Waiting is the hardest part!

[ForeverBlue232]

After months of online research (no local places to check out boards), I finally decided on what board I wanted to buy for my next one.  Yesterday, I pulled the trigger and ordered it.  My hope was to get the board delivered early enough to have some time to practice on it before the Carolina Cup in April.  Well, the shipping container bringing it from overseas doesn't arrive in the US until just before the CC, and it's arriving at the CC.  So now the plan is I will pick up my new board when I arrive in Wrightsville Beach the day before the race.  At least I will save $150 worth of shipping costs.  Hopefully I can get a couple hours of practice in that day.  But at least I'll have the board that I think will be right for me for the big race.  But now I have to wait two months to have my new board.  It's gonna be a long two months of waiting.  It's like knowing in October what you are getting for X-mas. 

[Wetstuff]

Blue...  Af'er all that, what'cha get!?  If I was going to race something - I'd sure need a lot more time to acclimate. I might have spent the $150 if I was sure it would arrive well before the race.   I brought in a board from OZ ...and there were two more rent seekers after the boat landed that chewed up another day and bit into my wallet 2X your $150.

Jim 

[Night Wing]

After months of online research (no local places to check out boards), I finally decided on what board I wanted to buy for my next one.  Yesterday, I pulled the trigger and ordered it.

I'm as a curious as a cat. If you don't mind me asking, what board did you order?

[Wetstuff]

Ya, Winger,  He throws a bouncing ball   ...and expects us not to chase it?!   

Jim

[Night Wing]

Ya, Winger,  He throws a bouncing ball   ...and expects us not to chase it?!

Since I love details, I'm always hungry for info. It is the packrat in me. Which means; I would like to know the brand, model, length, width, thickness, liters and how many fin boxes. 

[surfercook]

I was guessing you were waiting for waves. I did flat water a few times on touring boards. They are definitely very cool. I love that displacement hull shape. It's like the Queen Mary under your feet. i know your waiting on a race board but they are kinda like touring boards. gl w/it. i too am curious as to what you ordered. My first new board was a 9'3'' Isle Performance shipped CA to NJ for free. That Isle was a missile. I remember it arrived Nov 2012 about a month after Hurricane Sandy had hit. It was actually held up a bit in a Newark shipping facility for a few days. Finally it arrived right to my house here on long beach Island. Good luck w/your shipment, ForeverBlue (cool user name). it's definitely a great feeling having a new board.

[ForeverBlue232]

I got a Sunova Allwater Faast Pro 14x27. 

As for fin boxes, I'd love to try to get the Allison pro box twins with ventral installed, but with as much as the board cost, I sure can't afford to ship it to get the fins installed then ship it back again.  Would be nice if someone in reasonable driving distance of Indianapolis installed those.  Though I will have to figure out what single fin to go with.  Hopefully I can get in a couple hours of practice once I pick it up.  I'll have to bring all my fins and do some trial and error to see what works best for me.  I've yet to have a board where I preferred the stock fin.

My other race board is a 14x26.5 Bote Valhalla.  It's fast, but pretty tippy.  At times I find myself doing balance checks too much, which slows me down.  For the new board, I wanted more stability, and better handing of chop, maybe opening the door for me to do a little ocean/gulf racing.  I think with the added stability, the Allwater will allow me to really crank harder on my paddling without worry of having to do a bunch of balance checks.  And in the end, that may well make me faster overall.  Guess I'll find out in two months.

[ForeverBlue232]

Blue...  Af'er all that, what'cha get!?  If I was going to race something - I'd sure need a lot more time to acclimate. I might have spent the $150 if I was sure it would arrive well before the race.   I brought in a board from OZ ...and there were two more rent seekers after the boat landed that chewed up another day and bit into my wallet 2X your $150.

Jim

Yeah, in a perfect world, I totally agree.  And if I tried to get it shipped here, I most likely would not get it in time to leave for Carolina. Essentially, I'd be looking at the same amount of practice either way.  The race is Saturday, and I think the container arrives in Carolina on like Tuesday, or something like that.  I leave home on Thursday, I think.  So yeah, it's not ideal.  But really the only other option is to just bring my other board and decide to not race the new one.  But, I want to think the host hotel only guarantees you storage for one board, so even that might not be an option.  I'll make due with the situation in front of me.  And heck, if I do crappy in the race, I have a built in excuse. 

[Wetstuff]

Sunova Allwater Faast Pro 14x27     ..that's worth the wait. I hope it is a perfect choice for you.  Bert/Tino have been on a tear in the last year.  It's been like; "Who's Robbie?" on the forums.  Nothing personal, but us coastal types think all water rats live along one; I can see where Inpls presents a 'last mile' issue. 

Given past history, I'd bet Creek and Tino may also be at the Carolina Cup...   Good luck.

Jim

[ForeverBlue232]

Nothing personal, but us coastal types think all water rats live along one

Yeah, my location blows!  But I'm here until I retire. 

As for training, I just try to self teach by online videos, and reading this forum board.  My biggest regret is that I didn't discover SUP until I was almost 41.  Not having someone to train me is right up there.  My work schedule does not help, especially now that we work 12 hour shifts.  I really need to be on the water a lot more.

My hope this year is to maybe get at least seven races in.  As it stands now I my potential racing list might be:  4/21 Carolina Cup, 5/19 Florida Cup (probably will only do if King&Queen of the Bay [St.Pete]is the same weekend), 6/9 Taylorsville Lake Paddle Battle (KY), 6/23 Morehead Paddlefest (KY), 7/7 Corbin KY, 8/4 SUP 4 The Cup (Cincinatti), 8/18 Cumberland River Run (Burkesville, KY), 8/25 Paddle to the Max (Culver IN), 8/26 Sky An Oar For Guardian Angels (Noblesville IN), 9/15 Great Ohio River Odyssey (Louisville KY), 10/6 Chucktown Throwdown (Charleston SC).

Now I doubt I'll have the money to do all of those, as most require some distance travelled (driven) and a hotel stay.  But I hope to get in as much as possible.  The Indiana races, obviously, are where I hope to get over the hump most.  Right now at each of those races, I dust the noobs, but there's always a couple of guys I can't touch.

Although beyond all of that, I love getting out on my touring board and just chilling, exploring, and decompressing from life. My favorite place to paddle is Weeki Wachee, FL.