Board for Open Ocean Racing

[Stand Up Pittsburgh]

Going to be doing an open ocean race and trying to decide on the best board. Conditions can be flat, downwind, headwind, going into chop, side wind or side chop. I was looking at the SIC X14 or Naish Glide 14' x 29" GS. Open to suggestions. Any comments on these board also are greatly appreciated. I am 5'11" 165 lbs. Long distance race.
Thanks

[raf]

SIC Bullet V2 is in my opinion the best open ocean production board around.  In mixed/random conditions it would probably be faster than an x-14, and in downwind contains (i.e. 50% of the time) it will definitely be faster.  I say it is "the best" because  although it may not be quite as fast as some others, it is extremely comfortable and easy to paddle, so on long paddles you will use less energy. 

I'd qualify this recommendation by admitting I do not have as much experience with different boards as many other folks on this site. 

I would also point out that at your weight the x-14 is likely too wide (and therefor slow)

Raf

[yugi]

^^ agreed

At your height and weight (which I am) I'd take a buddy's 26 wide Javelin for racing (or similar). However I'm sticking with my DW board to do everything plus the odd race.

[headmount]

I agree as well.  If by open ocean racing you mean crossings of over 3 hrs, probably closer to 5, then a stable board is going to be your friend.  Your legs will give out before anything else and balancing a faster narrower board will be much more challenging.  I took pictures the other day from a V2 while gliding and that says a ton for the board.  Livio Menelau one of our best DW paddlers and veteran of many crossings shouts high praise for the V2. 

On a ripping Maliko day on a comparatively sshort 10 miler, there are probably faster boards but for real distance, one has to get real about fatigue.

[headmount]

I'm referring to the 17'4" V2

[Area 10]

I'm going to assume that you are racing in the 14ft class, so an UL board is out of the question. I don't think a board 28-29" wide is too wide for a long distance open ocean race on a 14. If you are a pro athlete or young and very fit with great balance then you could go narrower. But if the race is long enough and choppy enough you will probably pay for that decision at some point. I was watching Danny Ching fall 3 or 4 times at the ISA world championships recently, wondering if he was wishing he'd brought a slightly wider board. Those falls nearly lost him the race.

I am just an average old guy with average balance. So bear that in mind. But if  I was racing a long distance ocean race in the 14 class, I'd use my X14 if the wind was under 15 knots and my SIC Bullet 14V2 if it was over 15 knots. If it was much over 20 knots I might use my Coreban Dart. But ocean paddling, unless you know it will be predominantly in conditions of a certain type (eg. Downwind) is a bit of a lottery when it comes to equipment. Certain features give you a strong advantage in one type of condition but a disadvantage in another. Lots of places around the world do not have reliable wind directions or conditions like Hawaii does. A Bullet 17-4V2 would no doubt be good downwind but if you had a long slog upwind, someone on a narrow 14ft displacement nose raceboard would probably cream you, never mind another UL board with a displacement nose. Most people around the world who are racing in the sea are not doing it on either UL boards or ones with planing noses. But of course if you are racing in Hawaii then use what the Hawaiians use. Personally I'd caution against going too narrow. But only you will know how strong your legs are and how good your balance and endurance is. Ocean paddling is SO much more brutal than flat water paddling over long distances.

[Stand Up Pittsburgh]

Thanks for all the advice. I didn't even think of the SIC Bullet V2. I will be spending at least 4 hours on the board so I would like to error on the side of caution with width. I would like a board that's going to handle the head wind/chop and side wind/chop the best as that's worst case scenario. I currently ride a Naish MC 14' on flat water and on knee high wind swell downwinders. I know I'm not going to be a top finishers as it is more just bragging rights that I did it.

Area 10 - How does the X14 handle headwind/chop and side wind/chop? If we did get some downwind conditions can it pick up bumps?

[Off-Shore]

S.U.P., I have 3 x 14' boards I race. The Think XO 14' is a super fast tippy flat water board for when it is flat, then the SIC Bullet 14V1 TWC for when it gets windy or is a longer race, and then a RedPaddle 14" Race Elite iSUP for travelling.

If it is a short off-shore race (say 3mile / 5km) then I usually take the XO as I know I can keep it balanced, but never for long distance. The SIC Bullet 14 is a great stable go-anywhere board, and I will often beat people on race boards. Mine is the V1 TWC which is heavier than the V2, but still it would be my choice of board for long distance.

Here's a quick vid of the SIC Bullet 14v1 (my "black and white", hence the music) in my favourite place (off-shore ) in a downbreezer. Lumpy, all over the place.. and it's a dream.. This is a board I could easily spend 4 hours on.. Area 10 would probably use his X14 in these low wind conditions. As he says, ocean paddling is so much more brutal than in-shore / coastal or lake paddling..


Music: Blak and White

[spookini]

So yins paddling the Allig-inny Ocean, or the Mononga-hilla??   

[Eagle]

For all purpose all water in the ocean the Bullet 14V2 is a good option.  Lighter breeze go X-14 >  bigger waves go 14V1.  Over 15 miles go for more stability.

Body weight also plays a huge factor - lighter allows much faster planing on the same board in the same wind speed.  At 165 you should be fine on either of them.

Test as many as possible - as what is stable for one may be tippy to another.