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Windnc
Joined: 22 Apr 2005 Posts: 85
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Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 10:12 am Post subject: SUP fpr light wind wave sailing |
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Although I have not sailed the AHD Sea Lion yet, I do hope to demo one sometime when I am up at Hatteras. For side-shore to side off, DTL light wind SUP wave sailing conditions the Sea Lion has certainly been demonstrated by Bill Bell and others to be an outstanding choice and a super wave performer. A great choice for anyone for these conditions for sure. I have to agree though that the Sea Lion is probably not the best option for side-on winds and waves.
If you don’t live at, or can travel frequently to, locations like Hatteras where you have ready access to side off wave sailing spots, then likely you are often looking at frequent side-on to onshore wind conditions. This becomes your only quick option if you want to sail on the ocean. So if you want to enjoy all around light wind SUP wave and ocean sailing and especially do so in side-on to onshore winds, then based on my experience boards like the Exocet Curve 11’5”and the 11’8” WindSUP are ideal.
Although both can be used as an SUP for paddling, they are primarily designed for light wind windsurfing. They perform not only in side-off DTL but very well in side-on winds and waves as well. Coupled with bigger wavesails like the Aerotech Phantom 6.8 or 7.5 for needed power when sailing in side-on light winds, they get you out over the breaking surf easily and plane up quickly. They are also typically a lot faster once on a plane than traditional SUP boards designed primarily for paddle surfing but which can also be windsurfed. Additionally the Exocet step tail design and subsequent reduced apparent board length when planning, allows you to turn and surf on the waves and ocean swells easier and gives the feeling of riding a significantly shorter length board.
Both the 11-5 and the 11-8 give good upwind performance and the extra advantage of the daggerboard in the bigger WindSUP 11-8 is that it lets you sail very high upwind quickly. This gets you to other upwind wave spots or in position for deep broad reaching downwinders back with the added thrill of being able to surf down the ocean swells on the outside and ride the waves in on the inside tack too. Then just go back up wind and repeat the process over and over again. Fun, Fun, Fun!!!! |
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mat-ty
Joined: 07 Jul 2007 Posts: 7850
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Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 10:51 am Post subject: |
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Why not just a bigger wave board? like RRD FSW 110LTR. You should have no problem schlogging and getting through the break on that size board. You could take the straps off for a more surf board feel. |
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Wind-NC.com
Joined: 30 May 2007 Posts: 980 Location: Formerly Cape Hatteras, now Burlington, VT!
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Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 10:57 am Post subject: Re: SUP for light wind wave sailing |
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blockidog wrote: | I am considering a SUP for light wind wave sailing in New England - primarily North MA and RI.
I am an advanced ws and SUP'r, decent wave sailor: wt- 165#'s and 5'10".
I currently ride Ezzy Panthers 4.2, 4.7, 5.2 and 6.0. I recently acquired 2 used Quatro Quads in 85/95L.
I SUP on an Coreban 8.0 VIBE which I am selling because I find it too floaty at 129L's.
Ideally looking for a Sup that can schlog and still be lively on the wave so, stiff and light if possible.
Thank you in advance for any recommendations/perspective.
-j |
For better or for worse, most of the windsurf manufacturers are NOT putting mast inserts in their smaller high performance SUPs. It bums me out because there is a LOT of potential there.
If you can find an RRD Super 7'11" from 2012, that would be my best suggestion. '13s are not windsurfable. I suppose you could always add a mast insert, but that would certainly void any sort of warranty...
The Naish Hokua 7'6" would also be ideal, but again, not windsurf able...
Good luck! _________________ formerly known as hodad.andy
http://wind-nc.com |
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boardsurfr
Joined: 23 Aug 2001 Posts: 1266
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Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 11:05 am Post subject: |
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Just don't sail the Exocet WindSUP "pretty hard", "take even a small jump", or get "some stress in the board" - all things that may break Exocet WindSUPs, according to the words of the Exocet owner.
There are plenty of other sailable SUP options out there. Many are lighter, cheaper, better suited for specific purposes, or all of the above. They often can be demoed or rented at a local shop, or when on vacation in Hatteras etc. Try before you spend $2000 for something that might just break! |
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d0uglass
Joined: 28 May 2004 Posts: 1286 Location: Bonita Springs, Florida
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Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 11:49 am Post subject: |
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Blockidog,
I remember the awesomest thing about Nahant being the side / off / side-off days where you could be shlogging, then catch a wave and be accelerated to full blast planing down-the-line. Those days were kind of rare for me because-
My regular windsurfable SUP (Angula Surfa 10'4") couldn't windsurf onto a wave if the wind was more than 45 degrees offshore, and couldn't plane.
My light-wind waveboard (Exocet Cross 106) couldn't catch a wave from shlogging very well, unless I had some decent wind power (~10+ knots) and a wind angle between exactly sideshore and 45 degrees offshore.
I think the best light-wind waveboard for you in those Nahant conditions might be the Exocet Curve 10'5." It can fully plane very fast, but it's long enough to be able to shlog onto a wave with less than ideal wind speeds and angles. The board used to be known as the Kona 10'5." Only downside is that at 65 cm wide and with an aggressive stepped tail it probably wouldn't work for paddle sup. There are a lot of good Kona 10'5" videos on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab8xxPmDx4w
I'm eager to try the Exocet WindSUP 10'0" and the daggerboardless WindSUP 10'2" that's supposedly coming out soon, since those should be SUP able as well as light wind wavesailable.
Missing those Nahant waves.
-James _________________ James' Blog: Windsurfing Equipment Size Calculator
http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2010/11/updated-windsurf-calculator-online.html |
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Windnc
Joined: 22 Apr 2005 Posts: 85
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Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 11:59 am Post subject: |
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Boardsurf,
All I know is that I have sailed the Exocet WindSUP "pretty hard" in a wide variety of ocean/wave conditons over the last year with no damage. Will it break? I don't know but so far mine has held up well to some pretty rough tumbles in the surf. Also it seems to be doing O.K. considering what I assume have been some significant stresses on the board from just ocean and wave sailing in general.
I also think any big long board type windsurfer or SUP is signficantly more vulnerable and at risk for damage when out in the surf. Is the Exocet WindSUP inherently weaker or more prone to breakage than other similar boards? I don't know but I accept the risk as for me the Wind SUP has just been a terrific amount of fun to sail on the ocean and in the waves when winds are too light for anything else.
Yes there are other options out there which may, or may not, be better suited. I have not sailed them so can only comment on my many positive experiences on the WindSUP and the Kona (Curve) 11'5" so far. |
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eghoffman
Joined: 14 May 1998 Posts: 89
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Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 4:12 pm Post subject: |
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Check out the Starboards. I'm on an 8'10" Wide Point - definitely more of a surfy rocker line. Most of the other ones mentioned lock like they have pretty flat rocker, which should be faster, but not nearly as turny. |
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Wind-NC.com
Joined: 30 May 2007 Posts: 980 Location: Formerly Cape Hatteras, now Burlington, VT!
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Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 4:56 pm Post subject: |
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eghoffman wrote: | Check out the Starboards. I'm on an 8'10" Wide Point - definitely more of a surfy rocker line. Most of the other ones mentioned lock like they have pretty flat rocker, which should be faster, but not nearly as turny. |
The Wide Points are definitely a lot of fun, and pack a ton of performance into a VERY easy to use package, but I have a feeling that the OP would find the windsurfable ones too big ( 8'10 x 32" was the smallest windsurfable model last year) . Maybe the 7'8" x 32 would work, but my gut tells me that it isn't windsurfable. I'll check. _________________ formerly known as hodad.andy
http://wind-nc.com |
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Wind-NC.com
Joined: 30 May 2007 Posts: 980 Location: Formerly Cape Hatteras, now Burlington, VT!
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Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 5:00 pm Post subject: |
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Ooh ooh! Looks like some of the Surf Pro models from Starboard are windsurfable now!
8'0" x 28" x 96 Liters
8'5" x 29" x 106 Liters
Could be just what the OP is looking for... _________________ formerly known as hodad.andy
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jingebritsen
Joined: 21 Aug 2002 Posts: 3371
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Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 5:13 pm Post subject: |
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from my experience, one should avoid surf oriented rockers in this SUP cross over class. they tend to be poor at going upwind on the wave face, backside. they tend to be too slow to out run speedier sections, even when lit up front side at times. they stink at being able to stay upwind. so, in onshore conditions they will waste half your sesh forcing the walk of shame.
i've spent hundreds of hours in widely ranging conditions a year since the kona one first came out. has it been a decade yet? the wind SUP 11'8" offers the most amount of conditions in which to sail in. i've ridden mine very hard. i do not jump it. don't want to, and may only have had the opportunity to do so for 10% of that time. i have gotten a few aerials off the lip, frontside.
when i had the curve 11'5" i did backside and frontside aerials in very light wind conditions. if someone has a hard on about some of the cobra constructions that have been available in the past, they should have been addressed on case basis. ALL brands have had their bouts of bad luck with cobra.
for the absolutely lightest of winds in the widest angles, nothing has done as well as the 11'8" if you want to give it a go down here in florida, send me a pm. i've sailed it super mushy small crap to mast high slick side off puffy stuff. it does it all.
i've sailed really big free ride boards in the surf for years prior to the kona one as well. larger short boards can't cut it until about 12 mph, then it's still pretty exhausting for over an hour.... _________________ www.aerotechsails.com
www.exocet-original.com
www.iwindsurf.com
http://www.epicgearusa.com/ |
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