SUP ATX

[aircube]

double 6 top and single 6 bottom is very light glassing

[juandoe]

I hear you but for those of you on the left and right coasts, you have no idea how little choice there is to buy a SUP in Texas.  You're either going to pay a lot or order and wait awhile.  The surf shops have just caught on in the past year or so.  There's one place in Houston with a over a dozen boards, one guy in Galveston, and the guys in Austin (unless you want to drive to Port A or South Padre).  The good news is no crowds here...

There is another Austin option
http://www.austinpaddlesports.com/

[Hans]

double 6 top and single 6 bottom is very light glassing

It is not strong enough ,especially for SUP.

For high performace long board is ok

[corran]

hey Hans

Welcome to the Zone ;-)

Corran

[spindrift]

I checked back on this thread to see if there was an answer to my question about high and low-priced epoxy board construction.  I was hoping for an informed response.  Anyone?

[brian_s]

Here is a reply I received from SUPatx while looking for a first board:

"Our boards are made over seas in china as you can tell
thats the only way we would be able to offer a product like this for this
price. Our boards are made with eps foam and are glssed with 3 layers of
6oz hexel fiber glass on the deck and 1.5 layers on the bottom. the epoxy
we use is from resin research and the specs are below. As you can tell the
boards are made from american materials and of such a high quality."

But alas I have not ridden one.

[caseyg]

I am from the Austin area and am familiar with these products.  They ride OK, but I wouldn't personally buy one.  Not a big fan of the company or how they do business.  I have also heard some stories of quality issues.  Some boards are just fine, but I have heard of others where they came out of the box delaminated.  Just remember, you get what you pay for.

[H2Oman]

Friends of mine have 2  12" ATXs on order.  They should be here next week.  Looking forward to comparing them to other boards I've seen and own.

[jrmcswain]

I have a 12 foot ATX on order as well. I should have it sometime around July, 17th.



-- Richard

[boardlady]

regarding Epoxy board cost and different types of construction - from cheapest on up:
1. EPS core with a couple of layers of fiberglass. Hand layup, no molds required, minimal materials cost. Boards lack stiffness, both under your feet as well as overall, ding easily and then leak.
2. EPS core with a couple of layers of fiberglass and some veneer to improve local stiffness, often just on deck. Can be done without a mold, and materials cost is fairly reasonable still.
3. EPS core, light layer of fiberglass, a "bulking" material such as Coremat, woven Bamboo or such to improve local strength, covered by more fiberglass. Requires a mold, but materials cost are still reasonable.
4. EPS core, light layer of glass, thermoformed PVC sheet foam, more glass or Carbon. Requires heated molds, materials cost and need for more skilled labor are going up. Stiffness is going up, weight going down. Tough, resistance to snapping and dings, minor dings will not cause leaks into the core.
5. EPS core, light layer of glass, thermoformed PVC sheet foam, light glass, veneer, Carbon. All of the cost and advantages of #4, just more so. (windsurfing boards have been built this way for years, pushing $2000.- for "average" production models)
and for the future:
6. Hollow core with pre-molded PVC-cored skins and foam spacers - Mark Raaphorst has been building them like this for years
For photos of much of the above, check my www.boardlady.com/anatomy.htm
Eva

[jrmcswain]

Hmmmm, that was a very interesting article Eva. Me being new to this sport, its nice to see how these boards are put together and will come in handy for any future purchases I may make.


-- Richard

[Linus]

Nuggets of wisdom from The Board Lady!  I love it. Thanks Eva! (Zoners, she's a legend, and it's great to have her contribute to the Zone!)

[jrmcswain]

I have a 12 foot ATX on order as well. I should have it sometime around July, 17th.


-- Richard

Just got an e-mail from SUP ATX saying that my order has been delayed and won't be shipped until the week of July, 19th... UGH!

I don't know much about boards and am new to this sport but this still looks like the least expensive way for a first timer to get into it.  I really like the looks of the C4 Waterman boards and if stand up paddling turns out to be something I like doing then I may look into getting one of those next year. You all have me a little on edge about the SUP ATX board so I hope it turns out to be a good starter board.




-- Richard

[Jaco]

FWIW . . . I ended up getting two SUP ATX boards in the last two months - one for me and one for the missus.  My original intent was just to get one for the missus and then get a higher end board (Laird) for me.  But after tooling around on the first one we got, I figured might as well save a few hundos and go with the cheaper model. 

I love that this board is getting me out on the water - but I can definitely see down the line that I'll want something better made and better quality.

My main problem with the board is that dings and deformations show up way to easy.  Also, and I don't know if this happens with other boards, but I can already see an indent on my board where my feet go . . . yes, I'm decent size (215) . . . but not sure if this is common.

Also, the board seems to resist catching swells and when it does it's like being on the back of a giant squirrel who's looking for that last nut before snowfall.  Is that due to technique?  Sure - I guess in part - but I did demo other boards before this one and never had a problem.

Paddles are of decent quality (haven't broken it yet).

All in all - good starter board - but you get what you pay for.

Hope this helps.

Jaco

[dannyo]

Hey folks!  Just wanted to revisit this topic.  I ended up buying 2 of the SUP ATX boards...I guess back in March.  After having spent a decent amount of time on the board, I suppose I owe you guys a little review.

Quality - Just as everyone suspected.  You get what you pay for.  That being said, I've taken it to Port Aransas 4 times and it has only received a little bit of punishment.  I would like to note that beyond the 4 times in the surf, the construction has held up perfectly well under freshwater lake usage. 

Flatwater Ride - Look, these boards are tanks.  12x31.  They do the job, though.  I'll put a kid up front and I have no problem paddling.  It tracks fairly straight.  As a disclaimer, I have NOT paddled any other board.  My paddling background comes from whitewater kayaking, kayak fishing, canoeing. 

Surf - The 4 times I've been to Port Aransas have been awesome.  If you've ever surfed on the Texas coast you know how difficult it is to paddle out and you know how inconsistent and choppy the waves can be.  This board can catch anything!  The drawback to me is that it's just too long.  I also have an 11', but even that seems too long. It doesn't turn well in the surf, but I didn't expect that from it.

Fun - It is awesome fun.  I had a party at the lake and everyone just loved them.  They are built for high fun and recreation.  Anyone can stand on it and paddle.  Anyone can throw a kid on the front and have fun.  If your goal is to have fun, inexpensive fun at that, then this board may be for you. 

Value - The package is a great deal.  Pehaps the best part of it is the paddle.  It comes with a carbon fiber paddle that is light and cut to size.  The sub $800 deal is great for a family to get on the water.  If the quality holds up, the board is a great starter board and will even allow you to hone your skills untill you want/need a new one. 

If you were on the fence about this and you think you will be happy having a board made in China and of decent quality that will allow you to progress without breaking the bank, the SUP ATX Lakerider might be the perfect board for you.

As a note, I will be buying a new board sometime and it will not be a SUP ATX.  The reason being that I want a board specifically for surfing.  I'm  looking into a wide board around 9' - 10'.  I will not replace this board until it is broken beyond repair.