Topics

16

Downwind and Racing / 25' Starboard Downwinder

« on: November 28, 2010, 03:42:12 AM »

Well two 12'6" s anyway

Another gentle one unfortunately but interesting to see the 12'6 Pin and the 12'6 Surf Race together. I'm 145lbs and I guess Big Wave Dave is 230lbs. Pity we didn't get any big waves!

The Pin is a little like the K15 in that both are excellent cruising and downwind boards IMO, you can see the way the nose of the Pin pierces the wave in front and hardly slows the board down at all.

In these very light conditions the Surf Race 12'6 makes it so easy to catch the little runners, hope you enjoy it!

17

Downwind and Racing / Melbourne Downwind video - long version

« on: October 13, 2010, 07:04:57 AM »

Sorry admin, feel like DJ and I are taking over the Downwind Racing and Touring Category today!

With DW's help i got the full version to load.....


<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/15803869" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="">Downwinder With Friends</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2692211">Jonathan Cowcher</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

18

Downwind and Racing / Another Melbourne Downwind video

« on: October 13, 2010, 02:17:45 AM »

My first video attempt, only a shortie, Vimeo couldn't deal with the full 7 minute original. I'm on the Starboard Surf Race 14, Paul on the K15 and DJ on the Naish 17 Glide.  Good fun!

19

Downwind and Racing / Downwind Fins

« on: October 12, 2010, 05:44:16 PM »

Just received two new fins for my downwind boards. They are from Maui Ultra Fins http://www.mauiultrafins.com/MUF7_english/Home.html. Bought them online and the whole process was fast and very efficient, good communication. Only $105 each and $25 to ship them both to Australia.

Put the 28 onto my Starboard Surf Race 14' and after one run I'm really happy with it. Tracks well but is still loose enough to allow easy redirection down faces, will report back after doing a run in bigger swell, but so far it's great. I'll also try the 26cm, it may well be big enough.

  

20

Gear Talk / Starboard Surf Race 12'6

« on: April 29, 2010, 12:53:11 AM »

The new full carbon Surf Race arrived just before we went to Maui and I've only had a chance for one paddle on it so far. The thing is such a wild shape it's really hard to photograph effectively, obviously very much based on paddle board shape.

Dave and I went for a paddle in really crappy on-shore 15 knot conditions, sea was super choppy, the board is really surprisingly stable considering it's only 26 1/2" wide, I was sure I would fall in but managed not to. On the way back in we ended up going almost exactly the same speed and catching the same waves - Dave was on his old style DC16. The waves weren't huge, two or three feet trough to peak and rough as guts but it certainly caught them easily and felt easy to get back and surf a little, really need a much better day to get a feel for it though. The nose is such a different shape to anything I've paddled before, heaps of volume but relatively low rocker. I imagine it will poke in but just come straight up, time will tell!

On the flat water inside the marina the glide was quite remarkable, it feels faster than The Pin but I really need to time over the same course on the same day to be sure. The secondary stability is amazing, with Dave on it at 225lb he could rock it over to 30 or 40 degrees and it would just right itself.

I'll post more impressions once I've had a couple of paddles on it. The fin that's in the photos isn't the factory one, just waiting for the factory one to arrive - thought the red matched though... I'm going to try a much smaller fin, this one felt too big - it's such a different board, feels like everything I know doesn't apply to this guy! The nose reminds me of a wooden clog...

Drain holes on each side of the sunken deck work really well, you don't even notice any water there unless you happen to to look down and see water hosing out each side - clears really fast.

21

The Shape Shack / Rocker and outline for prone/kneeling paddleboards

« on: January 31, 2010, 01:18:07 PM »

Realise this is off topic but I'm guessing that some of you guys may have experience with owning/making paddleboards.

My 15yo son is keen for me to make  two 12 or 14' paddle boards for he and a friend to do distance and down-winders on. They surf life-save so have experience on the terrifyingly tippy wave paddleboards  that are about 10'6 x 20". It would also be something he could join me on long distance paddles and down-winders on my SUP

Looking to make 20" boards but longer, assume the rocker would be very similar to a down-wind SUP, the photos of the paddleboards I have seen usually show a tear-drop flat section and very large radius soft rails - nice and easy to shape.

These board seem very weight specific, guess I'd just make them thinner overall for lighter riders.

Any thoughts/experience would be most welcome - one of the big unknowns for an open water board I have is whether to go for a pointy piercing nose or the more bulbous style. I guess the bulbous nose would be harder to pearl but "slappier" going upwind in chop.

Thanks JC

22

Downwind and Racing / Support boat for Maui Molokai

« on: January 26, 2010, 04:26:21 AM »

Hi All,

We had a race in Melbourne today and talking to a few people realise that there are probably 10 Aussies that I know of coming to Maui for the race in April.

Made me realise that I'd better start organising a support boat. Does anyone have any contacts for support boat owners or know the best way to arrange for one?

I emailed the organisers of the event and they said it would be OK for two or three SUP paddlers to share a boat, even if we all planned to do it solo.  I suspect Maui is going to see plenty of people coming in from overseas for this style of event.

23

Downwind and Racing / Maui distance/downwind paddle buddies

« on: November 02, 2009, 01:50:31 PM »

If anyone on Maui is planning a down-winder or distance paddle and wants some company please let me know.
Thanks,
             Jonathan

24

Downwind and Racing / Square Tail or Pin Tail on Race/Downwind Boards

« on: October 27, 2009, 11:26:38 PM »

Just an observation, seems that some of the downwind/race boards have square tails - the Naish 14' Glide, Joe Blair 12'6, Stamp while most have pin tails SIC F Series, Bark, Foote etc .

I've been trying to work out the reasoning, square tail makes sense to keep the width and volume in a shorter board or to fit into a "class" such as the 14' Naish, maybe it makes it a little friendlier for stepping back for pivot turns. Maybe it helps catching a wave.

Does anyone have anything concrete about the hydrodynamics though? The other confusing thing is that most racing yachts are squared off too, is this just to keep them stable and provide a usable width, I can't imagine the racing yachting fraternity compromising hull shape in any way if it reduced speed.

I'd love to hear some theories and with any luck some facts..... and get this part of the forum humming again!

Cheers,
            Jonathan

25

Gear Talk / Garmin Forerunner 310XT

« on: October 23, 2009, 04:17:41 PM »

Hi

Anybody tried the new Garmin 310XT GPS watch yet? Interesting thing is that finally they have increased the degree of water resistance to 50m from the usual IPX7 of the other GPS watches, I've held off because of experience with other IPX7 rated GPS's that have always leaked in the end.

Cheers,
              Jonathan

26

Downwind and Racing / Very short downwind board

« on: August 23, 2009, 04:41:01 PM »

Just after some advice on an idea before I rip into the foam.

Airline cargo restrictions being what they are mean that 9' is no problem, so heading to a windy but pretty much flat water with a chance of small swell got me thinking.

How would a 9' x 29" board with classic downwind/race board rocker go? I'm thinking quite a boxy rail shape, maybe single to double concave, square tail, pretty flat throughout but some nose kick to try to avoid perling. Don't think there is the length to do anything too fancy with the nose, just try to keep it as gunny as possible. I'm only 148lb so that helps. I know a 2 piece board would be a solution, just seems too hard from scratch - might end up with a Destruct rather than a Bisect!

Any thoughts or experience would be very welcome.

Thanks,
             Jonathan