Yesterday I got to ride both boards back to back..
But only on flat water so I can't comment on how they would go in the surf..I'm sure both would go well in the waves.
The Dave Kalama board is the board that I wanted to buy a few months ago..I'm a huge fan of Laird and Dave..and I got to know Dave when he sailed at the Mambo Wave Classic..years ago (before kites came onto the scene so it was many years ago) Dave is such a great guy..and was a brilliant wavesailer.He also started doing the stand-Up thing with Laid in the very beginning..and is still one of the best SUP'ers out there.
When I first saw the Kalama board there was only the big Naish, the big Starboard and the Mistral to choose from..IMO the Kalama looked the most like a big mal surfboard..I liked it.
I had heard that the quality is not the best and I think that put me off a bit..I heard the rails chip up easy and the deck pad comes unstuck so I was keen to see what condition this DEMO Kalama was in..and sure enough those things were happening on it..Maybe more-so from demo abuse.
I have some pics but I just want to say..that I'm not in the industry..and I don't like knocking other peoples products..but the pictures do speak for themselves.
Notice that although the rails are very bashed..they are not dinged..It seems like just the paint or skin is chipping..but the board underneath is still ok.
The great looking full deck pad was also lifting..but nothing a little glue couldn't fix.
The Kalama also comes with a nice carbon looking paddle (I think it may be fiberglass)..The blade face is slightly domed..but doesn't have a dihedral like the C4 to help it track straight..and so it flutters/wobbles a bit when pushed hard..Paddling a bit softer it was fine.
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The board would be a great first board..It's very stable..When you tip a rail in sinks a little and then stops suddenly..a bit like the big Naish and 12'6" Starboard.
I took Nic's wife Libby out for her first go at sup on this board..She did great..Didn't even fall in..
Here I am doing the "Bend the knees, Lean forward more, keep your chin up" instructions while sup'ing alongside..The board is very stable and very floaty.
The deck is very flat..and from the top view the board look very flat..I would imagine downwinding and when the tail lifts up in small waves the nose might not have enough rocker..I'd love to use it in the surf one day to check that out.
The other board is probably the Ferrari of SUP boards..(imo)..The C4 Waterman.
Nic's board is just beautiful to look at..and by far the best looking sup that I've seen...The quality is superb..as it should be for a brand new board..It would have been good to also have a bashed demo C4 to make a more fair comparison so I don't know how this board will handle abuse.
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At first glance the two boards look very similar..Same length and width..The C4 is a little more domed in the deck..btw..Nic's board came with the 3/4 deck pad and tail pad..I'm not sure if that cost him extra.
It's not till you flip the two boards over that you see how different the rocker is.
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The C4 has a more tail lift and a lot more nose lift.
This is the C4 next to my NSP.
Here's a nice side view of it again showing the rocker.
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The C4 felt very stable and very floaty..but when tipping a rail it was a bit softer when it stopped..not as sudden as the Kalama..I think because the rails are not as boxey..The C4 seemed much faster to paddle..It was like the nose would lift slightly and the board wanted to plane on the smaller area of the tail.
When stepping back on the tail to do a sink tail turn the Kalama felt a little more stable..But I'm sure the C4 would turn on the waves better..and with the extra nose lift it shouldn't pearl so easy.
The Kalama comes with a paddle..The C4 does not (down under)..The Kalama is a few hunded dollars cheaper..but IMO..If you can afford it..I'd defiantly go the C4.
DJ
