F16

Board Name: F16
Manufacturer: Sandwich Island Composites
Length: 16′ Width: 27 5/8″ Volume: ? Weight: 26 lbs.
Weight Range: 140-250 lbs. Skill: Intermediate to Advanced
MSRP: $2500

From the SIC website:
The Hull: A lay down paddle board type nose entry for low friction displacement qualities. The mid section is flat for stability. 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. With Maliko runs as a main testing ground, we found that the board needed some nose rocker. Submerging your bow into the next swell slows you down to say the least. The mid section is fairly flat for ease of glide and the tail exit has a natural curve.

The 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 slight bit of a single concave (3/8”) for feet comfort. The concave is not noticeable to the naked eye unless you put a straight edge on the deck.

The Rails: Like the lay-down paddle board concept ,we believe in soft rails in the front for displacing water. While planing, a hard edge in the tail give good water relief. 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 250 pounds.

The Pad: We found that wax is good for a while, but an EVA pad is more comfortable in the long run. F-16 comes with an integrated 1/8” (3 mm) x 11’ long pad (light and dark grey or blue or orange or green or spotted red/yellow/black).

The Construction: Lots of carbon for stiffness. All lay up is vacuum bagged and breather and absorption plies make for a high fiber to epoxy resin ratio. Both bow and hull are 1 1/8” thick and have 3 strong backs (stringers) in them. Boards simply cannot sink and if it does strike a leak water can be drained out.

The Steering: The Active Steering System (ASS) can be positioned for regular or goofy footer or upon request plumbed for duo (resale). It has a 5” adjustable insert placement for the foot paddle pivot point. (back and forward) It comes with a spring loaded fiberglass batten so when you step back and surf, the rudder will come back 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 in the rear. All hardware is stainless steel and molded carbon.

Weight: approximately 28 pounds.

Color: We recommend a white bottom. The deck can be sprayed in most gel coat colors.

Time frame: It takes a $500 down payment to be placed on the production schedule. The $500 is fully refundable up to 4 weeks prior to the start of your order. As of March 2008 we have 2 confirmed orders and it takes a week to build one. We completed 42 .

Shipping:
Inter island pick up at the YB dock is $25
West coast by air in 5 days to your location: $250
West Coast by Matson Ocean Freight appr. $150
Australia by air appr. $550
East coast by air : call for a quote (cost depends on the trucking portion of the freight)
$80 charge for packaging.

Travel board bags: Custom fitted travel bags made by Da Kine Hawaii. Cost is $275

Evaluators said:

“Fast, turns well” (Advanced Male 100 lbs.)
“Catches swell awesome” (Advanced Male 120 lbs.)
“Light; easy to carry; fun in waves just as they begin to shape and all the way to the beach” (Intermediate Male 160 lbs.)
“Tracks like it’s on rails, so fast, effortless–I found myself far from shore in no time” (Intermediate Male 240 lbs.)
“Fast and quick to accelerate, catches swell easily–long swell rides–whee!”
“Light; stable for it’s size” (Intermediate Male 160 lbs.)

Summary: Specialized racing board for all skill levels. The dominant board in Stand Up Ocean Racing.

Vittorio does a step on the F16