Author Topic: I want to go *longer*, not shorter!  (Read 4206 times)

linter

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I want to go *longer*, not shorter!
« on: November 04, 2007, 10:36:32 AM »
i've got a jimmy11' and all of a sudden i'm gaga over the idea of going longer for my next SUP, which is different from most people around here, most of whom seem to be thinking shorter.  why longer?  for one thing, here in RI, longer would be much stabler in the winter.  better glide, too.
   i'm thinking of the starboard 12-6.  anyone have any thoughts on it?  are the forthcoming 2008 models from starboard and others likely to be vast improvements over this model?
   sheesh, i've got the fever ... thanks for getting me thinking like this, stoneaxe! ;D

paddlesurf.net

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Re: I want to go *longer*, not shorter!
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2007, 12:48:01 PM »
I totally understand where you're coming from! I started on an 11'11" board and have gone down to a 10'- but I still love the big red- something about the way it swings around and once you set all that rail and get it going it just takes on a life of its own. I don't think I'll go below 10'- just seems like a good compromise length for cruising and carving. I've seen that board you're talking about- it's really a sweet looking ride (I haven't surfed it so I can't comment on that aspect). Wardog from surfingsports.com has one and he says the thing surfs great.

Dwight (DW)

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Re: I want to go *longer*, not shorter!
« Reply #2 on: November 04, 2007, 03:29:03 PM »
i've got a jimmy11' and all of a sudden i'm gaga over the idea of going longer for my next SUP, which is different from most people around here, most of whom seem to be thinking shorter.  why longer?  for one thing, here in RI, longer would be much stabler in the winter.  better glide, too.
   i'm thinking of the starboard 12-6.  anyone have any thoughts on it?  are the forthcoming 2008 models from starboard and others likely to be vast improvements over this model?
   sheesh, i've got the fever ... thanks for getting me thinking like this, stoneaxe! ;D

Have you tired shorter?

The reason I ask, is because glide is over rated in my opinion. I'll take acceleration and speed over glide anyday. I just happened to paddle my friends 11' JL today. Yuk, what a beast. I felt like I was pulling a 100 car train with my paddle. I'd rather paddle a shorter, lighter, faster, easier paddling board anyday, whether upwind, downwind, or distance cruising.

Anyway, I hope this made you think outside the box.

linter

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Re: I want to go *longer*, not shorter!
« Reply #3 on: November 04, 2007, 04:22:33 PM »
dw: i'm just thinking that for brutal winter conditions -- water hovering around 38-40 degrees -- having something longer and stabler than the jl11 might be the ticket.
   didn't you use to have a jl11?  what're you riding now?  i thought it was a jl10 but maybe i'm wrong.  anyway, while i'm thinking longer, i'm also thinking shorter than 11', for when the water warms up again.   and in terms of shorter, everything you say is right on.  and you're also right when you say the jl11' is a beast; sometimes i just can't get that sucker moving.  but for a new shorter board, i think i'll wait til '08, when the flood of new boards hits the market and ponobill does his big comparison test.  in the 12-6 range, though, i'm not sure what else is out there except for the Laird, at 12', and i hear that the *board outsurfs the laird eezee peezee.

Dwight (DW)

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Re: I want to go *longer*, not shorter!
« Reply #4 on: November 04, 2007, 04:37:05 PM »
dw: i'm just thinking that for brutal winter conditions -- water hovering around 38-40 degrees -- having something longer and stabler than the jl11 might be the ticket.
   didn't you use to have a jl11?  what're you riding now?  i thought it was a jl10 but maybe i'm wrong.  anyway, while i'm thinking longer, i'm also thinking shorter than 11', for when the water warms up again.   and in terms of shorter, everything you say is right on.  and you're also right when you say the jl11' is a beast; sometimes i just can't get that sucker moving.  but for a new shorter board, i think i'll wait til '08, when the flood of new boards hits the market and ponobill does his big comparison test.  in the 12-6 range, though, i'm not sure what else is out there except for the Laird, at 12', and i hear that the *board outsurfs the laird eezee peezee.

You're correct. I use to own the 11, now ride the 10 JL. I going to something around 10'6 next.

StandUpPaddleSurf.net

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Re: I want to go *longer*, not shorter!
« Reply #5 on: November 04, 2007, 06:29:35 PM »
Linter - Are you set on going over 12 feet long?  There are a lot of boards in the 11'6" to 12' range now.  I personally really like the Angulo 11'9" bc it's stable, glides well, surfs well, light weight and super durable.  I think the Laird 12' is pretty good but less impressive in the surf than Angulo.  I also saw an 11'6" Stewart that looks like it may surf pretty good but may be a bit tippy for its size.  I also just saw the 11' Boardworks Ben Aipa model and the new Surftech Laird's at Wet Feet's BDay celebration. 

Are you going to cruise, surf or go downwind?  There are some new C4 racing boards that are pretty sweet and the 12' one is fairly wide.  All of them are really fast.

I shot a bunch of photos and will post at www.standuppaddlesurf.net when ready.

stoneaxe

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Re: I want to go *longer*, not shorter!
« Reply #6 on: November 04, 2007, 08:21:32 PM »
Hi Linter,

I sent you this in a PM but figured I might as well share it here too. I don't expect anyone here to listen to my opinions. I'm as newb as you can get. That said I love the board. It perfect for me at my size. My skills don't do it justice I'm sure.

This came for Starboards website. A reprint from Boards Magazine SUP Test.

"Starboard's 12"6 receives strong praise in first ever SUP test

The October issue of BOARDS (reputable UK windsurfing magazine) conducted a test and review of the leading SUP's available on the UK market. This is the first industry test and comparison that includes a Starboard SUP. Starboard's 12"6 was put to the test against its rivals and shone brightly... very brighly!

Although we encourage you to read the article in full (run to the magazine stand while stocks last!), below are some of the glowing quotes;

"The board was clearly one of the fastest on test"

"The Starboard (12"6) was extremely popular with all testers"

"... highly rated by all for its maneuverability, speed and ease of use"

The full result for the Starboard 12"6 reads as follows


Starboard offer two models of paddleboard: the 12'2" (shaped by Mark Raaphorst - top SUP rider), designed for waveriding and the more athletic rider and the 12'6' (by Svein Rasmussen/ Jim Drake) which we had for our test, designed for more stability for both SUP and light wind freestyle.

On The Water: The Starboard was the longest board on test, it looks quite narrow with a thin tail and a lot of rocker. Before you even climb onto it, you can see that the tail rocker actually lifts the tail clear from the water! Climbing onto the board, it's noticeably less stable than some of the wider boards here.

As soon as you start paddling, stability is not a problem and it glides very well. The board was clearly one of the fastest on test, feeling quite easy to maintain a decent speed over a long distance.

Despite its length, it manoeuvres very well and can be pivoted on the tail very easily.The board picks up small waves and swells easily and is easy to steer while riding.

Fitting: The deck of the Starboard is covered in decent EVA (not wrapped around the rails).There is a nice guide on the deck that shows you the balance point of the board and hence where to stand. The Starboard also features a well-placed carry handle in the middle of the deck, making it a lot easier to get to the water's edge!

The board is supplied with a 23.5cm flex fin, as seen on longboards (surf). It also has FCS inserts for two thrusters fins.

There is the option of a centre-fin to give stability to those who are learning and to allow the board to be used as a longboard (windsurf) along with brass inserts for deckplate attachment.

Popularity: The Starboard was extremely popular with all testers. It made first place in terms of popularity (it was in the top two for every tester), and was highly rated by all for its manoeuvrability, speed and ease of use.

Strengths: Speed, manoeuvrability and versatility in waves and on flat water.

Weaknesses: Slightly harder to balance on than some bigger boards.

Overall: The Starboard is a great all round SUP for both flat water and small waves. It's easy to use and has something to offer everyone from complete beginner to advanced waverider It has a really nice balance of length for glide and straight line stability and a thin tail with lots of rocker for manoeuvres and waveriding. Add to that well thought-out fittings and the board is hard to beat."
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

PonoBill

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Re: I want to go *longer*, not shorter!
« Reply #7 on: November 05, 2007, 09:18:47 AM »
I responded on Ponohouse, but thought I'd add a few thoughts here. DW, the JL 11er is probably the worst gliding board I've used, no wonder you thought it felt like you were pulling a train. I don't know why that's so, but everyone that uses them knows the board goes the length of the stroke and no further. What the JL 11 is great at is stability and surfing. You can get your granny up and paddling on an 11er, but she'll have to work hard to keep up if you do a downwinder.  In the surf, the 11er takes some geting used to, but once you learn to press hard on the rails its good.

The Starboard 12'6" turns and feels like its much shorter--Feels way shorter than Laird even though it's six inches longer and just as wide. It glides amazingly well. I need to shoot some video of the effect, but the other day I gave about ten hard paddles and then stopped to see how far it would coast. It was still moving fast enough to show a wake sixty seconds later, when I got bored with the experiment and started paddling again. I posted a couple of videos of the board at Ponohouse (www.Ponohouse.com/ponoblog).

Any of you folks that can be in Maui in February, let me know. We're going to test a lot of boards. It will be a lot of work, but also a lot of fun.
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.

linter

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Re: I want to go *longer*, not shorter!
« Reply #8 on: November 05, 2007, 02:41:38 PM »
thanks everyone for the input.  i'm not totally stuck on 12-6 but my concern with something in the 11-6 to 12' range is that it wouldn't be remarkably  different in the qualities i'm looking for than my jimmy 11'.  in terms of my plans for a 12-6, it'd be surfing and cruising (read:fishing).
   i've been thinking about what DW said about the jl11's lack of acceleration and speed and what ponobill has to say about its glide.  boy is that all true.  sometimes i just can't get that thing up and moving and lost waves are the result.  it rides waves pretty great but the rest of it is somewhat lacking.  so ... if i got the 12-6 now, i'd probably trade in the jl11 in mid-08, on some something a little shorter, with more acceleration and speed, just in time for summer.
   so, i'm pretty much settled on the 12-6, i guess ... unless somebody knows of a new board coming out that can do everything it does, but better, plus more.
   anyway, that's the long and short of it.
   thanks again, all!

MichaelF

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Re: I want to go *longer*, not shorter!
« Reply #9 on: November 07, 2007, 09:53:00 PM »
I have the 12'6 and it glides great.  It is extremely well built. 

Like it as a paddling board.  I have had several great rides and nice session surfing it but for me it is too long and too hard to turn compared to some of the shorter boards.  I don't take it out much anymore but I will take it out again when when I do more distance + some surfing.  THe board I am on now is just the opposite.

If you want glide, this is an excellent production board.  I have been on the JL 11 several times and think it is a slug paddling.

 


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