Author Topic: all around board or touring?  (Read 10204 times)

2Rivers

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Re: all around board or touring?
« Reply #15 on: September 05, 2017, 11:56:14 AM »
Don't rule out iSUPs yet.
There are plenty of other 11' boards that I could recommend, but they're not as suitable for running rivers and rapids.
The 10'6" Bote HD Gatorshell weighs 35 pounds and that might not be desireable (in my opinion) if it has to be transported for any length of distance on dry land to the water's edge for launching.
I agree about the weight, but that's the tradeoff to have a hardboard that's suitable for a river environment. The standard Bote HD 10'6 is 32lbs and most boards built with the durable construction like BIC, Glide, and Bote are all going to be on the heavier side. That's why I mentioned not to rule out iSUPs since their weight to durability ratio is one of the best. I could have recommended several other (and lighter) 10'6 and 11' hardboards, but as I stated above, they would not be as suitable for a river environment.
King's Type-S 14' | Soul Firestorm 8'9
ZRE Power Surge ZX4 80sq" | Kialoa Big Eddy
Larry Allison Dolphin Keel

2Rivers

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Re: all around board or touring?
« Reply #16 on: September 05, 2017, 12:59:36 PM »
I'm feeling challenged with a board that I can cruise a slow moving river with, that has occasional rough sections, and a board I can go long distance on flatwater, that I wont ruin on the river.
If you notice my signature below, you will see that I have a dedicated 14' all-water hardboard for going the distance on lakes, bays, and slow rivers and a dedicated 8'9 whitewater hardboard for class 1-3+ rapids.
Like you, I'm in the market for a shorter 10'6-11'6 touring board that's river worthy (class 1-2) and unfortunately there's not much available within the hardboard category. That's why I have a few iSUPs on my list since there's a better offering within that category for river touring applications.
I gave you a good list above to work with. Glide would be another good choice, but their only touring shaped board is a 12'6. The Glide Retro and Badfish MVP are all-around planing shapes vs touring displacement shapes, so they're not as ideal for going the distance.
Another good tip for handling rapids better is to have a 5-6" thick board vs. 4". Trust me!
I still feel that the Bote HD Gatorshell 10'6 would be your best bet for a hardboard to meet your desired needs. See if you can find one to demo. If you go a bit longer or entertain inflatables, you'll have more options available. Good luck!
« Last Edit: September 05, 2017, 01:01:13 PM by 2Rivers »
King's Type-S 14' | Soul Firestorm 8'9
ZRE Power Surge ZX4 80sq" | Kialoa Big Eddy
Larry Allison Dolphin Keel

2Rivers

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Re: all around board or touring?
« Reply #17 on: September 05, 2017, 02:07:40 PM »
Glide would be another good choice, but their only touring shaped board is a 12'6.
I could have sworn that I read that Glide had introduced the Quest in shorter lengths and sure enough, they do. They have a 10'6 and an 11'6 version. I'm not sure on the widths and thicknesses, but I just sent them a message to confirm. Stay tuned.
Strange that the shorter lengths are not indicated on their website, but here's the details on the board...
https://www.glidesup.com/pages/quest
King's Type-S 14' | Soul Firestorm 8'9
ZRE Power Surge ZX4 80sq" | Kialoa Big Eddy
Larry Allison Dolphin Keel

HollyinCali

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Re: all around board or touring?
« Reply #18 on: September 05, 2017, 03:19:52 PM »
The Bota is very appealing, although a little high in price for me. The other concerning factor is weight, I usually have to carry from truck to access points on river and portage over various obstacles. I'm still going to keep it on my list, I really like the gatorshell idea.

HanaSurf

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Re: all around board or touring?
« Reply #19 on: September 05, 2017, 03:51:04 PM »
 Pau Hana Endurance    12x30 (not 12'6) google it or go to Pau Hana website

Dusk Patrol

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Re: all around board or touring?
« Reply #20 on: September 05, 2017, 08:11:01 PM »
Also check the Tahoe Rubicon. There  have been three generations. The first two are a very sturdy glass lay up. The present version is a thermoplast.
RS 14x26; JL Destroyers 9'8 & 8'10; BluePlanet 9'4; JL Super Frank 8'6

baddog

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Re: all around board or touring?
« Reply #21 on: September 07, 2017, 03:42:37 PM »
Sorry folks, just looked at my original post, I'm not 5'1. :-) I'm 5'10.

That's just makes it a lot easier for you to paddle a wider board like 32".

 


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