Author Topic: shopping for Race/Touring board for bigger guys  (Read 12558 times)

H2Oman

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shopping for Race/Touring board for bigger guys
« on: February 14, 2010, 11:43:36 AM »
This morning I took the wife out for her first SUP paddle on my C4.  It worked, she wants one of her own.  I'm going to call the C4 "her's" and get something more distance/open water paddling friendly, I wouldn't mind entering some fun races this year and I'll use the C4 for surf.

Any suggestions for someone 6' 2", 250# (but dropping)?  My concern is length.  Since I don't have racks on my Sprinter, I can probably only fit 12' 6" inside.  The mini van can handle longer boards on the roof, so I don't want to write that option off, but long is a concern.

Thanks for any feedback.

Roland

jimbro

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Re: shopping for Race/Touring board for bigger guys
« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2010, 12:50:10 PM »
i am about the same height and weight and i have an 11'6 C4 stand-um for surfing and it works great.  I also have a 12'6 Hobie Cr-1 that was used when i bought it.  It was custom shaped for a bigger guy(i was told it was Chuck Pattersons old board, and he was just in town so i believe it.) It just depends on what you wanna do, the 11'6 is good for surfing and recreation.  The 12'6 hobie is a race board.  I also have a C4 Vortice that floats me really well and is used for downwinders.  There are a lot of boards that will float ya man! Naish makes some nice boards with lots of float as well. hope this helps!

PonoBill

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Re: shopping for Race/Touring board for bigger guys
« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2010, 03:23:01 PM »
That's my size. Most downwinder boards will float me, but they're not all fast with all of me pressing them down to deck level. Some do better than others. If I could only have one downwind board it would be either an F16 or an F18, with a rudder. If I could have two I'd have an F18 and a Foote Maliko 14, which is very fortuitous, since I do. Very happy with both of them, especially after yesterday, when the Maliko 14 and I clicked into sync.

If I were going to be restricted to one board for surfing, sailing, and downwinding I would get a Starboard 12'2" or a Ku Nalu with a mast base. The most versatile board I've found--but I've beat that horse to death. Now that you can't just walk into a starboard dealer and buy one, the folks that have them seem to be hanging on pretty tight. I know I am. I know where there is one that could be for sale on Maui, and I have my eye on it.
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.

H2Oman

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Re: shopping for Race/Touring board for bigger guys
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2010, 03:46:49 PM »
Thanks guys.  I have the surf/all around board covered with the 11' 6" C4. 

What I'm wondering about most is the performance difference of a sub 14' board for open water paddling.  I have not had the opportunity to try anything other than my C4 so keep your suggestions coming.

DavidJohn

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Re: shopping for Race/Touring board for bigger guys
« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2010, 04:57:41 PM »
Thanks guys.  I have the surf/all around board covered with the 11' 6" C4.  

What I'm wondering about most is the performance difference of a sub 14' board for open water paddling.  I have not had the opportunity to try anything other than my C4 so keep your suggestions coming.

The difference between your 11'6"C4 and a board like the Naish 14 is like chalk and cheese.

Your C4 is a great board (my friend has one) but it never really gets up and going on a runner and really bogs down when it pearls.

Try and demo a 14' Glide and the first time it jumps on the plane it will feel like someone's pull the rug out from under you.

You'll also love the way it eats up bumps and handles pearling like a hot knife through butter.. You will be amazed for sure.

DJ
« Last Edit: February 14, 2010, 05:00:10 PM by DavidJohn »

H2Oman

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Re: shopping for Race/Touring board for bigger guys
« Reply #5 on: February 14, 2010, 05:16:44 PM »
Thanks David, your ears must have been burning.   After finding a YouTube video of you on your Glide, I was going to send you a PM.   I would like to try a 14 and will make some calls to see if there's a demo anywhere.  The 12' has similar dimensions as the C4 so I was afraid it wouldn't float me much better.

H2Oman

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Re: shopping for Race/Touring board for bigger guys
« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2010, 05:28:25 PM »
What's the pro/cons of the Naish ATS vs Carbon/Wood Veneer?  There's a few hundred dollars in price difference.

My other concern is 27.25 width!  I see myself spending some time in the drink.  :)

DavidJohn

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Re: shopping for Race/Touring board for bigger guys
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2010, 05:56:09 PM »
What's the pro/cons of the Naish ATS vs Carbon/Wood Veneer?  There's a few hundred dollars in price difference.

My other concern is 27.25 width!  I see myself spending some time in the drink.  :)

I'm 6'4" and about 200 lbs and I was also a bit worried about the 27" width.. at first it felt a bit odd because the board has so much rocker when it tips/rocks is does an odd swinging motion like a swinging hammock.

You soon get used to it and it will soon feel very stable.. The board is so thick and stable and when on a runner there is a sweet spot for your back foot that lets you heel/toe turns to steer from left to right to stay on a runner and link them up.

At first you think there's way too much nose rocker but once you get on a good down-winder you soon realize that you need every bit of it.

I say go for the yellow AST rather than the White carbon/wood and save yourself a few hundred dollars.. There is a little weight difference but not that much IMO.. The white boards do come with a good cover though.

What YouTube vid did you watch?

DJ
« Last Edit: February 14, 2010, 06:01:24 PM by DavidJohn »

stoneaxe

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Re: shopping for Race/Touring board for bigger guys
« Reply #8 on: February 14, 2010, 10:50:03 PM »
You might want to consider going custom. I was very fortunate to have a board made for me. When someone good takes in all the particulars about you and the conditions you'll be using it in and creates a board just for you...nothing better. In L.A. for racing/distance you might want something with less rocker and more V also. Seems like the fast boards for Cali conditions are more displacement.
« Last Edit: February 14, 2010, 10:56:59 PM by stoneaxe »
Bob

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H2Oman

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Re: shopping for Race/Touring board for bigger guys
« Reply #9 on: February 14, 2010, 11:20:35 PM »
I like the look of the Starboard Free Race, but I don't think anyone has them in stock...and good luck getting demos.

stoneaxe

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Re: shopping for Race/Touring board for bigger guys
« Reply #10 on: February 15, 2010, 09:28:12 AM »
Probably your best chance of seeing a mix of production boards in one place is at http://www.surfingsports.com/ in Santa Barbara, Starboard, Naish, Hobie, Bark...if anyone has the free race it's likely to be Wardog.
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

H2Oman

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Re: shopping for Race/Touring board for bigger guys
« Reply #11 on: February 15, 2010, 10:32:55 AM »
Any feedback on a C4 Vortice XP?  There's a used one at the local shop, asking $1000.  It's super clean, but I think 3 years old

jimbro

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Re: shopping for Race/Touring board for bigger guys
« Reply #12 on: February 15, 2010, 11:54:59 AM »
i have heard great things about them and at 1000.00 you should jump on it.  However, i have heard they are very fragile?  all i know is that i was gonna get one but they refused to ship to the east coast because so many were getting damaged.  IDK though? i heard they fly and you have to keep them in a bag because of the carbon fiber.

GSXXTRS

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Re: shopping for Race/Touring board for bigger guys
« Reply #13 on: February 15, 2010, 11:55:26 AM »
I just tried the Jimmy Lewis Slice yesterday and I think it's very interesting.  With 285L of displacement in a 12'6" board it should float you fine.  It's very tall for someone of my weight (205#).  I paddled it a lot in one footish side swell which with my poor balance and the board height was a challenge.  When I found the chance to paddle hard in the flat it flew.

For what it's worth I found the 14' Naish Glide handled about as well as the Slice but was very tall to the point where I would need a longer paddle.  It didn't seem quite as fast but I wasn't able to really push it hard.  The Starboard "New" was unusable for me except in perfectly smooth water.  I just couldn't balance it.  

The Slice on my short list for a new distance board this summer.  I'm really waiting for the rest of Starboard line up to show.

highlander51

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Re: shopping for Race/Touring board for bigger guys
« Reply #14 on: February 15, 2010, 02:41:40 PM »
Did you demo these boards in Santa Barbra? If so I was there also.  I liked the Naish 14' glide best, but was seduced by the looks of the Slice. I liked it but to me it was not as fast as the glide.   I thought that the 12'6" pin was very stable and fast but I'm really more interested in 14' for downwind.
So is the Slice more of a flat water board?

 


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