Help! Final 14' List

[2Rivers]

A while back I post this thread about 12'6 boards - http://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/topic,27660.0.html

Since then I've demo'd several brands and have decided to commit to a 14' board. When I was looking at 12'6 boards, I discovered that boards in the 26-27" range were feeling the best. I also noticed that boards between 220-240L seemed to be the sweet spot for maximum speed and ease of paddling for my weight and ability, but were still stable. When I got onto some boards that were 250L+ they didn't feel or paddle as nice. The lower volume boards just felt better overall.

When I got onto several 14' boards (also 26-27" wide) and then discovered the various volumes between them, I quickly realized that the lower volume boards were also the ones I liked the best. The three 14' boards that performed the best for me was the Lakeshore Stealth, the Pau Hana Viper, and the 404 V3 Soap. All of these boards are 240L and less which jives with my 12'6 experience. Even some of the 14' boards I demo'ed in 25-25.5" that were under 250L were pushing it for my stability preference, so the 26-27" width seems to be carrying over as well.

So from my experience, I'm thinking some other boards to consider would be the Bark/Surftech D2 and the Imagine Rocket. The Sunova Faast could also work but they're quite expensive and hard to get in the US. The Imagine would be the widest of the bunch at 27.5", but I don't think I'd notice it. 

Can anyone please chime in with some info on the specific boards listed above? Pros and cons about the boards and/or the companies would be much appreciated. If there' something else that I should be considering, please share. Thanks!

[Ozzy]

I too am looking at 14 foot boards. I just demo the sic x14 pro and 2015 starboard allstar. I liked them both,but I gave the edge to the allstar. The pro was 26 wide and felt a little tippy, but doable. The allstar was 25 wide and i felt solid. They do come in other widths too. I have also riden the 12'6 stealth and liked the feel of that as well. Decisions, decisions!

[DavidJohn]

My advise is to buy the board that's the easiest board to paddle option because you then know you'll be ok in choppy water.. Too many people buy the harder  to paddle or tippier board option thinking they'll grow into it (or won't grow out of it).. but when things get choppy it's total frustration.. The challenge might be fun to start with but it soon wears thin IMO.

[2Rivers]

I too am looking at 14 foot boards. I just demo the sic x14 pro and 2015 starboard allstar. I liked them both,but I gave the edge to the allstar. The pro was 26 wide and felt a little tippy, but doable. The allstar was 25 wide and i felt solid. They do come in other widths too. I have also riden the 12'6 stealth and liked the feel of that as well. Decisions, decisions!

I have to admit that the SIC X-Pro was actually really nice for a 26" board. It was just a little over 250L, but it sure didn't feel like it. I didn't try the Starboard All-Star since it's more of an all-around/dw board. I was looking at something more like the SB Race. I tried the 27" Race and it didn't feel as nice as the other brands I tried. I actually liked the X-Pro better than the Race, but it still wasn't as nice as the other boards that I mentioned.
The only 250L+ boards that I didn't get a chance to demo were the Boga Typhoon Team, the Hobie Apex 4R, and the Coreban Phoenix. The Naish Javelin was on my list too, but I actually avoided demo'ing this board due to it's high price. I didn't want to tease myself since the SIC was already out of my financial comfort zone. Sunova are even more than SIC, but man they look like such nice boards!
Btw, the Laird LX Race was the only other sub 250L board that I didn't try. It looked nice though, but it's also kind of expensive.

[2Rivers]

My advise is to buy the board that's the easiest board to paddle option because you then know you'll be ok in choppy water.. Too many people buy the harder  to paddle or tippier board option thinking they'll grow into it (or won't grow out of it).. but when things get choppy it's total frustration.. The challenge might be fun to start with but it soon wears thin IMO.

Totally agree! I was looking at some 24-25" boards and even though I could paddle them, I could tell there would be times where I'd prefer the added stability of a wider board. The conditions that day delivered some mild chop and those boards took some added work and reduced the fun factor for me. That's why the 26-27" range seems to be the sweet spot so far. 28" seems too wide now.

[2Rivers]

Thanks for the responses so far. So at this point the list has narrowed down to these five...
Bark/Surftech D2
Lakeshore Stealth
Pau Hana Viper
Coreban Phoenix
404 V3 Soap

The rest of the boards that have been mentioned are either not available locally (to demo or buy) or are below 26" wide, so they're now off my list.

I spent some time on this forum using the search function to find any details on the boards listed. Other than the D2 and the Phoenix, there wasn't much. Even online I felt it was limited too. I know the Stealth was updated for 2015, the Viper is brand new (and barely in the market), and I believe this was the first season for the 404 production line of boards (Soap Series), so it makes some sense that there's still limited info available.

At the end of the day and since this is my first hardboard purchase, I don't want to pull the trigger and end up buying myself a brand new "headache", so I truly appreciate any feedback whatsoever. Thanks again!