1989)
(http://www.theeasyrider.com/palladium/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/AstroTour1.jpg)
Yup - - under 22 lbs.
(http://www.theeasyrider.com/palladium/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/AstroTour4.jpg)
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A video review on the 12.6 ST inflatable - Starboard Inflatable Astro Touring SUP Board Review.m4v (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BFgbBeHZ7tY#ws)
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Really interested in that 12'6 Astro. Anyone tried the 14' version?
Starboard is betting hard in their Astro line. Would love to see images of the new 8'2 inflatable.
Starboard Astro Inflatable Line SUP Review with Team Rider Dan Gavere - Outdoor Retailer 2012 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL3wtiu673E#ws)
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I have paddled the 14' and the 16' (as well as the 12'6" pictured above).
The 14 is very similar to the 12'6" - I didn't notice much of a difference.
The 16' of course is much bigger - it will be great for either: hauling a lot of gear / tandem paddling / having the kids use it as a swim platform at the lake.
I think the 12'6" is the winner of the bunch.
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Do you think you could do a down winder on the 14' and be able to catch bumps like a regular board. Not having the room for a 14' downwind board and wanting to be able to do them this seams like the only alternative.
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Corran's board looks cool also. I never ever thought I would be considering purchasing an inflatiable board.
Wow, way cool, but it's seems like it's got to be heavy and expensive. Can't wait to see Corran surfing the "floor board surfboard". I wonder how it tube rides :)
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Seems like the 2013 inflatable SUPs are much lighter than older models. The 12'6" Starboard at just over 21 lbs is lighter than standard 12'6" boards now. The older inflatables of that size were over 30lbs. I just saw a Mistral SUP brochure and their 14' inflatable is something like 22-23lbs.
I just hope that the new lighter boards are stiff enough. Higher pressure capability in the boards and pumps would help with stiffness.
Anyone know how long it takes to pump up a 12'6" inflatable with the included pump? And how difficult it is?
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Saw the 12,6 in action at a local race. The racer on it is very fast and did well with it. To me, looks like a great option. Still noticed some slight flex, but unsure what it was pumped at. Looked like a really quality build.
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Seems like the 2013 inflatable SUPs are much lighter than older models. The 12'6" Starboard at just over 21 lbs is lighter than standard 12'6" boards now. The older inflatables of that size were over 30lbs. I just saw a Mistral SUP brochure and their 14' inflatable is something like 22-23lbs.
I just hope that the new lighter boards are stiff enough. Higher pressure capability in the boards and pumps would help with stiffness.
Anyone know how long it takes to pump up a 12'6" inflatable with the included pump? And how difficult it is?
It takes about 10-15 minutes to pump up to 18 psi. The first 10-12 psi part is easy and the rest takes as much as time. After 12 psi you need to use the body weight. The pump is a one directional pump but I assume we will see more developed pumps coming to the market. I am planning to get one of these electric 12V pumps which can pump up to 14.5 psi, Mistral has one. I can let the electric pump do some work while I am unpacking, changing etc and then add the last 4-5 psi with the manual pump.
The board is faster than a 11-12' allround board and slightly slower than a rigid flatwater race board like Fanatic 12'6. Perfect for training.
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Starboard launched the Inflatable WindSup (http://www.star-board.com/2013/products2/boards/index.php?id=inflatable-windsup) line.
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I followed the advice of the C4 rep in this video. After 12 psi pushing in short strokes makes the last part of the pumping process easier indeed.
C4 Waterman iSUP Inflatable Paddle Board How-To Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRIYRQWk_38#ws)
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I like the idea of using an electric pump to do the initial inflation before topping off with a high pressure manual pump.
Here's a link to the Mistral pump for their boards. Hopefully it'll work with some other brands as well: http://blog.mistral.com/2012/08/16/electric-pump-for-mistral-inflatable/ (http://blog.mistral.com/2012/08/16/electric-pump-for-mistral-inflatable/)
Here's a link to a video of the Mistral pump in use:
Mistral Electical SUP Pumpe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yy5YobzLxo#ws)
The Mistral inflatable race boards look pretty nice:
http://www.mistral.com/sup/boards/inflatables/inflatable-140/ (http://www.mistral.com/sup/boards/inflatables/inflatable-140/)
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I am considering that Mistral pump. Looks convenient.
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I am considering that Mistral pump. Looks convenient.
Let us know if the Mistral pump works with the 2013 Starboard Astro inflatables.
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Where can I buy one of the Starboard 12'6" inflatables....I live in the States...Is there a dealer or a Online ordering place....I can't find a place to purchase them online...Am I not looking at the right????
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Where can I buy one of the Starboard 12'6" inflatables....I live in the States...Is there a dealer or a Online ordering place....I can't find a place to purchase them online...Am I not looking at the right????
The board is technically a 2013 model.
There is a small quantity due into north america in the next week or so.
I have some coming for my shop (in Canada) check your local Starboard dealer - - but my guess is that this first batch is all spoken for already.
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I am considering that Mistral pump. Looks convenient.
Let us know if the Mistral pump works with the 2013 Starboard Astro inflatables.
I guess it should work. Both boards have same valve system. I will need to add the last 5-6 psi with the pump but it is OK.
I am trying to get a price from my local Mistral dealer. Will let you know.
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IMHO with more and more iSUPS coming to market its about time for a shoot out style web or magazine review. I want to know more about their relative stiffness, handling, glide, etc...
Falling short of that...I welcome informal comparisons form fellow Zoners.
I own an Uli and hold it as the standard bearer/exemplar for iSups.
David K
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Would it be silly to suggest a separate category in the forum dedicated to inflatables? It would sure beat searching for keywords everytime...
Admin? Any thoughts?
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I want to hear about the down wind potential of the 12 6 and 14 s. The boards seam to be getting much better. For me a surfing inflatiable is not very desirable but a downwind board sure would be.
Corran when are you getting your inflatiable ?
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I want to hear about the down wind potential of the 12 6 and 14 s. The boards seam to be getting much better. For me a surfing inflatiable is not very desirable but a downwind board sure would be.
Really interested in this subject too. Trying to decide between a 12'6 Starbord Astro and a 12'6 C4 iTrekker (2013 model has a 6'' thick version) and downwind capabilities could make the choice easier.
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I've been meaning to bring that up myself. I think it would be a great idea given that there's such a distinction with inflatables.
Would it be silly to suggest a separate category in the forum dedicated to inflatables? It would sure beat searching for keywords everytime...
Admin? Any thoughts?
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New Naish 12'6 inflatable - The ONE (http://www.naishsurfing.com/one/).
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Looks Nice, But like most of the new ISUP's......trying to buy one online is next to impossible......Except for ULI and C4 and Red board.
I guess with time, we'll see the ones that stay around the ones that go....or never come about...:D But I agree, I think the newer ISUP's are getting much better .....they sure are easy to bring on a sailboat :D:D.
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Looks Nice, But like most of the new ISUP's......trying to buy one online is next to impossible......Except for ULI and C4 and Red board. .
Give it a little time they are 2013 models. I don't think they have hit the stores yet. You might find some select dealers that have them.
They sure do look to be getting much better I am curious to demo some of them. Time will tell but it looks like they are putting more R&D money into inflatables especially the race boards. That is were my interest lies as I don't have the room for a 12 6 or a 14. I want to do downwinders or train even the occasional race but do not want to settle for some crappy flexy board.
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Red Paddle Co will also offer a 12'6 in their updated range for 2013 (http://www.ileduvent.com/surf-stand-up-paddle/72-surf-et-stand-up-paddle/233-sup-gonflable-red-paddle-a-partir-de-799.html).
The page is in French but you can get check the specifications.
A lot of shops here in Europe already have the SB and Naish 12'6 inflatables.
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The Red Air 12'6 Race looks very cool. It has some type of hard rail system - some inserts along the rails. Not sure if this is the same or similar to ULI wiki rail system.
http://www.airkayaks.com/red-air-126-race-rss-inflatable-sup-paddle-board/ (http://www.airkayaks.com/red-air-126-race-rss-inflatable-sup-paddle-board/)
The cool thing is that there is WAY more selection of inflatables than when I bought my C4 isup in 2010.
C4, ULI, Naish, Starboard, Mistral, Red Air all have 12'6 inflatables.
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Boardworks as well, but definitely not as refined as some of the ones in here.
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Now we just need wavejet to figure out how they can make the wavejet pod work on an inflatable :)
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The Wikirail provides a hard edge to allow water to break away and release from the board more efficiently. It was designed with surfing in mind but it turns out that it also provides added flat water stability and speed. It was not intended to make make the boards stiffer - ULI has had the secret sauce in that department for years and they are improving the design all the time out of a little shop in Vista, California USA. Just ask anybody who has paddled ULI VS any other inflatable. They're good people too, who just enjoy building a quality product and taking care of their customers.
BTW, you have to get the inflatables at the manufacturers recommended pressure so you don't feel like you're paddling a on a waterbed. To do this you have to have a good pump. Most of the ones I'm seeing from the competitors are barely capable of getting above 12psi.
The latest generation of ULI race boards go pretty good and our team has had some respectable finishes in many events this year. They go real well in all kinds of conditions if you have the right board for your size, but in downwind (or downriver) they really fly.
If you want to demo one of the boards in surf or flat water call the ULI shop in Vista. We'll be in Austin on Saturday 9/15 for the Paddle for Humanity with a few demo boards as well.
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The Red Air 12'6 Race looks very cool. It has some type of hard rail system - some inserts along the rails. Not sure if this is the same or similar to ULI wiki rail system.
The RSS hard rail system from Red Air is not similar to the ULI wiki rail. It's more a insertable rail stringer, not intended to create a sharp edge but "only" to increase rigidity.
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Red Paddle Co will also offer a 12'6 in their updated range for 2013 (http://www.ileduvent.com/surf-stand-up-paddle/72-surf-et-stand-up-paddle/233-sup-gonflable-red-paddle-a-partir-de-799.html).
The page is in French but you can get check the specifications.
Now in English. Red Paddle Co 2013 (http://airkayaks.wordpress.com/2012/09/09/red-paddle-company-new-2013-models-in-the-red-air-inflatable-sup-lineup/)
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I just posted a video of Corran Addison showing one of his new inflatable SUP's with some really cool innovations:
http://zenwaterman.blogspot.com/2012/09/corran-addison-showing-his-new.html (http://zenwaterman.blogspot.com/2012/09/corran-addison-showing-his-new.html)
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For what is worth, I met Chris from ULI this past weekend at PFH Austin. I am a newb and had never even seen an inflatable in real life before this weekend (zero market in Houston). He took plenty of time talking to me, despite being busy with potential buyers and the races that were going on. Very nice guy and one of several folks there that really kept the stoke factor high. Not sure when I will add an inflatable to my quiver but ULI is definitely a company I will support. If I remember right, several of their boards finished pretty high in the races against a ton of standard race boards. Cool guys.
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I recently had the pleasure of working with Chris from ULI in an attempt to get me a one off 12'6". I was looking for a 12'6" board that was not as wide as their normal board. Chris brought me every board he could find in So. Cal that he thought might work. He found a 12'6" x 27" that they had in the shop, ended up buying it. I just love this ULI. They put a Wiki rail on the back which helps with stability. What I find is that at normal relaxed paddling of 4.5 miles/hour I can paddle along with race boards just fine. I just do not have that upper speed of say over 5 that the race boards can sprint to. Yesterday I paddled 7 miles in the open ocean at Dana Point on it and had a blast.
I just received the new ULI electric pump with battery. Works great to get the board to 15psi, then I can just top it off with the hand pump. Will post a video of it action soon.
Cheers, Jill
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Thanks Jake & Jill. My Texas road trip was a blast. Great time in Austin at the Paddle for Humanity Fri/Sat and got to ride a couple 4 & 5 mile long tanker waves in the Houston shipping channel on Sunday. I think there needs to be more events in Texas so we can come back and do it again.
If you're in town come see us at the ULI booth at the Battle of the Paddle - we'll have lots of boards to demo and the surf is gonna be fun!
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Austin is always a lot of fun. My agency had a client there about ten or so years ago, and I was always willing to go spend time with them. The clients were pretty staid folks who didn't care about the music scene, so after the obligatory fancy meal I'd ditch them and spend all night catching performances. More live music in Austin on a Monday night than most cities all week long.
Thirty or so years ago I heard SRV and Double Trouble in an Austin bar that held maybe a hundred people. One of the best nights of my life.
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I was wondering how the tanker wave riding was. Sounds like fun once I get better in the surf.
Austin was fun, nice place. I wish I had more time to spend there and knew more folks. I drove up solo and felt kinda like the creepy guy hanging out talking to strangers. It was a pretty good crowd, though, nice people.
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Thanks to Viator and EZR, I convinced myself I had to get the Astro Touring. It's fun, lightweight and paddles pretty good as Viator has mentioned. Viator, I have a Fanatic Clear Wood which is fantastic, but I might have to sell it now that I have an AT. I love how it flexy flyers over chop and boat wake. I can't wait to give it a go in the surf. The coolest thing is you can just bang it around and not care. Or maybe it’s the stick it the bag thing. Or it could the lightweight thing again. I am going to have to be extra careful with my hardboards. The camber may not be necessary for my 160 lbs, but since I haven’t been able to figure out what PSI I’m at (my pump arrived damaged), I will reserve final judgement until after I get my new pump. I almost forgot, since this board has a planning nose and floats high, it turns on a dime, really quick.
I happened upon the Starboard camp just before the Elite race and look what I found. Scott McKercher was kind enough to share a few details. It’s a 12’6” x 26 prototype inflatable raceboard. Scotty said he had just finish 20th on it, so I assume he meant the Open race. He let me pick it up and this board is superlight. Much lighter the our ATs. Check out the new fin box and fin. I know our boards would paddle straighter with something deeper. They raced one in the Elite race, but I have no idea where it finished. It looked fun in the surf too. I guess we will have to wait until the 2014 models come out? :'(
(http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o567/mootrail/IMG_2217.jpg)
(http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o567/mootrail/IMG_2222.jpg)
(http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o567/mootrail/IMG_2228.jpg)
(http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o567/mootrail/IMG_2229.jpg)
I read they also raced a 14' inflatable, details are on the SeaBreeze forum.
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i have a chance to get my hands on a naish one inflatable.. anyone had the oportunity to try it? i just want a board to always have in my car. the mana and catalina shouldnt be on the roof racks full time!
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Scotty's name is not on the results list for any of the BOP races - would be keen to see his time for the inflatable.
I reckon the big advantage of the Inflatable is the weight, if you can get an inflatable to take same shape as a good current design then your only downside may be a slight lack of rigidity.
I reckon we'll see more of these in the next couple of years - good to see Naish and Starboard pushing this....
Even though current pricing on the race-inflatables suggests otherwise it's got to be cheaper to make an inflatable and storage and transport makes it very attractive!
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Yeah, I don't know those guys personally; sunglasses, hat, etc. I believe it was Bart De Zwart and not Scott. That's him with Bib 142 in one of the pictures. It shows him 16th in Elite Heat 2. That was the race he was telling me about. Better then he thought. :)
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I talked to the Starboard team manager today and the paddler was Gaetan Sene from France. He finished 30th in the elite final on Saturday on the 12'6" which is just amazing. Then on Sunday he finished 18th elite/27th overall in the distance race beating a LOT of heavy talent on all size boards. It's so cool to see what an elite paddler can do on an inflatable race board. Congrats to Gaetan & Starboard.
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. . . . And he then flew from BOP to the Starboard dealer meetings in Spain with the 2 race boards for no extra baggage charges.
I paddled both boards the past two days and they are fast - for any board - inflatable or not.
They will be in production for next year.
12'6" x 26" and 14' x 26"
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Starboard is definitly the inflatable I want to buy. Now do i go with Race iSUP or more Flatwater/River? Or both?
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. . . . And he then flew from BOP to the Starboard dealer meetings in Spain with the 2 race boards for no extra baggage charges.
I paddled both boards the past two days and they are fast - for any board - inflatable or not.
They will be in production for next year.
12'6" x 26" and 14' x 26"
Do you know what kind of finbox system they are putting on the SUPs? I hope they put the A-box in there.
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just had my first chance to put some time on my new naish "one" inflatable i picked up from Easy Rider. it pumps up really easy and is rock solid at 15 psi. took it out yesterday at my local lake with 20 km winds and slight chop (no white caps). i figured it would be the right day to see how this boards works in different conditions and i am very impressed. its really fast and handled the rough water just fine. it is very stable and never felt soft like i thought a blow up would. when i took it to a calm bay it felt quick and agile, easy to manuver and really fun to play on! i couldnt be happier, im just bummed i didnt have this thing in my car all summer! and at 22 lbs it wasnt bad to carry in the bag either. it looks very close to the starboard 12'6 just with a little less nose rocker. i think warren said the starboard weighs in at 21 lbs so they are very close. these new inflatables are unreal.
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I was researching the latest generation of inflatables and came across this review of the 12'6" Naish, Starboard, and Mistral boards. It's in German and I used Google translate. Not perfect but you get the general idea.
In short, the Mistral is the fastest and best tracking of the 3, the Starboard seems more surfy with its smaller fin, and the Naish is in between and also the most stable.
I was pleasantly surprised by the Mistral - not well known in SUP circles but a long time brand in racing windsurf boards. I found that Mistral also sells a 14'x27.6" inflatable which should be even faster. A local dealer just got in the 12'6" and 14' Mistral boards so I'm hoping for a demo sometime soon.
Comparison Test Naish 12'6 One - Starboard Astro Touring 12'6 - 12'6 Mistral M1 Race
October 06 All Categories , Test and Technology - SUP Products 1 comment
The time has come, the sun is shining and the long-awaited comparison test between Naish, Mistral and Starboard SUP's coming up. In a three-hour test, the three Stand Up Paddle Board will rival tested their paces.
(http://www.standup-pages.ch/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/IMG_2830-768x1024.jpg)
The shape forms ... the Naish sporty beautiful, dynamic with well-formed belly. The modern and aggressive design stands out. The StarBoard pointed and flat, Hawaii style ... I think, a very nice shape. The Mistral sporty looks clean, something purely visual-dominant race than the other two. All three have their own individual appeal somehow ...
Numbers game: The mass for all three SUP's very similar. The Naish and Starboard are 381 cm long, the Mistral 380 cm. All three are 15 cm thick and 76.2 cm wide. Differences in volume, however, are grounded in some other forms. Starboard has the most volume, followed almost Naish and Mistral. Ability to sense the small volume differences were also a lot of baggage, but hardly ...
The processing is all three SUP boards at a similar high level, clean connecting seams, well incorporated valves Sturdy handles and luggage nets. Mistral has two additional handles the quite handy for "themselves out of the water" for example, or even during transport are. Mistral and Starboard also have a quick paddle holders. Who frequently wears the board upside down, it would appreciate to have both hands free ... by the way, paddle holder for retrofitting are soon at the Sup pirate available as accessories.
The longest Deckpad has that. Mistral, here you have the most theoretically Standing area The Naish turn creates Deckpadfläche there where it makes the most sense, the rear ... Deckpad on Naish's most compared to the rear. This reveals the StarBoard a weakness, who is happy to back and wishes to conduct the maneuvers in Pivot Turn-style that could come sooner to its limits.
(http://www.standup-pages.ch/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/IMG_2838-300x225.jpg)
The valves are located at the rear and Mistral Naish, however at Starboard forward, which should ultimately bring no functional advantages or disadvantages. Exemplary, Naish writes the only the recommended air pressure and to the safety valve!
(http://www.standup-pages.ch/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/IMG_2850-300x225.jpg)
The Finns ... unimpressive but with huge impact on the ride quality. Of the three plastic fins, the fin of the whiteboard makes a purely visual impression of the highest quality. This is pretty stiff and sharp, the other two act however only times more practical. The longest fin provides the Naish for a fantastic straight-line, more about that later ... Mistral is a fin one with greater curvature, it protects better against tangled in seaweed and creepers and are also in use similar trace faithful as the Naish. The short Starboard Finn dances from concept something out of line. "Dancing" is meant literally, for maneuverability and agility stood there apparently higher in the specifications than the other SUP boards, yea, and later ...
All three test subjects were inflated to 14 psi, and so they took the first test very rigidity left up. Two bucks and about an "Inflatable bridge" ... when are on it and incriminate shows why the new 6 inch Inflatables are so popular. The stiffness of an air board is extremely high ... all three are impressed only slightly. Here you would have to leave a rating then the buck stiff Mistral would place just ahead Starboard and the horizontally slightly softer Naish. Purely subjective, but the Naish seems surprisingly in torsional rigidity at the level of the other two to be ...
So, enough theory ... Now it's going to practice.
(http://www.standup-pages.ch/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/2-1024x372.jpg)
Already on the first meters, you can feel the grandiose for a 12'6er Stability Board, which gives one the Naish ... also the back and run the board are very good natured. In comparison, acts that Mistral kippeliger, it just needs more practice and especially at the beginning more caution. In the middle is the one riding Starboard, not quite as stable as the Naish but relaxed than that Mistral.
The straight line, a pinnacle for Naish and Mistral, the long shape in conjunction with the long fins provide excellent directional stability ... no permanent change paddles, you can clean shuttling together. Since you are doing is the Starboard noticeably heavier, every two to three paddle strokes needed a change, you want to go straight clean. This shows the (vemeindliche) disadvantage of the short fin ... we have the StarBoard testweise down with another, longer fin and it rides so much straighter. This would be a drawback (if it's the one ...), which could be solved very easily ...
In contrast Wendigkeitstest shows the Starboard SUP which is get out from a long 12'6 Tourer, it is in my opinion one of the most versatile touring inflatables on the market ... The Starboard rotates very agile, you have hardly shift the weight to the rear to turn around ... maybe Starboard has therefore the Deckpad not even pulled all the way back? Disillusionment with the other hand and Naish Mistral, both can be rotated much harder. However, the vote of Naish and Mistral us personally like at least for shallow water better.
(http://www.standup-pages.ch/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/3-1024x325.jpg)
Turning now to the Pivot Turn-style. Here the Naish has easily the nose, not so high but the "forward" ... that extends fully backwards Deckpad, the specially shaped rear enable safe guidance. The Mistral rotates only slightly worse, but the stiff nose shows more confident in the air! The StarBoard with the short and pointed Heckpad-tapered rear shape is to dominate in the Pivot Turn-turn technique more demanding ...
And to speed ... all three start fast, no comparison to previous inflatable boards classic construction. The level is high ... the Starboard paddle falls due to frequent change from something Naish also losing ground ... the Mistral shows why it is called "Race" ... stiff and narrow shaped on it goes forward at the most determined.However, the waves come into play quiet running Naish points can again, you can more concentrate on paddling and does not have as much balance. Also the whiteboard behaves in waves good-natured, with a long fin ... it could certainly stand up to the Mistral ... because emotionally it slides very easily.
(http://www.standup-pages.ch/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/4-1024x325.jpg)
Our conclusion:
The Naish is the perfect all-rounder among sports-touring inflatables! Well-thought out, very balanced, forgiving, agile and fast.
The Mistral is the hot skiers in the Touring inflatable boards! Super fast, stiff and still very versatile.
The Starboard is the temperament bolts under the Touring SUP boards! It is quick, stiff, agile and much Südseefeeling underfoot.
The three 2013er inflatable boards show how the full 12'6er are trendy. They are fast, stiff, and are ideal for tours in shallow water and also in the temperate water flow. Even the use of the sea is possible. Whether beginner or advanced, with a little practice you get with all three boards at his expense ... ultimately it is the personal preferences and tastes that make the difference ... and now it is your turn ... come over and test finds your personal favorites!
Your SEA Pirates
(http://www.standup-pages.ch/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/5-912x1024.jpg)
* Important: This test is not an official product testing and does not replace a test ride you! It is based solely on our own experiences, our personal opinion about this product (free of sponsorship). Your skill level, your habits and needs are when choosing the right stand up paddle boards necessarily involve!
Source: http://www.standup-pages.ch/vergleichstest-naish-one-126-starboard-astro-touring-126-mistral-m1-race-126/ (http://www.standup-pages.ch/vergleichstest-naish-one-126-starboard-astro-touring-126-mistral-m1-race-126/)
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review... schreveiw... commercial may be?
you wanna me to believe to a review, written by the person with this funny looking adjustable paddle? ???
before reviewing, he should get a right paddle ;D ;D ;D
and seriously though, one board is most stable, another is fastest, and the third is... already forgot what it is, but it wins in different category... no loosers here... come on and buy one ;D ;D ;D
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You have to read between the lines of a lot of reviews. Most review sites and mags need to keep their advertisers happy so they don't like to bash their customers - it's just business. Looks like these guys also have a store so don't expect them to trash the products they sell. ...BUT there's useful info in the review if you read it with a discerning frame of mind- including some good comparison pics.
Any retailer that blogs product comparisons with good pics gets my vote of appreciation. Think of anything beyond that as a bonus.
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You have to read between the lines of a lot of reviews. Most review sites and mags need to keep their advertisers happy
thats a huge news for me... i'd say a revelation... even...
i now don't know how to live....
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thats a huge news for me... i'd say a revelation... even...
i now don't know how to live....
Glad to contribute to your enlightenment...and thanks for making me smile ;D
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Any idea of when the Starboard Windsup inflatables are coming out? Looks like a cool concept.
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They Look Nice and Good for bringing on a sailboat or whatever...the ONLY Problem is trying to Buy ONE...:D....Can't find any for sale in the US.....Oh Well...all dressed up and no one to buy from :D
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The Starboard WindSUP boards are all 2013 models - they should be at most dealers in early spring 2013.
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It's a great point ALAP, there used to be tough board reviews, back in the windsurfing heyday. I remember one that said one particular board "sucked out loud" in every category. Then magazine publishers started doing the math, and reviews got softer and softer. They actually had the ability to put an advertiser on the ropes financially, and there's some legal issues as well. So reviews turned into puff pieces, and there they stay.
When we did our first big board review at Ke Nalu I had TWO magazine publishers email me and caution me about calling it a review. "Call it a showcase". So we did, but we printed the remarks from the reviewers verbatim. And we didn't get any negative comments anyway, other than "too small for me". I think it would be different today. Back then everyone was just blown away to get to try so many boards. They would have liked a hollow cored door with fins.
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That's why independent tests like this
http://www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/RPS-SUP-Vic-ultimate-14-board-test-results/ (http://www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/RPS-SUP-Vic-ultimate-14-board-test-results/)
are very helpful, but unfortunately rare. They're a lot of work as you know Bill.
As for retailer or mag reviews/commercials, you get what you can out of them and look for the bits of useful info.
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Huge amount of work and expense. Our test cost me most of a winter worth of effort and ten grand out of pocket. Could have done it cheaper, but I'd be risking much more if someone got hurt and sued.
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pono, when I saw your reply, I first thought that you will applaud my comment about his amaterish looking paddle :D ;D ;)
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Wonder when they'll make a "Weedless" removable fin for the inflat. Sups...Looks like they all use the same Removable type fin box..except for ULI's permanent fins.
I wonder if Larry can make a weedless fin using one of the Stock removable fins, and adding a weedless design...sort of Spliced into the stock one?? Or can that be done by taking a weedless fin and attaching it to the Base of the Removable Fin, after cutting off the Fin part......Just wondering...I sure like Weedless fins...nothing worse than being "stopped" by weeds or grass....ugh. :D
I like all the new ISups out there...Thanks everyone for posting...over half of our SUP paddling is off our Sailboat at anchor...so the ULI's get good use, but Looking at a Mistral 14 M1 Isup for a change....I like the 24lb weight of it !!....I'll post a comparison between the ULI's and the Mistral...ONly Bummer is that the Mistral has to be ordered from the UK...but shipping is only 129.00 or so from Europe...cheaper than going to pick it up :D.
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Thanks Argosi for the lead to Kayak Sport Canada. They will ship me the Mistral 14' m1 inflatable race board. The one from the UK didn't work out.
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Just wanted to let anybody know, who is interested in a Mistral M1 14' inflatable, that one is also available at 24/7 board sports. ... at this email: "Sales sales@24-7boardsports.com" <sales@24-7boardsports.com>....He is in Great Britain and I was going to order one from him, to Ship to US...but my bank had problems with the money wire and I got tired messing with it, so I ordered one from Kayak sports in Canada....But Rob at 24/7 does have one available also that will ship to USA. I don't think there is any dealers in the USA. It will be interesting to compare the M1 to my ULI's...which I like also....I have a feeling the M1 will be faster and lighter, but ULI's may be more durable and more "Surfable", although we mostly Flatwater.
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If you want a 14' or 12'6" Mistral inflatable, you get get them from our local dealer. He's also got the Mistral M1 hard race board in stock:
http://kayaksport.phanfare.com/5787940 (http://kayaksport.phanfare.com/5787940)
He's located in Toronto and will ship to the US and Canada for a reasonable cost.
I recently tried out the 12'6" and it sure felt fast for an inflatable. Also tracks pretty well. Didn't have my GPS with me so no direct speed comparisons with other boards. I also noticed that it pivot turns really quickly. Didn't have my camera either - sorry no pics.
I'd get one myself if I didn't already order 2 boards.
The 14' is a touch narrower than the 12'6" so I'd expect it would be even faster. Could be a great race board for those that don't have the storage space for a 14' or 12'6" hard board.
I'm curious to try it out on a downwinder. I could just stuff it back in its backpack and take a cab or public transit back once I finish - no need for 2 cars and a downwind partner!
Mistral is fairly new to the SUP world but it's long been respected for its windsurfing race boards (got one myself).
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my new MISTRAL M1 14' Inflatable Sup, just came in today, From Canada...Thanks Kayak Sports!!...The board is beautiful and the bottom looks smooth. I haven't tried it yet, I wil Saturday when I go to the Sailboat....I"ll GPS it then too. But it really looks like a nice quality board and LIGHT...Nice carrying bag also.
I wonder if I order a Extra fin, I Larry Ellision will cut the old one off and make me a weedless version on the mistral mount...the Fin slides into a slot on the board and locks.
I"ll post some pictures of it after Saturday. But I'm impressed with it...I think my ULI pump will work with the Valve, at least it looks like it will.
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For those of us paddling with toddlers, the new generation of inflatables look a lot better than the 35+ pound surf style soft tops. My daughters favorite place is lying face down with her head over the bow, otherwise she's all over, hence the need for soft traction on the entire board. I hate paddling wide heavy boards, can't wait to get rid of it.
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HI TN,
RE: toddlers...the 11' ULI we have would be perfect for that...Its a nice quality inflatable, probably made better than any of them and just about bullet proof. Real Stable.
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Review of the New 14' Mistral inflatable M1....The board is very light, 22 lbs or so. and is well made. Comes with a NIce Bag with back straps, very similar to Naish's. I bought it to bring on the sailboat and wanted something faster than the ULI's, although I love the ULI's.
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/whoareu113/Paddle%20Boarding/P1030034.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/whoareu113/Paddle%20Boarding/P1030029.jpg)
I use a Electric pump with auto cutoff and gets the Mistral to about 10 lbs....Then I'm back to the manual pump...I can say that the ULI pump is much better, I can get to 17 lbs without to much effort, it just takes time.....BUT the Mistral pump, which is similar to the other pumps, is Hard as Heck to pump to 15 lbs...I'm 220 and I was putting almost all of my weight on my hands to pump it...my hands were hurting and I had to take a few breaks.....Unfortunately, the valve fitting for the ULI is different than for the Mistral (and Looks like Naish's too), so I'm going to get a fitting so I can use the ULI pump ( I have two ULI pumps) and just dedicate one to the MIstral.
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/whoareu113/Paddle%20Boarding/P1030030.jpg)
But once its pumped up, its hard as a regular board as far as standing on it, on the Ground...If you pick up the nose and wiggle it, it flexes about as much as the ULI...I wouldn't say its Stiffer, but certainly as Stiff...its also 14' long and the ULI I have is 11' ..
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/whoareu113/Paddle%20Boarding/P1030031.jpg)
The quality is Really good and the colors are nice, the extra bungee cord and D rings are nice to have...the D ring in the front would be good to Tow it behind another Kayak or sailboat....or even a power boat for skiing :D...
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/whoareu113/Paddle%20Boarding/P1030032.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/whoareu113/Paddle%20Boarding/P1030033.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/whoareu113/Paddle%20Boarding/P1030036.jpg)
PERFORMANCE: The board has really good glide, I was comparing it to my Hobie 14' elite...Mistral is not quite as fast, but I managed 4.8 to 4.5 on the GPS and if I really paddled at a good rate, I could get 5.0 mph....but I had a little wind and was getting used to the board, so some may be able to go faster....ON Hobie I can cruise at 5.0 mph paddle hard at 5.5 mph.
STABILITY:.. Not as Stable as the Hobie 14'...width of Hobie is 29 in.....Mistral is 27.5 in. and some reviews said it was a stable as a 30 in. board....Not for me, although I didn't fall in, but it was Not as stable as the Hobie, but Close...I need to play around with it more, I did step back a try a Half ass pivot turn and didn't fall, but the nose didn't come up real high either. But the board turns easy. It is definitely A FAST board..with the convenience of a inflatable. Its nice to be able to bring the inflatable to places where you couldn't bring the Hard board.
I raced a friend in his dinghy with a 2.5 hp honda...He said he couldn't catch me :D...It was fun riding together with him at almost full throttle and me just paddling along. :D
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/whoareu113/Paddle%20Boarding/MarkandShanephoto1-5.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/whoareu113/Paddle%20Boarding/MarkandShane1photo3-2.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/whoareu113/Paddle%20Boarding/MarkandShanephoto3-2.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/whoareu113/Paddle%20Boarding/P1030035.jpg)
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After Another Dam Race, hubby and I took our ULI inflatables up the Colorado to do Black Canyon and Topock Gorge again (heck I could do these paddles every week!). In Topock we got some north wind (tailwind) which was blowing from 10 to 20 mph. I found that my ULI, 12'6" x 26" x 4" with a wiki rail, picked up the wind swell like crazy. It was a blast. At one point I stopped and waited for hubby and then just by standing and holding out the paddle I could accelerate to 4 mph. Hubby's ULI is wider and has no wikki rail and it could not seem to pick up the wind swell at all.
I am no expert and could not try the same section without the wiki rail, but it sure did seem to help.
Cheers, Jill
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How does this wiki rail look like? Any pictures?
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The new inflatable race boards are pretty impressive.
On the other end of the spectrum, we added a new 9'0" x 34" inflatable to our lineup, the Blue Planet Solid Air model.
The idea was to make the board more stable and easier to turn when going down rapids and for surfing. It's a super fun board and stable enough for almost anyone. All our inflatables now come in the new white/ blue color way and the original yellow/ red/ green.
For more information on the 9'0 x 34 Solid Air:
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com/product.php?productid=16657&cat=293&page=1 (http://www.blueplanetsurf.com/product.php?productid=16657&cat=293&page=1)
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Wow, nice pics and review of the Mistral, Mark! Finally someone to give DJ a run for his money! ;D
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The new Starboard Astro Touring works really well on frozen water too!
(http://www.theeasyrider.com/palladium/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/wc7.jpg)
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The new Starboard Astro Touring works really well on frozen water too!
(http://www.theeasyrider.com/palladium/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/wc7.jpg)
Dang--mall closed early?
You could fill that inflatable with hot air and it'd be so comfortable in the snow that you'd probably never ski on a conventional board again.
You could get the hot air from the political thread.
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I love that pic Easy Rider!
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Also notice that the carry handle works really well as a foot strap! ;D
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That looks fun. Looks like you already have a good amount of snow in Canada.
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JP (http://jp-australia.com/2013/sup/products/sup-boards/air-sup/) also launched an inflatable SUP line.
The 12'6 shape looks very similar to the Naish ONE.
(http://www.jp-australia.com/2013/actionshots/800x450/jp13sup-sportstAir-dc-01-postonjski.jpg)
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So I'm looking to buy a 12'6" inflatable board in early 2013. I was thinking Uli all the way. Now, after reading about Mistral and Starboard, I feel like I should consider them before making a purchase. Can someone help by answering these questions:
Can I pump the Mistral and Starboard up to the same PSI as ULI at 18psi? I have a k-pump so as long as I'm not in a rush, I can pump it up to higher PSI.
What is the cost of the Mistral and Starboard? The Uli 12'6" is somewhere between $1500-1600 depending on options like extra d-rings, wiki rail, etc.
Does the longer fin on the Mistral and Starboard noticeably increase tracking compared to the Uli's 3 smaller fins?
Of course, other things I need to consider like Uli's reputation for great customer service, being a US company producing boards mostly in the US, bombproof construction, high resale value, etc. kind of tilt the equation to Uli.
So, who can help me out?? Testing all of these inflatables is nearly impossible for me. Any info is greatly appreciated.
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Try a 14' Uli Race board, or the 12'6" at www.AlohaStandUpPaddle.com (http://www.AlohaStandUpPaddle.com) in Leucadia. 760 213-4133.
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So I'm looking to buy a 12'6" inflatable board in early 2013. I was thinking Uli all the way. Now, after reading about Mistral and Starboard, I feel like I should consider them before making a purchase. Can someone help by answering these questions:
Can I pump the Mistral and Starboard up to the same PSI as ULI at 18psi? I have a k-pump so as long as I'm not in a rush, I can pump it up to higher PSI.
What is the cost of the Mistral and Starboard? The Uli 12'6" is somewhere between $1500-1600 depending on options like extra d-rings, wiki rail, etc.
Does the longer fin on the Mistral and Starboard noticeably increase tracking compared to the Uli's 3 smaller fins?
Of course, other things I need to consider like Uli's reputation for great customer service, being a US company producing boards mostly in the US, bombproof construction, high resale value, etc. kind of tilt the equation to Uli.
So, who can help me out?? Testing all of these inflatables is nearly impossible for me. Any info is greatly appreciated.
You can pump the SB up to 20 psi. I do that all the time. I am sure Mistral can be pumped to that level too. It is from the same factory and the construction looks very solid.
The longer fins will increase the tracking for sure. As all the race boards have these type of fins, on surf board style 3 fins. Also the slot gives you the possibility to try different fins.
About the cost, I can't help. We don't have ULI in Spain but SB, Mistral and Naish. SB and Mistral have the same price of 1250 euros. Naish can be little more expensive as usual. (It has better colors :-)
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Today we tested the 12V pump for my SB inflatable.
The pump is designed by Bravo http://www.scoprega.it/en (http://www.scoprega.it/en) and made in China. It has a maximum pressure of 14.5 psi. It takes about 5 minutes to pump to that pressure. In the video we connected it to the car battery. It also has a own battery pack which gives about 20 minutes of pumping time. After the electric pump it takes about 3-4 minutes to pump to 18-20 psi level using the manual pump. Very convenient.
The short video
https://vimeo.com/53739427 (https://vimeo.com/53739427)
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Here is more information about the pump I have, it BP12
http://www.scoprega.it/pdf/brochure_BP_BTP.pdf (http://www.scoprega.it/pdf/brochure_BP_BTP.pdf)
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Can I pump the Mistral and Starboard up to the same PSI as ULI at 18psi? I have a k-pump so as long as I'm not in a rush, I can pump it up to higher PSI.
What is the cost of the Mistral and Starboard? The Uli 12'6" is somewhere between $1500-1600 depending on options like extra d-rings, wiki rail, etc.
Does the longer fin on the Mistral and Starboard noticeably increase tracking compared to the Uli's 3 smaller fins?
1) Yes - up to 20psi with no issues.
2) It is $1499. Canadian (slightly cheaper in the USA) - comes with D rings and tie down.
3) Yes - better tracking and the ability to change fins - Starboard is working on a few different designs.
4) Bomb proof construction = breaks through ice = good enough? ;D
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Today we tested the 12V pump for my SB inflatable.
The pump is designed by Bravo http://www.scoprega.it/en (http://www.scoprega.it/en) and made in China. It has a maximum pressure of 14.5 psi. It takes about 5 minutes to pump to that pressure. In the video we connected it to the car battery. It also has a own battery pack which gives about 20 minutes of pumping time. After the electric pump it takes about 3-4 minutes to pump to 18-20 psi level using the manual pump. Very convenient.
The short video
https://vimeo.com/53739427 (https://vimeo.com/53739427)
I've got this same pump, as you can see from the video it's "whisper quiet"
in summer the hose near the pump gets a little hot (but not hot enough to burn).
the optional battery is handy too.
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HI FEET..
I Was right where you are and Bought 2 ULI's...a 11' steamroller and 10'6" GL (for surfing)...although I don't surf much, but at least we can use the boards in the Surf (gulf coast P'cola area).....but we mostly flat water in Bayou's or lakes or Bays......The ULI is well made for sure, but heavier...not so heavy that its a problem, just that the Mistral 14' (that I have), is just Really Light...which is nice!! The MIstral is fast (14') and a well made board...PRICE IN USA Shipped to my house from CAnada was about 1700.00 or so, but it included the Bag and Pump.....ULI just includes the Pump, bag is about 79.00 extra....Although I use a old nylon sail bag for my ULIs......
YES, the mistral can be pumped up to 20...its hard to reach 20 psi, so I usually stop at 17....the ULI pump is much better and I'm going to use that with the Mistral, but I'd recommend a good electric pump, just makes life easier.
The Longer fin gives me about 10 strokes on each side for the Mistral 14' ...maybe 5 on the ULI....
I guess my whole point is...WHAT Do you want to do with the board.....If you want to Race, the Mistral 14' is fast ( I havent tried the Naish 12'6" or SB, but I assume they are good boards too and would maybe get a Naish One in the future, just because the Yellow looks cool :D....But The SB is nice also and wouldn't Rule one out. ....
If you Want Stability, Then the ULI Steamroller 11' is ver stable and Well made and....not That heavy, just not "light"....NOTE:..I don't have the Wikki rails, they weren't available 6 months ago when I got my ULIs...Bummer, or I would have gotten the Wikki Rail option. .....HEY ULI...."ARE you SURE I CAN"T RETRO FIT THEM....I"m GOOD WITH GLUE and FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS...:D :D....Pretty Please...:D .
Anyway...If you're only getting one inflatable, man, its a hard choice now....:D....I had to get a few of each, sometimes I feel like a Nut.....sometimes I don't .......:D.
Mistral 14' inflat.
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/whoareu113/Paddle%20Boarding/P1030035.jpg)
Here is a Friend on my 11' ULI and my daughter in background
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/whoareu113/Paddle%20Boarding/P1030019.jpg)
I'd like to see some Video's of the ULI 14' paddling.....and I hear that make a ULI 14' single skin, which is probably why the Mistral and Naish and SB are so light....So...Who has tested That one??? :D
Mark
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I had a 14' x 28" Uli, single skin that weighed 24 lbs. Really nice board, sold it on here as I was just not using the inflatable. Also now I have sold all my 14' and I am back to only 12'6". For my size I like the 12'6".
As far as the 3 fin vs. 1 large fin, I have no trouble at all with the tracking of my 12'6" ULI with 3 fins. The ULI actually tracks better than my race board. I find I really like the 3 small fins on the river where there are shallow rocks. Nothing like hitting that long fin on the rocks just as you are entering the rapids. But by the way, you can order the ULI 12'6" or 14' with a single fin if you wish.
Some pictures of the 14' Uli
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New Hobie inflatables (http://www.ocean44.fr/blog/index.php?post/SUP-Hobie-gonflable-:-la-nouvelle-collection-2013) looking good.
(http://www.ocean44.fr/blog/public/SUP/HOBIE/.Hobie_touring_12_6_m.jpg)
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We have the new 2013 Naish "ONE" (12'6"x 30"x 6") ISUP in the shop and have one for demo use. My first experience with the"ONE" was good. I inflated the board at the shop using the equipment supplied, no compressor or alternative pump, and found the first 10 PSI was pretty easy. It did get tougher the closer I got to 15 PSI, and that is where I stopped. In the future I will use a compressor to inflate about 80% and finish with the hand pump.
Side Note: The inflation process prompted me to supply an electric pump here at our shop for anyone in the area looking to inflate their ISUP. No charge for air ;) Might be helpful for anyone visiting San Diego.
First Paddle; flat water, no wind, glassy, the "ONE" was fast, tracked nicely, and I found it to paddle better than some epoxy touring boards. Second Paddle; Ocean, small surf/swell, light wind, small chop, found the board to be fairly stable (I'm 6'0 200 lbs) and once again, it had a nice glide. With the little bit of nose rocker, it handled the chop with no problem, never breached. It surfed pretty well as I caught a couple waves but does not turn in the surf...but didn't expect a ISUP touring board to shred.
All-in-all, I was pleased with the performance of the "ONE" . I would reccommend it to anyone looking for a traveling touring board that wants more speed that your typical ISUP.
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Now that the 2013s have been out for awhile, which one is faster in flat water?
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and what about the astro race?
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^^^^ The 12'6" Astro Race is due out in about 6 to 8 weeks.
I, hopefully, will have some sooner as I was the first to place my order for them while at the Starboard meetings in Spain.
Has a different graphic set up than the prototype.
This is the 14' Which is still a little ways away.
(http://www.theeasyrider.com/palladium/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Astro14Race.jpg)
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The Starboard Astro 12'6 (and I assume 14') is now shipping with a larger 8" fin, which I believe is the same size as the Naish One.
I purchased my Starboard 12'6 board about a month ago and it origionally arrived with a 6 3/4 Drake fin (and 2012 model year pump). After a quick email, Starboard agreed to ship me the new 8" fin (and 2013 pump!). As you can see, the 8" fin is considerably larger than the 6 3/4" fin! Hopefully the water will warm up enough for me to try out both fins in the coming weeks...
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That's good to know. The little Drake fin is so small compared with the N1SCO board fin.
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The Starboard Astro 12'6 (and I assume 14') is now shipping with a larger 8" fin, which I believe is the same size as the Naish One.
I purchased my Starboard 12'6 board about a month ago and it origionally arrived with a 6 3/4 Drake fin (and 2012 model year pump). After a quick email, Starboard agreed to ship me the new 8" fin (and 2013 pump!). As you can see, the 8" fin is considerably larger than the 6 3/4" fin! Hopefully the water will warm up enough for me to try out both fins in the coming weeks...
Pls let us know about the differences between two fins. I hope it will track better with the larger fin without losing too much speed
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Aloha SUP is selling last year's production prototype 14' ULI race board - check the WTB ULI thread in the classifieds. Probably the fastest one they've made to date. New production models should be available in several weeks.
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Hard to believe that's the new Starboard fin. I already have the same fin from NRS ($10). My Astro Touring definitely paddles straighter then the the way too short Drake 2+1 fin. The new fin has very little foil and very blunt edges. A disappointment to look at, but it paddles fine. I believe since blow-ups sit so high in the water along with any tail rocker, we really need deeper and wider tip fins. A weedless hatchet fin would be great. Bottom line Viator, yes it tracks straighter with no additional drag.
Dear EZR, did they stick with the 26" width on the new Race? My 12'6" x 26" All Star just arrived in Kansas and I should have it next week. My point is, I'm getting narrower, and that's the one thing I wish my AT was. Probably won't go Race, but whatever inflatable I get next has to be sub 30".
p.s. I've been bugging Starboard a lot for 2013 pump, I'm going to have to get after them now >:(
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Give them a call, baddog. Apparently the new pump (that they've been advertising for months) just arrived from the manufacturer. I was a bit put off that Starboard shipped me last year's fin, last year's pump and last year's bag... Nothing is worse than dropping $1,500 and when you open the box it's not 100% what you were expecting. Don't advertise one thing on your website, at shows, on Youtube and elsewhere on the Internet and then ship something else. But kudos to Starboard for promptly fixing the problem.
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Last week we took out an inflatable Starboard Touring board to see how it would handle a downwinder. Check it out:
Starboard Inflatable Downwinder on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/63501954)
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We just received our 12-6 and 14 Starboard touring inflatables. The 12-6 is incredibly light, maybe the lightest SUP in the shop. I was very surprised by this as the ULIs are fairly heavy at 32lbs ish. It is a beautiful board, very nicely finished. We've got over 50 different models in the showroom at the moment, but this board is the one I am most curious about getting on the water. It may become a "dedicated demo model", aka MINE :D
Raf
owner of Soposup
www.soposup.com (http://www.soposup.com)
Portland, Maine
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Anyone ever see any reviews of the Hobie 12'6" inflatable? A comparison to the Naish One 12'6" would be great too.
Or a comparison to a similar length touring conventional board, like Tahoe or LakeShore make, would be even better.
New Hobie inflatables (http://www.ocean44.fr/blog/index.php?post/SUP-Hobie-gonflable-:-la-nouvelle-collection-2013) looking good.
(http://www.ocean44.fr/blog/public/SUP/HOBIE/.Hobie_touring_12_6_m.jpg)
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Anyone have the Starboard 2013 RACE inflatables available for sale yet?
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There are some Touring Inflatables in stock,
Don't see the narrower ones yet...
Ralph
Sup-position
Huntington Beach, California, USA
(714) 899-3020
www.Sup-position.com (http://www.Sup-position.com)
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Anyone have the Starboard 2013 RACE inflatables available for sale yet?
We should have a couple in, within the next few weeks.
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Our Team Rider Griffin Ross got 3rd on an Inflatable Touring...
Fast enough?
Interesting to see what conditions they are actually better than hard boards..
Ralph
Sup-position
Huntington Beach, California, USA
(714) 899-3020
www.Sup-position.com (http://www.Sup-position.com)
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Anyone ever see any reviews of the Hobie 12'6" inflatable? A comparison to the Naish One 12'6" would be great too....
The 12'6" Tour model is nicely finished, seems to be well made. Fore/aft deck handles and tie downs are neat additions.
(http://levity.smugmug.com/SUP/Hobie-iSUP/i-mfTGWR3/2/L/rear-L.jpg)
Lots of rocker, but paddles nicely especially in bumpy conditions. More rough than flat water oriented.
Thicker skinned and a bit heavier than the Naish One, but much more rigid, less flexy .
(http://levity.smugmug.com/SUP/Hobie-iSUP/i-5F5DZ3W/1/L/rocker-L.jpg)
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Thanks Levity,
Sounds like the Hobie is a pretty versatile SUP.... rough water, maybe surfing boat wakes, might be able to take a little abuse without a problem.
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Someone mentioned this was similar to Hobie on another thread. I like the raised stomp pad for faster turns.
http://www.halagear.com/products/hala-nass-126-racetouring-board/ (http://www.halagear.com/products/hala-nass-126-racetouring-board/)
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Anyone ever see any reviews of the Hobie 12'6" inflatable? A comparison to the Naish One 12'6" would be great too....
The 12'6" Tour model is nicely finished, seems to be well made. Fore/aft deck handles and tie downs are neat additions.
(http://levity.smugmug.com/SUP/Hobie-iSUP/i-mfTGWR3/2/L/rear-L.jpg)
Lots of rocker, but paddles nicely especially in bumpy conditions. More rough than flat water oriented.
Thicker skinned and a bit heavier than the Naish One, but much more rigid, less flexy .
(http://levity.smugmug.com/SUP/Hobie-iSUP/i-5F5DZ3W/1/L/rocker-L.jpg)
Have you tried to surf either the Hobie or the Naish on small waves?
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Let's not forget the Red Paddle Co SUPs. The 12'6" x 30" Race is a good racer and cruiser and they just released 2 elite models a 12'6" x 26" and a 14' x 26". Limited editions so be quick.
(http://greenwatersports.com/content/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/inflatable-racing-stand-up-paddle-board-1-300x300.jpg)
12'6" Race - http://greenwatersports.com/shop/red-paddle-co-12-6-race (http://greenwatersports.com/shop/red-paddle-co-12-6-race)
(http://greenwatersports.com/content/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/raceboard-275x275.jpg)
12'6" Elite Race - http://greenwatersports.com/shop/red-paddle-co-twelve-six-elite-race (http://greenwatersports.com/shop/red-paddle-co-twelve-six-elite-race)
(http://greenwatersports.com/content/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/12ft-6in-Red-Paddle-Co-Elite-Race-Board-SUP-275x275.jpg)
14' Elite Race - http://greenwatersports.com/shop/red-paddle-co-14-elite-race (http://greenwatersports.com/shop/red-paddle-co-14-elite-race)
(http://greenwatersports.com/content/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/14ft-Elite-Race-inflatable-racing-SUP-by-Red-Paddle-Co-275x275.jpg)
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Don't know if anyone mentioned it yet, but ULI has a 12'6" tour that is 4.75" thick. It's not on their website yet. I'll be ordering one soon...
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Anybody get to compare the new 9" ULI Lopez to the 8'4" mini quad yet? If so, how do they stack up as far as catching small (East Coast/Florida) waves, overall rigidity, and tracking? (I know they won't be great paddlers, but would they be decent for 175 lb/ strong paddler to cover a mile or two every now and then?)
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The 9' GL tracks much straighter thank the 8'4" quad so if you're gonna mix up some mileage and surfing I would recommend the 9'. It really surfs well - especially with the Wikirail. I got a lot of feedback from locals to pros on that model VS. a couple others and they all agree. Just yesterday I met up with some folks to demo the 8'4", 9'3" FAQ and the new 9' GL in sub 1' surf and the GL was hands down the favorite.
And when you do get one of those days like no other of east coast juice it will not disappoint.
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I see Lakeshore just released their new inflatable, the Heavenly Air. It's a 12'6" x 31" x 6" race/touring profile...... very similar shape to their foam/epoxy boards. Price is a bit less than the Hobie. I might get a chance to test it out in about a week.... IF it's still in stock!
http://www.standonliquid.com/Lakeshore-Paddle-Co-Heavenly-Inflatable-126-SUP-Prodview.html (http://www.standonliquid.com/Lakeshore-Paddle-Co-Heavenly-Inflatable-126-SUP-Prodview.html)
(http://www.standonliquid.com/prodImages/lakeshorepaddleinflatablepaddleboard.jpg)
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I took my Naish One out to Westport, WA last weekend and was pleasantly surprised at how well it did in the small waves. I managed to catch quite a few and had a blast. I admit I don't know much about SUP surfing, but I wasn't expecting the larger board to do much at all with the waves! And it was on weekday with a few other SUP-ers so no stink-eye from anyone either. ;)
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Well, I bought it. The LakeShore Heavenly Air. I like it. It's a bit slower than a foam/epoxy board..... I assume this is due to the texture of the material, and maybe because I only got it inflated to 12 psi. But makes up for it by being 23 lbs, and very durable.
I plan on getting a K-pump K20, plus I picked up a Shrader valve adapter so I can more easily get that last 3 psi.
(http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r169/AirJunky/SUP/LSair1_zpsd271edb0.jpg)
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Red Paddle race models are very impressive. One participant of SUP 11 City race used the 14' model and was in top 15-20. The race was 220 km long.
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Yep, Sam Ross from the UK. Actually he was Top 15 -- and if not for time loss due to paddle breakage, he would have been well within the Top 10...
He also had some pretty bad hand blistering (photo), but I guess that's par for the course and something everyone had to contend with. But Top 10 on an inflatable is not too shabby!
The board he was paddling was the Red Race 14'x26". He claims at the start of the race, alot of the other competitors were giving him grief for being on a "pretend" board. Viator, hope that wasn't you?!? :D :D
BTW, Sam is the paddler in this video...been posted here previously, but: http://vimeo.com/56446191#at=0 (http://vimeo.com/56446191#at=0)
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Ok, I'll call it out.
I own a Coreban Sonic 12'6" and I love it. But these boards are all clearly popped out of the same factory and in some cases are exact just in another color.
12'6"X30"X6" means it's "the board" and by that I mean the one that every one is selling.
The Coreban Sonic
The Lake Shore
The Naish One (rear valve but come on)
What are the others?
RED Paddle, Uli and a few (very few) others seem to be getting a different design made. But let's get a list of "the board" that we've all bought. By the way, my Coreban is faster, because it's red. ;)
As to surfing, I caught a couple of waves and mine bucked up in the center as the rear tried to catch the nose and pass it underneath. I'm now pumping it up way higher with a compressor and 15 PSI feels "surfable".
The second surf issue was the fin vibrating, which I attribute to no foil. I took a Dremel and did a little "Larry A" work of my own and I now have a nice foiled black plastic fin. Last time I was out, it seems to have gotten rid of the vibration at high speed.
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I've tried inflatables from Starboard, Naish, Hobie, Uli and now Red. Uli and Red have the wood on the others as far as construction and stiffness goes...by a LARGE margin...especially for heavier paddlers. I have bought a Red 12'6 x 30, IMO the pick of the litter in the 12'6s.
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Spookini,
I was nice to Sam, dont worry ;D
He did a tremendous job. I saw him in the last stage in the water but thought he just fell into the water. Later he told us the story which is a great example of a good sportsmanship. He brakes his paddle and falls into the water just after the start, completely confused. One of the weekend tour guys (in SUP 11 City, it is possible to do the weekend part thus 80 km) stops by and says "I am here for fun and for the weekend, you have been paddling for 5 days. Take my paddle and continue competing" Sam takes his paddle and continues to the next bridge, there I think the Mistral distributor talks to Sam and gives one of his paddles to the weekend tour guy coming behind.
Back to the inflatables, I think Red Paddle is doing a great job of coming up with creative solutions such as front fin, easy access bag, stiffening rods on the side etc. My SB Astro touring inflatable is for sale and if I buy an inflatable I will seriously consider one of Red Paddle Co.
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these boards are all clearly popped out of the same factory and in some cases are exact just in another color.
I think you are correct.... Uli is made-in-USA. I believe Red manufactures in Korea -- that's what was stamped on the side of the cardboard box my board came in. They claim to have higher dropstitch density than the others, so perhaps build quality in Korea is higher. The other makers, agreed it's probably all coming out of same factory, China?. Not necessarily bad designs, but all pretty much same just different colors/graphics. Hobie, 404, et al all look pretty much identical.
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Spookini is right!
That guy that did the 11 city should have packed some gloves or used a KeNalu paddle. Ouch!
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Info on the Red Paddle Co TEC Air construction process and drop stitch density in their boards vs others (including video).
http://greenwatersports.com/282/tec-air-at-red-paddle-co (http://greenwatersports.com/282/tec-air-at-red-paddle-co)
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Does anyone know if any vendor will bring any Red Paddle Co. boards to demo at BOP in a couple of weeks?
I'm interested in purchasing a couple of inflatable boards and would prefer to purchase from same manufacturer to make inflation easier (not needing to change connectors). At this point I've pretty much narrowed my search to ULI and Red Paddle.
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Vista: go thru "contact us" on their website. I've found they respond pretty quickly to questions.
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ULI will be at the BOP with a full fleet of new demo SUPs for racing or surfing. If you're demoing boards don't forget to demo the pump too. I suggest attaching the manufacturer's provided pump to a fully inflated board and see how much strength it takes to get a couple stokes in.
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Capo, that's a good call on the pump test.
I advise all zoners to take a turn on an Uli with wiki rails. It's a pretty fun surf.
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You could reach out to the local shops.
http://www.redpaddleco.com/buy/find-a-shop/?reseller_detail_country=USA+California (http://www.redpaddleco.com/buy/find-a-shop/?reseller_detail_country=USA+California)
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Anyone here try out the Red Mega?
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Anyone here try out the Red Mega?
I tried it. It is very stable and suitable for heavy riders. Many SUP schools prefer it.
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At Blue Planet, we are getting ready to launch a Kickstarter campaign next week to fund our new line of 2014 inflatable boards. We are offering three models: 10'0" x 32" , 10'6 x 34", and 12'6 x 30".
They are all 6" thick and great all-round performance boards, priced at under $900. Delivery date is May 2014 and our early backers will get a free 3 piece carbon travel paddle and free shipping. The first 10 backers will also get a free 12V electric pump. Please check out the preview of the campaign and let me know what you think, any suggestions are greatly appreciated:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/677219836/75152555?token=597ac3f0 (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/677219836/75152555?token=597ac3f0)
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I just listed the 2014 12'6" Race and 12'6" Elite by Red Paddle Co on the site. Both are in transit and due for early January delivery. Claim yours by pre ordering now. Both feature the RSS batten stiffening system which improves stiffness by up to 50%. Both inflate to an industry leading 25psi for ridiculously rigid, hard board like performance. Both come with the updated for 2014 roller bag and new graphics.
Race: http://greenwatersports.com/shop/red-paddle-co-12-6-race (http://greenwatersports.com/shop/red-paddle-co-12-6-race)
Elite: http://greenwatersports.com/shop/red-paddle-co-12-6-elite-race (http://greenwatersports.com/shop/red-paddle-co-12-6-elite-race)
Last year's Elites sold out in a heart beat.
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Our Kickstarter campaign to fund our line of 2014 inflatable SUP's is now live until January 5th, 2014. If you are interested in an inflatable, please check it out, backers really get a great value. Please support us in our effort to get more people on the water with quality gear. Thank you!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/677219836/blue-planet-inflatable-sup-board-project (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/677219836/blue-planet-inflatable-sup-board-project)
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Better Hurry,the deals are going fast. I just got the last one of deal #12. ;D
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Thank you HanaSurf, your support is appreciated.
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Robert,THANK YOU for the great deal. I'm looking thru the shirts,caps,straps etc. and will probably add those on later today.
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We have just 8 more days to go on our Kickstarter campaign. We are at $17,000 funded but need to reach $30,000 by January 5th to make this project happen. Please check it out, if you are interested in an inflatable board, this is really a good deal: you get a quality board with all the standard accessories, plus a 3 piece carbon travel paddle paddle ($269 value) and free shipping at a great low price. We also have many smaller backer rewards at below retail prices, any support is greatly appreciated, we really want to see this project happen and Kickstarter is an all or nothing deal.
Here is the link to the campaign:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/677219836/blue-planet-inflatable-sup-board-project (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/677219836/blue-planet-inflatable-sup-board-project)
and the campaign video on youtube:
Blue Planet Surf Inflatable SUP Kickstarter Campaign (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-sZGKIHFMM#)
and a price comparison to similar boards:
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Today is the last day of our Kickstarter campaign. We are fully funded and already reached our stretch goal which means we will donate two boards to http://www.accessurf.org (http://www.accessurf.org).
Here is a great deal for a Zoner: We had an early backer upgrade their pledge to a family package, which means that this awesome early backer special is available again, somebody should take advantage of it:
Act fast, this deal is only available to the first 3 backers: 12'6" x 30" x 6" Blue Planet "Touring Air" inflatable board. Includes all the features shown in the video, a back pack carry bag, repair kit, leash, and high pressure pump. Removable single center fin (no side fins for less drag). Kickstarter backer special: Get a free upgrade to our Carbon 3 piece travel paddle with padded bag, valued at $269 AND a free 12V electric pump AND free shipping in the US.
All this for just $899, check it out at:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/677219836/blue-planet-inflatable-sup-board-project?ref=card (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/677219836/blue-planet-inflatable-sup-board-project?ref=card)
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seventeen pages later.......
It looks like the industry is going through a major paradigm shift with inflatables. (I was considering a Bic AceTec Wing 11' for a durable kick-around board, but see that an inflatable might be a better option).
There is so much to say about these new inflatables it might be worthwhile to have a whole category on the forum devoted to them.
Robert
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seventeen pages later.......
It looks like the industry is going through a major paradigm shift with inflatables. (I was considering a Bic AceTec Wing 11' for a durable kick-around board, but see that an inflatable might be a better option).
There is so much to say about these new inflatables it might be worthwhile to have a whole category on the forum devoted to them.
Robert
When I bought the LakeShore Heavenly, I planned on picking up a 12' Bic Wing to use on a daily basis, then use the inflatable to travel, as a 2nd board, or to use on any river paddles. It may still happen, just need to get past winter.
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Does anyone have any opinion on the YOLO Ruby? Particularly as it compared to the Naish Mana,
I found them both for roughly the same price but I'm not sure which is better.
Thanks!
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Are you comparing the yolo to the mana air or the nalu air? The ruby is 11 x 30 where the mana is 10x33 and nalu 11x30. What do you want to do with it? I would say buy a ULI! Or if you are comparing nalu to ruby get the naish purely for resell value
Have fun. Jill
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Deal alert: We are having a closeout sale on our remaining 2014 inflatable boards, all models just $799 including the 12'6 x 30" touring model. The boards include backpack bag, pump, and 3 pc paddle. Flat rate shipping in the US is $55. While supplies last:
http://blueplanetsurf.com/collections/inflatable-sup