1) dave.h said..
I'm looking to get onto a 14 foot board from a 12,6 that I would use for flat water paddling only. The board that I have been paddling was 250ltrs and I'm 100-105kg.
I some time felt that it would be better for me to be on a higher volume board, say, 290-330ltr's.
The thing is that I know that going to a 14 ft board will give me better glide through the water, but how much does volume play into it??
2)I'm looking for stability as well so a 28"min to 30" wide board is what I'll get.
3)Have been looking at the 30" naish glide, but thats brings another question into it. does a lighter sup compensate for a lack of volume.
4)Others I've considered are 285ltr barks or naish glide 29", the bark being a lighter board as well. Also the Bic 14' Tracer looks good if I can get one in Perth.
Any opinions from those more experienced than me would be greatly appreciated.
thanks.
dave.
I splitted your post in a couple of seperate questions and try to anwser them as good as I can, I,m 90kg so a bit lighter as you but still above average and paddle in the waves on waveboards and used to do a lot race/touring on flat water. Unfortunally last year way to little due injury,s but I know the flatwater thing.
1) Volume and length. A longer board glide longer and is faster but only when both boards has a decent rocker.Example: I have an Starboard Allstar 12.6x26.5 , it is a lot faster in flatwater as the 14x30 Angulo from a friend of me. No doubt the Angulo will be faster on DW, but the board has too much rocker and is pushing the water in frot of it instead of cutting through. So first thing needed to be faster is a decent flat rocker.Volume is important in a way that if a board is too deep in the water the shape won,t work efficient. If its too voluminious its like a cork, getting you standing high above the water and that is less stable and catches a lot of side wind. so the volume has to be right.Example: I paddled the hollow Naish 12.6x23 what was build for 75kg max. I could easily balance it, but i pushed by my weight the board too deep in the water making the shape less efficient cutting through it as with a lighter paddler on it. More or less the same happenend when I swapped my Sprint14x26 with a friend on a Sprint 14x24. i pushed the board jut too deep and lost speed with it.My lighter friend was too high above the water with my 26 wide board and rocking in every direction by the slightest piece of chop. Both were faster on our own boards that was weightwise reccomenend.
2) I think with your weight and wanting stability 30 can be great, but a 14is already a lot more stable as a 12.6 in my experience so I would it decide on the adviced weight for that board. Personally I can with 90kg easily paddle a 24, but again, due the volume a 26er is for me faster and more efficient so why make live difficult ;)If I wouldnt race, it would be a 30 for sure (as well as ropes on the deck to bring stuff along).
3) Lighter weight is easier to accellerate and alter course as a higher weight, but it doesnt compensate volume. When you have an exact copy of a shape and one is 3kg heavier as the other the heavier board has in theory 3l less volume but this is still peanuts on the total so nobody notice it on the floatation (but do in acceleration and handeling).
4) I really like Starboards, but for the heavier guy on flatwater only the Barks are imo hard to beat. I love the way they cut through the water.
the glides are great allrounders, but if you know you paddle 90% on flatwater it makes a lot more sense to buy a board that is really good in that instead of an allrounder for that seldom day you paddle somewhere else.
I have no experience on the Bic, so can,t comment that, but if it was me...Bark all the way.
I,m not sure if I can race anymore due injury,s and considder a 14 ft JM as well as they are just awesome touring boards. My former Sprint14x26 is faster, but less comfortable and a lot more fragile.Hope this will help a bit although I have no doubt that others can explain it better.
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