Starboard Blend 11'2" for 165 lb person, and maybe 40 lb kid?

[cascade17]

Thanks to all for your feedback on my previous post re. beater Starboard Big Easy value/condition.    What would many of you think about using an 11'2" Blend for as an all-rounder for flat-water touring, downwinding, playing in surf, and for carrying a 40 pound toddler every once and a while (who will be getting bigger).

I'm 5'10" and 165 pounds.  Is the 174 liter Blend too small a board?  Would it provide enough flotation, particularly when carrying a kid?  Thanks!

[XLR8]

The Blend is a sweet board.  I wish I still had mine, see below.  I have heard, though that the Blends of the last couple of years  is a different design than mine was from around 2008.  If so , the redesign dimensions didn't impress me compared to the original, in particular the rocker redesign.

[XLR8]

Kind of cheesy pic from several years back but you can see a little of the rocker of the old design.  I have not checked out newer Blends, but I have heard they have a flatter rocker and I loved the rocker on the old Blend.

[SCruzSUPr]

Cascade

I have a Blend and like it for surfing smaller stuff.  I am presently 230 lbs... so it oughta float you and the kid.  The downside for that application is that it is only 30" wide.  It still bucks me off in chop! 

[Badger]

The Blend was my second board. Now it belongs to my GF. I still use it sometimes. I bought it new in 2013. It's a great all around board. I weigh 160.

I used it mostly for surfing, from knee to chest high. Great board to learn on. Catches waves way early. Very responsive for such a big board. I thought it was plenty stable even in the chop.

I also used it for distance, often covering six or eight miles. It goes reasonably well upwind. I remember some days battling 15+ mph wind and chop while paddling around headlands and always making it.

It downwinds pretty good. It's the board I discovered downwinding on. Nice long glides. It will occasionally bury the nose. You have to react fast and get back on the tail when that happens. You learn to avoid it by surfing the waves left or right instead of straight ahead.