Paddle Boarding - Had a go yet ?

[mjcoon]

I've just been watching a "Gadget Show" from a few weeks ago where they had fun with battery-powered foiling boards. I think they said they could do 30 mph. But of course the range is just appropriate for a toy costing thousands of pounds...

 

[Elessar]

I've just been watching a "Gadget Show" from a few weeks ago where they had fun with battery-powered foiling boards. I think they said they could do 30 mph. But of course the range is just appropriate for a toy costing thousands of pounds...

I’ve seen a few in use. I would absolutely love one. But not at the price they are!!

 

[Laser310]

i windsurf quite a bit, and also paddle board a bit...

paddleboards can be great exercise - it's more strenuous, generally, than windsurfing, particularly if you are a good windsurfer

the longer narrower, race-oriented, paddleboards can be quite tricky to stay on top of, until you get used to them, but they are a lot faster, and track much better than the typical "all around" paddleboards that you mostly see.

all around boards are pretty good though - i have one with an insert for a windsurf mast.

most all around boards can be used for surfing waves - there are specialized wave paddleboards, but you shouldn't shy away from surfing waves if all you have is an all around.

i am pretty poor at catching waves on a real surf board, but it's much easier on a paddleboard, as you are already standing, and the transition to standing can be an impediment for beginning surfers. also, the paddle makes it a lot easier to get the board up to speed to catch a wave compared with using one's arms.

 

[Tomahawk]

If god had meant us to row and paddle, he wouldn’t have invented sails and light weight composit materials to make sailing boats go vety fast.

 

[Laser310]

If god had meant us to row and paddle, he wouldn’t have invented sails and light weight composit materials to make sailing boats go vety fast.

if god had meant us to cycle, he wouldn't have invented automobiles.., yet I cycle over 100 miles a week...

for me, paddleboarding is often for fitness, but i also do it on windsurfing trips, in the morning before the wind gets up as a way to get on the water. And some days, the wind never comes up, so that's all i have.

it can be quite beautiful paddling around over Caribbean reefs early in the morning - it's calm.., nobody else is on the water except a few other paddlers and maybe a few surfers. I go out before breakfast, stay out for an hour or two.., then return and enjoy my breakfast twice as much as had i not gone out!

 

[Tomahawk]

Lighten up

 

[Scomber]

If link dont work , google SUP foiling in westport nz.

 

[TernVI]

If link dont work , google SUP foiling in westport nz.

That looks fun.
Just needs a sail to get back out again.

 

[RJJ]

View attachment 95486
Taken from the foot of my bed for house sale listing - the supper appeared between framing and pressing the shutter - serendipitous but couldn’t use it of course - subject might have been identifiable by someone with better eyesight than me!

I can see how you might dislike these people, but it's a bit harsh to eat them.

 

[wully1]

the paddle makes it a lot easier to get the board up to speed to catch a wave compared with using one's arms.

Hmmm...a lot depends on the waves. Crappy waves need more speed, good waves less speed. Also a ‘good’ surfer will be easily able to generate good speed at the right place and time On any surfable wave.
Catching waves on a big SUP is very easy - as is catching waves on a big nose rider / Malibu surfboard.

Anyway, most folk on here won’t be using a hard board and inflatable SUPs are very poor waveriders.

 

[dancrane]

I've found a version of the stand-up idea that I find appealing.

 

[Dino]

I’d be tempted to buy a SUP with the windsurfing kit. Has anyone tried one?

 

[Laser310]

I’d be tempted to buy a SUP with the windsurfing kit. Has anyone tried one?

i already had tons of windsurfing gear..., including a big wide board that i got for my kids to learn on (Starboard Go).., but I figured if I was getting a paddleboard, i might as well get one with a mast insert.

what i got was not a real "WindSup".., those are more designed with both windsurfing and paddling in mind

what i got was a 10'6" by 32" (I think) all around paddleboard, with something of a wave surfing orientation, that has a place to attach a windsurf universal. While some of the WindSups will have an actual track, what mine has is a threaded insert into which one can screw a windsurf universal.

The kids loved sailing the paddleboard, it was lighter and more nimble than the GO. The Go has much more volume, a full EVA deck, and is built stronger - so of course it is heavier... the other great thing was that now i had two beginner boards, and could get them both out together.

the trade off is that my paddleboard will never plane with a sail - its wave riding orientation means that it has quite a lot of tail rocker - some all around paddle boards would be flatter. WindSup's are generally a lot flatter and will plane. My feeling was that kids learning to windsurf don't need a board that will plane - they are not going to plane..., and anyway, i have probably eight or more other windsurf boards that will plane. They are both sailing shorter, faster, boards now.

I do not know if they are making all-arounds with inserts anymore.., but i have seen them for sale second-hand. Many windsup's were made and I see them second-hand as well.

one problem with my kind of board, where the insert is kind of an afterthought, is that the insert might not be as reinforced as one might want - if a little wave broke over the rig, say on a beach, the lever might pop the insert out of the board - so you do need to be a bit careful. I have not had a problem.

upthread, i mentioned that it is easier to catch a wave on a paddleboard than on a surf board for people who are not good surfers - you are already standing, and the paddle makes it easier to get up to speed.

another trick, and one that has given me great enjoyment.., is to put a small sail (4.0) on a big stable paddleboard with an insert - preferably a wave-oriented all-around.., and sail it out to the wave break. I do this in the morning when there is barely any wind, and the waves are at their best - it is slow, but the object is not to sail fast... Once out there, it is amazingly easy for a decent windsurfer to catch and ride the waves. I am not a great paddler, and I maneuver so much more easily in the break with the tiny sail than with the paddle - even in almost no wind. I can easily catch many times more waves than i would with the paddle. The reason you want a tiny sail, even in light wind, is that you want it to disappear as much as possible once you are on the wave. also, in 3kts of wind, a bigger sail doesn't really help - it's heavier and you need to hold it up.

give it a try - the paddleboarders will be jealous at the ease with which you catch waves!

 

[wully1]

I’d be tempted to buy a SUP with the windsurfing kit. Has anyone tried one?

Sir will be requiring one of these...

2021 Hyper Nut Foil 4-in-1 Paddle Board » Starboard SUP Not sure anyone else is still making dedicated windSUPs

If you want to play in small waves they are great but for general windsurfing a ‘proper’ long windsurfing board is better as you’ll get a centre board which makes going upwind a lot easier.

But if you are going for it - for starting out get a Starboard Drive 10’6” or similar size board - they will do every kind of paddle boarding pretty well. The windsurfing variants of paddle boards are more expensive for no good reason, the reinforced area of the board for the mast foot is simply a plug of thickened resin. If you fancy it buy a cheap 10 or 11 ft SUP and fit a small fin box on the deck just in front of the vent plug screw.

For flat water work the inflatable WindSUP is great especially for learning on - but inflatables are very poor in the surf.

 

[Dino]

Thanks for the info guys. I'm based inland and I have a motor cruiser so an inflatable SUP would be a nice toy. I also sail so I had an idea I might get a WindSUP but maybe I should just buy a regular iSUP and see if I like it. I can always upgrade later if I want.
Can anyone recommend a good entry level iSUP for a big guy 110kg+. Flat water touring use.
Was thinking something like a Two Bare Feet Archer Touring or a Sport Air Allround XL.

 

[Laser310]

i think both Starboard and Fanatic have inflatable WindSup's in their 2021 model range.

 

[Laser310]

But if you are going for it - for starting out get a Starboard Drive 10’6”

The board I described above is similar to a Drive, in fact I though about getting a Drive.

I think the Drive is narrower than what i ended up with, and might have slightly less tail rocker

 

[wully1]

The board I described above is similar to a Drive, in fact I though about getting a Drive.

I think the Drive is narrower than what i ended up with, and might have slightly less tail rocker

I think the Drive is one of those boards that just does everything well - as does the Fanatic and Naish Nalu of the same size?
(The Nalu was slightly sweeter to turn but very fragile..)