Last weekend Jonathon loaned me his Starby 12.6 to paddle on the river down here.

I have not been overly impressed with starbys over the last 2 years but then again I have not invested a lot of time on them either.

Tonight had a lovely 2 - 3 ft fat OG swell. So I thought I will take the 12.6 for paddle as JC said they surf really well.

I have to say it was pure fun. I surfed for over 2 hours and didnt even get my hair wet.

It paddles on like a dream, nose rides well and is quite loose for 12.6 off the tail all in all a great board. I am looking forward to the morning to give it another work out.

Thanks for letting me ride your stick JC.

Phill

Disc: I have no relationship with Starboard what so ever!

OG SUP said...



I surfed for over 2 hours and didnt even get my hair wet.

Phill

Disc: I have no relationship with Starboard what so ever!

Hair,what hair and for the relationship thingie,oh come on ,you said you loved it lol Great to hear your back there Phill have a good one tomorrow

Good to hear Phil. I'm thinking about changing my 11'2" for the 12'6" for the increased paddling for down winders but still want to surf it on those small summer days. It might be the all round downwind/small surf/family cruising board.
Is the shape of the old 12'6" the same as the current 12'6" or have starboard changed the shape?

Isn't the starby 12'6" 30" wide?

I think the 2010 Cruiser would be similar to the shape of your 11'2 in that it has the square tail.
I know that the 12'6 x 30's do have more nose rocker than the 11'2's.

Renowned as a fast cruiser for both open ocean and lakes, the 12'6" maintains it's performance proven shape. It's exceptional glide comes from the length. The smooth rocker line and generous nose lift makes it a nice choice for "down winders". The 12'6" with its thin rails, tail lift and high nose makes the ideal board for catching your first waves and it will surprise you with its good carving ability. Being probably the best tandem surf board ever, the 12'6" is a classic all rounder.

Mono concave nose section with V running all along the back 3/4.

Hey Phill by a pulled in tail are you meaning it comes into a pin?
Or is it square?
Im sure the 12'6's are 30" wide?

Ronnie and Jonathan have the same 12'6" Starboard Criuser.. here's some pics from an old down-winder..

DJ

Glad you are enjoying it Phil, can't believe how right that thing is considering the design is years old now (and so is that board!). Had a feeling it might tick a few boxes for you.

As far as fins go I used to run it with an 8" centre fin and a couple of little "side bites", with your fin collection I'm sure you have a few options to try out.

I don't believe the shape has changed from the original you have but could be wrong - if it aint broke.....

I have had the 12' by 32 for a year now and have used it to learn to surf on. I have also competed in one race. I weigh 95kgs. Of course, it is highly stable given its width. It surfs great - as it has quite a lot of rocker and a very thin tail profile - stomp on the back and the big mother turns. Sounds very like the 12'6 in that regard. However, its not much of a downwinder/racer IMHO. Too wide and too much rocker = slow. I have just moved on to the 10'5 *board Drive, which feels easier to paddle on to waves! That said, I'll be keeping it as its a perfect family board for learning and farnarkling around on anything from 2 to 6 feet.

Have the 12' 6" since it first came out. There were only 5 sold in the first batch to Oz. I know this cause I did some research when mine got stolen along with my wife's Uberfish. By some miracle got both back albeit the Starboard had some severe scratches where it had been washed up on the rocks but still going strong.

Regularly Surf with it up here in Noosa with my border collie as its perfect for the points at Noosa even with size. It surfs surprisingly well and carries good speed on a wave for such a large board once you get it dialed. Just get way down the back to set your turn and then run up the nose to trim but be careful too much weight on the nose on an incorrect trim line as the tail will be out of the water in no time. Cruises around with my 2 girls on the front on the flatwater. Add a windsurfing sail and you can have some fun on those days when the wind is too light to windsurf or kite but just annoying to SUP.

Only thing I would say is to ensure that you have a paddle with a decent size blade and not try and use it with a teaspoon. I use a Kia Kaha and it works a treat.