Messages

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SUP Gear Reviews / Newly Acquired / On Order / Re: 2023 Inifinity Whiplash 14 * 21 Hollow Carbon review and compare to SB Sprint

« on: July 18, 2023, 11:04:29 AM »

Thanks. The one they list is the one I tried. They are about 15% off but here we have 13% tax so they are over $5000. Still a great deal but I need to be around $3500 max.

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SUP Gear Reviews / Newly Acquired / On Order / Re: 2023 Inifinity Whiplash 14 * 21 Hollow Carbon review and compare to SB Sprint

« on: July 17, 2023, 12:49:34 PM »

One update on the Speed. I have looked at further data and I did back to back 9:40min Miles in sidewind, headwinds and slight waves so this is definately a fast board and faster than my Sprint in this condition.

I would love to have this board if I could find the funds. If anyone has a used one for sale let me know.

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SUP Gear Reviews / Newly Acquired / On Order / 2023 Inifinity Whiplash 14 * 21 Hollow Carbon review and compare to SB Sprint

« on: July 14, 2023, 03:29:09 PM »

I was able to get a good few hours in varied conditions on a new Hollow Infinity Whiplash 14 long by 21 wide board. My primary board is a Starboard Sprint 14*19.75 so I did not have to get used to the balance as it is wider and more stable.

Dimensions which really make a difference are as follows:  Internal Standing area Seems to be about 1-2cm higher than my Sprint. The nose is considerably narrower as part of the new designs which seem to be following the old Speedboards and sailboats. The tail and midsection are wide compared to my Sprint.


Stability: This board has great primary and secondary stability and in a pivot turn that only increases as the rear is so wide.

Pitch: Just like the Sprint this board is very stable not only in rolling but front to back pitch stability. The board seems to just make small 6-9 inch waves disappear with barely moving the board up and down. Larger waves will have the front punching through but since it does not have a lot of front volume larger waves will come in the cockpit.

Flatwater Speed: This is comparable speed to my Sprint but it is easier to get to the speed as it is lighter.

Upwinding: I was in a 1-2 foot wave upwinder and it was very good and fast. More water comes over the front and it does not pop up as much as my Sprint but speed was not hindered.

Downwinding: The light weight and wide tail was great in the downwinds and I found the speed about the same if not faster then the Sprint.

Sidewinds/sidechop:  Compared to my Sprint this is a dream in Sidewind and chop. The bow height is lower so it does not get caught by the wind as much so its much easier to paddle in these conditions.

Boat wake: This board is easy to control in wakes and odd waves.

Pivot turns: The rear end design is great for stability in pivot turns and it spins very easily with the light weight.

Sprints: The speed is comparable to my Sprint at 8-9 MPH but the number of strokes to get to that speed is reduced.

Stiffness: This board is equal to my Sprint in Stiffness

Overall: This is a great board and it is fast and it is a great board. I am considering getting one but there are a few things that do bug me. One is the position of the FCS mount on the top deck is way to far back for a Speedcoach so I would have to mount it with a stick on mount that would be set and also angled to one side as there is no flat to stick it to on the center of the deck. The other thing is the rear design. It may be fast but it is not as pleasing to the eye from what I am used to.

My Stats:  I am 5'9" and 155lbs. Race pace for me is about 6.1-6.4 MPH. Cruising speed is about 5.6-5.8 mph I paddle about 2100-2200 miles per year.

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The Shape Shack / Re: Repair Advice

« on: March 21, 2022, 11:51:39 AM »

Looked like the outer area is about 6 inches long and a few inches wide of actual damage but I could be wrong. Damage under paint can go way further than what you see before sanding.

When I damaged my JL rail the outside only looked 3 inches long but when I got into the inner layer was actually worse. They are very thin carbon layers on these boards. I agree that one could just remove all the damaged inside and outside layers and just do a single layer repair. I prefer to fix things 100 percent but its always up to the owner.

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The Shape Shack / Re: Repair Advice

« on: March 21, 2022, 06:32:28 AM »

JL Carbon are full PVC sandwich. Real pain to fix properly. Have to remove the top layer and PVC 1 inch wider than the damage to the inner layer. Then you have to fix foam on inner core and then do a carbon layer repair. After that is complete you have to repair the PVC foam and finish and then you can carbon the top layer and sand and finish and paint.

I just took my JL rail to a professional as it was a lot of work.

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Classifieds / Re: Wanted Kenalu Mana

« on: March 03, 2022, 11:28:47 AM »

I have a mana 82 available but I’m in Canada

 77 inches long with flex 100 shaft and an extra xtuff shaft

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Gear Talk / Re: Inflatable Question/Advice-SIC/Starboard

« on: January 06, 2022, 06:35:42 AM »

I would also consider the Naish Maliko inflatable. I put lots of gear on mine and still find it reasonably stiff, stable and fast. My review is in the review area.

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Gear Talk / Re: Starboard Airline Inflatable???

« on: December 13, 2021, 08:19:09 AM »

I tried a first generation 14*27 and found it good tracking and ok stability and the bouncing was better than a standard inflatable. I was on flat but it does not have a lot of rocker so I am not sure how it is in waves.

I purchased a Naish Maliko light 14*27 inflatable and it is lighter, faster to pump completely as I do not have to fit the cord and nose cone, packs smaller than the airline as the airline cannot be rolled as the standing area is too stiff and was half the cost brand new. On the Naish the bouncing is controlled very well by the carbon stringers and if you pump to max 20 lbs it is very stiff. The design is also better for chop and waves as it has a little nose rocker, rounded area on bottom of nose and a wider nose as well.

I have done paddles in 2 foot waves with a 30lb pack on the Naish board with no issues and done a 2-3 foot wave upwinder and downwinder unloaded with no issues as well.

Keep in mind my primary board is a 20 inch wide Starbaord Sprint so I may find a board more stable that others find tippy.

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SUP Gear Reviews / Newly Acquired / On Order / Re: Starboard 2021 Sprint Carbon 14 *19.75 review and comparison to 2020 14 * 20.75

« on: November 01, 2021, 03:33:32 PM »

I wish Starboard still sold the 18'1" Sprint dugout. It would be a blast to try that.

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SUP Gear Reviews / Newly Acquired / On Order / Re: Starboard 2021 Sprint Carbon 14 *19.75 review and comparison to 2020 14 * 20.75

« on: November 01, 2021, 07:18:40 AM »

Looking at the new 2022 they are more like a sailboat now. From what I heard they are now oriented to flatwater and not very stable when it gets sloppy. The link below has some info on the 2022 boards and some of the pics are of the 2022 .  https://www.vermontskiandsport.com/collections/performance-and-race-stand-up-paddleboards/products/starboard-sprint-14-stand-up-paddle-board-2022

From what I have heard the new All Star is more stable now and can go down in width which has resulted in greater speed and flexibility.

I like the current design of the Sprint which is very versatile which is something I need as the weather can change mid paddle and put me in very adverse conditions.

The Sprints used at worlds were hollow but not sure if prod will be that construction method.

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SUP Gear Reviews / Newly Acquired / On Order / Re: Starboard 2021 Sprint Carbon 14 *19.75 review and comparison to 2020 14 * 20.75

« on: November 01, 2021, 05:16:52 AM »

I agree on the foiling as this seems to be the only thing talked about on this forum. For the fast pace that is my 6-7 mile paddle race pace. Sprinting is over 8mph.  5.7mph I is my long paddle, 10-18 miles, pace on this board.

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SUP Gear Reviews / Newly Acquired / On Order / Re: Starboard 2021 Sprint Carbon 14 *19.75 review and comparison to 2020 14 * 20.75

« on: October 30, 2021, 03:21:47 PM »

Update on Upwind and Downwind Capability: Today I went out just after the winds died a little so I was in 18-25km winds, down from 22-38km. The waves were ranging from 3-4 feet. I did upwinds and downwinds and even pivot turns in the beach areas. Again the secondary stability was amazing and saved me from going in several times that I know the 2020 would have let me get wet. In one area on the upwind and downwind I have reflected waves coming from a 45 degree angle. Even in these conditions with multi directional waves making the area a washing machine the board had no issues and a few times I found myself paddling with the board leaning at 35-30 degrees as that is where the secondary really kicks in and the board almost locks in that position so much so that you can actually paddle without major fear of the board going all the way over. Downwind I had quite a few good links and the board is very quiet when it goes on plane and is very stable as well. Overall I would rate this better than the 2020 in these conditions due to the increased secondary stability.

One note on fin:  Please note that I do not use the stock fin and never have in either board. I use a Makani Kawa most of the time unless it is definitely going to be flat and then I may use the Makani Tere.

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SUP Gear Reviews / Newly Acquired / On Order / Starboard 2021 Sprint Carbon 14 *19.75 review and comparison to 2020 14 * 20.75

« on: October 28, 2021, 04:23:27 PM »

I have been paddling the 2020 Starboard Sprint 14 *20.75 for about a year now and decided I wanted a new challenge so I was able to purchase the 2021 14 *19.75 Carbon a few weeks ago.

In the last few weeks I have been gaining more confidence on the board and comparing it to my 2020 Sprint. The summary below will be comparing this to my 2020 Sprint and I have a review of that board on this forum already.

Dimensions which really make a difference are as follows:  Internal Standing area is only about a 1CM difference at most. The rails are considerably higher with the 2021 at over 27cm high in the standing area and the 2020 is a little less than 24 cm. The thickness below your feet on the 2021 is 12.5 cm thick and the 2020 is 11cm thick in the standing area. The deck at the front of the dugout  is 33 cm high on the 2021 and the 2020 is 30cm high. The tail on the 2021 is 14cm tall and the 2020 is also 14cm tall. The total rocker, measured at tail with the nose on the ground, on the 2021 is 10.2 cm and the 2020 is 9cm.

Stability: This board has less primary stability than the 2020. It is noticeably harder to stay level and does not instil a lot of confidence if that is what you are used to. The secondary however is much greater. Just today in some 2-3 foot swells I lost balance when getting up after drinking and i was fully expecting to be going in but the board just got to a point of around 30 degrees of lean and stopped. It gave me more than enough time for my 50 year old reactions to put the paddle in and brace. This is the great thing about this increased secondary stability as it provides a lot more time than the 2020 to react.

Pitch: Just like the 2020 this board is very stable not only in rolling but front to back pitch stability. The board seems to just make small 6-9 inch waves disappear with barely moving the board up and down. Larger waves will have the front punching through and then after the first 2 feet of the board move past the wave the board will pitch just enough to keep the wave from filling the cockpit. Most waves split well before coming into the cockpit. I think the increased volume of the 2021 on the top and the new taller nose allows it to be a little more on top of the water and is a little faster in these conditions.

Flatwater Speed: My normal fast pace on the 2020 is around 6.2 mph and the 2021 I can get to about 6.3-6.4mph with the same effort.

Upwinding: Again like the 2020 the 2021 is great at upwind Because of the reduced pitching I find that this board is great when going into the wind and waves. I have had this going into 2-3 foot waves and 20-30kph winds and was still able to keep up a 4.5-5mph average. This is much faster than the 2020 and the increased secondary stability allows for greater power to be applied.
Again pitching was at a minimum and I was easily able to apply power in adverse conditions.

Downwinding: Today I was able to do a good upwinder and downwinder with this board. I had 20-30km winds which provided 2-3 foot waves. This was my easiest downwind to date in these conditions. The board accelerates even faster than the 2020 and the secondary stability kept me from falling in at least twice. It is able to catch every wave with ease. I did find that I did not have to move back as much as the 2020 to prevent a pearl. I did have a fear that when it would pearl the tall nose would catch and steer but this did not happen. I t is actually hard to pearl. t steer side to side.  Overall I would rate this equal to the 2020 at a rating of 10 for downwinding. Again like the 2020 Linking bumps was effortless as I could easily power over any small bumps to get to the next set in front of me.


Sidewinds/sidechop:  Again this is one area that the high sides can have an issue and the 2020 is slightly more affected by wind from the side as it is taller. If the winds are over 15kph and the front is about 25-30 degrees off the wind and waves then the front will have a tendency to wander very quickly downwind. It is a lot of work to keep this under control. If the wind is lower than this then there is almost no issue. Waves easily pass the front of the board and due to the narrow width I have very little roll so if you just have waves and little wind then this is not an issue.

Boat wake: I have many boats on my lake and have had anything from 2-6 foot wakes. Again due to the narrow width and great secondary stability I have not had any issues with this and have not fallen in yet and I am able to keep the speed up.

Pivot turns: I do sprints and pivots every week and have found that the board is very stable for its width. The tail is almost exactly the same width and the only difference seems to be the angle of the hump on the back of the kick pad so when I hit that with my foot I really know I am at the back. The deck design does actually work to keep water out of the cockpit. There is a lot of board in the front but it comes out a little more due to the increased rocker as well as the new construction makes the front slightly lighter.

Sprints: This is still a displacement board but since it has greater secondary stability it is easy to apply power and this has keep me out of the water quite a few times and my overall top speeds are great. It is not much faster faster than the 2020 but this may change with more experience

Stiffness: This board feels as stiff as the 2020 underfoot and again this board feels solid. There is no shudder if I go up a wave and come back down into another one like some others. I have also performed the bounce test ,which has put some of my past boards into a spasm like an inflatable, does not have any effect on this board. Overall the stiffness and solid feeling of this board is only matched by my wood board. I know that if I would hit this board with my paddle I may penetrate the outer layer but this is a 25lb race board so there is only so much thickness and impact strength which should be expected. The difference between 2020 and 2021 is the lack of a full PVC wrap on the 2021. the deck and the bottom still have the PVC sandwich but the top deck and the sides are no longer PVC sandwich. Starboard did increase the density of the Carbon on the single layer areas and the board does not seem to be any different in flex and may be a little more durable with the thicker layer of carbon.

Overall: This is a great board and it is faster than the 2020. I know that SUPboarder did not think that the 2021 is faster but as they say they are not on these narrow boards all the time and that may have affected this rating. If you want a faster board and you have the 2020 then the 2021 will most likely be faster but the trade off is less primary stability. I do think that the 21 inch may regain some of that initial stability and should hopefully have some of the speed increase compared to the 2020 20.75 so that may be a better version for those that are taller and heavier. I am 5'9" and 155lbs.

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Gear Talk / Re: Review Naish Maliko Light X27 14'

« on: June 15, 2021, 08:31:45 AM »

155lbs and generally 30lbs gear on board as well as I use it for motorcycle based adventures

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Gear Talk / Review Naish Maliko Light X27 14'

« on: June 12, 2021, 08:46:22 PM »

I purchased an inflatable to allow me to take a board on vacations or other treks that I do not have a car.

Stability: This board is incredibly stable. I have not tried to see how far the primary goes until the board flips but I will get this soon.

Pitch: The board is very stable not only in rolling but front to back pitch stability. The board does flex a little but it still does not have issues with 2-3 foot waves. I took this out in a upwinder/downwinder on my first day and had no issues.

Flatwater Speed: In my latest flat water trial I had a load of gear on the front but I was still able to hold 5mph going into the wind and a good 5.3-5.6mph with the wind or no wind. I did start to do race pace near the end of my paddle and the board responded well. Race pace is 60-65 spm and a lot of up down motion which did not cause the board to go into spasms like some other inflatables I have tried. The speed I was able to hit was 6.3 mph.

Upwinding: It is not a hard board but still punches through waves pretty well with minimal flex. I could still feel the water hitting the front of the board and even a little shudder like a flexing hard board.   have had this going into 2-3 foot waves and 15-20kph winds and was still able to keep up a 3.5 mph average.
Again pitching was at a minimum and I was easily able to apply power in adverse conditions.

Downwinding: The first day I took it out was an upwinder/downwinder the wind increased to 20+ kph for my return so I had 2-4 foot waves. The board was surprising. I could feel the water beneath my feet and was able to really have fun with the waves. The board accelerates fairly so I was catching just about every wave with ease. I did find that I had to move back pretty far to prevent a pearl but if I was not fast enough the board was well mannered and did not slow so much that it would throw me forward and did not steer side to side. The front would just go into the water and slow a little and then come back up and continue on. The only issue is moving with jumps flexes the board and causes it to slow a little so a smooth step technique is best.  Overall I would rate this a 10 for downwinding and since it is so hard to damage the board and myself I may just use this for messy wave downwinders in the future. Linking bumps possible as well effortless as I could easily power over any small bumps to get to the next set in front of me. I can also say that this board actually planes and foot/rail steers.


Sidewinds/sidechop: The board is so wide and so low that side waves were not much of an issue. I have not yet been in high frequency boat wake but I update if I fall in.

Boat wake: I have many boats on my lake and have had anything from 2-6 foot wakes. So far I have not had any issues with wakes but I will update if I do.

Pivot turns: the boards now have a kick pad at the back and it is pretty stable back there.

Sprints: This is still a inflatable so it does start flexing when you really want to go for it but so far I think it may still be able to get up and over 7mph.

Stiffness: This board is the stiffest inflatable I have ever been on. I even tested an Airline Gen 1 a while ago and had that in major spasms when really applying power. I think that the carbon stringers on top and bottom are better than just a bottom stiffener.

Overall: This is a great board for an inflatable. I am really happy with the purchase. It will not replace my Hard boards for fast paddles but it definitely does its job and gets me out there when I am not able to have a car around.