Author Topic: Seeking feedback before getting a new board  (Read 15718 times)

NMPaddler

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Re: Seeking feedback before getting a new board
« Reply #45 on: January 17, 2021, 10:17:33 AM »
At this point, it's likely that I'll order a Jimmy Lewis 2018 U-boat 14 x 25 next week. It's a flat water racing board, lightweight, has a flat deck, is a full PVC sandwich construction from the Kinetic factory and it fits my budget. While I haven't seen many reviews or posts about the U-boat in recent years, the ones that I have seen are very positive. And of course Jimmy Lewis boards have a great reputation in general.
Jimmy Lewis U-Boat 14' x 25"
Red Paddle Sport 11' x 30"

NMPaddler

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Re: Seeking feedback before getting a new board
« Reply #46 on: January 28, 2021, 09:03:40 PM »
I did it! I decided to pull the trigger and get a Jimmy Lewis U-Boat.

It was delivered today and other than a scratch on the top, it survived the journey surprisingly well. I would love to take it out on the water but unfortunately, it won’t be warm enough until March or April. I'm really curious to find out how different it paddles compared to my inflatable 11' and whether I went too narrow or not. I don't think I did since I paddle in pretty flat water but guess I'll have to wait a few months to find out. I didn’t see many reviews about the U-boat so after I’ve had a chance to paddle it a bit I'll post a review. 

Here are the specs for my board:
  - Year: 2018
  - Dimensions: 14’ x 25”
  - Volume: 271 liters
  - Weight: 23.6 lbs
  - Tail width: 11.25”
  - Hull Bottom: Flat with a slight concave down the middle

And here are some pictures of it.
Jimmy Lewis U-Boat 14' x 25"
Red Paddle Sport 11' x 30"

TallDude

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Re: Seeking feedback before getting a new board
« Reply #47 on: January 29, 2021, 12:15:57 AM »
Nice looking board. I think it was a good choice. Let us know how it paddles... when you can...
It's not overhead to me!
8'8" L-41 ST and a whole pile of boards I rarely use.

Wetstuff

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Re: Seeking feedback before getting a new board
« Reply #48 on: January 29, 2021, 06:48:03 AM »
Looks good.. NMP.   I was always hesitant about 'narrow' because I am a clumsy old fuc, so my brain established a base minimum width at ~32 no matter the length.  I bought a beautiful 12-6 from OZ because a guy rode alpine-sized waves in a video.  ...but, it was 28"!!  C'hit! 

The joke was on me - it was/is more stable than a 10-0 x 32 I have.  I am not smart enough to know why, but I would pretty much trust JL to not have made you something more suited for a log-rolling contest.  ...and tell your subconscious - it's 33".

Jim
Atlantis Mistress .. Blue Planet MultiTasker ..   Atlantis Venom

Dusk Patrol

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Re: Seeking feedback before getting a new board
« Reply #49 on: January 29, 2021, 12:36:03 PM »
That's awesome NM, great looking board... and JL peace of mind... 
RS 14x26; JL Destroyers 9'8 & 8'10; BluePlanet 9'4; JL Super Frank 8'6

NMPaddler

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Re: Seeking feedback before getting a new board
« Reply #50 on: January 29, 2021, 09:17:30 PM »
Thanks for the encouragement everybody. I'm pretty stoked about it. The Jimmy Lewis reputation was definitely a factor in selecting it. And it sure is a pretty thing. Pictures don't do it justice.
Jimmy Lewis U-Boat 14' x 25"
Red Paddle Sport 11' x 30"

NMPaddler

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Re: Seeking feedback before getting a new board
« Reply #51 on: May 23, 2021, 11:24:16 PM »
Now that I’ve been out on the water a dozen times on the new board, I thought I would post an update to give some closure to the thread I started.

In a nutshell, the new board is exactly what I was looking for in a fast, flat water board. So kudos to the forum. The fact that I could buy a board online and have it actually meet my expectations on the water speaks volumes to the helpful advise, recommendations and insight I received from this forum. I think that’s especially true given that I'm fairly new to the sport, my inflatable is the only board I’ve ever paddled and I didn’t have the luxury of demoing any boards. So thanks again! 

And now that I have some sessions under my belt, I can confidently say that this board isn’t too unstable for me.  Which was a major concern when I was considering what to buy. That fear of going to small. Happily, I can go out and paddle for a couple of hours, no problems. My legs aren’t exhausted from trying to balance and I haven’t been falling in when boats go by. So that all seems pretty good.       

Along with a new board, I also replaced my broken paddle with a significant upgrade this winter - a Ke Nalu Mana paddle. And since I now have to carry a paddle board on top of my vehicle, I had to get a roof rack and decided on a SUP carrier from LockRack. It’s awesome and I’m loving how easy it has made transporting my board to the lake.

Anyway, that's the update. Happy paddling!
Jimmy Lewis U-Boat 14' x 25"
Red Paddle Sport 11' x 30"

burchas

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Re: Seeking feedback before getting a new board
« Reply #52 on: May 24, 2021, 04:26:02 AM »
Great choices! Pimped your ride all bling 8)
in progress...

PonoBill

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Re: Seeking feedback before getting a new board
« Reply #53 on: May 24, 2021, 09:50:12 AM »
Beautiful board. Jimmy is as good as it gets for getting every last bit of stability from a board. Jimmy is great at downwinding, and knows exactly what he needs from a board. Plus his production boards are among the few true sandwich boards made, and he oversees production frequently--mostly because he really likes Vietnam, so he's always willing to fly there to deal with issues. Great choice.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

 


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