Standup Zone Forum
Stand Up Paddle => SUP General => Topic started by: wateraintcold on May 14, 2020, 04:53:37 PM
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Hello everyone, and mods thanks for accepting my invitation.
I started paddling in 2018 in the Northern Alberta lakes. I'm now in Vancouver, still paddling my 2017 Red Explorer 12'6". Trusty, reliable board. I feel it's my SUV on the water.
Now that I got an outside rack to store my board in a local marina I've started to consider getting a second board to augment my options. I don't surf at all, but what little downwinding I've done has been lots of fun. I'm mostly a day long tourer (5-30km days) mixing flat water with whatever chop the afternoon winds bring. I thought about getting a faster tourer, then a race board, and now back to a fast tourer after ranking my priorities:
1. safety: Now that I'm paddling in more open water I've been thinking more about safety. Even though my Red board is quite durable, I still risk a tiny chance of getting a puncture in the middle of cold water.
2. durability / ruggedness: I don't treat my Red carefully because I know it can take it no problems. I scrape my paddle ocassionally, I bang my anchor against the bottom or rail when raising it, I load it with bags, bottles etc. I beach my board, lean it against the pavement with storing it, bump it against docks. Can any hardboard take this level of punishment? Or must all hardboards need to be pampered? I've read about rail tape, how much does it help?
3. ease of storage: I'll be storing my next board in the racks in the marina, I'll hose the board down after each use and cover it with a DYI tarp. I have no option to store my board anywhere else (if I go for a hardboard that is)
4. stability / speed: The 12'6" Explorer has treated me well, but I feel I'm outgrowing its speed and upwind abilities.
So for upgrades I've considered the following based on local vendor availability and support:
Inflatables:
-Red 13'2" Voyager with the RSS battens (I know and trust the brand, but there's no redundant floatation and it's not that longer than my Explorer)
- Starboard 14' Touring inflatable with double chambers (longer, stiffer, laden with features I'll use, but concerned about first-year production run of their new woven dropstitch)
Hardboards:
-Starboard Generation 12'6" x 28": new design that checks a lot of my boxes for performance, Wrice point I can seriously consider. would it last according to my usage?
-Boardworks Raven or Great Bear (if I stretch my budget a lot)
- Sunova Eco Expedition Norm Hamm edition (if I break my budget and YOLO it)
I'll appreciate your feedback on these options or any other.
Thanks and stay safe!
ps: attached my typical load for a day tour
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The high-end drop stitch inflatables are pretty reliable, but I would venture too far in cold water with one. Extra chamber can be a life saver, but you'll just have something to float on laying down. Plus you'll be wet. I'd add the Naish GTW 14' to your list. It has sealed EPS and a wood laminate composite. This is one of Naish's better constructed boards. If you find one with 'molded sealed EPS' and a PVC sandwich, that's about as bullet proof as you get with a hardboard. I had a Coreban PVC sandwich surfboard. It hit the rocky shore a bunch of times. In the 3 years I had it (surfed it at least once a week) NEVER had to repair it. The paint was chipped and scratched in places, but never a leak.
https://www.naishsurfing.com/product/touring-gtw/
SIC's touring board with their most durable construction.
https://sicmaui.com/boards/okeanos-12-6-0-x-27.html
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Thanks for those suggestions. I'll go check them out.
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Welcome to the zone. I used to be a hurtin Albertan too. Grew up in the Calgary area, and now live in the West Kootenays. You moved to a really good paddling location. Vancouver and the surrounding area also has sales reps for several different brands (Sunova, Blackfish, Onesup, etc) so you will be seeing a lot of cool gear. Both new and used.
SUP used boards for sale Canada is a good resource for used boards and gear in BC and across Canada.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/188897557913706/
I own a 14 x 28.5" Sunova Expedition and it is a good touring board for all conditions, and is quite durable. Compared to other boards I have owned and tested, it's among the most durable. The rails are pretty bomber and can take a good crack. I'm always paddling in rocky areas looking at cliff faces for pictographs, and balancing my board on rocks while hiking around, and still no holes. With that said, don't push your luck with a hard board because you will put holes in it if you're continually being careless.
I have paddled the Raven and Great Bear (first design) and I don't consider these boards to be overly durable but maybe the newest versions are more durable. They paddle fine, with the Great Bear being a better open water design for touring.
There is a lot of used options near you. Coast Outdoors did have a demo Great Bear for sale. Not sure if it has sold yet.
Good luck and throw up a post of what you end up buying.
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Hi Robon, thanks for your response.
Your response, and having spent the evening enjoying Bert Burger's tech videos at https://sunovasurfboards.com/en/technology are strongly swaying me towards Sunova, and your exact board in particular (as recommended by Norm as well).
How much does your 14'x28.5" weigh?
Budget is my biggest concern, but if it lasts me for several years of responsible use (eg more careful with the beachings and anchor raise) I can justify the ROI (that's what I'd tell myself to sleep at night).
My other concern is storage, because it'd have to sit outside year round (even if properly wrapped under a heavy duty tarp). Would our Lower Mainland winters affect the board?
Thanks again!
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If it's dry inside (the board), cold weather will not affect a hard board. My Carbon BIC has spent several winters stored in an unheated shed in Ontario: no issues after 4 years. If you are using it hard, you are going to eventually ding a hard board. The good news is it's relatively easy to fix even serious gouge/dings with very little specialized eqiupment. If you are going to be away from civilization for some time, just make sure you take clear Gorilla tape.
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Hi Robon, thanks for your response.
Your response, and having spent the evening enjoying Bert Burger's tech videos at https://sunovasurfboards.com/en/technology are strongly swaying me towards Sunova, and your exact board in particular (as recommended by Norm as well).
How much does your 14'x28.5" weigh?
Budget is my biggest concern, but if it lasts me for several years of responsible use (eg more careful with the beachings and anchor raise) I can justify the ROI (that's what I'd tell myself to sleep at night).
My other concern is storage, because it'd have to sit outside year round (even if properly wrapped under a heavy duty tarp). Would our Lower Mainland winters affect the board?
Thanks again!
Sunova has the 14 x 28.5" Expedition listed at 13.5 kilograms, or about 29.76 pounds. I will have to weigh mine on a proper scale but I know by lifting it compared to other boards that are 30 pounds and just under, that it's heavier than 30 pounds. Some companies use the +-10% for board weight given some discrepancies in manufacturing, so I would say mine weighs around 33 pounds.
As mentioned, storing your board unheated should be fine and it does have a valve to equalize pressure. I store my boards in a basic unheated tin roof shed, and it gets colder here in the winter than in Vancouver. Regardless of having a breather valve, a board should not be stored in direct sunlight. I would advise not to wrap it up after you have paddled it because the board will always be wet because the moisture will be trapped, and bad things will eventually happen to the board. Vancouver is fairly humid as well with a rainy season, so something to consider.
Does the storage rack in the marina have an overhang roof to protect the board or is it out in the open? You don't want your board stored in the direct sun and as mentioned, let it dry before you wrap or cover it up. If the rack is out in the open with no overhang, then storing your board underneath someone else's rig, will provide some shade and protection from the elements.
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Hi waterisnotcold and welcome to the Zone. You will find this site is a great resource. I have lived in B.C. all my life, mostly in the Greater Vancouver area, although I’m now out in the Fraser Valley.
I have the Red Voyager (mine is actually the Explorer which is the exact same board) you mentioned and really like it as a touring board, but not sure I would take any inflatable out in open water by myself.
All my hardboards are 12’ 6”, but having said that I have a couple of ONE Sup’s and really like them, and have found them very durable. Certainly much more so than some other boards I’ve owned.
I’m not sure where you are shopping, but you might want to go down to Coast Outdoors in North Vancouver. Ask to speak with Viviane. She will take good care of you.
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I would second Norm Expedition as a touring board. it can comfortably handle a lot of different conditions and better than most boards. The Great Bear is by now a classic.
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Hey and welcome,
I think Haan was selling a used Expedition very recently. You might check with him. The used market is the best for good boards on a budget. Some others to keep an eye out for are the 14' Amundson TRX-29 or a Tahoe Tallac. The TRX is lighter by a few pounds than the "TR", due to carbon content, but the latter is good too. Amundson is a bit unsung, but great boards and satisfactorily fast. I've seen but not paddled the Starboard Generation. It looks like a great board.
I would lobby for 14' as you get used to it being the 'right' size very quickly. But it depends on your own size/weight too.
Check Gorge Performance and Big Winds in Portland and Hood River respectively. Also Seattle's Craigslist. Either would make a fun road trip.
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Check Gorge Performance and Big Winds in Portland and Hood River respectively. Also Seattle's Craigslist. Either would make a fun road trip.
Yes. It is just when you realize that 1 USD = 1.4 CAD that it becomes less fun.....
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Hi waterisnotcold. I have the new version of the great bear. I spent years on an all around surf type hardboard source 11 10 by 34. Super stable. I could average 3.6 mph over distances you describe. I think the great bear is more stable way better upwind and average about a mile per hour faster. Hard boards will last if you are careful and mine live outside all year here on the BC south coast. I have had a short ride on a sic f14 . Very nice board
Test if you can. Coast outdoors will let you test a board. Cheers.
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Thanks for all your replies and the good points raised.
I can't do much about shading the rack in the marina, but I can improve my storage logistic with the tarp.
I'm thinking that drying out the board with a towel after each use, then placing several cloth bags of kitty litter within the double-layered tarp (silver color on both sides) would help mitigate the efects of high temperature, UV exposure and humidity.
14' seems the way to go. I'm checking out the facebook group mentioned above.
Based on your comments it seems the Sunova Expedition and the Boardworks Great Bear will be good options.
Now on to budgeting and optimizing logistics....
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Yes. It is just when you realize that 1 USD = 1.4 CAD that it becomes less fun.....
There's that for sure. Also the fact that the borders are closed right now, so no road trips to the U.S. to pick up boards or anything else for a while yet.
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Yes. It is just when you realize that 1 USD = 1.4 CAD that it becomes less fun.....
There's that for sure. Also the fact that the borders are closed right now, so no road trips to the U.S. to pick up boards or anything else for a while yet.
Yes very weird. Especially considering picking up a board is essential.
But separately, I also think that Canadian used board prices are generally higher than those in the states (private sellers at least), which somewhat alleviates the exchange rate hit.
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Yes. It is just when you realize that 1 USD = 1.4 CAD that it becomes less fun.....
There's that for sure. Also the fact that the borders are closed right now, so no road trips to the U.S. to pick up boards or anything else for a while yet.
Yes very weird. Especially considering picking up a board is essential.
But separately, I also think that Canadian used board prices are generally higher than those in the states (private sellers at least), which somewhat alleviates the exchange rate hit.
There is less availability in the first place.
If you want last year flat water race board 23" or narrower, it is easy...
The low end "beginners not involved in teh sport" is also easy...
The middle range performance boards are scarce. I have three people that would purchase my Naish Maliko 14x26 if I was willing to sell it. Probably none it is was the 24" wide one :-)
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If the border was open, I would be very tempted to go on a road trip to Gorge Performance and test several boards. Especially if I lived in Vancouver because the drive is shorter. There are several demo and used 14 x 26" boards for sale right now at Gorge Performance from NSP/DC, Bark, and Fanatic, and some discounted new models.
With some of the pricing, it would still be cheaper after the exchange, and you just don't claim the board when you come back.
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If it was in Canadian, the Maliko 14x24 they have would be looking me in teh face....
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If it was in Canadian, the Maliko 14x24 they have would be looking meIf it was in Canadian, the Maliko 14x24 they have would be looking me in teh face....
And your Maliko would be on my roof rack.
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I would keep both 😉
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I did check with the Naish rep up in Squamish for the Touring and Maliko and their pricing is up with the other racing boards.
They have 11’6" Glides though if anyone is interested.