New Production F16 V2 Demo

Sandwich Island Composites builds the F-series of downwind and flatwater racing boards, probably the winningest boards in Stand Up Paddle Surfboard racing. Until now these boards were individually built by hand at the SIC company on Maui. While several construction methods are used in the F-series, the mainstay of series is the hollow carbon fiber F16, and it is built using wet layup and vaccum bagging in a mold. Since there is only one mold the output is low and the demand for these boards greatly outstrips supply. Purchasers wait as much as six months for an SIC board.

Over the past year Mark Raaphorst, the owner of SIC has been working with a company that builds high quality ocean racing canoes in China to reduce the wait time by building a production version of the F16 in china, using advanced construction methods. The first shipment of production F16s reached Maui and was sold out immediately. We had an opportunity to test a board SIC reserved as a demo for several days in various conditions.

The new F16 V2 is hollow molded in prepreg carbon fiber and autoclaved, which reduces the resin to fiber ratio and provides a stiffer structure. Mark says the first group were overbuilt since they were the first ones the Chinese company had built, and so they weigh approximately 32 pounds. Later boards will have less internal bracing and lighter construction, bringing the weight down to approximately 28 pounds. The structure will still be highly rigid–the first boards don’t feel like hollow boards at all–they are so rigid that they feel solid.

According to SIC:

• Hull: The mid section has a slight single concave for stability and extended planing time. The tail has some V for surfing qualities and we added some double concave for speed once you are on a swell and need to connect to the next trough. The nose has a small flip to prevent sticking the nose on late drops or short wave periods and the nose has enough rocker to deal with swells and bumps. The mid section is fairly flat for ease of glide and the tail exit has a natural curve.



• Deck: The bow section has a “V” to expel water in case you do poke into an upcoming swell. The deck area where you mainly stand has a 3/4” contoured deck for standing and bracing comfort.



• Rails: Soft rails in the front for displacing water like a lay-down paddle board. The hard edge in the tail gives good water release while planing and enhances turning. A good amount of under-tuck makes for ease of surfing once on a swell.
• Full rail volume allows for plenty of buoyancy for riders up to 270 pounds.



• Pad: Comes with a 2 mm. x 7’ long pad.
• Construction: F16 V2 is built with lots of carbon for stiffness. All lay up is vacuum bagged, autoclave, prepreg. Core material is high density PVC foam stringers. Boards simply cannot sink and if it does leak all water can be drained out.



• Steering: The Active Steering System (ASS) can be positioned for regular or goofy foot which enhances resale value. It has a 4” telescopic foot pedal for stance adjustment. It comes with a spring loaded fiberglass batten so when you step back and surf, the rudder returns to the straight position. The rudder is a molded 9 1/4” spitfire type (straight up and down) design. It has a foil for medium speed (5 to 15 MPH) efficiency. Cables are tension adjustable with a turn buckle. All hardware is stainless steel, and molded carbon. Cables are spectra.
• Cost: $2800

We picked the F16 V2 up at SIC and the wind immediately died. the first two days of our five day demo were almost completely windless. So we went down to Kahalui Harbor for a couple of hours of fllatwater paddling and general impressions. This version lacked a handle, but it was still easy to carry and felt light. In the water, the board rides with the tip of the nose very high due to the nose kick. The mold parting line rides parallel to the water and the nose rocker lifts the nose clear at about 14′ 5″ with 200 pounds on the board, leaving plenty of waterline.

The board felt very stable, at least as stable as a flush-deck F18 planer. The volume in the rails probably contributes to that. It doesn’t accelerate as fast as a Foote Maliko 14, but it maintains glide better. Probably a direct effect of the weight: 32 pounds vs. 22 pounds, with some bottom differences contributing. A brisk paddle out through the shorebreak confirmed the impression of stability and the wave-punching ability of the nose shape. The board punched through the knee high swells and whitewater without drama. Once outside the board had a fine sensation of speed. We easily hit and exceeded 6mph in bursts and maintained 5 to 5.5 for long distances. Side winds and chop had very little effect on the board, the steering was very responsive and easy to manage. The board tracked straight and true under neutral rudder. It was easy to move around the deck–the slight recess enabled unfettered movement and gave good grip.

Now we just needed some wind.

Two days later we finally had some. A blustery SE wind with strong gusts blowing slightly offshore. I hooked up with Scott Mercier to do a Kihei Wharf to Makena Landing run–about 9.5 miles. Scott paddles an F14 and is quite fast. He’s light, in good shape and has good paddling form. He usually runs away from me on my much-abused and waterlogged F18.

In the small swells typical in the first mile of a South Side run (there isn’t any fetch to form larger swells until a mile or so from the beach) the board felt light, stable and could catch little swells easily. I could stay in them and angle or pick up speed and railroad over the next swell. The wind started blowing hard and the swells quickly increased in size. The kicked nose was excellent in the short period swells, enabling me to run up the back of swells in front, or kiss the backs while turning without stalling the board. The rudder felt light and responsive.

At the midpoint the swells grew substantially and I could turn the board and surf the face of the swells. The board turned easily, the rails at the rear of the board gripped the swell face, gaining speed easily. I was able to stay close to Scott well past Sorrentos.

As we passed the Four Seasons hotel in Wailea the wind dropped suddenly and the swells turned oily and sullen. The little “money swells”–the small, slower swells that help downwind paddlers get into the bigger swells–disappeared and I had to work hard to get into any swell. I moved forward on the board and the second benefit of the kick showed itself. Most boards pearl or plunge from a far forward position. The V2 didn’t. It allowed me to step far forwards of the rudder control, stroke hard to drop into a swell, and still have plenty of time to step back and control the board.

I caught far more swells than I usually would in these conditions, and had a good time all the way to Maliko. Scott was in position to finish well ahead of me, but I cut the corner at Makena while he paddled outside of the rocky point. I slid into the bay a few minutes behind him, and finished up the run completely impressed with capabilities of this board.

Stand Up Paddle Surfboard Bike Trailer

Inspired by Tim (Strand Leper on the Standupzone) I modified a mule to fit my F18. Dropped bicycle and trailer (in a little bag about the size of two books) off at Wailea Beach (Four Seasons Maui) and drove back to the Kehei Pier for a light wind downwinder. Paddled hard the whole way, partly because I was trying to catch micro-swells, and partly for training for the upcoming Maui Canoe and Kayak Club races. Hit the beach semi-pooped and sweating, rigged the trailer and discovered the tires were flat.

Ah well, I figured there was not that much weight on them, off I went. Wasn’t bad, and I got air at the Kihei Bike shop about halfway through the ride. A four foot bike and an 18 foot trailer is a bit tricky to maneuver, but I got the hang of it. I did expect the ride to be just a cruise, but it certainly wasn’t, at least not with the trailer. It was a pretty tough climb at the beginning, somehow I thought it would be flatter.

I think the downwinder was about 8 miles since I went way outside, using the Chantelle/Jack Dyson line: go to the horizon and turn left. The bike ride was probably 10 miles since I had to circle back to get my Camelback–left it at the bike store. I was pretty glad to see the jeep at the end.

So, this thing is doable. As usual I tested it by jumping straight off the edge of the fjord–running though downtown Kihei in holiday high season traffic. Not bright, but I know it’s good in worst case conditions. Gotta say, as simple as the Mule is, it’s a brilliant design. It has that pared-down character that’s so nice to use.

This is a great addition to the funmobile. Now if nobody can go do a downwinder I can just do it myself. I also made a bike rack out of bits from an old weight bench (I somehow wound up with two). I went to buy a hitch rack and discovered they ran close to $300. So I rolled out the MIG welder and whipped one up in about half an hour. It’s not the prettiest thing I ever built, but it works fine.

Always Something New at SIC

I always love dropping by the Ding King/S.I.C. Not only is it one of the coolest buildings around, but there’s always something interesting going on. I’ve been watching Mark and the gang build a set of Stand Up Paddle catamarans for the last few months. Here’s the first one, ready for it’s trial run.

These are semi-production cats, with the hollow hulls built in a mold. Mark is building them for Ray Phillips and some friends of his. Ray is an ehthusiastic Stand Up Paddler who lives in Wailea. Ray always seems to have a great new toy, these are going to be just spectacular. While I was looking at them I fantasized about building a radio controlled sailing cat with these hulls. What a rocket that would be.

While I was at SIC I also saw and photographed the new production F16s. These are hollow F16s, made using advanced composite approaches and autoclaved carbon fiber in China. the manufacturer is one of the best of the Chinese OC1 producers. More on that next time.

Camelback Life Saver

A bit of business–Camelback(tm) is a trade name of the leader in hydration packs. We’re using the name genertically because most people refer to hydration packs as Camelbaks.

We’ll get to the Camelback part in a little bit, but first a little recap of current PFD requirements for SUP. If the U.S. Coast Guard has things their way, most SUP paddlers in the United States who paddle outside of the surf zone will be wearing a PFD and toting a whistle soon. I can’t say that’s a completely bad idea, though the current regulation is nonsensical. You can comply fully with the regulations by tying an inflatable PFD with a whistle attached to your board. No requirement for a leash. Then if you fall in and there is any wind at all, your board will quickly depart, leaving you without a floatation device of any kind. If the regulation were to be written in a sensible way it would require that you WEAR a PFD with a whistle attached unless you had a leash. If you had a leash, only a whistle would be required.

The problem with regulations written by people with limited understanding of a sport is that they rarely make good sense, and so people tend to ignore them even if they partly rational. The regulations have to be enforced, rather than just being made clear. And the officers enforcing the regulation know that it’s poorly considered, so they enforce it sporadically if at all. I have been stopped by harbor patrol, coast guard and sheriffs numerous times, and except for one goofy occasion in Elkheart Lake, Wisconsin, I have never been cited, or even made to comply in any way. Just warned that the regulation exists–generally with a lot of sympathy from the officer regarding the silly regulation.

It doesn’t have to be that way. If you’re in the open ocean, or even a big lake or a wide river, and your board gets away from you, the situation can go bad fast. Even if you’re a fine swimmer the combination of cold water, exhaustion, swells or surf, and panic can turn a minor incident into a tragedy. Carrying a PFD is a good idea, especially if you don’t want to deal with a leash. We’ll be working on this regulation in two ways. First, trying to get the Commandant of the Coast Guard to reword the regulation to allow the SUP board to substitute as the PFD if the paddler wears an appropriate leash, with the option available to carry or wear a PFD on your person if you choose to paddle without a leash. We’re also working on a design for an integrated life vest/hydration pack that would make it easier to comply.

In working on this design we came across something that seems pretty important. A standard hydration pack makes a fine PFD just as it is. No, it’s not a LEGAL PFD, but it can save your life. Even very small fanny pack Camelbacks provide a remarkable amount of flotation. You can probably guess how you use the pack, but here’s the details.

So, you’re in the water with a busted leash and your board is a rapidly diminishing dot on the horizon. You’re two miles out on the north shore. You’re going to be swimming at least four hours before your feet touch sand. You tread water and take off your camelback. Snap the chest strap together and loosen it a little so you can wiggle into the shoulder straps with the bag is on your chest. If there is a waist belt you can pass the belt around your waist and clip it in the back. You’ll notice that the pack doesn’t interfere with swimming. Now open the valve, drink as much water as you can (don’t just dump it, you’ll need hydration), and then blow into the hose until the bladder is full and tight. Close the valve. You’ll be surprised at how high this relatively small amount of air will hold your head out of the water. You can swim easily, and even just cross your arms across your chest and flutter kick.

A one quart bag full of air is only displacing two pounds of water, but your body is near neutral buoyancy in the water. You don’t need a tremendous amount of lifting capacity to aid flotation. A swim board only displaces about a quart of water too, and yet it’s enough to enable non-swimmers to putt around in a pool with confidence. Most legal PFDs provide about 14 to 16 pounds of floatation.

With the smaller fanny packs the key to good flotation is getting it high on your chest. In that position it will keep your face out of the water and enable unencumbered swimming. It’s most effective to take the time to adjust the hydration pack for best flotation and unencumbered swimming before you start slogging towards shore. Stopping numerous times to adjust the pack as you go is tiring.

As you go you can continue to drink water as you need it. The pack doesn’t need to be empty to be effective.

Remember that this is not currently a substitute for a real PFD, it’s an emergency procedure that you may find very helpful. I carry a real inflatable PFD in my hydration pack when I do downwinders. I use a compact vest I found on sale at West Marine for 40 bucks. There are also Swim Belts that are USCGS approved that are even more compact and can be worn comfortably.

The disparity in safety gear I see in the water is amazing. Some highly qualified and experienced SUP distance and downwind racers wear a pair of board shorts and nothing else. Some even don’t like to use a leash. Other highly experienced racers wear a larger-sized hydration pack with a PFD, signaling device, food pack and cell phone or marine radio that are either waterproof or are stored in a dry pack. I fall somewhere in between those extremes:

• I wear a sturdy leash. I used to think a wimpy little coiled boogie board leash was adequate–after all, we’re not going into breaking waves. But one experience with the kind of pull you can get from a racing board caught in a swell showed me the folly of that notion. And a little underwater tour over the Upper Kanaha reef demonstrated that you can’t assume you won’t be in serious surf.
• I use either a fanny style hydration pack or a small backpack style.
• I stuff a PFD into my hydration pack
• I carry my iPhone in a compact drybag that lets me use the phone through the bag.
• I have a whistle attached to each of the hydration packs I own

I’m a good swimmer, and I have a lot of endurance. I have swum in from outer reefs when I lost my surfboard or windsurfing equipment. I’ve swum in from a windurfing incident at least two miles out from the Oregon coast–four hours of swimming in 50 degree water wearing a light windsuit. Despite my confidence, I know that this is the ocean, and things go right until they don’t. Then you need every advantage you can have to survive.  Be careful out there.

2009 Stand Up Paddle Race/Distance/Downwinder Showcase Part 1

We chose an odd day for our showcase–a Tuesday–but we were running out of time and Maui Canoe and Kayak Club had a race scheduled for the weekend that included Stand Up Paddle boards. We assumed most paddlers and some of the boards we wanted to test would be committed for the weekend. Alan (shapeshifter) Sidlo was here from Chicago to participate, and my brother Bob (stoneaxe) Babcock was here from Boston. So we went with Tuesday.

The plan was to do some Battle Of The Paddle-style loops around the flags at the canoe beach in Kihei. Have lunch on the beach and then do a downwinder with a lot of board swapping. On the beach we had some of the most interesting race and downwinder boards available. the weather wasn’t cooperating, and some of our testers had conflicts arise. Ah, well, we wanted to make this small, it looked like we were getting our wish. But we’re getting ahead of the story…

Monday: Weight and Measures and Freezing in the Pool

But first, the weighing and measuring. We decided we wanted to see how these boards measured in the water. The Penetrator was the impetus for this craziness, since as soon as you look at it you can see that it’s critical measurements vary with the amount of weight it has on it. We decided to put a standard weight on each board and measure it in the swimming pool at Ponohouse. I have to say that it was a bit of torture–the pool is only heated by the sun, and it’s been cloudy and cold lately. Bob assiduously avoided getting wet, Alan and I did all the in-the-water work.

This video shows our highly technical process. weighing boards by weighing ourselves on a highly accurate genuine Weight Watcher ™ scale from Costco, then picking up the board and doing it again. Note to Mark Raaphorst, the banging of your lovely F14 on walls and such sounds a lot worse than it is–it hit the hose of the outdoor shower handle. Bob also shows his true colors and admits he has no intention of getting in the pool. This from a guy who paddles with icebergs on the east coast. Gets to Maui and turns wuss.

Here’s more fooling around and some underwater shots of the molded F14 race board from Sandwich Island Composites (SIC). Notice how the planing hull has a flat entry across the nose of the board. Notice also that the full width of the board provides stability. Compare this to the Penetrator 572 pictures later.

Penetrator in the pool. the board has a completely different profile when it’s unweighted vs. weighted. This board was made specifically for my weight (250) and even the 185 pounds we placed on it (Bob’s wife Sue plus a bag full of dive weights) left quite a bit of the nose standing clear of the water.

Measuring the Penetrators waterline. It looks in the video as if we didn’t pull the tape tight, but we actually did, the video shows the tape after the measurement was made.

Measuring wetted width. the Penetrator has deck width of 26.5″, an unladen wetted width of 22″, at 185 pounds it’s 24″ and with 250 pounds it’s 24.5″.

Bob, figuring out the scale–a slow process. Michi, I swear, all those bumps and bangs sound MUCH worse than they were.

Next time, we hit the beach and discover some startling things about racing boards.

Two New Paddles

One good thing came out of my losing my favorite QB paddle (I left it on the beach at Kanaha in one of my classic ADD moves) is I got two more that i really love. I bought one of the 8″ QB’s and I absolutely love the thing. It’s remarkable how good this paddle feels in either surfing or distance paddling. I cut it to 82″, I kind of wish it was 84″, but it’s great so I shouldn’t whine. You might be surprised that such a big moose likes such a little paddle. All i can say is try one–bigger isn’t necessarily better.

Jimmy Lewis also gave me a Kanaha version of his paddle. It’s the nine inch QB blade, and it’s amazing with the JL flexi fiberglass shaft. I asked Jimmy today why he decided to make such a flexible paddle and he said “I just wanted to try something different. Everyone else was doing stiff carbon fibre, I wanted to try something else”.

Given that it was just a try, i’d say he really hit on something. It takes a while to get it to work, but once you get the cadence right you get a little flick at the end of your stroke. It’s not like the same shaft with the Peahi blade, where you get a longer push. With the Kanaha blade you get a pronounced “flick” feeling near the end of the stroke, like a little burst of acceleration. Of course you pay for that with a little hesitation at the beginning of the stroke as you load the shaft.

I found myself tuning my stroke to optimize the flick. You have to stroke pretty fast to feel it–short strokes that end just before your toe. As you stop pulling to push down the top of the paddle and lever the blade out it gives an extra push. I can’t really describe it, but it felt really good.

I’ll add pictures shortly.

Jimmy Lewis Paddles–Very Different

Leave it to Jimmy to do it his own way. While everyone else is making very stiff carbon fibre shafts, Jimmy decided to add flex. Jimmy went through a lot of prototypes and a couple of different manufacturers to get a shaft with smooth flex along its length that is also extremely strong. The result is something you’ll have to try. Especially if you have beaten-up shoulders like mine or you’d like a little help catching waves.

The idea is this, to not only add some compliance to reduce the shock of paddling to your shoulders, back and arms, but also to extend the pull time when you’re pushing for a wave. The effect is most noticeable with a big blade, so Jimmy worked with Jimmy Terrell to use his molds for the Peahi and the Kanaha. I’ve tried both Quickblade versions in their carbon fiber standard form. I love the Kanaha Quickblade, the Peahi was too much for my shoulders.

In the Jimmy Lewis version I chose the Peahi so I could best appreciate the idea behind this paddle. To start with it’s a great looking paddle. The blade is clear fiberglass, tinted various colors. Mine is a bright, translucent orange. I cut the paddle to my standard surfing length–with the joint between the paddle and blade at eye level.

I took it out surfing on a pretty big day at Kanaha–overhead sets with the occasional bigger wave. On the paddle out to the reef i started having my doubts. The extreme flex of the shaft made the paddle seem weak, though I eventually realized that my board speed seemed to be the same as always. Once I reached the whitewater i found I was powering through just as I do with my other paddles. I realized that i wasn’t feeling the catch of the blade, just the steady pull, and that made it feel funny.

Shaft and blade in an un-flexed condition

Applying pressure creates a smooth curve, with the paddle still digging

The lineup was pretty crowded, so I moved to the far left to catch some waves backside, towards the channel. In the main lineup at Kanaha most folks prefer to go right. When I started paddling into the waves the paddle felt very odd. I’d plant the blade and give hard pull and the handle would flex a great deal. I made a few waves, and once in the wave the paddle and blade felt perfectly normal, but the launch felt very strange.

After about an hour I started to get it. You plant the blade well forward, pull like hell and don’t yank the blade out of the water to stroke again, just let it do it’s thing. The board accelerates a little slower at first, but the push is longer, so the board seems to get more acceleration at the end of the stroke, when a normal paddle would be not pushing at all. If you need a second stroke it works the same way, near the end of the stoke it feels like you’re being launched by a rubber band.

I thought at first that the idea was to give you sort of a flick forward as the paddle unbends, but that’s not it. The paddle feels like it extends the amount of time that power is being applied.

It’s really easy to catch waves once you get the way the paddle works. It’s particularly good when you’re feeling rushed, the big launch you get from the end of a single stroke will get you to the happy place. And at the end of a very, very long session–no shoulder pain.

Like anything different, this paddle takes some getting used to. It’s a new idea about how stand up paddles should work, and a good one. I’m looking forward to trying the Kanaha version as well. But in this form, the Peahi is winner for me and my dodgy shoulders.

The JL Peahi reminds me of the Superfreak sails I like so well. Yes, the all Mylar sails hold a more precise shape and give greater initial power. The Superfreak sails gather speed like a heavy car with a big motor–smooth and steady. There’s something very reassuring about this kind of power modulation. Not only is it easy to manage, but it also provides an extra bit of oomph when you expect a lull. The big blade also makes it very easy to turn the board with quick sweeping strokes, because you don’t flex the shaft much when you’re making those turning strokes.

All in all I’d say that anyone looking for an extremely effective surfing paddle should give one of these a try.

Paddle As Art

I’ve had these shots for quite a while, but I lost the notebook where I wrote down the owner/builder’s name. I met him at Thousand Peaks a month or so ago and was immediately struck by how beautiful his paddle was. the pictures don’t do it’s complexity or quality any justice. The back of the blade has a slick dihedral while the face has delicate double concave scoops. the fit of the various pieces is so precise it looks like the different woods grew together.

I remember that he’d been a boat builder in the Chesapeake Bay area, and that he builds models of famous Chesapeake Bay work boats. He’s a fine surfer and an amaxing woodworker, but I can’t remember or find his name, dammit. But I’ve sat on these pictures too long, and even though some are spoiled by water droplets I still like looking at them, as I’m sure you will. Enjoy.

Perhaps one of you alert readers will fill me in.

The New Old Lightning Bolt

Lightning Bolt is Maui’s original surf shop. It was started in 1972 by Gerry Lopez and Jack Shipley. Lightning bolt boards are seen everywhere in the surf movies of the 70′s with surfers like Gerry Lopez and Rory Russell ruling Pipeline on Lightning Bolt boards, and the revolutionary Australian surfers like Rabbit Bartholomew, Peter Townend, Shawn Tomson, Mark Richards, and Ian Cairns ripping up the North Shore and getting Lightning Bolt boards plastered on the cover of every surf magazine.

The new lightning bolt store in Paia–so new the sign is a banner

Calling a business the “oldest” or “the original” sometimes means a company that’s resting on it’s laurels, or whose time is past. That’s certainly NOT the case with Lightning Bolt. Some of the most aggressive short, long and SUP boards come from this historic shop. Lightning Bolt uses the latest computer controlled shaping technology to enable semi-custom boards tailored to your weight, skill, and surfing style. They also build beautiful boards. That old Lightning Bolt logo looks wonderful on a brightly colored board.

You can see a lightning bolt board in the surf from an airplane–they stand out

Lightning Bolt recently moved, from the original location–which was way off the beaten path in Kahalui–to the heart of Paia. the shop is still a little hard to spot because the permanent signage isn’t up yet. But this place is worth the effort to find.

the store is small, but it’s full of great merchandise

The famous Lightning Bolt logo looks great on a board, t shirt, hoodie, hat–whatever

Besides boards, paddles, leashes and other surf accessories lightning bolt has it’s own line of clothing featuring the famous lightning bolt logo. They also carry a full line of surf and beachwear.

All the usual surf/beachwear brands as well

Stickies, wax, surf watches–its a very complete surf shop, but with an emphasis on real equipment

The digital projector on the ceiling is for the friday night movies–Frank is serious about his movie nights.

On Friday nights they clear the floor and show surf movies on a big screen–free. You can grab a pizza at Flatbread and a six pack from the Wine Corner and enjoy a great evening.

Any serious surfer visiting Maui is going to pass through Paia. You should definitely make Lightning Bolt part of that pilgrimage.

Great Gear from Maxfield Provisions

The folks at Maxfield Provisions provided us with some outstanding quality gear for the Cape Cod Bay Challenge. Shawn was an amazing guy to work with….so much enthusiasm for what he does….a true commitment to quality and a stoke level that goes off the charts. Very infectious too….I always had a big smile after each phone call.

A few words from their website:

“We are Purveyors of Goods Built for the Waterman.  Our purpose is to stock staple goods of interest, value and necessity for everyone who loves the ocean.  All of our merchandise is Made in USA and we take tremendous pride in that.  Everything we produce will bear that quality and our love for all things built to last.    
Mahalo”

Simple words from a small company that others could learn a lot from….not only do they produce extraordinary quality gear, all built right here in the U.S.A., they do it while giving back to the community. Not only did they support our efforts very generously but they also are a percentage partner with Surfaid International, and a sponsor of SEA Paddle NYC for Autism Awareness. Companies like this deserve all of our support. Make sure you visit: http://www.maxfieldprovisions.com

Maxfield Provisions Hydration Pack (you may need to contact Shawn about these…we were the 1st to get them…in a word…awesome) Plenty of capacity (72 0zs), 2 open pockets( 1 full length, 1 half) with a barrel tab strap, 2 zippered pockets (one small perfect for keys and such, the other big enough for a couple of sandwiches and some fruit) You could pack enough provisions for a day trip in this well thought out pack or just filled with water its light enough for that hard workout.

Great fit without binding….I’ve been using this pack a lot and have adjusted the straps to fit perfectly. 10 mile paddles are pretty common….very comfortable.

It even fits old guys that are still trying to lose some weight (It even fit Bill and he doesn’t look anything like that picture of him sucking in his gut from last fall….:) )

How come nobody told me these shorts are this bad? Sheesh…!

Maxfield Provisions Paddle Blade Cover
I don’t think I’ve ever seen such attention to detail paid to getting a logo printed correctly. I really wasn’t too concerned about it but now I’m glad that Shawn and crew were. These came out beautiful. It was funny…before we got them a couple of the guys said “What the heck do you need a paddle blade cover for?” Now every time I see them they have the covers on their paddles. Not only do they do a primo job of protecting the blades of our Oh so expensive paddles but they look too cool doing it. Great workmanship, no doubt about it, these will outlast the paddles.

Maxfield Provisions…great gear from great folks.
http://www.maxfieldprovisions.com

New Werner Paddles

I received this news release from Werner Paddles yesterday and asked for pictures. They look pretty interesting, the shapes are unusual, I wish the picture showed the shape from the side and back as well, but here’s what I have:
For Release: Trade: August 25, 2008

Werner Expands Stand Up Paddle Offerings
Werner Paddles has announced the introduction of two new Stand Up Paddles: The Werner Advantage and the Werner Carve. Both paddles will be available to ship beginning September 01, 2008.

As participation explodes in the Stand Up Paddle category, Werner is responding with new paddle designs that focus on the two aspects of the sport, touring and surfing.

The new Werner Advantage
The Advantage is a Premium fiberglass laminate construction blade with a modified tear drop shape designed to optimize straight ahead efficiency for touring.

The new Werner Carve

The Carve consists of the same construction as the Advantage but the shape is smaller, longer and more slender, specifically designed for dynamic surfing and turning.

Both the Advantage and the Carve come with a fiberglass oval indexed shaft and ABS Palm-grip. Werner offers three shaft configurations. The 1-piece is the lightest weight option and is least expensive ($219).

The 2–piece is perfect for paddlers who travel with their paddle ($234). The Adjustable length telescopes with four settings, each 1.5 inches apart; perfect for those individuals who move between touring and surfing ($259).

“Stand Up Paddling is a real growth opportunity for surf and paddle sports dealers. We are excited to expand our Stand Up Paddle offerings to respond to the specific demands of the market,” says Jim Miller, Werner’s Marketing Manger.

Werner Paddles is the leading manufacturer of high quality kayak, canoe, and stand up paddles, operating near the banks of the Skykomish River in Sultan, WA. For more information call 800.275.3311 or visit us at www.wernerpaddles.com

Mule Transport System

I was browsing through my email trying to find the addresses of the people I owe rash guards to (they’re coming, honest, the only bad news is that it turned out we only have XL and XXL left. If that’s way to big maybe you can use it as a board cover) and I came across some pictures submitted long ago by Robert Stehlik from Blue Planet Surf. He was at the board test and took some nice shots. One of them was a picture of registration, and a reminder of another person I owe some recognition to. James from Mule Transport Systems sent us two SUP mules to use in the board test. In the picture below you can see my own S.I.C. Ku Nalu with a mule attached. It was a lifesaver. We used it to carry all those heavy coolers and the tent from the parking lot to our set up area. We just stacked stuff on the board and rolled it on down to the beach.

After the test I started using one to take my SUP board to the beach behind my motorcycle–a Honda XR650. It worked great. I bungeed on a milk crate to carry all my junk, and stuffed the paddle into the nose bag. I’m sure James would cringe to hear this, but I hit 55 on occasion, with some crosswinds, and never had a wobble. A great way to get to the beach and then get your gear all the way to the waters edge without breaking a sweat.

When I first looked at the pictures I thought “I could build that for less than $99 bucks” but now that I’ve seen how well made and well thought out every element is, I’m certain that the Mule is a bargain. It all come apart and goes into an amazingly small bag. It’s easy to put on the the board and attach to your bicycle or motorcycle. The wheels track true and the board is well supported and reasonably well protected. Make sure you specify the SUP version if you’re buying it for a SUP board, the axle needs to be wider than the standard system.

Simply put, highly recommended, especially if you need to walk a ways to the beach and you’d like to carry some other stuff. We piled it on and the mule took it with no strain.

Starboard 9/30 Extremist

Board Name: Starboard 9/30 Extremist
Manufacturer: Starboard
Length: 9′  Width: 30″  Volume: ?  Weight: ?
Weight Range: Beg. 50-140 lbs., Adv. 60-190 lbs.  Skill: Beginner to Expert

From the website: The fish-tail style shorter boards are the most exciting and progressive shapes in the range. They are still stable paddlers due to their 30″ width but they demand a slightly higher skill level to be able to reach full potential. They feel more like surfing a shortboard. With instant acceleration, their shorter shapes allow you to pump down the line with powerful, driven cutbacks and rapid response. They comfortably handle the speed of taking the drop on larger waves.

Evaluators said:
“So light! It’s pretty and easy to handle, excellent turning and fun on the waves. I like everything about this board”  (Intermediate Female 150 lbs.)
“Great turns; great nose rides; but hard to paddle straight without switching sides”  (Advanced Male 120 lbs.)
“Fun in waves; like the handle”  (Intermediate Male 180 lbs.)
“Easy turns to setup before waves; like the stability; doesn’t track straight without switches”  (Advanced Male 200 lbs.)
“Turns fast, super stable”  (Intermediate Male 190 lbs.)
“Turns well, good for riding waves”  (Intermediate Male 160 lbs.)
“you can really crank a snap turn on this board; stable for a 9′; not much glide”  (Intermediate Male 140 lbs.)
“Easy to carry; loved the size and it’s turning ability”  (Intermediate Female 140 lbs)
“Loose wave feel; surfs great; tracking not as good”  (Intermediate Male 200 lbs.)
“Good small board for big guys”  (Advanced Male 220 lbs.)
“Stable! lot of fun in small waves, would probably really rock in bigger ones”  (Advanced Male 170 lbs.)

Summary: A short board that big guys can ride. Very highly rated for surfing. Most common comment–pretty. It’s hot looks made everyone want to try it, and good surfing ability with big guys in small waves meant it got bogarted–people were waiting to try it.

Waterproof Artwork: Malama Paddles

A custom wood paddle is a special thing. It’s Paul Newman showing up in the bar with a Balabushka. It sets a certain expectation, creates a certain frisson. Of course on the downside, you’d better be able to play a little fricken pool.

Whether it’s a Gillespie, an Ernie Johnson Big Stick, a Kinimaka, or a Malama, a paddle made by one of these masters will make you smile every time you pull it from it’s bag. Even more important is the special qualities of wood construction. They aren’t as light, but they are easier on your shoulders and arms. My guess is it’s the damping of the wood. All I know is that as much as I love my Quickblade, and as impressed as i was with the Warner’s tough lightness, my Malama is good to my torn up shoulders. I use carbon fiber paddles, but if I’m going long, it’s all wood. [Read more]

Do It Youself Paddle Protector

Paddles can be very tough on your SUP board rails, when you’re learning you whack the board with the paddle pretty frequently, and once you are catching waves a little paddle flailing when you’re losing balance can result in a nasty and very hard smack to the board. It’s possible to hit a board so hard with your paddle edge that you cut right through to the foam.

[Read more]

Stylish Riders

Who says you can’t surf an 18 foot open water race board? 

Some of the stylish riders at the Showcase. You can view this gallery two ways–click on any picture to see it full size, then you can browse a picture at a time, of click on slideshow. [Read more]

Big Guy On Little Boards: JL 10’6″ and 10’8″ Pintail

I guess 10’6″ isn’t little to some folks, but when you weigh 245 and your skills are modest, it’s dinky. Here’s video… [Read more]

Paddles as Art

Pretty fancy woodburning. I think this is a little more sophisticated than the woodburning set I had when I was in cub scouts. [Read more]