Author Topic: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"  (Read 74425 times)

1paddle2paddle

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #105 on: September 08, 2012, 01:53:40 PM »
Fishman, I think you have something like a custom board, or perhaps a very limited run version, it is definitely not a production ACE.  Maybe they only made a few of those in Thailand?

DavidJohn

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #106 on: September 08, 2012, 02:02:28 PM »
It looks to me like it's a 'New' more than an 'Ace'.

DJ

Takeo

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #107 on: September 08, 2012, 03:33:04 PM »
I got a 2012 model, looks like Balance Fit's board. I saw pics of team riders with a board like yours with the leash plug on the slope.  Flat bottom...25" wide? Weight? No handle inserts huh? Must be limited run or custom. 

Fishman

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #108 on: September 08, 2012, 04:21:43 PM »
 Yeah, I does look a bit like the new.

14" x 25".,35 lbs.

The no handle kind of sucks because some finger issues.
It looks like the trem ELITE means it an't normal.  :D

SupSurfMachine 9'9" longboard
SupSurfMachine  8'2" funboard

DavidJohn

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #109 on: September 08, 2012, 04:50:32 PM »
Yeah, I does look a bit like the new.

14" x 25".,35 lbs.

The no handle kind of sucks because some finger issues.
It looks like the trem ELITE means it an't normal.  :D



You can stick a piece of firm foam or deck pad just down a bit on the inside/side at the balance point to let your fingers grip aginst it when carrying the board.. It works very well.

DJ

PT Woody

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #110 on: September 08, 2012, 04:51:47 PM »
They didn't make a 14' New. This might be a pre-production 14' Ace with slight changes made before production run. The New was 2010. The Aces came out in the 2011 range.

Scotty Mac

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #111 on: September 10, 2012, 08:04:05 PM »
Interesting about trying some different fins to see if the stability can be improved in choopy conditions. My last race I put in a futures "Kurt" fin in, hoping that it may do the same thing, imporve the stability. It was only the second time I had an opportunity to paddle the 25 in the ocean, the result was i fell amny times and could not get any power into my stoke at all. I am sure I can improve this with some practice. I also think the larger fin made it worse as quite often I fell catching a runner and the board seemed to track. Larger fins can cause lift so I am going back to the stock fin for a while.

1paddle2paddle

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #112 on: September 10, 2012, 09:57:30 PM »
Scotty, finding the perfect fin for the ACE seems to be something of a conundrum.  I also tried a real swept back, large area fin and it absolutely did not improve performance.  It did provide some additional stability, but at the expense of noticeably increased drag, and making the board nearly impossible to turn on a runner.  All the board wanted to do was run straight downwind; it very difficult to control it.

As the ACE is very difficult to turn compared to flat tailed boards (no matter what fin), I think it is important to have a fin that facilitates turning as much as possible, while adding some stability at the same time.

Takeo

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #113 on: September 16, 2012, 06:39:13 PM »
Got to paddle the Ace with a Ninja fin this weekend.  In flat water, it's pretty good, holds tracking better than the stock fin.   I'm not sure if it adds any more stability than the stock fin, but it is definitely not as stable compared to the Gladiator Hybrid.  Today, went out in open ocean conditions and faced some mild side winds, and disorganized open ocean swells.  Into the wind and swells, while keeping the speed, the Ninja tracks well and had decent secondary stability, but once I slowed down, the tippiness is quite obvious.  The light side winds pushed the Ace enough where I was stuck paddling on one side but with some powered strokes, I could turn direction.  I would of rather had the Gladiator hybrid in the open ocean because the added stability would equal to more power strokes, less balance checks, and therefore faster paddling.  So far, the Gladiator Hybrid downwinds well in small stuff and doesn't seem to affect speed or getting on bumps.  Curious how the Gladiator Elite would perform on this board, especially in rough open ocean conditions.   

In flat glassy conditions, I wouldn't use the Gladiator Hybrid, might use the stock fin.

Argosi

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #114 on: September 17, 2012, 09:55:50 PM »
Takeo, thanks for your fin tests on the Ace. Looks like the Gladiator Hybrid is a good match. Let us know how you like the Gladiator Elite Racer if you get a chance to try it out.

Are you faster in flat water with the stock fin over the Gladiator Hybrid - even if you're having to change sides more?

Takeo

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #115 on: September 18, 2012, 01:08:52 AM »
Takeo, thanks for your fin tests on the Ace. Looks like the Gladiator Hybrid is a good match. Let us know how you like the Gladiator Elite Racer if you get a chance to try it out.

Are you faster in flat water with the stock fin over the Gladiator Hybrid - even if you're having to change sides more?

I haven't had a chance to paddle the stock fin in flat water.  I am guessing it would be but I know for sure, when I had the Hybrid on, paddling into moderate chop, it kept me tracking pretty straight but if a strong side wind blew me off course, took a bit to correct.  With the Ninja, it's easier to correct, but doesn't track as well in the moderate stuff and was more tippy. 

Being a newb to the 25 incher and since I often face less than ideal conditions and want to paddle open ocean, I think the Hybrid is the fin for me...unless the Gladiator Elite is better.  I have a Becker Keel but I recall that on my 2012 Glide, I couldn't turn in surf and downwind, but it tracked straight forever, like 20 strokes a side! For a total straight paddle, I might consider it but open ocean paddling is never straight.

One thing I'd like to mention. Found a pin hole leak where the paint is removed on the bottom exposing the carbon.  Starboard does that U shape on the bottom for looks, but I think they got over zealous in removing paint and sanded down to the carbon cloth, causing the pin hole leak.  It's noticeably softer there too, not sure why they do it except for looks.  It also gets really hot in the sun, had thoughts of painting over it for better protection.  The brushed carbon gets really hot in Hawaii sun! 

Scotty Mac

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #116 on: September 18, 2012, 03:05:54 AM »
1paddle2paddle, I am glad you found the same result, for a minuite I was womdering what was going on. So far I am convinced the stock fin is the best I have tried and a pretty good match for the ace shape.

Takeo, the brushed carbon has the paint sanded off to reduce overall weight. A fair bit of paint would be required to fully cover a board so there is kilos saved sanding the paint this way, you should try not to leave it in the sun. Be suprised if the pin hole allows water all the way into the styrofoam as there is a pvc skin in between, but if your not sure, dry it out and put some epoxy resin on it. Sure it hasnt taken a knock? Strange if its soft unless it has been soaking up water for a while??? With the layer of hard foam, this is pretty unusual???

Takeo

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #117 on: September 18, 2012, 01:58:32 PM »
Scotty Mac,
Most of the conditions I face is chop to big open ocean swells, or at least that is what I'm trying to take the board out in.  The Gladiator Hyrbid allows me to stay on the board when conditions get like that.  I'll give the stock fin a try again after I get more time on the board, perhaps as my balancing gets better, I'll appreciate the stock fin more. 

As for the sanded area, I am aware Starboard goes brushed to save weight, I was referring to the area where all the paint is removed, that horseshoe shape on the bottom of the board.  Where I had the pinhole leak, I could see that it was sanded to the carbon cloth because there was those white spots where the ridges of the cloth were hit with sanding.  I think during production, they were over zealous with the sanding.  When I say it was soft, perhaps I should of been more specific.  It's not soft as taking on water, just soft enough where I can flex it by pushing firmly with my finger and water would squirt out of the pinhole. I don't think it took on a lot as the board weighs the same.  It seems that sanded area is probably the thinnest area on the board.  The rails, deck, nose, tail are all very rigid, just that sanded area seems to be the softest.

Not a big concern, but thought I'd mention it for other Carbon Ace owners as a heads up. I put some solarez epoxy on it and it's good to go!

Takeo

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #118 on: February 25, 2013, 11:23:45 AM »
I've owned the Ace for over 6 months and it continues to live up to it's hype.  Took the board out this past Saturday and Sunday.  On Saturday, I switched from the Gladiator Hybrid fin, to the Allison Becker Keel fin.  The condtions were pretty brutal in the bay with disorganized chop coming from all angles.  The Becker fin had great tracking, but stability was less compared to the Gladiator Hybrid.  Switched out the fin for a Futures Large Cutaway, the green one and went out on Sunday.  Headwind was strong and again, very disorgainized swells with white caps.  As the Ace pounded through it, it was obvious that the large Futures fin slowed down the side to side roll.  Turning around with the wind and swell, we did a short downwinder, and the Ace was very controllable, catching the smallest of bumps and still able to manuever through the mess.  Still need more time in other conditions.  As with any big fin, I'm guessing there may be more drag than a smaller fin but in really rough conditions, I'm definitely much faster on the board, doing less balance checks versus struggling with balance with a smaller fin.  Cut my Wiki paddle to 8" overhead compared to 10" over, seems to work very well. 

Takeo

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Re: Starboard Ace 14' x 25"
« Reply #119 on: February 28, 2013, 02:23:15 PM »

 


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