Old Mistral Competition as SUP?

[Jim.od3]

I bought an inflatable SUP for the family for Christmas this year. I also have an old Mistral Competition (12' long, 27" wide, ~230L) that I thought might work as a 2nd SUP. I'm sure I could make it work on flat water, but I want to do downwinders from Viento to Hood River. I know it's a little narrow for a SUP, but it does have a centerboard to help with tipsyness.

What do you think? Will it work ok? Worth a try? Or don't even bother?

I'm 6'1", 200 lb.

[windward1]

Too narrow for my abilities, do not know about yours.

[isobars]

A big guy at a swap meet several years ago claimed he had tried almost all the SUPs on the market, and preferred the Comp. Its daggerboard damped the tipsiness quite well, he said. A bystander snapped up the one we were looking at for $100. The entire package (board, fin, complete rig) looked unused.

Bother.

[Jim.od3]

I suppose it's worth a try. Maybe I'll take it out down by the Hook first and see how it goes before I decide whether or not to try Viento to HR.

[schweitzer]

I have this, and I DO use it as an SUP.
YES It is tippy and the dagger board Down does help.
I use it with a leash, come off and it will just GO!
It is Very effecient on flat water and scoots right along.
It is also Very Very quiet, 'Can sneek up on sleeping fish.
FIRST this board is the very best light wind WINDSURFER!
Only one better, That would be the Super Light,
Made a year later and that one has a fully retractable dagger.
Seriously, Get this board, and 4 mph and rediscover that other sport,
BOARDSAILING

[Jim.od3]

I'll give it a go and report back. Probably won't be doing this until summer. I'll definitely use a leash. I figured it would blow downwind really fast out in the river.

[isobars]

Yep ... plus scooting out of range when you fall off the back.

[dllee]

Thought part of the appeal is being able to ride the windswell to rest for a little bit.
Dagger down might make that difficult.

[beaglebuddy]

I think it will take a bit of work to find your balance on a board that narrow but still people do SUP boards that narrow. Depends how much SUPing you do, your balance gets much better over time.
The rocker line vs how steep the swell is will be what comes into play as well. I think those boards had a pretty flat tail so probably won't work to well in steep swell but in flatter water I would assume it would be very fast.

[CUSalin]

SUP Downwinder on a Mistral "Comp" (Equip maybe?)

Best Wishes. Get ready for a severe punishing!

CU SUPping