Standup Zone Forum

Stand Up Paddle => SUP General => Topic started by: Inland on June 03, 2019, 02:00:57 PM

Title: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: Inland on June 03, 2019, 02:00:57 PM
I want to upgrade my daughter's board from a cheap soft top to a touring board.   We live on a lake so paddling will almost exclusively be flat water.  Problem is I can't find any kid sized touring boards.  I can find 12'6" boards that are nice but don't want to try buying one if it'll be too hard to handle for her. What do you guys get for the kids who want to paddle more than short distances?
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: Ichabod Spoonbill on June 03, 2019, 03:11:23 PM
Interesting, I’m dealing with this right now. My two girls who are eleven are graduating from their 8’4” to something bigger. One has her eye on my old NSP 11’ board, and that will be a little large for her.  The other I don’t have a board for yet.

I was looking at maybe a Bic 9’2”, but there are a lot of other boards that will work. I think a 12’6” is large for a ten year old girl. I’m saying this because I have one, and it’s big for the kids. There are 10–11 foot flat water boards out there, even raceboards for kids. It all depends on how much you want to spend. One suggestion is the Bic Wing 11’. I don’t think Bic is selling it under it’s own brand now but SIC and Oxbow (both owned by Bic) are. You can probably get a used one pretty cheaply too. Bic made a bunch of them. They’re also made with the Ace-  Tec construction which is more impact resistant than most. Bic also has a 10’ Cross board of the same construction. It’s slower than the Wing but a fine casual board.

Keep us posted. If I see any other models that will do you well, I will post.
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: Skate on June 03, 2019, 03:18:06 PM
So I run a kids race team out Northern California. A 12'6 x24 or anything narrower is fine for any kids that wants to race or paddle around. My 9 year old daughter is on a custom 12'6x20 infinity blackfish.
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: Skate on June 03, 2019, 03:20:42 PM
12'6x20
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: TallDude on June 03, 2019, 03:25:37 PM
Where are you located? Here in SoCal there are a ton of kid size touring / race boards available. When my daughter was 10 she'd paddle anything and have fun. She did her first race when she was about 13. She raced a 12'6 by 25" wide race board on a lake no problem. It was her first race. I wouldn't just get her a board for now. A 12'6 she could grow into. There are 10' and 11' touring boards around that are designed for lighter people, but they are hard to re-sell.

Total girl racer..
https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/spo/d/san-diego-stand-up-paddleboard-sup/6902952509.html

Cheap touring and stable..
https://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/spo/d/carlsbad-stand-up-paddle-board-sup-tour/6901453016.html

Perfect for now, but a tough re-sale..
https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/spo/d/san-juan-capistrano-youth-stand-up/6886268776.html
same with this one
https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/spo/d/laguna-hills-sup-9-6-sup-atx-stand-up/6886179632.html





Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: Skate on June 03, 2019, 03:45:39 PM
I want to upgrade my daughter's board from a cheap soft top to a touring board.   We live on a lake so paddling will almost exclusively be flat water.  Problem is I can't find any kid sized touring boards.  I can find 12'6" boards that are nice but don't want to try buying one if it'll be too hard to handle for her. What do you guys get for the kids who want to paddle more than short distances?

where are you located? how much are you looking to spend?
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: supthecreek on June 03, 2019, 03:48:57 PM
Hi Inland

Sunova makes a wonderful kids board  10'6 x 22
very light and easy to handle
Easy price as well.

We have some in stock in the US.
It can be at your house in 7-10 days

Click my email below for more info, or to order

Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: PonoBill on June 03, 2019, 04:14:42 PM
A narrow, light 12'6" is great for kids who want to paddle fast, most of the really good Big Winds race kids started on them. For just messing around, anything works. I assume you're saying "touring" because you want to give her something with some performance. Flat out race boards do that, and if your kid is short and light then they won't be unstable.

First time I raced with Fiona Wylde she was on some skinny 12'6. I almost beat her. Of course she was probably ten or something, but still...
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: puget sound on June 03, 2019, 06:00:10 PM
I'm grappling with the same questions for my 9yo son. Hard to know how much to spend to see if he's really interested.

There's a craigslister in Burien, WA, selling a 10'6" Starboard All Star with Jr. Paddle for $750. Also a Zoner in forum Classifieds selling a kid's 404 race board (9'?) in Dana Pt, CA for <$400. Those boards looks slick to me, but a 12'6 probably has higher resale and are easier to find.
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: Skate on June 03, 2019, 06:55:28 PM
A 12’6 board that is under 25in wide will be great for any child. They are easy to find. I have bought and sold several kid size birds in the last year. I have 35 kids on my team. The issue with buying a 10 or a 11 foot board is that they will put grow it with in a year or two. And if they do want to race they will be at a disadvantage on a smaller board.
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: eastbound on June 04, 2019, 06:41:25 AM
like pono said--narrow and light

great pic, skate--very cool

and dont forget paddle--might even be more important than the details of a board
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: Skate on June 04, 2019, 10:29:27 AM
like pono said--narrow and light

great pic, skate--very cool

and dont forget paddle--might even be more important than the details of a board

A quality kids paddle is equally as important. Black project has the grom.
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: eastbound on June 04, 2019, 11:03:45 AM
nice!  sure looks like all's working nicely with your grom!

enJOY
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: NorthJerzSurfer on June 04, 2019, 05:38:38 PM
did you see this in classifieds?

https://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/topic,34454.0.html
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: puget sound on June 04, 2019, 06:23:36 PM
Good point about the paddle. Any favorites besides the Black Project Grom?
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: Inland on June 05, 2019, 05:47:46 AM
Thanks for all the suggestions.   I'd be all over those used kids boards but in south east Wisconsin they are non existant.  That's why I'm thinking a 12'6".  A decent deal comes up on that size every now and then.  Need something that's going to give some glide in the water so she can keep up on longer paddles.
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: Dusk Patrol on June 05, 2019, 07:11:01 AM
Another suggestion -
Lahui Kai Annabelle Anderson touring at 11’6 x 29 and carbon light ( not the fragile ‘team’ construction ) for $990 delivered.

http://checkout.supatx.com/stand-up-paddle-board-bundle/lahui-kai-paddleboard-model-annabel-anderson-triple-carbon-tour-size-11-6-x-29-free-shipping.html
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: Skate on June 05, 2019, 08:56:51 AM
Quick blade micro fly is a great kids paddle. Look for something with a blade size around 73 or smaller.
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: Inland on June 09, 2019, 09:17:06 PM
Went for a short paddle today.  Started out with me on my 14'x26" Blk Box Uno and my daughter on my old Pelican rotomolded board.  Half way through we switched and I let her take my board back home.  First off,  I can't believe how bad the pelican board is.   I think a door off the house would paddle as well. I warned her the Uno wouldn't turn very easy but she did great on it!  She paddled almost a mile back with no problems and it was me keeping up with her this time. 14' is definitely big for her but I will be getting her a 12'6" board she can grow into instead of a kid's model.
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: Quickbeam on June 09, 2019, 09:48:06 PM
Started out with me on my 14'x26" Blk Box Uno


Hi Inland,

Just wondering how you like your Blk Box Uno? At one time I was seriously interested in buying one. It was a long time ago, and I don’t even remember much about the board. But I do remember being intrigued by it.
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: Inland on June 10, 2019, 06:09:01 AM
I really like the Uno, but I honestly don't have much to compare it to.   Got to demo a few boards at a local paddle fest two summers ago and the 12'6" Uno was one of them.   Like you I was intrigued by it, so when I found a good deal on the 14' I jumped on it.  This is my first real board coming of that Pelican.
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: Quickbeam on June 10, 2019, 08:21:36 AM
Thanks Inland. And glad you like your board. From what I remember it got really good reviews.
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: krash on June 16, 2019, 06:56:50 AM
Just go with the 12'6" especially if its recreational... kids are kids and they will have parties on that board and paddle with passangers to play around... they also are growing rapidly at the stage in life and in 1 year they can grow several inches and pounds.

Get an adjustable length paddle and they will be set.

If its a performance/competiton thing, you'll want to get an appropriate size for their weight with matching paddle, but beware you will be setting yourself up for continuous purchase's every 6 months for a couple years.

Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: Inland on June 16, 2019, 02:20:42 PM
Picked up a 12-6 KM Hawaii Compressor yesterday for her.   Now just have to wait for the temperature to get out of the 50s again to get on the lake.   Gotta love this Wisconsin weather.
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: puget sound on July 01, 2019, 05:44:38 PM
I took everyone's advice and got a (used) Riviera 12'6 x 24" for my 9 year old. Paired it with a 70sq" Kialoa paddle, both from the good folks at Gorge Performance. Kiddo loves it.
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: TallDude on July 01, 2019, 07:14:21 PM
Perfect. She's stoked. Good job dad 8)
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: puget sound on July 01, 2019, 08:37:34 PM
He's a 'he' with long hair, but yes...stoked!  ;D
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: TallDude on July 01, 2019, 11:52:05 PM
He's a 'he' with long hair, but yes...stoked!  ;D
I was confused with Skates posts showing his daughter. The board shorts should have been a give a way... ::)
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: Dusk Patrol on July 02, 2019, 11:15:30 AM
Yep I think innocent mistake by TD judging from his own "70's skaters" photos... : )

Those would be entertaining thread photos:  "Zoners' long haired teen age years"   
Title: Re: 12'6" board to big for 10 year old?
Post by: Inland on July 03, 2019, 05:57:20 AM
Hey Puget, glad this thread helped you out too.  My daughter and I have been on a few paddles on her new to her 12-6 and I have a couple observations.  At just under 80lbs the board is a bit big for her volume wise.  She has to stand forward of center to engage the nose in the water which pushes up the tail slightly,  and the wind pushes her around some.  The 24" wide Compressor is also very tippy, but having a lower center of gravity she hasn't felt unstable on it even when wake boats go by.   Overall I think it was a good choice and she now has a board  she can grow into.  We did a 4 mile paddle last weekend which would have been impossible on a rec board.   Just have to go out on days where the wind is light.
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