Topics

1

Ontario / Escort Boats for Lake Ontario Crossing Race

« on: April 12, 2016, 09:17:29 AM »

Hi everyone, the first ever 32-mile paddleboard race across Lake Ontario this set for this year, and paddlers have started looking for escort boats.

Some details:

Date: September 10th or 11th

Location: Crossing from NOTL or Fifty Point Beach, to Cherry Beach in Toronto (depending on wind).

Time: 7 am. Paddlers will be on the water anywhere from 5 to 8 hrs.

Boats: VHF radio; big enough to carry a 14' board (if necessary).


Each boat will follow a paddler across the lake (think M20 or Catalina). A field of 35 paddlers is set, and it should be an amazing and widely-followed community event with people coming in from 3 provinces and 5 states.


Compensation will be agreed on by each boat/paddler, but drivers can expect to have all of their gas/travel costs covered, at minimum, plus some extra for their time.


If anyone has any contacts on Lake Ontario, please let us know.


Thanks!

More race info is here: www.niagara2toronto.ca

2

Downwind and Racing / Lake Ontario SUP/Paddleboard Crossing

« on: September 17, 2014, 06:08:02 AM »

For your interest... most likely the first prone crossing of Lake Ontario, and 3rd SUP crossing. At minimum, we're setting the bar at sub-6 hrs for others to beat. The route is just under 50 km (31 miles). Go ahead and call it the Canadian equivalent of M20 (with less swell), Chattajack (less scenery) and Catalina (less history). Joking aside, this is a big and exposed paddle, and Great Lakes have been known to sink ships...

https://showerboyproductions.wordpress.com/2014/09/17/lake-ontario-suppaddleboard-crossing/

3

Gear Talk / Paddle Size vs. Board Size

« on: September 08, 2014, 07:21:23 AM »

Would moving up to a longer 18' unlimited board from a 14' board warrant a smaller blade?

I notice after moving to the 18' board a much heavier load on the shoulders and lower cadence. I'm thinking a smaller blade for the longer board would bring the cadence (and speed) up.

Any thoughts on this?

4

Sessions / Ice Storm - Toronto

« on: December 25, 2013, 02:52:00 PM »

Here's a quick video - SUP surfing during the Toronto ice storm.

http://showerboyproductions.wordpress.com/2013/12/25/surfing-the-ice-storm/

5

Sneak Peeks, Rumors, and Wish Lists / Surftech/Bark 2014?

« on: August 22, 2013, 10:21:15 AM »

Most have probably seen the new 12'6:

The New 2014 Surftech Joe Bark Candice Pro Elite paddleboard

Any world on what is coming next year in the 14' range (asside from the Phantom)? Any changes to the Dominator? And importantly, anything narrower this year?

6

Gear Talk / Bark Dominator vs. Starboard Allstar‏

« on: August 06, 2013, 12:01:41 PM »

Anyone have any feedback? Here are the results of a test I did yesterday:

Just for the record, all tests were straight out and back, and comparisons here were back-to-back (with rest) to avoid the impact of fatigue and changing conditions. My GPS was also set to only start recording when the pace fell below 8:00/km to avoid the impact of choppy starts.

Bottom Line: The Starboard Allstar was faster than the Bark Dominator by somewhere in the 0:10-to-0:20/km range with texture on the water, and at least no slower in glass. Top-end speed seemed higher as well. Stepping an inch wider on the Allstar, to 26", cut into this advantage by about 0:10/km.

Here are some details (paces are all min/km):

1) The first test was just 200m runs at moderate effort first thing in the morning when the lake was still glass. The SB25 was 0:10/km faster over 2 runs (out and back), but I'm a bit suspicious of the 2nd run with the Bark. So call it a draw in glassy water, with maybe an edge to the SB25. At any rate, I can safely say that the SB25 is at least not slower than the Bark in glassy water.

SB Allstar 25" vs. Bark Dominator
200m, Moderate effort, full energy, glassy conditions

SB 25": 6:29      
SB 25": 6:25      
Avg: 6:27      

Bark: 6:26      
Bark: 6:46      
Avg: 6:36      

2) Next is the 25" Allstar vs. the Bark over 500m. This was at the very end of our testing (14x500m intervals), so energy was lower. I ran these back-to-back though, so conditions and energy should not be factors. The wind had also kicked up and there was some texture on the lake. Not enough to catch glides, but enough to slap the nose around when going upwind. Here, the SB25 was faster both up and downwind by an average of 0:12/km. The advantage was greater going downwind. To be honest, I felt like I was labouring a bit with the last upwind leg (SB25), so the 9 sec advantage might be understated a bit. Also, I felt that when I really dug in, I got more speed from the SB25 than the Bark - in other words, I think the speed ceiling is higher on the SB25. Stability was no issue for me in these conditions, but the SB25 did roll more side-to-side - not sure what impact this has on speed if I were to quiet it down. Overall, I can confidently say that the SB25 is faster than the Bark by somewhere in the 0:10-0:20/km range when there is texture on the lake. I assume the advantage would be the same or larger in bigger conditions (if you can stay on the board).

SB Allstar 25" vs. Bark Dominator      
500m, Firm effort, lower energy, stiff upwind/downwind with small texture

Upwind:   
         
SB 25": 7:20         
Bark: 7:29         

Downwind:            

SB 25": 6:08         
Bark: 6:22   
      
SB Avg: 6:44         
Bark Avg:   6:56         

3) Finally, the SB25 vs. an inch wider with the SB26. I paddled these back-to-back early in the test, so conditions and energy should again not be a factor. The wind, however, did kick up a bit more with the SB26. Still, the SB25 was faster in both the upwind and downwind legs by an average of 0:10/km.

SB Allstar 25" vs. SB Allstar 26"      
Firm effort, high energy, moderate upwind/downwind with little texture

Upwind:            
SB 25": 6:44         
SB 26": 7:00         

Downwind:            
SB 25": 6:06         
SB 26": 6:10         

SB 25" Avg: 6:25         
SB 26" Avg: 6:35   

7

Downwind and Racing / Toronto Downwinder

« on: July 08, 2013, 07:43:39 AM »

Thought I'd show my appreciation of all the downwind videos posted here by adding one from Toronto. This is about as good as it gets here in July. And no neoprene!

http://showerboyproductions.wordpress.com/2013/07/08/lake-ontario-downwinder/

If someone knows how to embed the video, please do...

8

SUP General / Board Speed vs. Water Temp?

« on: March 13, 2013, 05:05:41 AM »

Anybody have a guess as to how much (if at all) speed is impacted by colder water? I could be wrong, but I think colder water is more dense, but are the differences actually enough to impact speed over a range of 40F to 80F?

9

Share the Stoke / Surfing in the Snow

« on: December 28, 2012, 09:50:40 AM »

This is how we do it in Canada. While everyone was digging out from the storm on Thursday morning, we hit the beach... Sadly, the best part of the day (afternoon session, after a hot tub break) took place when my camera batteries were dead. The sun came out, there was a foot of snow covering everything and the waves were like glass - even cleaner than the ones you'll see in the video.

http://showerboyproductions.wordpress.com/2012/12/28/snow-day/

Sorry for the link, but I still don't know how to embed videos.

10

Share the Stoke / Sunrise Session on Lake Ontario

« on: November 22, 2012, 08:39:55 AM »

Probably the most fun I've had out on the lake to date! A big Saturday wind left clean waves (by our standards) on Sunday at sunrise. And, I had some fun with the paddle mount...

Ok, I can't get this to embed. Here's a link with the video (half way down):

http://showerboyproductions.wordpress.com/2012/11/11/lake-ontario-surfing/

11

Gear Talk / Loose fin?

« on: May 09, 2012, 12:25:36 PM »

Quick question: I just installed a Becker race fin on a Bark Dominator. Should it wobble (side to side), or is something off?

Nevermind, it seems common and could just need a shim. Thanks!

12

Technique / Engaging the Hips

« on: April 16, 2012, 10:56:37 AM »

I'm new to racing and am at the point where I find myself seriously thinking about technique to get faster. The issue is the hips, which I'm sure are a critical source of power. Now, what is the proper feeling we should be chasing?

1. Hips rotating forward, and then uncoiling during the power phase (ie: feeling like your paddle-side hip is forward, then driving back, with some push coming from the non-paddle side leg in a slightly staggered stance).

2. Or, do the hips drive forward? That is, feeling like you're thrusting your hip toward the planted paddle?

Or is it a combination? Unwinding the hips backward, but then driving forward/beginning forward rotation while the paddle is still in the water before the recovery (in other words, the hips leading the recovery after unwinding). Watching a C1 canoer seems to suggest a forward hip thrust.

I know this is critical, just as in any sport (even a good golf swing is built from the ground up). Any advice on getting the right feeling of how the hips act?