foamballer said...
I've never ridden a ruddered board, but I imagine they'd be great for cross wind paddling too?
Depends on the conditions. Where I downwind the rips, tidal currents, and winds are so strong that a rudder often gets completely overpowered and really doesn't make much difference at all to paddling cross-wind. It is more effective if you stand in front of the rudder arm, angle the blade, and using a short forward action stroke. There's only so much a little rudder at the back of a 17ft board can do in a really big blow, so if you are expecting it to be a panacea for all SUPing problems, you will probably be disappointed. Using the rudder also increases drag, which is something to bear in mind in flat water. They also make a board harder to surf compared to a good fixed fin setup. And they attract every bit of weed and debris out there. So having - or using - a rudder is not all gain, and you'd be well advised to demo a ruddered board in the conditions you intend to use them before expecting too much.