Need help: flatwater hard boards for long-distance racing/touring

[Lake Paddler]

Yeah, in Japan people may want different dimension boards.

The best thing to do financially is to buy a good board that you enjoy paddling, and then ride it forever. There’s remarkably little extra speed or time to be gained from going from one good board design to another, anyway. There’s a limit to what you can do with the 14ft palette and a rider already in their 20s or older.

...or ride it until the next major breakthrough occurs. BTW, has the design been consistently improved over the past few years?

[Lake Paddler]

Which brings us back to the OP's (original poster) question. Did you want a tippy fast race board or one that can do touring too. You did mention touring in your post. Fitness touring I presume.

Okay the title might be somehow misleading. From the boards that I've already tried or plan to try, or have been recommended by others, I hope it is reasonable enough to infer that I'm looking for a fast race board. Yep I wouldn't mind do touring on a racer with my significant other who is on a true touring board.

[Area 10]

^ outside UK & US people weigh less on average. So that advice depends where you are.

It’s not so much a practical rationale based on body weight and subsequent stability though but there seems to be a general reluctance (psychological or perceptive I’d say) of buyers to buy sub 25 narrow race boards. It’s possibly due to such boards requiring more attention to paddle when you’re not racing and recreational use seems to be just as important to many.it might take a few more years for recreational paddlers to realise that 24 or even 23 width boards aren’t the challenge they used to be.

Unless you are of very slight build, narrow boards are a royal PITA.

Why make it any harder than it has to be? If you are chasing a podium position with every fibre of your being, then sure. But most people just want a board they can use for lots of things and makes paddling a pleasure.

If I go under 26” wide I actually find my toes often hanging off the rails on one side, or cramped up against the sidewalk. I’m quite a wide build. It’s uncomfortable. So wtf would I want to go any narrower? I’m not going to be winning any races  at my age, so what is the point? I’d rather have a (fast) board that is comfortable and I can sell easily.

The race-obsessed are such a small minority of paddlers. There are probably five times the number of “ex-racers” in the UK as racers. They want a fast board, sure, but also a flattering one, at a good price.

The first thing the average Joe learns, when they take up racing even semi-seriously, is that the results are 99.8% the paddler, not the board. So unless you are really battling for the top spot on the podium with someone who is within less than half a percent of your speed, it really isn’t going to matter much.

Michael Booth isn’t going to stop winning if you put him on a SIC RS rather than the Starboard Sprint he normally uses. The elite paddlers swap teams regularly, but at the end of the year their positions are pretty much the same, whatever they are riding.

[warmuth]

^ outside UK & US people weigh less on average. So that advice depends where you are.

It’s not so much a practical rationale based on body weight and subsequent stability though but there seems to be a general reluctance (psychological or perceptive I’d say) of buyers to buy sub 25 narrow race boards. It’s possibly due to such boards requiring more attention to paddle when you’re not racing and recreational use seems to be just as important to many.it might take a few more years for recreational paddlers to realise that 24 or even 23 width boards aren’t the challenge they used to be.

Unless you are of very slight build, narrow boards are a royal PITA.

Why make it any harder than it has to be? If you are chasing a podium position with every fibre of your being, then sure. But most people just want a board they can use for lots of things and makes paddling a pleasure.

If I go under 26” wide I actually find my toes often hanging off the rails on one side, or cramped up against the sidewalk. I’m quite a wide build. It’s uncomfortable. So wtf would I want to go any narrower? I’m not going to be winning any races  at my age, so what is the point? I’d rather have a (fast) board that is comfortable and I can sell easily.

The race-obsessed are such a small minority of paddlers. There are probably five times the number of “ex-racers” in the UK as racers. They want a fast board, sure, but also a flattering one, at a good price.

The first thing the average Joe learns, when they take up racing even semi-seriously, is that the results are 99.8% the paddler, not the board. So unless you are really battling for the top spot on the podium with someone who is within less than half a percent of your speed, it really isn’t going to matter much.

Michael Booth isn’t going to stop winning if you put him on a SIC RS rather than the Starboard Sprint he normally uses. The elite paddlers swap teams regularly, but at the end of the year their positions are pretty much the same, whatever they are riding.

  Some lessons have to be learned. We’re all guilty of trying to buy speed at some time or another. I even knew better and still did it my own self. Cognitive dissonance at its finest.

[ukgm]

^ outside UK & US people weigh less on average. So that advice depends where you are.

It’s not so much a practical rationale based on body weight and subsequent stability though but there seems to be a general reluctance (psychological or perceptive I’d say) of buyers to buy sub 25 narrow race boards. It’s possibly due to such boards requiring more attention to paddle when you’re not racing and recreational use seems to be just as important to many.it might take a few more years for recreational paddlers to realise that 24 or even 23 width boards aren’t the challenge they used to be.

Unless you are of very slight build, narrow boards are a royal PITA.

Why make it any harder than it has to be? If you are chasing a podium position with every fibre of your being, then sure. But most people just want a board they can use for lots of things and makes paddling a pleasure.

If I go under 26” wide I actually find my toes often hanging off the rails on one side, or cramped up against the sidewalk. I’m quite a wide build. It’s uncomfortable. So wtf would I want to go any narrower? I’m not going to be winning any races  at my age, so what is the point? I’d rather have a (fast) board that is comfortable and I can sell easily.

The race-obsessed are such a small minority of paddlers. There are probably five times the number of “ex-racers” in the UK as racers. They want a fast board, sure, but also a flattering one, at a good price.

The first thing the average Joe learns, when they take up racing even semi-seriously, is that the results are 99.8% the paddler, not the board. So unless you are really battling for the top spot on the podium with someone who is within less than half a percent of your speed, it really isn’t going to matter much.

Michael Booth isn’t going to stop winning if you put him on a SIC RS rather than the Starboard Sprint he normally uses. The elite paddlers swap teams regularly, but at the end of the year their positions are pretty much the same, whatever they are riding.

It's funny you say this as I was t going to get a new board. However, having spent a lot of time in my epic surf ski and then going back to my Sup, made me realise just how slow wider boards are and how much I fancy the challenge of taking something that is a little sleeker with a fraction more speed.

[Area 10]

Yeah but you are exactly who I’m *not* talking about. You’d sell your own Granny for a 1% increase in speed

Stop pratting about and get a 21” wide board. Then you’ll know when you get your ass kicked by a teenager on a 23” wide one, that thinking “If only I went narrower I’d be faster” is just not going to work for you There’s something reassuring about not being able to blame your equipment Stop giving yourself excuses for your failure to achieve the goals that your ego has set you

[ukgm]

Yeah but you are exactly who I’m *not* talking about. You’d sell your own Granny for a 1% increase in speed

Stop pratting about and get a 21” wide board. Then you’ll know when you get your ass kicked by a teenager on a 23” wide one, that thinking “If only I went narrower I’d be faster” is just not going to work for you There’s something reassuring about not being able to blame your equipment Stop giving yourself excuses for your failure to achieve the goals that your ego has set you

To be fair, I like speed whether I race or not. For example, I have the fastest bikes I can lay my hands on in disciplines I don’t even compete at. Touring based gear is just frustratingly hard work and it’s speed is not as arbitrary as it should be.

On the subject of goals, I haven’t lost yet ;-)

[Lake Paddler]

I have a question that is slightly off topic. Today I went to a garage to see what kind of solution they offer for the transportation of a 14 ft (ca. 4.27 m) board. One guy suggested that my car, being ca. 4.44 m long, is too short for such a task (or conversely the board is too long). What do you guys think? Is it really the case? Which vehicles do you normally use for transportation? Below are some dimensions in mm.

[gone_foiling]

I have a question that is slightly off topic. Today I went to a garage to see what kind of solution they offer for the transportation of a 14 ft (ca. 4.27 m) board. One guy suggested that my car, being ca. 4.44 m long, is too short for such a task (or conversely the board is too long). What do you guys think? Is it really the case? Which vehicles do you normally use for transportation? Below are some dimensions in mm.

What a load of horseshit. Thule.com and enter your vehicle details and it will give you everything you need to install rack on your car.

[Luc Benac]

I have a question that is slightly off topic. Today I went to a garage to see what kind of solution they offer for the transportation of a 14 ft (ca. 4.27 m) board. One guy suggested that my car, being ca. 4.44 m long, is too short for such a task (or conversely the board is too long). What do you guys think? Is it really the case? Which vehicles do you normally use for transportation? Below are some dimensions in mm.

Really :-)   
I regularly transport my 17'4" on top of my Subary Outback 15.8" and do not plan anytime soon to leave it at home :-)

[Lake Paddler]

To be fair, I like speed whether I race or not. For example, I have the fastest bikes I can lay my hands on in disciplines I don’t even compete at. Touring based gear is just frustratingly hard work and it’s speed is not as arbitrary as it should be.

On the subject of goals, I haven’t lost yet ;-)

I own a low-end crossbike which I use every day for commuting 30 km. I've been improving consistently every year on the overall speed, but never wanted to replace it with a lighter/faster bike. That said, my preference for a narrow board is not really driven by its speed, but rather by the willingness to challenge myself. Otherwise I would stay with a 25 inch flatwater board, I suppose (yeah I only paddle inland lakes).

[Lake Paddler]

What a load of horseshit. Thule.com and enter your vehicle details and it will give you everything you need to install rack on your car.

Yep they have some nice racks. I thought there might be some maximal length limit for a specific car model and a board that is too long might introduce instability.

[Lake Paddler]

Really :-)   
I regularly transport my 17'4" on top of my Subary Outback 15.8" and do not plan anytime soon to leave it at home :-)

That's really reassuring to know! How do you distribute that excessive 1'8", or how far back is your board sitting on top of your car?

[Luc Benac]

Really :-)   
I regularly transport my 17'4" on top of my Subary Outback 15.8" and do not plan anytime soon to leave it at home :-)

That's really reassuring to know! How do you distribute that excessive 1'8", or how far back is your board sitting on top of your car?

Almost all excess is at the back.

[gone_foiling]

Just balance your board on the rack. Don't shift weight to the front or back - balance is the key.