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Stand Up Paddle => Gear Talk => SUP Gear Reviews / Newly Acquired / On Order => Topic started by: marvinhecht on December 04, 2020, 09:44:49 PM

Title: Wow SUP boards / technology still seems to be advancing
Post by: marvinhecht on December 04, 2020, 09:44:49 PM
Hey, I am curious if y'all think SUP technology is still advancing with every year. My SUP knowledge is kind of stuck right around 2012-2016 when I lived in Hawaii and had been SUP surfing a lot. Brought my board back to Canada but didn't realize I could surf here until this year,  so I was out of the scene. I am starting to think of "downsizing" to a smaller board (or is that "upsizing" since you need more skill ?) and I was thinking something like a Naish Hokua, didn't really care about which year. I am a Laird fan (and nearly got his board instead of the Lopez) and I recently came across a Laird Surrator on eBay. Then I found a shop which may still have my "dream board" in stock: a 2016 Laird Hybrid Surfer - the one that is the Pearson Arrow Laird shape, but with a pointy nose and multiple colors on the board (looks less boring, more cool).

Except, I am beginning to realize SUP technology has changed, and/or is changing -- still. From reading other posts I just found out that most boards don't need rail tape anymore. A friend has a 2019 Starboard Pro, and I started watching review of various Starboard boards for 2021 - seems like the construction materials are getting lighter but also stronger. Seems like they are figuring out new and different ways to make "channels" in the back of the board, ways to make even thinner rails (or Infinity SUP - the Blurr has stepped rails). Then companies I don't remember have popped up - e.g. Sunova - they seem to be based out of Thailand, but have some famous engineers from the US? On their boards seems like they have various "steps" near the end of the tail - in the old days only surfboards had that - SUP were just "normal" shaped. Carbon or carbon areas seems to be a lot more prevalent in boards - it used to cost a LOT more and was limited to top end models. I am seeing various decks in SUPs now (domed vs flat). I did think (or hope?) that many or most boards would also start coming with a box to attach a foil so you could sup surf it or foil it.. that doesn't seem to have happened except for isolated models like the Hypernut. I have paid even less attention to racing SUP technology, but it seems like there is a trend to put more weight in the nose so they look like a torpedo, and then hollow out an area where the person stands that is lower than the rails etc. Some companies like Naish have focused more on foiling, free wings (new invention), and windsurf foiling (it seems) and some companies have become less prominent (e.g. LairdSup is out of stock and not sure if new models will come out). Then there are other companies I haven't hear of like SMIK, L41.. they seem to be new. Tom Carroll now has a whole line of boards not just one...

Let me know what I might have missed, what's coming, and/or which companies I should look into for my next board, and whether you think SUP technology is really changing, or if these are gimmicks (old wine in new shoes). Oh even the people doing SUP reviews have changed. It used to be "realboardsports" doing a lot of youtube videos, now it's "Sup Boarder" Oh i also forgot to mention the trend toward inflatible has continued to the point that it seems to be hard finding new hard boards to buy (sorry for the pun).  I did try a friend's inflatible and these new ones with more psi are bit better, but sorry, in the middle of surfing a wave I could feel the air shifting around and didn't like it, arghghg
Title: Re: Wow SUP boards / technology still seems to be advancing
Post by: Fog City Rider on December 04, 2020, 10:04:47 PM
The only reason you didn't like surfing that inflatable is cuz it didn't incorporate the "torpedo" channelled, carbon reflex wing foil attachment "step" system that Tom Carroll recently invented in Thailand. Duh.


 



Title: Re: Wow SUP boards / technology still seems to be advancing
Post by: marvinhecht on December 06, 2020, 10:46:20 AM
Exactly. Also, the inflatible (my friend's daughters board) was a Jimmy Stykes and it had a some nice nose rocker (way more than my own board has) so I could get on the waves and speed down them without pearling. But it was a little wide (34") and the tail was very wide without rocker and it felt like it was dragging. Yeah, and right in the middle of the going down the wave it felt like the SUP, because it was filled with air, felt to me like it was bending to fit the wave shape, I think the air was shifting around, not sure. I do remember once meeting an airline pilot SUP while surfing in Hawaii and he also had a Gerry Lopez shaped board, but it was inflatible - I think called an ULI or something. It was not as good as a hard board, but not bad...

I realized that I left out some other things that changed in my comments above: FCS II fins seem to be much more common, even standard now. Also, I think the reason we are not seeing foil attachments on every board is that they would  interfere with the center fin, plus it doesn't make sense for all but the shortest boards to run them with a foil.
Title: Re: Wow SUP boards / technology still seems to be advancing
Post by: clay on December 06, 2020, 02:17:54 PM
I have not sup surfed in a while, a couple sessions tandeming on a inflatable with my son, other than that it's been years.

The last custom Stretch I ordered had a stinger tail, that was a total game changer for me.  I needed way less footwork to turn and could turn much tighter.  So much more control that I felt comfortable mixing it up in a pack of prone surfers.  Shaper and I kept the tail pull in moderate out of concern it would be to tippy.  After the first wave I knew I could get away with a narrower tail and I believe I could achieve more short board like turns without going to a ridiculously small board.  If foiling didn't exist I would be chasing that dragon.
Title: Re: Wow SUP boards / technology still seems to be advancing
Post by: surfcowboy on December 06, 2020, 08:18:38 PM
They have progressed. So far that they grew foils from the bottom and wings on top.

I'm joking but ret, unless you are in Hawaii or somewhere with good waves foiling is a pretty strong way to surf. Junk waves become head high Malibu.  Add a wing and a lake with 15mph wind makes you feel like Kai Lenny in Maui.

There's a reason most of the hard core SUP surfers here added a foil.
Title: Re: Wow SUP boards / technology still seems to be advancing
Post by: supthecreek on December 06, 2020, 08:45:20 PM
Hi Marvin,

You asked about SUP companies and mentioned Sunova, so here is a little background on them.
I am Sunova's spokesman on the Zone and I am extremely proud of how they function as a business and the quality of their products.

Sunova's are built in Thailand.
The owners are German and Australian.
2 live in Thailand, and have families there, the 3rd lives in Germany.

The factory workers are all surfers, SUPsters and ocean people.... they function as a family and make amazing boards.
They have a skate ramp in the factory as well as an organic food kitchen for employees.

Here is a 6 minute video of the factory, the workers.... mostly in Thai, but both Tino and Bert (owners/shaper) have segments in English.
at 3:00 Bert explains why the factory is in Thailand. Pretty cool reasons.

I lived inside the factory for a month.
It runs 24/7, so I would get up at 3 am and wander around watching the magic happen.

I have made quite a few board review videos, as well as SUP surf and flatwater videos.
Here is a link to my YouTube channel... scroll down to look for reviews of boards that may interest you
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHRI23a8H21jASPdVCQUpog/videos

If you see anything that interests you, please contact me with any questions at:
supthecreek@gmail.com

I help folks pick appropriate boards that match their skill and waves.
You can also buy a board through me, as I am now an official sales agent.

Here's a pic of the factory skate ramp and a factory surf contest

Title: Re: Wow SUP boards / technology still seems to be advancing
Post by: surfcowboy on December 06, 2020, 08:49:40 PM
I will grant that Sunova and innovation go hand in hand. Amazing tech, amazing designs.
Title: Re: Wow SUP boards / technology still seems to be advancing
Post by: supthecreek on December 07, 2020, 10:13:06 AM
"Here is a 6 minute video of the factory, the workers.... mostly in Thai, but both Tino and Bert (owners/shaper) have segments in English.
at 3:00 Bert explains why the factory is in Thailand. Pretty cool reasons."

opps, forgot the link  ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kEJ54a8l2A&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2j6zQs4nPl_EfoGvOGV7KBQG9q-H2GqmeJpGxwBBEGtOGBk_1h6jc8UY0
Title: Re: Wow SUP boards / technology still seems to be advancing
Post by: marvinhecht on December 10, 2020, 10:35:08 AM
Hey I just checked this thread, such awesome information. I have a lot of homework to do!

Clay and SupTheCreek- I subscribed to your youtube channels and I am looking forward to checking them out.

Clay - So you had a custom SUP made from this company in Santa Cruz?  http://www.stretchboards.com/boards/sup/

I lived in San Francisco for 13 years but that was before I took up sup surfing (or surfing) but I love the VWs and vibe of the town. I would also visit the Pearson Arrow Surf shop -- I think the Pearson / Laird shape with pintail is one of the best shaped designs EVER, the pintail makes it so maneuverable!!

I don't know what a stinger tail is -- I can't find it listed here. Is it a very pointy pintail?
        https://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/the-different-types-of-surfboard-tails


SurfCowBoy - yeah I was in Hawaii for 5.5 years, now in Southern Ontario, Canada - and days with good surf are so rare and limited to perfect wind conditions. Seems like the people here are behind the times - there are mostly prone surfers (who get even less wave time than me on a longboard SUP), and I have not seen a single person on a foil. That being said, I have 2 friends who just got foils and they'll be trying them out in spring.  They are foils that can be used to SUP surf but these 2 guys will also be using free wings, and/or a small windsurf-type sail, at least to start off. I hear it is easier to start foiling using wind (or behind a boat) than trying right in surf. My dad has a fishing boat with 15 hp motor, is that enough to pull a foil - my friend thinks it might be, since foils have much less drag than waterskis.


SupTheCreeek - Hey I am German heritage and appreciate German engineering (have owned BMWs, Porsche's) so Sunova sounds like my kind of company. I have never been to Thailand but I do know about their beaches / surf (like most people I thought of cement and factories when I grew up hearing about Thailand, I just did not know!) And I remember there is that one company in Thailand that manufactures 99% of the SUPs in the world from Naish to Surftech and everything else, maybe Sunova is now giving them a run for their money? :) I will study up on Sunova and email you to see what board might be a good fit for me. I saw my first Sunova in Toronto and did a double take - it looked more like a nice piece of wood carved art, then a traditional SUP! That model (I think a Speed was only 105L) and the guy who owned it was pretty thin - and my other thought was - I will never be able to get on that POTATO CHIP lol. Then I saw other youtube videos of guys larger than me (I am 5"9, 200 lbs) shredding it up on Sunova boards, even ones that seemed quite low volume for the rider. I'll definately be checking it out and be in touch!!

Anybody know of, or see boards that could double as both a small surf sup AND a foil board, kind of like the Hypernut?
Also, is it worth taking my 10"6 and having someone insert a foil attachment box? I am told I'd outgrow it very quickly. On the other hand, I might be able to borrow a foil from one of my friends and quickly learn SUP foiling without having to do all the wind stuff first? (I may need to ask this in the foil forum..)
Title: Re: Wow SUP boards / technology still seems to be advancing
Post by: clay on December 10, 2020, 03:51:26 PM
Hey, yes Stretch in SC, and thanks.

Stinger:
https://aipasurf.com/surfboards/

Jeff Clark was after the same thing with his claw (pretty sure his design predates the custom I had made):
https://surftech.com/jeff-clark-the-claw-fusion-v-tech/

I agree 1 million percent with Cowboy.
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