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Messages - SurfKiteSUP

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1
SUP General / Re: Starboard Pro vs. Infinity Blurr v2, thoughts?
« on: February 09, 2024, 11:14:12 AM »
Just to circle back to my original post.. almost two years later I'm the proud new owner of a lightly used 8'5"x30.5", 121L Infinity BlurrV2.

First of all though...
Many thanks to @supthecreek for his remarkably detailed emails when I casually asked in an email basically, "Do you think a Genration Kanga would suit me?"  I feel bad for all the effort he put in to provide me with all the pros and cons and possible alternatives since I didn't end up buying his eventual recommendation, an SPX.  @supthecreek, you are really a great ambassador for Sunova and the sport in general.  Sunova/GR will be at the top of my list for my next board for sure.

I've only had a few surfs on the Blurr so far but I think I'll be happy with it.  I can definitely tell the difference the volume and outline make to the stability but I was able to stand up immediately and paddle around, albeit a bit tentatively.  After an hour or so, I was feeling a bit more comfortable and able to catch a few smaller waves.  I realized I had some bad/lazy habits from being on the Wedge though.

The main one was the stability of the Wedge didn't really require me to paddle around in a semi-surf stance so I never really practiced it.  The Blurr definitely requires it especially when paddling for a wave.  I don't think it has to be an extreme staggered stance but about an 18" difference fore/aft is enough to noticeably improve the perceived stability.

Another stability-related bad habit was to not get my paddle in the water immediately after popping up. You can be quite sloppy on the popup on the Wedge and get away with it.  The Blurr is less forgiving and having the paddle in the water helps quite a bit.

The Blurr weighs about 16lbs and the Wedge (after a buckle repair) weighs about 22lbs - both of them weighed with fins.  So, quite a noticeable difference there too.

One thing I don't like about the Infinity is the shallow handle. You can't really stick your whole hand in to get a comfortable grip.  A fairly minor gripe since it's almost a third lighter than the Starboard but still a little annoying during longer treks down to the beach.

The Blurr is faster than the Wedge down-the-line but that's probably to be expected due to it's narrower width, finer rails, and much smaller center fin on the Blurr.  I've only surfed with the stock Infinity fins so far but have a set of Black Project Flow (Large) fins waiting.  Not expecting much difference there though since their templates are almost the same.

Haven't had a chance to do many turns on the Blurr yet (mostly closeout beachbreaks lately) but the few I have done have felt really good.  Even though the Blurr is only a couple inches shorter than the Wedge, it feels like I don't have to reach as far to get the rear foot closer to the tailpad.  That and the thinner rails from the stepped deck make turns easier to initiate and hold.

Hoping to get in the water this weekend finally after all the rain we've had in SoCal and continue to get a better feel for the new board.

Thanks again to everyone with their input and suggestions!

2
Sessions / Re: Sunday Big Day
« on: March 19, 2023, 07:31:32 AM »
NICE!!

3
SUP General / Re: 8'6" new deal.
« on: March 08, 2023, 02:16:52 PM »
@B-Walnut... curious, what did you not like about the SB Spice?

Was considering it as my next board but some mixed reviews about it so would like to hear your feedback.

I'll throw out the caveat that the demo was for the 8'8" x 32" 140l board which is far wider and higher volume than I would ever buy. That being said the things I didn't like were:
.
.
.

Wow!  Thanks for the detailed response.

I'm on the SB Wedge 8'7" and looking for the next board in my progression.  I lean more toward the shortboard-style surfing so something like a Spice or the new JP SurfPlus or something similar - a little shorter and less volume.  Not sure I'm ready to step all the way to the "pro" surf shapes yet.

Anyway, thanks for the info and sorry to hijack your thread!

4
SUP General / Re: 8'6" new deal.
« on: March 08, 2023, 08:47:42 AM »
@B-Walnut... curious, what did you not like about the SB Spice?

Was considering it as my next board but some mixed reviews about it so would like to hear your feedback.

5
General Discussion / Re: 4/3 Wetsuit - 2023?
« on: January 01, 2023, 07:00:44 PM »
A similar approach to Beasho and PonoBill - I wear a 2mm hooded vest with a fuzzy lining under any mid-range 3/2 that fits decent.  The 3/2 usually gets me down to 58 degree water.  If it's a cold 45 degree offshore morning or the water temps drop to the mid-50's then adding the hooded vest keeps me warm and maintains the flexibility.

The hands are what weak link for me when it's that chilly and the wind is blowing.  I sometimes wear O'Neill 1.5mm gloves but it only delays the pain.  Once the sun comes up, they help warm up the hands though.

I used to wear a 2/2 instead of the 3/2 but they are hard to find as a full suit.  Usually, I see them as farmer johns.  Xterra (the triathlon brand) used to make a 2/2 and they were frequently on sale for $99.  They were as good as most mid-range 3/2's but only lasted about a season and a half before they started leaking like a sieve.  I believe their surf side of the business is mostly defunct now though.  I see Need Essentials sells 2/2's but they were out of stock the last time I bought a wetsuit.

6
General Discussion / Re: 4/3 Wetsuit - 2023?
« on: January 01, 2023, 05:53:02 PM »
A similar approach to Beasho and PonoBill - I wear a 2mm hooded vest with a fuzzy lining under any mid-range 3/2 that fits decent.  The 3/2 usually gets me down to 58 degree water.  If it's a cold 45 degree offshore morning or the water temps drop to the mid-50's then adding the hooded vest keeps me warm and maintains the flexibility.

The hands are what weak link for me when it's that chilly and the wind is blowing.  I sometimes wear O'Neill 1.5mm gloves but it only delays the pain.  Once the sun comes up, they help warm up the hands though.

7
Travel, Trips, Destinations / Re: Intermediate SUP surf spot on Oahu?
« on: December 26, 2022, 10:53:32 AM »
I've only been to the North Shore a few times but I would say Pua'ena Pt (just east of Haleiwa like Pono Bill said) would be a good beginner/intermediate spot.  They do surf lessons on the inside and you can always go out further for heavier surf if there is swell.  After that maybe Laniakea or Chun's on smaller days would probably also work depending on your comfort level.

8
Gear Talk / Re: Ke Nalu No More
« on: December 12, 2022, 11:13:33 AM »
Interesting. I just saw this video David John posted and noticed  a Ke Nalu tent at the event. Couldn’t see if there was any product though.


From Seabreeze... Not sure if "Deano72" is just saying he has plenty because they are still being produced or plenty of leftover stock remaining

9
The Shape Shack / Re: Foaming Epoxy Additive - supplier?
« on: September 20, 2022, 10:15:31 AM »
This guy is using to fill up a sailboat rudder and does a few tests to see how it expands and bonds...

https://youtu.be/2RFzH_NB148?t=330

10
Random / Re: wetsuit locker for van camper
« on: August 30, 2022, 06:47:49 AM »
Probably not recommended while driving around  ;D but these seem pretty functional.. https://malooracks.com/products/dryrack

11
SUP General / Re: Starboard Pro vs. Infinity Blurr v2, thoughts?
« on: April 30, 2022, 09:29:10 PM »
Thanks for all the feedback so far!

@STC - Thanks for the vote of confidence but there's no way I would come close to your handiwork.  My previous repair attempts on my surfboards have all been hack jobs so I'll let the professionals fix this one. haha 

I did take the board into the ding repair and the quick estimate is "around $200" so not too bad.

I also went into the local SUP shop to window shop and the owner was really steering me towards the Infinity RNB.  He says he should have one for demo mid-May'ish so I guess I'll put it on the list. 

I may not have much of a choice b/c he said his Starboard rep said he basically wasn't going to be able to get him any boards (that he wants) until 2023!  He says he's getting like 50 boards (many spoken for already) from Infinity in the coming months.

12
SUP General / Re: Starboard Pro vs. Infinity Blurr v2, thoughts?
« on: April 28, 2022, 09:10:09 AM »
Looking at the pic, why does that fiberglass look dry? Board pros chime in

Hmm, didn't notice that before.  Good eye!  I will ask about it when I take it into the shop for repair estimates.

13
SUP General / Starboard Pro vs. Infinity Blurr v2, thoughts?
« on: April 27, 2022, 12:24:19 PM »
Didn't make it over a set wave this a.m. and the board went over the falls and broke my leash.  When I finally caught up to my board I found this  :(  Creased it all the way across about 3' from the tail.

I'll see if I can get it fixed but it does give me the excuse to start shopping for a new board. 

This was my first "real" board (8'7" Wedge, 143L) and I love it but am looking for a tad more maneuverability.  It is just a bit unwieldy to try and crank a turn on the imperfect beach break waves I usually surf.

Wanting to be a bit more active in my surfing (rather than just shooting down the line) I'm looking at shorter lengths and slightly less volume and "surf-ier" shapes.  I've narrowed it down to a couple of boards for now (but keeping an open mind for other suggestions and assuming I can find one) - 2021/22 8'0 Starboard Pro (121L) or an 8'5" Infinity Blurr v2 (121L).

A few questions for the gallery...
  • is a 20L drop in volume too aggressive?  I mostly surf the dawn patrol so the conditions are usually pretty clean.  I'm pretty stable on the Wedge but it is a (32") wide board.  So not sure if a drop to 29.5/30.5" width will be too much. I'm 5'11" 195# for reference.
  • I'm leaning towards the Starboard just because it is a little shorter so in theory would be a bit more maneuverable, but does 5" really make a difference?(...that's what she said).  Conversely, is 8' too short?
  • Will the promised added performance gain be just in my head?  The Wedge has really been a great board and can surf small mush waves as well as take about as big and steep of a drop as I'll ever take.  The main thing I wish for is to be able to get back to tail without it wheelie-ing which then makes me a bit out of control on a faster wave.  Just better technique?
  • Quatro has a board in this range (Carve 8'2" 120L) but they just look a little "bulky" to me.  Do they surf better than they look? 
  • does anybody have any experience with the SB Pro and BlurrV2 and can compare/contrast?


Thanks for any feedback!

14
SUP General / Re: Kailoa paddle cut down
« on: February 14, 2022, 07:46:00 AM »
Can you remove the blade and shorten it from the blade end?  Then you wouldn't have to worry about the taper.

15
Having decided to stick around for a longer period this winter I realized Glacier Gloves is no longer a viable option. It used to be the case I could get the model I like around $20 on Amazon but prices more than doubled and 3 pairs per season is an expensive proposition.

Any recommendation for a good winter winging glove that would last more than a season?

Not sure which model you like but some are on sale direct from them right now... https://glacierglove.com/kenai-waterproof/

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