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1

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.

2

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.

3

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.

4

Gear Talk / Black Project Hydro Flow X paddle Med Standard

« on: November 10, 2020, 02:53:15 PM »

I am definitely a gear junkie when it comes to Paddles as I feel that the paddle is the most important part of your connection to the water.

Recently the local Black Project rep has had one of the new Hydro Flow X paddles and I was able to pry it away from him for a few hours. Fortunately it was a great day for testing as I had areas with flat, headwinds and downwinds on my 15km route.

As I first started the paddle I found that there was a difference and as I continued to paddle I found that the paddle is more stable so the difference I found was not having to do anything but push down and pull back. This is not just hype and as I continued I hit headwinds and chop which created more troubled water. I usually will hit the side of my board at least once in these conditions but never had a single hit the entire session.

As I rounded the next corner I hit the headwind strait on. There were quite a few strong gusts at 30kph so I decided it was a good time to try choking down the paddle and see what happens. I was very pleasantly surprised with the grip I had and again the stability of the blade gave me great confidence in powering into the wind and staying as low as possible, even with lots of waves. Usually I do not like to choke as I end up hitting the side of my board, especially on my left side, but again I had no issues with this due to the stability of the paddle. One nice feature of the handle is it has a little concave area just at the top of the shaft/handle interface that I could hook my forefinger on to lock in my downward pressure.

When I finally got to the shelter of the far end of the bay I was ready to try sprints. The power of this blade is substantial. I was able to get to some of my top speeds both into the wind and with it. I sprint at around 90-100 SPM but and had no issue with reaching that with this paddle.

When I left the shelter and started my downwind I had no issues with catching bumps with quick high power strokes and had zero slip from the blade.

The concave is about an inch longer than my UV82 concave and has a different shape that most likely adds about 1-2 square inches to the area of this concave. It is also about twice the depth at the top so it most likely adds to the locked in power from this blade. I did find that I did not have as much cavitation on this blade compared to others but I would need more time in calm conditions to finalize this rating.

The shaft seems to have better grip than the last time I tried a Black Project but I was not able to do the sweat test as it was not hot enough. I did try getting the shaft wet and that did provide a little slip so I am guessing I would have to add some wax or a grip tape to assist with this area.

The shaft is fairly stiff but not over the top. It has about the same flex as a Kenalu Flex90 shaft and less flex than my QB UV82 Carbon shaft.

Now for the important rating of would I buy one. The answer to this is yes I would but I will not sell my QB82 for a few reasons. One is this blade is very powerful so I am not sure if I would use it for over 15-20km paddles. The shaft does not have as much grip as my QB UV so I would most likely still use that in hot weather. The other issue I have is the handle is not as comfortable as the QB as I found the top was a little to flat compared to my favorite QB shape.

5

Gear Talk / 2020 Starboard Sprint 14*20.75 Carbon review

« on: September 04, 2020, 02:08:44 PM »

I have been paddling with stronger paddlers lately and have found that my present boards were holding me back from keeping up with the pack. My present boards are a self built paulownia wood hollow wooden board which is a slightly modified Clearwood VLZ 14*23 which is the first version which has a flat deck. My other board is a 2018 Infinity Whiplash 14*25 dugout. The VLZ is pretty fast and very durable but heavy at 39lbs and tippy due to the slight V in the front half of the bottom and very tucked in and rounded rails which limit the stability and have very little secondary stability.   The Infinity is incredibly stable but the top speed is limited by the width of the board.

I have been trying many boards lately but settled on the Starboard Sprint 14*20.75. The reasons for this are as follows:

Stability: This board is almost as stable as my Infinity primary stability but the secondary stability feels like i am hitting a wall when the board rolls past 15-20 degrees. I am always surprised with how stable this board is when I compare this to my VLZ.

Pitch: The 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.

Flatwater Speed: My normal fast pace on the VLZ for a 10K with little wind was 10 min miles or averaging 6mph. On this board in the same conditions and heart rate I can do 6.5 mph average. I find that there is very little wave coming off the front and the board is mesmerising when you get into a rhythm. The glide is great and i find it does not lose speed between strokes like my other boards.

Upwinding: 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 3-4mph average.
Again pitching was at a minimum and I was easily able to apply power in adverse conditions.

Downwinding: Today I was in the most fun conditions to date with this board. The winds increased to 30-40kph for my return so I had 2-4 foot waves. This was my easiest downwind to date in these conditions. The board accelerates so fast I was catching every wave with ease. I did find that I had to move back more than my other boards 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 thing that I had to get used to was keeping more in the center of the board as the deck is not very wide between the raised sides as you move back. Overall I would rate this a 10 for downwinding even compared to my previous favorite which was my Whiplash. Linking bumps was effortless as I could easily power over any small bumps to get to the next set in front of me.
I have also had a Jimmy Lewis Rail and a few other boards in the past and have been out in conditions up to 4-5 foot waves and 40-50kph winds. I have done a lot of downwinders and have a lot of experience.

Sidewinds/sidechop: This is one area that the high sides can have an issue. 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 only thing I had to get used to again was the narrowness of the deck between the raised rails. The deck design does actually work to keep water out of the cockpit. There is a lot of board in the front so you have to get way back to get the front out enough for a fast turn and I had to learn the feel of the pads so I would not step too far back or not go back enough. This is still a work in progress.

Sprints: This is still a displacement board but since it is way lighter than my VLZ I find that the acceleration is fantastic and the stability in less than Ideal conditions has keep me out of the water quite a few times and my overall top speeds are great.

Stiffness: This board feels as stiff as my wood board underfoot. The 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.

Overall: This is a great board and I am not sure why SUPboarder had such an issue with the wider version. For a narrow race board it is very stable. If I tried to go from my 25 inch Infinity to this board it would not have been as easy a transition. I think what Larry Cain says about only going down a few inches at a time is the best but if you can also get on a very unstable board for a while and learn how to relax and be fast on that then anything becomes easy.

6

SUP Gear Reviews / Newly Acquired / On Order / Quickblade UV82 paddle and comparison to others I own or have tried

« on: June 13, 2020, 07:14:29 PM »

I just purchased a Quickblade UV 82 paddle last week and I own a few other paddles that I will compare to this paddle with the reason I am either selling them or did not purchase them. I spent the better part of a month trying to research what size UV I should get as I was concerned that the 82 would be too small. The reason for this concern is I have a Kenalu Mana 82 and I find that that slips in the water when pushing my board above 5.5 mph. I also have a V drive 91 and I love the hard catch and locked in feel of that paddle. I also have a Kenalu Mana 90 which is my go-to paddle for any paddles over 1.5 hours as it has a smooth entry and is a little softer overall compared to the V91.
Since I was so used to the larger blades I was still unable to believe a UV 82 would be the right choice. I contacted June the Machine and he told me UV82 was perfect for him and he is heavier than me.
I contacted QB and they stated that the UV82 is for anyone under 175lbs. I then reached out to the local retailer and found they only carry the 82 as they find most find the 88 too large so I really did not have much choice unless I want to do an order from the US.
Through that local retailer I was able to go out paddling with one of their customers who is my height and he lent me his UV82 full Carbon for the entire 10k paddle. I instantly felt at home with this paddle. It feals like the V91 in many ways. The key differences  to the 91 that solidified the deal for me was it is a little softer overall than the V91 so I can paddle this for longer than 1.5 hours without feeling the effects as hard the next day.
Because I loved the paddle and the stock was low, I guess Covid has many upgrading equipment, I drove strait to the store and got one of their last full carbon models. Evidently there is a little more flex in the fiberglass Hex blade and I wanted to ensure I had the same feel as the one I tried.
I have now had over a week with the new paddle and have had it in many different conditions so I will now give my full impression of the new paddle.
So you can understand my size for comparison. I am 5'9" and about 157 lbs. I bench 235lbs and can row more than that. I tricep extend and bicep curl 110lbs. My normal paddle cadence is 57 strokes per min will bump up to 62-65 when I want to go over 6mph and will do 75-85 in sprints.
To understand why the catch may be about the same as the V91 I compared the size of the V cup on the 91 and the UV cup on the 82. It was not surprising to find that the UV cup is larger. The V91 V cup is 11cm wide but does not go all the way to the tip so it is only 27cm long and about 4mm deep.
The UV Cup is over 30cm long and is again 11cm wide but is over 1cm deep. I believe that the cup is where this blade gets its holding power from. The entry is about the same hard catch of the 91 but perhaps a little softer as I can paddle for more than 2 hours without the same empty tank.
The UV 82 blade loves a good smooth catch and make sure you keep downward pressure and the more the better. Falling on the paddle is very easy and there is a lot of support when you need it at the end of a long distance.
I find the the new diamond pattern raised grip on the shaft has great grip even when palms are sweaty from 90 degree heat with 80% humidity.
The top of the tapered shaft is still large enough that it feels solid when choking down. I also found that the oval area in the lower hand portion of the shaft is just enough to allow you to know that your paddle is oriented correctly and is extremely comfortable.
I have been for paddles longer than 2 hours without the same soreness and wiped out feeling I have with the V91. I believe that if I would have gone for the larger size it would have been too big and I would not be able to use it for longer than 1.5 hours.
Now to compare this to my Kenalu paddles. The Kenalu Mana 82 has a softer feel on the catch and also softer on the power phase to the point I feel the blade slipping under power. The Kenalu 90 again has a softer catch, does not have the same power as the UV 82 or V91 at the power phase but does not slip like the 82. Both of the Mana paddles can wander back and forth a little during the power phase if your catch is not perfect and you cavitate a little.
To compare with another brand I did have several multi-hour trials of the Black Project Hydro Racing Paddle Medium, 84.5 sqin, paddle in the standard shaft. For that paddle to work properly I had to be almost perfect on the catch or it cavitated. For me to have a good catch I had to really think about it and be precise which was an issue at the end of a long hard paddle so I got slower at the end where I normally maintain speed by falling on the paddle harder. If I did not cavitate the paddle had OK power. I would say it had less power than my Mana 90 and about the same as the 82 with a harder catch. This would be expected with the squared off bottom. I am thinking that the 8 degree angle and softer shaft that Black Project advertises was something that would take a while to get used to and perhaps with a lot more time I could have adapted to this paddle.
For the shaft I again took this out on a hot day and found that the shaft became slippery and I would have to have added wax or a grip tape to get the same amount of grip that the QB shaft has. Overall I did not like the paddle enough to get one and no one had the larger blade size for me to try to see if that was any better.

This is my experience with these paddles so please take it as my experience. I am not sponsored in any way and purchase all my paddles at full pop.

7

SUP Gear Reviews / Newly Acquired / On Order / 2018 Infinity Whiplash 14*25 dugout.

« on: October 15, 2018, 02:32:34 PM »

I was not intending to get a new board but my wife was testing the Whiplash dugout that the rep had so she could tell if she wanted the flatdeck version and I spent a lot of time also testing the board.

The first impression was it is nice and quiet on the water, compared to my JL Rail and the Blackfish we also borrowed. The board is also very stable and as you move back the stability only seems to increase. the secondary stability seems endless but the water is too cold to find the limits comfortably so perhaps next year.

Pivot Turns are insanely fast as I can usually do a full turn in 2 strokes as long as the wind is not pushing from the side too much. It is almost too fast as I often find myself having to run forwards to get the turn to stop before I've gone to far.

Speed upwind or no wind- in the flat this is not as fast as my 23 inch wide wood board but it is still about .5-.7mph  faster than my Rail. As the chop increases this board excels as it cuts though with ease and does not slap or ride up the waves as the flatter and wider nose boards do. Again it is faster than my Rail or the other boards I have tried by a small margin in this case. As the chop turns to waves this board is amazing. It just punches through anything with ease.

Speed downwind- I was surprised on how quick this board is when going with the wind and bumps. In 6-10 in chop the catches, punches through the next wave and links another with ease. I found myself at 7-9mph several times in conditions that other boards I've had are only doing 6mph.  As the bumps increase to real downwind again the board is great. The front may pearl but is is a soft entry and is quick to recover. If the pearl is not square the board is stable and does not pitch you off very easily. If you are fast moving back and forth is is almost as good as a true downwind boards in all but the worst lake conditions. One other way to describe this board is stable, predictable and it seems to slow down time. The board give you time to recover and react so there is nothing hitting you out of the blue.

Multifin- I tried the board with the Infinity Angry 4 fins and I love the ventral for going slightly off center or directly to the side in large waves and wind. Without the ventra; the large sides of the dugout can easily be pushed off course but with the ventral this is kept in check. You do have to change sides as I find the paddle torque  affects my course more than without it.
I found that the 3 fins in the rear did not do much for speed but was very stable. I will do more testing with this in the next few months before the water freezes.

Drafting the board- My wife has the flatdeck and there is not much to draft. A proper trim and it seems most of the wake is muted and is more like my Rail which is a pintail. It may be one if the hardest to draft and I will let you know if the multi fin actually affects this when I put the fins on my wife's board.

Overall I love this board and the only reason I got it is I like speed and especially stability when the water and conditions are getting colder.

8

Gear Talk / 2019 Infinity

« on: October 06, 2018, 12:14:39 PM »

Well it seems  there is no more multi-fin option for the Whiplash or Blackfish on the prod boards.

Also Looks like there is a change to the whiplash rear pintail config and the dugout deck is more pronounced and ramps up like the Sprint.

9

Gear Talk / Clearwood VLZ 14 foot hollow race board

« on: September 20, 2018, 04:12:34 PM »

I was not able to budget for a new board this year so I decided to build my own. I found that Clearwood boards had an actual race board available so I ordered the frame kit in Dec 2017. It took a bit to get to me and had some shipping damage so Randy of Clearwood sent more parts free of charge.

I had to build a flat table to build the kit so I started with this which took a full weekend. After test fitting the the kit's ribs I decided that I wanted a little more deck in front of the balance point so I modified the frame to have another 10 inches of forward deck. This added another weekend to the build.

I was originally going to build the kit out of Cedar as it is easy to find but after a lot of research and calls to local exotic wood providers I found some Palownia. It took me some time to get to the supplier but it is a lot of work to actually put the frame together and make sure it is strait so I went to work doing that.

Well it took months to cut, router, plane, fit and glue the hundreds of strips needed to build the board but I finally finished it.

The board is only 23 inches wide with a very sharp bow and a tail of 12.5 inches wide. The bottom starts as a slight V to the mid point which reduces down to flat at the balance point and then starts to be a reverse V all the way to the rear where it becomes a channel.

I figured that it would be a little unstable so I decided to fit a forward ventral fin box.

On the top I fitted many options it has 2 FCS mounts and each one has a leash plug so that anything I put there will have a mount for the strap. I also fitted two venting leash plugs at each end of the deck and a manual vent as well. Lastly I installed 4 leash plugs on the deck for a bungee strap system.

The pad is a cork pad from Solace and a kick pad from Wave Tribe.

The first ride was great and I found that this is not just a flat water board with the ventral installed. I had a lot of people that came out to see the board and the wind had been going all day so there was 1 foot waves. I started to go into them and quickly found I was at 5.5MPH into the wind and waves. The sharp front was cutting the waves like they did not exist and the board was flying. I then decided that I should see what side waves were like and again it was not bad.
I then turned around for the small downbreezer and found that the board was catching waves and instead of hitting the wave in front it cut through and caught the next wave. I was having a blast and then it got even better as a huge boat had gone by and produced 4 foot wakes. I turned, caught and surfed the waves with ease. The board has some rocker so it is not bad when you get back a little.

Overall I am very happy with the board. It is a little heavy at 39Lbs with all access and fin but it is bombproof. Also there is almost no secondary stability so you have to stay alert and the ventral is an advised accessory.

The speed is very good and I am now at 5.6-8mph average in waves and winds and around 5.8-6.3mph in flat. On my JL Rail 26.5 in the same conditions I am at least .6mph slower.

10

Gear Talk / Jimmy Lewis 2018/19 Uboat 14*25 review

« on: July 14, 2018, 07:14:52 PM »

I was able to get a few rides on the board on a few different conditions. In total I have about an hour on the board.

The new sunken deck is great for stability and the board has all the new race features like lifeguard handles and a front mounted leash mount. The deck has a pronounced angle up to the rear deck which takes a little getting used to but is great as the rear has a large amount of volume for pivot turning stability

The new hull Has a flat front rocker with a rounded profile which transitions to a flatter area and then into the single concave for the rear 1/2 and the rocker in the rear third is quite pronounced which is great for riding bumps.

I have been out in flat with a few large boat wakes and never felt like I was going to go swimming as it has great secondary stability. On the flat it has great glide and is very fast. Unfortunately my main board is a JL Rail 14* 26.5 and it is about 1mph faster in most conditions.

I was out in a headwind with 6-10inch waves/chop today with mixed direction waves. I never  had any issues with the board wanting to go with the side waves and it always kept coarse. Going 8nto waves is effortless as the waves break over the front and he board does not lose a beat.

Turning around and going with the waves is great as the rear rocker and volume are perfect for catching waves and if your not fast enough getting back the front has a pronounced peak and a lot of volume to pop out of a pearl quickly.

My average speed without killing myself into a 5-10k headwind and small waves was 5.5mph and downwind was over 6. When I decided to do race pace I was easily.5mph faster. I think I would only get faster as I learned the feel of the board.

If I had the extra funds I would definitely get this board and I think it would be great in all but major downwind conditions on the Great Lakes lakes as the waves on the lakes can get rather steep with little room between that even the huge rocker of my rail has a hard time with unless I am very far back.

11

SUP Gear Reviews / Newly Acquired / On Order / Makani Kawa Fin review

« on: September 27, 2017, 09:34:05 AM »

I always like to tinker and modify my equipment but for a Sup board there is. It much you can do. I decided that I will try out a few different fins to see what kind of change I get.

My testing platform is a Jimmy Lewis Rail 26.5*14 . The second fin I am testing is a Makani Kawa fin as I wanted to see the difference compared to the Tere. I put it on and immediately felt that the board was even more stable. My upwind speed was about .1-.3 mph faster than the stock fin. Downwind was about the same gain but catching a bump was slightly easier compared to stock. Stability was incredible and I found myself catching myself many times in situations that the stock fin would have allowed the board to roll faster/more and I would have fallen in. When doing a pivot turn I am a more stable and turns are still much faster than Stock. The stock fin did not like turning so this is a great improvement.

I tested in side chop and side wind and tracking and stability was increased compared to the stock fin. I also found that I was again .1-.2 mph faster unless the bumps were bigger and then I had a greater increase as I did not have to work as hard stabilizing the board.
The Makani is over 2 mm narrower than the stock fin and is a much smaller surface area. The base is about the same size so the loss in area is all on the back of the fin.  I think much of the speed gain is due to the small overall width and change in the foil shape.

Overall this change was great and it is going to be hard to take off a fin I am so happy with to test another but the water is still warm so it is the best time to do this. Up next I will test the Roto fin.

12

Gear Talk / Makani Tere review

« on: September 15, 2017, 06:23:03 PM »

I always like to tinker and modify my equipment but for a Sup board there is. It much you can do. I decided that I will try out a few different fins to see what kind of change I get.

My testing platform is a Jimmy Lewis Rail 26.5*14 . The first fin I am testing is a Makani Tere fin as that is there downwind fin. I put it on and immediately felt that the board was lighter and acceleration was slightly faster. My upwind speed was about .3 to .5 mph faster than usual. Downwind was about the same gain but catching a bump was slightly easier. Stability was about the same as the previous fin during  paddling. When doing a pivot turn I am a little less stable but turns are so much easier it is well worth the loss. The stock fin did not like turning so this is a great improvement.

I tested in side chop and side wind and tracking and stability was equal to the stock fin. I also found that I was again .3-.5 mph faster.

 The Makani is over 2 mm narrower than the stock fin and is a  much smaller surface area. The base is about the same size so the loss in area is all on the back of the fin. I have a piicture of the two fins on top of each other so you can see the size difference. I think much of the speed gain is due to the small overall width and change in the foil shape.

Overall this change was great and it is going to be hard to take off a fin I am so happy with to test another but the water is still warm so it is the best time to do this. Up next I will test the Kawa fin.

13

Downwind and Racing / New Jimmy Lewis Board Race board.

« on: July 26, 2017, 10:44:43 AM »

Very similar to a AS or Mistral with the single concave as well as the partial/semi displacement nose.

I definitely have to to get one to go with my Rail