12'6 Surftech Bark Competitor - How Does It Compare To Modern Boards??

[EsqDavidK]

I've been able to play with an old 12'6 Surftech Bark Competitor on Lake Michigan this summer.  It's in great shape but has to be at least 10 years old.  I like the speed and stability it presents and am learning to surf it in after paddling out through breaking waves.  I'm curious how it stacks up with modern 12'6 open water race type boards.  Does it give up a lot to its modern peers?  What do the newer boards do better?  Thanks.

[TallDude]

It's a good board. Keep it. Compared to all the inflatable trash out there, it's a fantastic board. It surfs ok as long as you keep that nose up. The newer boards have a more rounded / bulbus bottom near the nose (more like a surfboard) which helps them slide not grab and turn when you're riding down the face of a wave or bump. Your Bark has a displacement nose like a canoe, so it glides and tracks smoother on flat water than the bulbus nosed boards. Joe Bark is one of the OG masters. Respect....

[DavidJohn]

In my opinion it’s a great board.. You can see it in my latest video of a recent SUP race here in Oz (at the 3 minute and 5.10 minute mark).. The look is a bit dated and I think it has the long strap handle that looks weird but it works great.. The construction is good but the board is much heavier than most modern boards.. The nose shape can catch when dropping into a runner or pushed by a wave but a skilled paddler will step back to raise the nose to avoid it catching.. Many friends have owned that board and they all loved it.

[Quickbeam]

I've got this board, but I haven't been on it in a very long time. And sorry, can't really remember a lot about it. It's buried in my basement and I just never had the heart to get rid of it. One day I'll take it out again. But I've since had a number of 12' 6" boards and my current go to board is a 12' 6" x 23" Blackfish. Again, I just don't remember a lot about the Bark, but I don't really think it could compare to the Blackfish, other than I'm sure at 29" it has a lot more stability. But obviously I liked the Bark enough not to sell it, and I've bought and sold a number of boards in my time.
Should also clarify that most of my paddling is on pretty flat water, as I live on a small lake. Sorry I couldn't be more help, but your post made me somewhat nostalgic so thought I'd respond.

Just remembered after posting, or rather I think I remember, that one small annoyance I had with this board is that I was always standing in water. Hope I've got that right. Hope I'm not thinking of another board. But I just kind of remember that the deck always had water on it. I previously had a 12' 6" x 22" dugout board that was drier than this board, but then my dugout board had drain holes cut into it.