Messages

1

Gear Talk / Re: Sup Paddle fpr surf advice

« on: November 23, 2020, 11:52:25 PM »

Yeah adjustable pr multipiece designs are hopeless for surfing, and break all the time. They seize, too.

But I've never broken a one piece. If they do break its usually because of user error, which is why experienced surfers break fewer paddles.

So it's a good point maybe for a total beginner not to spend too much on the first couple.of paddles if you are a surfer.

The Gong paddles are incredible value. I have several of their 7" wide pro carbon paddles and prefer them to several much more expensive paddles i have from top brands. The shaft is so forgiving on the body, and there is something about the shaft and blad e combo that makes them really good for getting into waves and downwind bumps.

2

Gear Talk / Re: Gong Perv 12'6 -> when is a 2+1 setup useful?

« on: November 12, 2020, 03:00:51 PM »

The Gong Perv works very well with a 2+1 setup, and is massively better for surf or downwind. I use a 7.5" centre fin in mine. The side bites add drive, directionality, and a certain amount of extra stability. So unless you are just paddling distance
, especially in flat water, I'd recommend using a 2+1 setup.  In the real world the extra drag of the side bites is usually outweighed by increased tracking and control.

3

Gear Talk / Re: x-bionic BR1 14x22

« on: November 12, 2020, 02:55:22 PM »

Presumably hollow? Yes, cheap compared with comparable carbon boards - 50% carbon?

Will be interesting to see it in the hot sun of tropical climates.  Good if you want to fry an egg.

Bruno does seem to be tolerant of BS in his marketing material. If I'm spending a couple of grand on a board I want to know what I'm buying. "It's secret" keeps my money firmly in my pocket - phrases like that IMO are equivalent to the phrase "BS incoming".

But maybe this is a tax-efficient way to be an athlete these days, and if you are comfortableon a 22" wide board you are fast already, so I doubt you'll see many people going slowly on one of these.
.

4

Flatwater and Touring / Re: Respectable times ?

« on: October 10, 2020, 07:11:23 PM »

I think that an easy to remember milestone in a person's paddling evolution is to be able to cover 5 miles in one hour. That pace won't win you any races, but you probably won't be last, and it will take a fair degree of fitness and at least a halfway passable stroke to achieve it

And yes, changing your board always makes a disappointingly small difference to your average speed. Losing weight and improving fitness and technique are the most effective ways of getting significantly faster.

5

Random / Re: Surfer Magazine furloughs its entire staff

« on: October 04, 2020, 03:48:01 AM »

Good for them to use their fading voice for a positive goal. Hopefully David Pecker will follow Trump's advice on how to treat covid19.

6

General Discussion / Re: new sup

« on: October 04, 2020, 03:39:05 AM »

I agree. Get the 12-6 x 32 voyager. I pump my Reds up to 25PSI without problem.

Of course, you would be much better off with a hard board  though. You know that, right? Especially at your weight. They are more stable, safer, last longer, and cope with poor weather better. There are downsides to hard boards - mainly storage and the fact that you have to baby them out of the water. But in virtually all other respects they are far better.

7

General Discussion / Re: Surfing on Hala Carbon Playa

« on: September 06, 2020, 07:42:26 PM »

Inflatables suck for surf and downwinding. They are OK to learn to surf if you are a total.beginner. But that's it. They stick to.the water, flex like crazy, and the big fat round rails and voluminous tail makes them a nightmare to turn - very slow pivot turns is the best you can hope for. There are some activities where the performanceof an inflatable isn't too far off a hard board. But surf and downwinding are exceptions.

8

Gear Talk / Re: 2020 Starboard Sprint 14*20.75 Carbon review

« on: September 06, 2020, 01:03:34 PM »

Lightcorp/Nelo will eventually learn that the secret to making the fastest raceboard is finding a way to make narrow boards as stable as possible. Pretty much anything else, assuming the bow isn't like a brick, including weight, is secondary to finding the best width/stability ratio IMO. 

9

Gear Talk / Re: Unlimited vs 14 ft in Flat Water...Which is Faster?

« on: September 04, 2020, 05:31:49 AM »

Ok, this thread prompted questions about the weight of the 2020 SIC Bayonet 17.1. I suspected that the weights shown on the website were wrong, so I contacted SIC and got the following reply from Anthony Scaturro, who is the Global Brand Manager for SIC. I was asking how the weights of the 2020 model built in the Kinetic factory (single carbon layup) compared to the 2019 model built in the Cobra factory (double carbon layup).

He said:

"The information you are looking for is as follows

2020 KINETIC (current weight): 15.6 kg | 34.5 lbs. The 2019 Bayonet produced at Cobra was 15.4 kg | 34.0 lbs. Boards manufactured with hand laid up glass can have about a +/- 5%. When comparing 2019 Cobra and 2020 Kinetic the weight difference between the 2 boards is 200 g / 0.5 lbs.

The 2020 board produced at Kinetic is stronger and stiffer than the 2019 Cobra built board even though it is a similar but not exact same layup. Additionally, the paint job on the 2020 board is more elaborate and therefore more paint, which = more weight".

So, there are two take-home messages from this, one of them clearer than the other.

The first is that I very much doubt that the 34.5lb SIC Bayonet 17ft downwind board will be faster in pure windless flat water than the 25.3lb 14ft x 24.52 RS raceboard, unless maybe the person paddling them is Godzilla. A nearly 10lb difference in weight will be very noticeable.

The second is that apparently Kinetic have managed to make a single carbon construction board "stronger and stiffer" than Cobra was able to make it using a double-carbon layup, but in doing so they have also made the board a little bit heavier. Note that, unlike the RS and Bullet boards, the 17ft Bayonet is not a full PVC sandwich layup (sadly).

Oh, and yeah, I was right - the weights quoted for the 2020 17ft Bayonet online are a typo


 

10

Gear Talk / Re: Is it normal for paddle handles to snap off?

« on: August 31, 2020, 08:34:17 AM »

The Wiki has a fairly brutal catch IMO. If I was buying one I'd be getting the smallest blade they do. But then again, I'd buy a Mana instead. I agree with Burchas.

11

Gear Talk / Re: Starboard Generation

« on: August 31, 2020, 08:28:33 AM »

The Hypr Hawaii 12-6 gun is 12-6 x 29" and is very stable and surfs excellently. Or, if you live in Europe, the Gong Perv 12-6 x 30 is tough and excellent value and is a very stable surf-cruiser that surfs really well too.

12

Gear Talk / Re: Winter wetsuit question

« on: August 28, 2020, 03:07:27 PM »

I surf the UK all year round in an O'Neill 5/4 with separate hood, boots and gloves. The water here goes down to 4C but the windchill cools it down a lot more than that. Some people manage without gloves and then complain that their hands hurt when they've gone blue. I cant see the point of that.

13

Gear Talk / Re: Is it normal for paddle handles to snap off?

« on: August 28, 2020, 03:02:53 PM »

The Ke Nalu paddles have a special extended handle that assembles with hot glue, so
 You can change the length easily. Sounds like one of them would be a good solution for you. Its basically an adjustable fixed length paddle - very cool.

14

Gear Talk / Re: New Blackfish dugout

« on: August 28, 2020, 02:46:06 AM »

What is the point of the Infinity brushed carbon look? It still doesn't keep the board cool enough to do away with worrying about the sun, and it looks absolutely awful. I'd rather have a proper paint job and accept a little weight gain. Or even better, a resin tint.

15

Gear Talk / Re: Is it normal for paddle handles to snap off?

« on: August 28, 2020, 02:41:07 AM »

You are perhaps being a bit harsh on the OP guys. Even a very cheap paddle (which this was not) should not break like this.

 But I know what you mean. Experienced watersports people are used to the concept of "you get what you pay for" and that quality brands produce quality products. Adjustable paddles almost always break or seize in time, also. Moving parts in marine environments require maintenance.

Paddle failures of one-piece paddles from specialist paddle brands like Quickblade, KeNalu, ZRE, Blackfish, Kialoa etc (to name only a few) when those paddles have been looked after (rather than e.g left to rattle around in the back of a truck, or used to entertain the dog) are surprisingly rare.