Author Topic: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"  (Read 74445 times)

1paddle2paddle

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #30 on: October 16, 2011, 02:53:50 PM »
Did DJ ever try this board on a downwind?  WHat would be the upper weight limit for it (assuming average balance of the rider) in moderate downwind conditions?

DavidJohn

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #31 on: October 16, 2011, 03:09:26 PM »
Did DJ ever try this board on a downwind?  WHat would be the upper weight limit for it (assuming average balance of the rider) in moderate downwind conditions?

No..  Not yet.. Maybe when the water warms up..  ;D .. We are heading into our Summer soon.

I'm sure I'd be fine on it in flat water but on a DW'er I'm sure I'd find it pretty tippy at my weight.

We have a couple of DW days coming up later this week so I might have a go then.

DJ

1paddle2paddle

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #32 on: October 16, 2011, 08:28:10 PM »
I'm sure I'd be fine on it in flat water but on a DW'er I'm sure I'd find it pretty tippy at my weight.

We have a couple of DW days coming up later this week so I might have a go then.

DJ
I bet you guys are looking forward to some warmer conditions...

I remember seeing a picture with feet submerged on a board - was that the Jonathan's ACE?

DavidJohn

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #33 on: October 17, 2011, 01:14:15 AM »
I remember seeing a picture with feet submerged on a board - was that the Jonathan's ACE?

That was me on Paul's 23" wide 'New'.. (proto.. ex EJ board)

DJ

balance_fit

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #34 on: January 05, 2012, 09:55:02 AM »
...thought I might fall in but was pleasantly surprised with the stability of the board and blown away by the tiny lumpy little runners it could catch. Amazingly stable for a 25" board and DRY FEET!...
Without doubt, the fastest light wind downwind board I've ever been on...
Well, JC, after studying your videos, reading all about it and looking at pictures over and over again, I feel this will be my next sup.I strongly favor prone paddleboard inspired designs in sup, so I  currently paddle a LahuiKai Surftech Mitcho 14. I have no issues with the LK stability at all. I am 160 lbs at 6ft tall.
The stability concerns me with the ACE 25".
I paddle in mixed conditions, no more than 1 meter swells on 15knot downwinders, lots of flatwater too.
I've demo'ed Javelin, Bark Dominator.
How would you compare the Ace's stability against these two? Other Zoner's comments welcome!
No Starbies here to demo...
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paddledaddy

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #35 on: January 05, 2012, 11:33:03 AM »
Hi Balance-fit:
I am 200 pounds and own the ACE 12'6"x25". Actually mine is "the New" but it's the same board as the ACE. Anyway, these boards are more stable than you would expect because you are standing so low in the sunken foot wells. It is less stable than the Bark production boards but more stable than a Javeline. These boards are a lot of fun because they tend to ride over chop instead of getting smacked around by it. They also cheat the wind surprisingly well. I think all the rounded edges allow the wind to wrap around without pushing any large flat sides like you find on many other boards. Enjoy. By the way I have the 12'6"x25" New for sale on the west coast of Florida. If anyone is interested.

balance_fit

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #36 on: January 05, 2012, 01:49:01 PM »
.......these boards are more stable than you would expect because you are standing so low in the sunken foot wells....These boards are a lot of fun because they tend to ride over chop instead of getting smacked around by it. They also cheat the wind surprisingly well.

Thanks for your reply paddledaddy !
The sunken footwells are one of the reasons i like the ACE. It makes a lot of sense to lower the paddler's stance, increasing stability, and allowing one to use a narrower beam. Two ways of improving speed.
The feeling of riding over chop as you describe it, is another of the reasons i prefer concave bottoms over piercing-bow designs for mixed waters and downwinds too.
My current sup, the LK 14, has the double concave bottom and it floats over chop as it were not there. As i have seen, the ACE has a concave bottom under the standing area too. Not being perturbed by chop really helps stability too!
I had the opportunity of paddling two very popular 12'6" with piercing noses  and v'd bottoms, and, even though they went very well dead against the wind, any side chop or gust caused an inmediate change in course that was quite tiring to correct over and over again. Not mentioning going upwind with a beam wind in anything over 1 foot chop. Horrible.
This doesn't happen with the double concave bottom i ride now and i hope the ACE performs similarly in this respect, which is a secondary concern.
My biggest worry is the stability in crosschop and your comments really helped to attenuate the worry !
Thanks and be well,
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JonathanC

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #37 on: January 05, 2012, 03:35:27 PM »
Just came home from a paddle on the Ace, paddled with a buddy in open ocean conditions with lots of backwash from rocks and islands, 4' ocean swell running and very disturbed water state from days of wind, still blowing 10 to 15 knots. VERY trying conditions stability wise, and you know what, I did exactly the same paddle yesterday on the Ace in slightly smaller but similar conditions.

Well today I did fall off twice over a 5 mile paddle, yesterday stayed dry, but the way that board pierces through all that slop and catches runners on the way home is truly remarkable. I have a Race 14 x 28 Open Ocean which surely would have been the 'sensible' option for these conditions but there is just something about that 14 x 25 Ace that keeps on making me take it out in the worst conditions! The nose stays low and allows the board to catch a swell and stay on it even when it seems like the swell has been swamped in cross chop. 

Trouble is this board spoils you, I find now getting onto anything else is a let-down, I'll only take out the Open Ocean if its absolutely wild, in fact I was really close to selling the OO because I'm just not using it. Quite a contrast because 6 months ago I couldn't believe how good the OO was and how much improved from the model before, of course it's still fantastic and very stable....just something about the Ace

balance_fit

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #38 on: January 05, 2012, 05:05:50 PM »
........open ocean conditions with lots of backwash from rocks and islands, 4' ocean swell running and very disturbed water state from days of wind, still blowing 10 to 15 knots. VERY trying conditions stability wise....but the way that board pierces through all that slop and catches runners........there is just something about that 14 x 25 Ace that keeps on making me take it out in the worst conditions! The nose stays low and allows the board to catch a swell and stay on it even when it seems like the swell has been swamped in cross chop. 
Trouble is this board spoils you......just something about the Ace.......
Hi JC ! Glad to hear you had a blast !!
Those conditions you describe are quite similar to the worst case scenario i would dare to face ! I choose my downwind days to be smaller, organized, but with similar winds. It's very encouraging to know you faced such seas and only fell off twice. Any gps readings for that run?
Seems the ACE is very well rounded in it's capabilities and this draws me closer to buying one. The fact you're choosing it instead of the OO speaks highly of it. My current sup, LK14, is very stable at almost 28" wide, possibly similar in stability to the OO. I love it's prone paddle board inspired design, similar in some respect to the ACE.
Handling cross chop is something i appreciate very much. I suspect that the nose and concave bottom of this board has a lot to do with it.
Did the cockpit ever swamped?
Many thanks for the info, be well !
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PT Woody

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #39 on: January 05, 2012, 07:17:44 PM »
Counting the days until my 14' x 25" Ace arrives. Come on big cargo ship, move your arse.

balance_fit

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #40 on: January 05, 2012, 07:52:46 PM »
Counting the days until my 14' x 25" Ace arrives. Come on big cargo ship, move your arse.
Ohhhh......I should be in this ritual soon....PT, please share the stoke when it arrives !
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JonathanC

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #41 on: January 05, 2012, 09:16:25 PM »
Hi balance_fit, the cockpit never really goes close to swamping, there are four drain holes now and to be honest I had to scratch my head and think about water around my feet. Just don't actually remember any water in the cockpit at all, I'm sure it comes in but must drain straight out. I'm light, about 150 so I guess its floating quite high in the water.

Was thinking this morning as I was paddling that I'd love to try the 27" Ace, the conditions I was in were really pretty testing and it would be nice to have some more stability to really relax and put the power down, just cant get my head around the fact that the 27" has 89 litres more volume than the 25" version. For crying out loud, my 7'4" POD is only 110 litres total!


balance_fit

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #42 on: January 06, 2012, 05:25:33 AM »
...the cockpit never really goes close to swamping...

... the 27" has 89 litres more volume than the 25" version....

Hi JonathanC

I weigh only 10 lbs more, and swamping shouldn't be an issue with my weight. Seems the 4 drainholes do the job pretty fine !
It'll be interesting to read your review on the 27". Even though it should be more stable because of width, the extra volume could float your weight higher, so that the center of gravity of the paddler/sup combo may be higher than in the 25". This could make it less stable than intended. Maybe crosswind could also affect it more....just musing...
I had a Mitcho 12'6" for several months as tryout. I loved it except for the initial tipiness, which was just too much in choppy seas. If the 25" ACE has slightly better initial stability than the Mitcho 12'6", I'm game !
Thanks for your review, be well
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1paddle2paddle

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #43 on: January 06, 2012, 04:51:00 PM »
Did the cockpit ever swamped?
Many thanks for the info, be well !
Aloha BF,

Even at 185 pounds the cockpit does not swamp.  Of course I cannot take the board out in heavy conditions and expect to stay upright, so I haven't tested it in really rough conditions, but it takes less water than the surf ski and because the bottom of the footwells are still above the water line, and doesn't have the drainage issue of trying to create a vacuum to drain the water.

PT Woody

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #44 on: January 06, 2012, 05:27:17 PM »
I have a prototype 12'6" New that has only 2 drain holes as well as a production New from the first year and it has 4 holes but in different positions to the current boards. Having also paddled Jonathan's 14', I can tell you, Szymansky has improved the drainage with each iteration of the board. The prototype always has an inch or so of water and I did get swamped once after being hit by a big wave. But the latest boards are much better and as Jonathan says, if there's a tiny amount of water at your feet, you don't even notice.

 


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