Need help deciding on my "final" race board!

[yugi]

lol already got the eye roll when she saw me on the forum asking about more boards haha

If I remember correctly Burcha's first posts were all about which board would fit in his apartment and car. Now he's a downwind animal.

You've been warned.

[Luc Benac]

lol already got the eye roll when she saw me on the forum asking about more boards haha

If I remember correctly Burcha's first posts were all about which board would fit in his apartment and car. Now he's a downwind animal.

You've been warned.

Now it is all about what house would have a garage large enough and what truck can haul his boards. Finally got the order of things right.

[Kip]

hi Kip,

Nice pic!

Yep. Nothing wrong with doing the learning curve on a clunker. Try boards here and there, and see what fits your conditions, will, and skills.

Maybe I [speed]read the thread too quick but I didn’t see much mention of your height and weight. Everything is relative.

I second advice given so far...
Take one step at a time, take a board that you can go out in all conditions and work your way down very progressively down to a board that suits you.

I imagine for trails you pick your gear for what types and distances your trails will be. Same same here. Choose more long distance and all conditions gear and get good (without incurring injury) and then optimise later for gear that let’s you tweak that little bit more go faster stuff.

And... just coz it’s it’s fun to rib A10  (mainly because I tend to agree with him - and I bought a board based just on his review once)... You’re right Kip. Trail running has a lot of cross-over skills w SUP. SUP will improve your trial running and hopefully allow you to recover from your trial injuries. It’s all win win. (I live on the St Bernard ultra trail path and just a couple of miles from the UTMB path).

Trail running is hugely balance and path reading - just like SUP, especially in rough water conditions. Which is why you should be keeping an open mind to a board better suited for rough stuff - rather than a pure flat-water board.

Great response and insight, Yugi! Thank you.
And also I'm a little jealous you live so close to that trail system. SO GORGEOUS!

This is for later becuase I'm gonna keep rippin' the Riviera, but when we're talking rough water condition boards (I know I'll get out there eventually because my buddies do gnarly downwinders in their OC1s which they used to do on SUPs) what kind of board do you use ? I was kind of interested in the Carolina becuase you "can use it in 90% of all racing conditions", but my understanding is that's the same claim for the AllStar ?

Seems like some people have a big selection for different conditions, but what do the majority of people you speak with or hear from say are best "all around" boards ? Or does that just circle back around to personal preference/trial and error ?

(I'm 5'8" and 160)

[Skate]

go buy a infinity black fish.

[Kip]

go buy a infinity black fish.

That board looks sick AF. I hadn't looked at it yet.

[Kip]

go buy a infinity black fish.

I love that distressed finish on the '19  too. That type of finish on my Riviera makes it easy to fix chips, paint, and sand.

[Skate]

You definitely should buy a blackfish. I have had a few over the years best board out there. I have a 14x25 right now. I am working on getting a custom one made this fall. Now you have the option of a flat deck or a dugout.

[SouthCounty]

Ill second the blackfish 

[SouthCounty]

shelf elf even has one

[Kip]

Ill second the blackfish 

One of those is sitting in my garage waiting to get swapped out for the 14x23!
Wish I could keep em both 

[SouthCounty]

Been thinking about a 14x24.5 very soon, but then I might do a custom 14x25 keep my 27" for open ocean and maybe the 24.5 for races, be nice to have two