Starboard All Star, Ace, or Sprint in 12'6" version in So. Cal?

[JillRide45]

Does anyone know if any of these are available in So. Cal in the 12'6" version, not in 27" width but say the one down from that or the narrowest.  I contacted Blue Line in Santa Barbara and the only 12'6" they had was 27.5, and it is gone. Blue line said he was contacting Becker from Starboard, not sure if true or not. 

If you know of a dealer with these or how to contact Starboard for a 12'6" demo just let me know.

Thanks, Jill

[SanDiegoDad]

I demoed the all star 12.6 by 25 in carbon at the OEX shop on mission bay last week.  For me it was too narrow (weight and skill level issue).  I'm looking for the same board in 26 wide to demo.  Anybody have leads on that board, I'd appreciate the heads up.

[TN_SUP]

This is the distributors website where my Sprint came from:
http://www.tridentsports.com/

[Argosi]

I demoed the all star 12.6 by 25 in carbon at the OEX shop on mission bay last week.  For me it was too narrow (weight and skill level issue).  I'm looking for the same board in 26 wide to demo.  Anybody have leads on that board, I'd appreciate the heads up.

If the 12'6"x25" All Star was too tippy for you, the 26" version will probably be even less stable. The 25" board has 271L of volume - that's a lot for a 12'6". The 26" board has 221L. The narrower board is a lot thicker overall and should be more stable for most paddlers. I'd guess that the 25" wide board should be at least as stable as a regular 27" wide 12'6" race board - due to the high volume and recessed standing area.

You may want to look at boards that are at least 29" wide.

[Argosi]

Does anyone know if any of these are available in So. Cal in the 12'6" version, not in 27" width but say the one down from that or the narrowest.  I contacted Blue Line in Santa Barbara and the only 12'6" they had was 27.5, and it is gone. Blue line said he was contacting Becker from Starboard, not sure if true or not.  

If you know of a dealer with these or how to contact Starboard for a 12'6" demo just let me know.

Thanks, Jill

I think the 12'6"x25"(271L) All Star will have a lot of volume for you. It's a pretty beefy board. The 26" wide version is just 221L.

Depending on what you want to use the board for, you may want to try the Sprint 12'6"x24.5" (221L) or Ace 12'6"x25" (277L) or even 23.5" (273L). At your weight, you should be fine on the lower volume Sprint or Ace.

The Ace has a lot of volume but it doesn't really paddle like it.

The Sprint is said to be best suited for flatter water. The Ace excels in a variety of conditions up to about 20-25mph of wind.

I've recently picked up the 14' versions of the Ace and All Star. Both are great boards. All Star is more versatile but the Ace is faster.  I use the All Star for over 25mph wind and any races with a lot of buoy turns. I use the Ace for most everything else. The All Star does have a lower profile deck so is better if you're paddling a long way with a strong side wind. If you're going straight upwind, then the Ace works better for me. The Ace now comes with a flat deck (that's recessed) with no more hump in the middle of the standing area. This makes it easier to get into surf stance but is still quite tricky for buoy turns where you sink the tail deeply. A cross-bow draw stroke with just moderate tail sink works better for me when turning the Ace quickly.

[Argosi]

Does anyone know if any of these are available in So. Cal in the 12'6" version, not in 27" width but say the one down from that or the narrowest.  I contacted Blue Line in Santa Barbara and the only 12'6" they had was 27.5, and it is gone. Blue line said he was contacting Becker from Starboard, not sure if true or not. 

If you know of a dealer with these or how to contact Starboard for a 12'6" demo just let me know.

Thanks, Jill

If you can't find anyone with the 12'6" Starboards our local dealer in Toronto has them in stock and is willing to ship:
http://kayaksport.net/sup-pricing.html

[JillRide45]

Thanks everyone.  I will give OEX a call as I am going to be down at Mission Bay on Saturday. 

Argosi, yep I was worried about the extra volume of the All star 25.5" that is partly why I was looking at the 26.5".  Also I would like this board to be a stable board for downwind and river running.  I paddled the ACE from years before and did not like the foot wells but see that this year is a flat standing area, would like to give it a paddle. 

Thanks everyone, Jill

[SanDiegoDad]

Got to ride the 12.6 Allstar in 26 wide today.  Just briefly but enough to tell it is significantly more stable  - for me - than the 25 wide version.  This one falls within my skill set.  Felt fast and manevurable.  Easy to move forward and aft.  Easy to balance, easy to put full power into the paddle stroke.  In short everything I was looking to see in the 25 width.  Now I have the itch to try it out as a 14.  Argosi, hope I have your blessing to ride something less than the recommended 29 +++ width you mandated for me…..

[Argosi]

Got to ride the 12.6 Allstar in 26 wide today.  Just briefly but enough to tell it is significantly more stable  - for me - than the 25 wide version.  This one falls within my skill set.  Felt fast and manevurable.  Easy to move forward and aft.  Easy to balance, easy to put full power into the paddle stroke.  In short everything I was looking to see in the 25 width.  Now I have the itch to try it out as a 14.  Argosi, hope I have your blessing to ride something less than the recommended 29 +++ width you mandated for me…..

I guess I did sound a little prescriptive. Sorry about that. I have the 14x25 All Star and find it's about as stable as most other 27" wide boards. Haven't tried the 26" All Star in 12'6" length yet but have heard from a few that have tried both the 25" and 26" versions and some say the 25" is a bit more stable.

Because the 26" board is a lot less thick than the 25" board, especially in the 12'6" length, maybe you're finding that the 26" board is less corky which may be more stable for you.

Check out this link for some good side by side photos of the 12'6"x25" and 14'x25" All Stars. The 12'6"x25" All Star is so much thicker than the longer board. That should help with stability.
http://www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/Review/what-the-all-star-126-x-25-is-like

Anyhow, glad you liked the 12'6"x26" All Star. You may want to try out the 14' versions before deciding on a board. I noticed a huge difference when moving from my 12'6" to 14' long Ace - with the longer board being better at catching bumps and gliding on them. Not as big of a difference in flat water though.