Author Topic: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race  (Read 259368 times)

photofr

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #465 on: May 21, 2018, 01:24:36 AM »
Ok well this might be the first post on the Zone you have ever made, photofr, where everyone agrees with you :)

This is some funny "stuff".
Waking up to an agreement just brightens my day :) :) :) :)

In the end, it is what it is: we share facts, but we also share feeling. Think about how boring it would be if you agreed with me all the time?
Nelo SUP - 14' x 23"
Nelo Surfski 560M - 18'4" x 17"

mr_proper

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #466 on: June 04, 2018, 10:19:13 PM »
I paddle a SIC RS at 306L.

I would like to buy a board for all conditions that are to heavy for me with the lightcorp. So my plan is, to sell my Bullet V1 and my Allstar 14x24.5 and buy the SIC RS 14x26. Would you recommend this board and the width for a 203 lbs and 6.4 ft paddler?
SIC RS 14x23, 2018
SIC RS 14x26, 2018
Lightcorp Signature Race 14x24.75, 2018 (sold)
JP Australia AdventurAir 12x36, 2017
Starboard Allstar 14x24.5, 2017 (sold)
SIC Bullet 14x27.25 TWC, 2015
Jimmy Lewis Sidewinder 14x25, 2016 (sold)
Sprint 14x23, 2015 (sold)
JL Stiletto 14x28, 2014 (sold)

Area 10

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #467 on: June 05, 2018, 01:29:42 AM »
I paddle a SIC RS at 306L.

I would like to buy a board for all conditions that are to heavy for me with the lightcorp. So my plan is, to sell my Bullet V1 and my Allstar 14x24.5 and buy the SIC RS 14x26. Would you recommend this board and the width for a 203 lbs and 6.4 ft paddler?
Well, now I see that in many places the volume of the 14x26 RS is quoted as 315L.

Anyway, I think that anyone would hesitate to recommend a board for anyone else. “Recommend” is a strong word, and there are so many variables involved in determining what board suits another person.

But having said that, a friend who must be around your weight, or probably even a little heavier, recently tried my 14x26 RS and it trimmed fine for him when he stood with his feet either side of the handle. For some reason people often tend to naturally place their feet slightly behind the handle when they get on the RS. But standing where Mark R expected you to stand means you get the most out of it, unless you are in special conditions that really warrant a different approach.

Your height (as opposed to width) only really matters in relation to stability and width rather than volume, and I assume from the list of boards you own that your balance is good. The 14x26 is very easy for a race design in chop.

It’s a shame that SIC don’t give paddled weight recommendations for their boards. But Naish gives 210 lbs as the upper weight limit for the 14x26 Maliko at 264L, and the RS is more noticeably stable than that in tricky side-chop conditions, and would I have thought handle riders that are heavier than the Maliko.

So, the obvious thing to say - of course - is demo if at all possible. And the RS is a lot more technical to ride in good size downwind than the Bullet V1 (which I also own). If it’s big downwind you do often then you might want to hold onto the Bullet, which is a great board for bumps much over knee-high. The RS is freakishly fast in downbreeze conditions with little ripples (up to about 1 ft) but you need good footwork to get the best out of it in proper full-on downwind, and that can get a bit tiring after a while. But as I say, in small downwind (and indeed upwind against ripples) its capacity to go fast is extraordinary. I guess that Mark intends the Bayonet to be for medium size downwind, and the Bullet for big stuff (that probably the majority of paddlers these days will never experience).

So when you describe the conditions you want it for as “too heavy for the lightcorp”, I’m not sure exactly how heavy you mean. If you mean Maliko or M2O heavy then the RS is not really for that. But if you mean conditions e.g. up to and including what we’ve seen on the Euro Tour the last couple of weekends (check the videos on SUP Racer) then the RS should do well.

Hope this helps.

mr_proper

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #468 on: June 05, 2018, 07:28:31 AM »
hello Area10, thanks a lot for your detailed statement. this helps me and confirms my assumption.
Unfortunately I do not have the possibility for a big downwinder and it is rather downbreezer on lakes and sometimes river. Or a lot of boat wakes on our river.
So your example with the eurotour fits perfect.
SIC RS 14x23, 2018
SIC RS 14x26, 2018
Lightcorp Signature Race 14x24.75, 2018 (sold)
JP Australia AdventurAir 12x36, 2017
Starboard Allstar 14x24.5, 2017 (sold)
SIC Bullet 14x27.25 TWC, 2015
Jimmy Lewis Sidewinder 14x25, 2016 (sold)
Sprint 14x23, 2015 (sold)
JL Stiletto 14x28, 2014 (sold)

Area 10

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #469 on: June 05, 2018, 08:56:05 AM »
hello Area10, thanks a lot for your detailed statement. this helps me and confirms my assumption.
Unfortunately I do not have the possibility for a big downwinder and it is rather downbreezer on lakes and sometimes river. Or a lot of boat wakes on our river.
So your example with the eurotour fits perfect.
Well, that’s that decided then. For downbreezers on lakes and rivers with up to one foot bumps the RS goes like absolute sh1t off a shovel. It seems to milk every tiny little ripple. It’s noticeably faster than e.g. the Maliko in those conditions. And it’s brilliant at handling boat wakes.

Btw it’s surprising how handy the deck bungees have turned out to be, too. Very useful for day-to-day training, and I now even sometimes find myself taking it out instead of my other boards because it has them. It’s unusual to find deck rigging on a race board. But it was actually genius of Mark Raaphorst to include them, and it’s the sort of touch that you’d only insist on if you really paddle your own designs a lot. There’s also a nice flat bit on top of the front deck that makes mounting a GPS like the Velocitek Makai easy. He’s thought of everything.

mr_proper

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #470 on: June 05, 2018, 11:38:52 AM »
Perfect. So I will sell my Boards  ;D
Thanks again.
SIC RS 14x23, 2018
SIC RS 14x26, 2018
Lightcorp Signature Race 14x24.75, 2018 (sold)
JP Australia AdventurAir 12x36, 2017
Starboard Allstar 14x24.5, 2017 (sold)
SIC Bullet 14x27.25 TWC, 2015
Jimmy Lewis Sidewinder 14x25, 2016 (sold)
Sprint 14x23, 2015 (sold)
JL Stiletto 14x28, 2014 (sold)

fpjeepy05

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #471 on: June 08, 2018, 12:24:05 PM »
No one asked for it, but I'll add my 2 cents. I like the Nelo, but it's a flatwater board and I'm not gonna buy a flatwater board over 21.5"

photofr

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #472 on: June 08, 2018, 12:48:49 PM »
I agree with you - makes NO SENSE for flat water.
The Nelo board isn't flat water only though...so food for thoughts.
Nelo SUP - 14' x 23"
Nelo Surfski 560M - 18'4" x 17"

Eagle

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #473 on: June 08, 2018, 03:33:15 PM »
Yeah for flat water 23 is pretty wide.  21.5 or less makes more sense based on what top racers are on.  For me as well 23 feel draggy vs a 21.5 spear.

RS used a 21 custom for 11 Cities.  So for really lightweight paddlers a 20 should be fine.  23s just have so much more form drag vs 21.5 and less spears.

"The 14' x 21" Blue Planet dugout race board"

https://blueplanetsurf.com/news/sup-11-city-tour-and-paddle-expo-euro-trip-report/

Fast is FUN!   8)
Dominator - Touring Pintail - Bullet V2 - M14 - AS23

fpjeepy05

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #474 on: July 17, 2018, 01:00:02 PM »
Yeah for flat water 23 is pretty wide.  21.5 or less makes more sense based on what top racers are on.  For me as well 23 feel draggy vs a 21.5 spear.

RS used a 21 custom for 11 Cities.  So for really lightweight paddlers a 20 should be fine.  23s just have so much more form drag vs 21.5 and less spears.

"The 14' x 21" Blue Planet dugout race board"

https://blueplanetsurf.com/news/sup-11-city-tour-and-paddle-expo-euro-trip-report/

Agreed

Lake Paddler

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #475 on: July 17, 2018, 02:36:51 PM »
Yeah for flat water 23 is pretty wide.  21.5 or less makes more sense based on what top racers are on.  For me as well 23 feel draggy vs a 21.5 spear.

RS used a 21 custom for 11 Cities.  So for really lightweight paddlers a 20 should be fine.  23s just have so much more form drag vs 21.5 and less spears.

"The 14' x 21" Blue Planet dugout race board"

https://blueplanetsurf.com/news/sup-11-city-tour-and-paddle-expo-euro-trip-report/

That BP 21" racer has been available for a while.
https://www.blueplanetsup.eu/products/d/race_touring/dug_out_series
I would love to try it out but I cannot seem to find any local event where they have a stand (Southern Germany). :(

Eagle

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #476 on: July 17, 2018, 02:58:56 PM »
You can always send him a PM and see what he can arrange for you.
Fast is FUN!   8)
Dominator - Touring Pintail - Bullet V2 - M14 - AS23

ukgm

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #477 on: July 18, 2018, 03:54:49 AM »
Yeah for flat water 23 is pretty wide.  21.5 or less makes more sense based on what top racers are on.  For me as well 23 feel draggy vs a 21.5 spear.


The fact we're saying that now is amazing. How the hell did we end up here so fast.

Area 10

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #478 on: July 18, 2018, 04:49:37 AM »
Yeah for flat water 23 is pretty wide.  21.5 or less makes more sense based on what top racers are on.  For me as well 23 feel draggy vs a 21.5 spear.


The fact we're saying that now is amazing. How the hell did we end up here so fast.
It hasn’t been particularly fast, and has been pretty steady. 10 years ago the height of SUP race technology was a Starboard K15, which was 30” wide. Other (14ft) boards were in the 27.5-30” range. So I think we’ve just been steadily dropping at a rate of around 0.75” year on year for the last 10 years, that’s all.

It’s not going to stop at 21”, for sure. By my reckoning we will be Sub-20 around the 2021 season, and I doubt if we will stop getting narrower until either regulation cones in, and/orthe top Male paddlers are all under 20 and no more than 140lbs..

Lake Paddler

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #479 on: July 18, 2018, 08:04:07 AM »
You can always send him a PM and see what he can arrange for you.
Good idea. Thanks!

 


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