Paddlesports (Kayaking, Canoe, Stand-Up Paddle boards)

Skidder · 21 Aug 2020 at 09:32

Marvt74 said:
@Skidder you need a new board don't you

no thank you! Have bought new wakeboard and bindings this week and grom one for my son's birthday so quite spenny enough. Lockdown although terrible for my work has seen me save an absolute fortune on eating out and holidays which has gone directly into my toy budget. On my list 14ft isup (but don't need really until next spring) and wakefoil board.

I have to decide whether to try to properly repair my fanatic myself or get someone else on it.

You'll love having a hard board. How close is your place in Spain to the water?

Martynt74 · 21 Aug 2020 at 09:44

Oooh foiling too. You'll be able to open up a hire place soon

It's around 1km to the nearest bay, however the nicer bay is around 3km away. I'm going to buy some soft roof racks for the hire car.

The Red has sold. Very quickly i might add. Although annoyingly i dropped the price slightly and then realised i'd not listed it in the main FB sales group. As soon as i did that i got inundated with requests. Still only lost £50 from buying it to selling it which i'm happy enough with.

My current plan now looks like this.

1 - Buy either the 11'4 x 32 or 11'2 x 30 Gladiator Elite boards. At £~600 i don't see anything as competition. This then becomes my second board. It should be a more rigid than the Red Compact given it doesn't have to make compromises to fold up whilst also allowing me to make a £300 saving. Given i had to book a full sized luggage to take the Red away anyway, then it's also perfect for holidays too.

2 - Take my 14' board with me to Spain. This way i can try out the Fatstick i've been offered over in Spain and make sure i'm happy, it looks a decent board but i would prefer something more "touring'y" than the rounded shape of it. I can't get a refund from Ryanair for the extra luggage so i may as well. If i don't take it then i'm more likely to rush into a purchase to make sure i have something.

On another note, i was chatting to a guy based over there who's into various sports. It's actually his son that's selling the Fatstick from his Sup school. He has a mate which owns the race board rental place i'd been looking at and said he'd introduce me and get him to sort me out. I'm really looking forward to playing on something like the 14x25 carbon starboards. He's also keeping an eye out for other boards which may be available.

Skidder · 21 Aug 2020 at 10:23

Wicked. Good news re your sale. Know what you mean re the touring shape. Sounds more suited to what you will be doing.

There is a guy on my street with a 12 ft 6 24 inch starboard allstar I want to try. Not sure why he bought the girl's length but will still be interesting. I presume it will be slower than my GT but not sure on the maths. My board has the extra length but is 3.5 inches wider.

Martynt74 · 24 Aug 2020 at 17:01

Haha i'm not sure its a girls length. I agree in that i'm not sure why you wouldn't go 14' though given you're on the river.

Was looking at hard boards over here to potentially fly over with, but Sixt don't allow soft roof racks so that's dead in the water. I don't mind breaking their terms from the villa but no chance do i fancy it right at their service desk! Shame as i was offered a Gong Sherpa 10'6. Would've preferred it a little longer but the shape is superb with a good cutout in the deck area and pointed nose.

Have been encouraged to take a week off in October to use up days. No plans as the wife will be working. I'm eyeing up a tour of Windermere. I've got on half way and then gone to the top and back, but would love to do a full circuit. Should work out around 20 miles. It'll be about double my previous max so should be a good challenge.

Martynt74 · 25 Aug 2020 at 11:47

Realised that with my Gladiator only having a 9" touring fin, it'd be handy to have a few spares, especially as i'm planning to go back to St Annes tomorrow to test it in the sea.

Have ordered these two.

https://supinflatables.co.uk/small-4-6-sup-fin-flexi-plastic-for-extra-durability-orange.html
https://supinflatables.co.uk/standard-sup-fin-flexi-plastic-for-extra-durability-blue.html

At £12.50 each then i figured it was worth trying out both sizes for playing purposes.

Skidder · 25 Aug 2020 at 12:04

Be interesting to compare. The fin (and I guess board shape) on my mate's staboard touring was insanely straight tracking. My GT tracks very true and as long as my paddle is straight i can stick on the same side for ages but the starboard you need to will to turn.

Martynt74 · 25 Aug 2020 at 12:12

Yeah, a mate has the 11'2 Starboard, for a relatively all round shape, i was also surprised how well it tracks.

It's annoying everything for sale is down south. Someone was selling a slightly damaged 12'6x30 hard board for £250 on Facebook. I got in quick but by the time i looked around for a few repair places up here it'd sold. For that price it was well worth a punt!

Martynt74 · 27 Aug 2020 at 15:07

Well last night was hilariously fun.

For Lytham beach, the waves were around 3ft high which is fairly unprecedented, guess it's the aftermath of the storm swell. Coming in regularly too and from a few directions so impossible to plan for.

Spent about 90 minutes, just riding the waves into shore on our knees mainly, and then when it settled slightly i spent a while just working on standing up and practicing getting low and using the paddle to brace. Normally i don't really concentrate when i'm out paddling and so any little twitch generally has me in the water. This was good fun and practice to be more alert and focused on what i'm doing with my feet and paddle. I figure if my instinct to being off balance is to crouch and brace i'll be a much better paddler than my usual "lean back and arms in the air" tactic.

At the end once we were both sufficiently battered i managed to catch a wave just right whilst standing and rode it into the beach. It's such a good feeling and i can see why people love it. Plus after how tired and sore i am today i can see just why they're all ripped!

Definitely need a second board though. My 14' was comically unstable in the rough swell and then seemed to glide over most waves rather than catch them (probably lack of skill in there too), on the odd occasion i did catch them then it felt like i was flying.

Have stuck my name on a pre order list for the 11'4x32 Gladiator Elite. Might consider the pro though too at a cheaper price point.

Also thinking an 11-12 foot hard board would be fun aswell. Especially with doing a little more in the sea recently where i think they'd come into their own.

Skidder · 28 Aug 2020 at 15:38

Sounds wicked. I've only had a chance to catch a couple of waves and it does feel amazing. Want to do more.

MM-Seat · 30 Aug 2020 at 18:18

Long time, not been in the thread

I've got my level one coach assessment in two weekends (guidance permitting.) I've not been in a boat for a year so a bit nervous and also decided I don't want to take my paddling much further than that.

Skidder · 1 Sep 2020 at 13:11

MM-Seat said:
Long time, not been in the thread

I've got my level one coach assessment in two weekends (guidance permitting.) I've not been in a boat for a year so a bit nervous and also decided I don't want to take my paddling much further than that.

What do you plan to do with it?

MM-Seat · 1 Sep 2020 at 18:33

Skidder said:
What do you plan to do with it?

I volunteer with the scouts so will be able to deliver some British Canoeing qualifications.

Skidder · 1 Sep 2020 at 20:41

MM-Seat said:
I volunteer with the scouts so will be able to deliver some British Canoeing qualifications.

That's cool. My son is a sea scout and has a great time out on the water.

MM-Seat · 1 Sep 2020 at 21:29

Skidder said:
That's cool. My son is a sea scout and has a great time out on the water.

I'd have loved that growing up. Involvement with a Sea Scout Group would be ace though!

Skidder · 2 Sep 2020 at 08:18

MM-Seat said:
I'd have loved that growing up. Involvement with a Sea Scout Group would be ace though!

Yeah, we're really lucky. We have a great group which does a lot of sailing, kayaking, canoeing and a bit of power boating as they get older. My son is just starting secondary school and wants to wind it up as his week is getting busy but I think it would be a shame to.

I help out on the bbq at events and stuff but travel too much (normally) to throw myself into the more active stuff as you need to be around every week.

Martynt74 · 4 Sep 2020 at 14:48

Sea scouts sounds excellent. I gave up on it after Beavers but do wish i was better prepared/knowledgable outdoors sometimes. Especially with navigation.

I've ordered a Jobe Duna. Been thinking of potential boards to replace the Red and saw it as a "Board only" package for £500. Only think it's missing is the paddle. But the RRP is £779 so i think the supplier has messed up slightly. Saving £280 and not getting a crap alloy paddle is a bonus! I'm not usually a fan of Jobe because i think they look cheap. But the new 2021 ones look a lot nicer.

It's probably a little less rigid than the Gladiator would've been. But it's also a £150 saving on what is ultimately a backup board.

Delivery is expected in October.

I fully expect to have changed my mind multiple times by then! I was very much looking at some of the JP boards, but i was then doing that scope creep of "just a little bit more" and i don't need to do that.

Skidder · 4 Sep 2020 at 15:01

Looks goo the Jobe Duna.

We've had some stuff like kneeeboard and impact vests and stuff from Jobe in the past and always been decent.

Martynt74 · 4 Sep 2020 at 15:24

Yeah, they seem to be popular in a lot of watersports and the fact a lot of hire/schools use them suggests they much be pretty durable.

adey · 9 Sep 2020 at 16:55

Picked up a new board (Infinity Blackfish) after lockdown with the hope of doing some races with friends but most have been cancelled. Got a small SUPAthlon I'm entered in on Sunday which hasn't been cancelled yet

I've been out most weeks but really wanted to enter some events this year

Martynt74 · 9 Sep 2020 at 16:59

Ah nice board. The design is weird in that they look like they belong in Mad Max!

Funnily enough i was looking back through the thread for a post and was about to ask if you'd bought the Generation!