Standup Zone Forum
Stand Up Paddle => SUP General => Topic started by: photofr on May 14, 2016, 06:14:15 AM
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Some of you may appreciate some hard-data to back up some claims that Unlimited boards glide better, others will hopefully find an interest in the comparatives and details below even more appealing.
We basically took 5 paddlers and 5 boards. Though we excluded the data of the 5th board since it was basically an Unlimited 12'6 board that didn't meet the rules of weight restrictions set forth by the ISA.
UNLIMITED STARBOARD BOARD TESTS
Boards used:
Ace 126x25
Sprint 126x25
Ace GT 174x27
Sprint 176x23
Testing Ground:
500 meters
From a standing start
One rider at a time
Flat water (glossy and well protected from the wind)
Riders:
37 years old / 72 kg top racer
47 years old / 57 kg middle of the pack paddler
46 years old / 88 kg middle of the pack racer
46 years old / 65 kg above average racer
35 years old / 60 kg above average woman racer
DATA LINK PDF
www.tourfr.com/sup/speed-stats.pdf
REMARKS - WIDE AND STABLE UNLIMITED BOARD
The lightest male paddler was faster on the wide UL board 174x27, than on any 126 board.
The above average woman racer was faster on the wide UL board 174x27, than on any 126 board.
The heavier paddler was faster on the wide UL board 174x27, than on any 126 board.
All riders, except the top male athlete (37 years old, 72kg) were faster on the wide UL board 174x27, than on any 126 board.
The 88 kg middle of the pack racer only did slightly better on the 176x23 than on the 174x27.
REMARKS - NARROW AND TIPPY UNLIMITED BOARD
Every single person was faster on the skinny UL board 176x23.
The 57kg middle of the pack male paddler, the 88kg middle of the pack male paddler both had the exact same time on the UL as the TOP RACER on his 126 flat water race board.
Times show that smaller and weaker paddlers benefit greatly from an efficient UL board.
REMARKS - 126 RACE BOARDS
The 88 kg middle of the pack racer had the worst time of any one using a 126 board.
The 37 years old, 72kg top athlete and racer still did very well on his 126 board no one was able to beat his time (we were tie while using an unlimited board, so we most likely would have lost in a sprint at the finish).
The speed of the Ace and Sprint from starboard showed a 2% difference between the two with the top racer (9.95 kmh vs. 10.17 kmh).
All riders showed only a tiny difference between the 126 Ace and 126 Sprint on flat water, all except the heavier rider.
Four of the Five Test Paddlers
(https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-d72HD6P/1/XL/i-d72HD6P-XL.jpg) (https://photofr.smugmug.com/FindYourPhotos-1/2016-Event-Photos/2016-Mar-31-Favorites/i-d72HD6P/A)
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Now repeat the test in choppy (2ft+ bumps) windy (15 knots+) messy conditions, going upwind, downwind and cross wind in equal measures. And then ask them which boards they enjoyed paddling most. The results might surprise you.
Anyone who doesn't think that longer boards are faster for pretty much everyone in perfectly flat water must never have tried long boards in perfectly flat water. But most SUPers do not paddle in perfectly flat windless conditions most of the time. And that's where it starts to get more complicated.
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AREA10:
Perhaps you need to stop seeing things only on the extremes. There's room for grey, because it's not always black or white.
To answer your questions: The test was conducted in flat water - granted.
I have enough personal data to answer your questions, but sadly, I usually avoid 15 knots of wind, unless its downwind.
So, to answer your questions, heres my compiled data using a tiny bit over 900km using the Ace GT 174x27 Unlimited board.
Upwind: major dislike on a 12'6 and the same for the UL without a rudder: Just horrible.
Sidewind: major dislike on a 12'6 and different though still with a major dislike with the UL with no rudder. Super fun with the UL equipped with rudder and dagger, able to paddle on any side, any time I wished.
Messy conditions: major dislike on a 12'6, but actually fun on the UL without a rudder.
Downwind: somewhat of a dislike on a 12'6, a total blast on the UL with no rudder, so just imagine with a rudder equipped UL!
THE GRAY AREA
When the wind is 10 knots or less, the dislikes for the 126 do not change much. Under the same conditions, the likes for the UL without a rudder just go way up.
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I like the "Grey Area":) 15 Knots?, I tend to pass on 15mph! But... where are the 14' x 23" Sprint and 14' x 25" All Star?
Your numbers justify my thinking as someone who was race board obsessed, but just got off the race board merry-go-round cold turkey; a few percent or fractions of MPH make little difference to the recreational paddler or racer.
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Not enough people gathered for the 14-footer acid test, which ideally would also include the iSUP 14x28 and the Ace 14x25.
From the data collected with me paddling so far on the Allstar and Sprint:
The Sprint is 0.6 kmh faster on totally flat: average for the 20+ km paddle.
The Sprint is however only 0.2 kmh faster for the all around open ocean conditions.
As a smaller paddler, I find the Sprint more enjoyable for the paddle entry (narrower), but the faithful board for all-around and uncertain conditions will remain uncontested: the Allstar.
Anyway, perhaps a test (soon) should Time allow.
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Unlimiteds bust through the chop , span the average ocean chop and carry a momentum into the wind better than 14' board. Some of my older unlimiteds didn't do well in quartered wind. In fact it was brutal at times. That was one of the few times I wished I was on my 14' r. My current UL sits very low in the water with little quartered wind issues. The issue with my current unlimited is I went a little too narrow for my 6'7 240# frame. When the ocean get rough, I do more bracing than paddling.
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ahahah... When the swells are overhead, my old UL did super well (it was probably at your ankle though, right?) but it was a crazy workout on a 12'6.
Tall Dude: I am like 5'6
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Two very different design.
The Ace GT UL is primarily designed for Open Ocean and downwind conditions, yet does very well on flat water (you'll most likely go faster on flat water than with any 12'6 board, and faster than most 14 footers). It's 17'4x27" - very stable for even novice riders.
The Sprint UL is primarily designed for Flat Water paddling, yet surprises everyone when they are able to paddle it in Open Ocean and on small downwind conditions. It cuts through the water like a knife, makes absolutely zero noise on flat water. It's 17'6x23", needle nose, need tail design, therefore unstable for all novice riders.
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Yes, basically.
To be clear, the Ace has a "semi-planning" hull. The Sprint has a piercing hull.
In my experience, all hulls can plane, even a flat table. A semi planning hull will usually plane faster when pushed hard. A piercing hull will plane too, but differently.
If you haven't yet, you should try them both; because both hull types can be fun and interesting.
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Nice, I would like to see how the inflatable would perform with the same paddlers.