Forums > Stand Up Paddle General

Will it paddle?

Reply
Created by Grantmac 1 month ago, 15 Aug 2024
Grantmac
2068 posts
15 Aug 2024 12:48AM
Thumbs Up

I'm primarily a windsurfer and wingfoiler, 182cm and 93kg in cold water (2-4kg of neoprene if it matters). I have limited SUP experience mainly because it's not my focus but I have flat water paddled a 7'3" Hypernut 4-in-1 and surfed some sort of soft top 11x32" Starboard which I found easy to use.
I'm looking at WindSUPs which will perform on a wave like a big windsurf board (ie: turn in the footstraps) with a secondary goal of being able to SUP on days with extremely light wind and under head high slow point breaks. There is a pretty short list of boards which might be suitable mainly made by Exocet.
One they recently released is not considered a WindSUP but it seems to the 10'10" might fit my needs:
www.nbwindsurfing.com/shop/Windsurf/Windsurf-Boards/p/Exocet-Breeze-x84309949.htm
The width is pretty narrow at 70cm but it should perform VERY well in it's primary mission.
Another option is one of their older models:
progressivesports.com/exocet-2019-windsup-9-2-carbon
Wider and shorter. Probably not as good for my primary mission but should in theory paddle easier although with less glide.

Any thoughts appreciated. I'm willing to suffer a bit during the learning process.

slsurf
251 posts
15 Aug 2024 4:39AM
Thumbs Up

I can't comment on those boards specifically, but in my experience it's better to light wind wave-sail a dedicated sup than paddle a wave, planing design windsurfer in waves. As you noted the windsurfer will be narrow for your size in anything but very clean and glassy, and the windsurf rocker will make it difficult to turn. I used to have a sunova with a good mini-mast track I had some fun sailing when it was in-between sup and windsurf wind. You can go to beach on marginal day knowing you will be able to do either sport depending. But on that same type of day when it's a little light for sailing and you want to paddle the waves I wouldn't want a board too narrow and long. Flat water is a different story.

Surlygringo
95 posts
15 Aug 2024 5:35AM
Thumbs Up

You will be able to paddle it. Back at the dawn of sup I can remember paddling old mistral Malibu's and other old windsurfers between 60 and 65cm because that's all we could afford(I am your height a couple kgs lighter).The Breeze has a wide nose and a lot of length so it should have a fair amount of surface area which will help with stability. I have no idea how it will turn. I have surfed boards with very little rocker that were pretty fun, but they can also be stiff. It sounds like it has low volume rails which should help a lot and who knows maybe a step tail gives you some kind of pivot point to help in turning. If it fits your windsurfing needs I would go for it. Worse case scenario you will be limited to big sweeping turns or going straight down the line. I will be curious to hear how it works out. It looks like a cool board.

DavidJohn
VIC, 17456 posts
15 Aug 2024 7:36AM
Thumbs Up

That 10'10" Starboard looks great for a light wind windsurfer but at only 27" wide it will be too narrow and tippy in my opinion to sup.. The windsurfer LT should tick your boxes except for the lack of footstraps.






I once did a vid showing how the Naish 10'10" SUP board windsurfs and that might be a good option because they are around 32" wide.. No footstraps though..


backbeach
NSW, 121 posts
15 Aug 2024 9:16AM
Thumbs Up

I've got zero experience and knowledge of windsurfing and how board design would translate to surfing and speculate that if your new to sup surfing you'd be better suited to a stable big and wide surfing sup which are reasonably plentiful and cheap second hand or new at Surfboard Warehouse. Surfsups and boards are tailored designs to surf for good reasons
Suck it and see if your current windsurf gear can crossover to surfing and maybe that can guide your decision.
I know JP has skin in both windsurfing and sup surfing so they could be worth a look. Good luck with your journey

bigmc
NSW, 247 posts
15 Aug 2024 4:49PM
Thumbs Up

That Naish DJ was using is good. I have one as well but not sailed it yet. There are a range of 2nd hand boards from Naish, Fanatic, JP and Starboard that have a mast fitting point. Just have to check the models. Fanatic Allwave, JP Fusion just a couple. I don't think the strength of a SUP is anywhere near a sailboard so take it easy.

Grantmac
2068 posts
16 Aug 2024 12:51AM
Thumbs Up

I'm definitely NOT interested in an LT, they can't wavesail even as well as a large freeride windsurf board.
The video with the Naish is on flat water, I've got a stack of boards more suitable for that pursuit.

This is how well the Exocet longboards can wavesail:
Breeze:

?si=vA1nDPAVgMaAzAE0
Older windSUP:
?si=FyYvCcjcNWQGdCmJ

Being strapped in is absolutely a requirement. When I was wavesailing my Hypernut I made inboard strap positions but even then it was a stiff board to turn when carrying enough fin to get upwind. Also the short length had zero glide and was about ankle deep when stopped.

If I was paddling it would be on glassy days with long period.

Surlygringo
95 posts
16 Aug 2024 5:21AM
Thumbs Up

I still think you will be able to paddle it, but if you are unsure there are lots of newer longboard sups around that might give you a good idea if you could demo one. One of the first longboard style sups I had was a 10'x27" infinity new deal. It is a lot lower in volume than the Breeze, but it would give you some idea what the breeze might be like stability wise. Kalama makes a 10'x28" as well as Sunova. Maybe you could borrow or demo one of these and see if it that level of stability works for you.

Roy
VIC, 136 posts
16 Aug 2024 11:41AM
Thumbs Up

I think you need 2 boards

The exocet is pretty specialised but great at what it does - you could probably make it work for SUP but always a compromise. Also if you are winging the wind range that you will use this board in is surely pretty narrow....but I do love the justification argument!

I'm a windsurfer too and I used a similar justification to buy an AHD sea lion a few years ago for this type of thing plus stuffing around with the kids during the summer www.windsurf.co.uk/test/ahd-sealion-xl-2018-review/ (I think they are now discontinued). I have used it a few times for light wind wave sailing and its OK but it's pretty heavy and in very light winds you really need to position the board well in order to pick-up the wave as you don't have the wind to manouever or get up to speed.

Grantmac
2068 posts
16 Aug 2024 1:51PM
Thumbs Up

A second board simply wouldn't get brought since the wave spot is at least an hour away and I always bring an actual waveboard because it can get windy.

I've used a Sealion and found it similar to my old Hypernut, too little glide and you have to move your feet to get it to turn.

AlexF
494 posts
16 Aug 2024 9:04PM
Thumbs Up

Been there, done that.
Conclusion for me at the end: Such a board does not exist, in the end it's all compromises.

The Boards i (94 kg) suped and windsurfed (i don't remember all specs though) and my impressions:
Tabou Windstyler Small, too narrow and tippy to sup, nice to windsurf (plane), too fat to surf und turn
RRD Wassup 10', too heavy, too fat to surf, too rockered to windsurf, a barge to learn on
JP Wave 9'6, nice to sup and surf, far too rockered to windsurf
AHD Sealion 7'6, to small to sup, so no surf, nice and fast to windsurf, but no straps, no control in chop
AHD Sealion XL, nice to sup, ok to surf and windsurf, no straps, too much compromises
Custom Stubby/Tomo 7'11 flatrockered like Sealion 7'6, nice to sup and windsurf, straps!, ok to surf (no tight turns)
Custom Stubby/Tomo 7'11 (shape like F-One Papenoo 7'11), nice to sup and surf if glassy, hard to sup in chop (bevelled rails), but not much glide, ok to windsurf, straps!
Quatro Glide 8'6, really nice to sup and surf in glassy or chop, ok glide, too rockered to windsurf

So the Quatro is a perfect Surf Sup for me (that's what i finally focused on) and has the option to float out and ride back in, but no comparison regarding riding like on my Goya Quad 104 as soon as this board starts to work.

slsurf
251 posts
16 Aug 2024 10:31PM
Thumbs Up

Just get your preferred exocet, then try it out and report back, I think you can sup it on a glassy small day even if it isn't what anyone here would do yes of course it is "possible". I think Exocet videos are deceptive, I've seen a lot of good to average windsurfers use them for light wind waves and it just looks ok. Then once it's windy enough to schlog a regular wave board those are doing way better with an average rider. I think the Exocet is a small range or pretty onshore and light, but I guess it depends on what your typical conditions are and what feels nice to you on a wave.

Grantmac
2068 posts
16 Aug 2024 11:48PM
Thumbs Up

It's definitely a compromise and a session saver more than anything. I'm unfortunately a wave sailor living in a place with pretty poor conditions most of the time (hence why I wing 10-20x as much as windsurf). A wave focused windsurf board will always be along on any trip I go on, likely wing gear as well which does start to take up space.
Of course I could just get over my aversion to foiling in waves and use a DW style board for SUPfoil but that doesn't much appeal right now.

There are both a Fanatic Bee 7'8" and Sunova Creek 8'7" available locally, everything else would need to be shipped at significant expense. But I feel that although they have mast tracks I won't get the performance I want out of them.

slsurf
251 posts
17 Aug 2024 12:27AM
Thumbs Up

You could also try prone surfing your normal wave board, they have a lot of paddling speed, glide and wave catching for the length. I used to do that with leash to back strap remove front straps if no wind and I didn't have my surfboard. I had fun with the challenge and some surprisingly good rides.

Grantmac
2068 posts
18 Aug 2024 3:13AM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
slsurf said..
You could also try prone surfing your normal wave board, they have a lot of paddling speed, glide and wave catching for the length. I used to do that with leash to back strap remove front straps if no wind and I didn't have my surfboard. I had fun with the challenge and some surprisingly good rides.


I think I'd be inclined to try prone-foiling on my wing gear in that instance.



Subscribe
Reply

Forums > Stand Up Paddle General


"Will it paddle?" started by Grantmac