new to the site, but obviously great information and a wealth of experience contributing. i'm 6'7" 215 and looking to replace my carbon 2013 allstar 14. i do the occasional fun distance races (usually lake) but would like to do more downwinders and thus find a better all-around board that would give me a good experience dw.
i have read that the 28" allstar 14' is more downwind specific compared to the 27" board. how so? does it have more rocker compared to the 27"? i know it has less vol per the star-board site, but unfortunately this site doesnt address the dw differences.
does the the better proficiency in dw riding come at a substantial cost to the board's flat water abilities?
having an easier time dw is very appealing to me but i hope it would not grossly diminish the boards all-around characterics. given my height, im inclined to go with the wider 28 vs the 27 version for greater stability.
your thoughts and experiences appreciated.
rfh

Yes everything you said is right. More rocker in the 28. The 27 is flatter and a bit pointier. Also, 28 feels just a bit more stable. But the trade off is speed in the flats.

Not sure if rocker is different but certainly the 27 has a less rounded nose and the 28 has a more pulled in tail.

Just got my 27 wide..... I am 90 kg plus wettie and 6 ft.

thanks for the feedback. so would you say that these changes make the 28" board into a DW specific board? or can i still expect a great all-around board with just a little bit less performance on flat water?
rfh

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rfh said..
thanks for the feedback. so would you say that these changes make the 28" board into a DW specific board? or can i still expect a great all-around board with just a little bit less performance on flat water?
rfh

I think so - the 28 isn't a DW specific board - it is still a race shape but with a few tweaks to make it better for DW. That's my reading of it.

You can see the rocker difference in this freeze frame. The red nosed board is the 28. I think there were 2x25s and a 27 in the blue nose boards in this video:

Great vid Paul! Looks fun. I know there have been opinions thrown around already, but what other comments can you add about any advantages of the kilo and a half weight difference of the carbon model or lighter feel etc?

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windara said..
Great vid Paul! Looks fun. I know there have been opinions thrown around already, but what other comments can you add about any advantages of the kilo and a half weight difference of the carbon model or lighter feel etc?

As I'm sure everyone knows, there is a hefty price difference between the carbon and the hybrid this year, whereas the weight difference is not as great as it has been previous years so I think the choice really comes down to where and how you are going to use the board most. My personal opinion is that Starboard carbon boards are best where the paddler is generating all the speed - so that's to say, flat water, crosswind or upwind. There's a kind of flex energy that some paddlers are able to unleash from within the carbon board - Trevor Tunnington is particularly good at it. It works best getting the board to speed from stationary or slow speed. So in that sense, it also works well catching small bumps in light wind as you can get the board up to speed very quickly. On the other hand, I think if you are using the board in waves or bigger downwind conditions where the wind and wave energy is doing much more than the paddler to create speed, then you may as well be on the hybrid where the extra weight will be beneficial in maintaining momentum. But of course, you have to consider the cost benefit - is the performance difference worth the dollars? I think you have to have a fair amount of confidence in your own ability to make the carbon board work to its full potential. I've watched Trevor's technique under the microscope and I can tell you, my old bones and muscles aren't up to the task.

did you try both the 27 and 28 Woody?

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Slab said..
did you try both the 27 and 28 Woody?

I did, yes, although I don't think the conditions were ideal that day. The wind was fairly mild and the bumps had no power behind them. That made it pretty hard to stay on the bumps for very long and I think it made the 27 (hybrid) less appealing, though very few other boards would have worked any better.

paul would you say the 25 is pretty stable? I currently have a 26 carbon jav and quite ok on that in ocean conditions, but have been considering the 27. I do some flatish paddling and ocean so looking at one of these boards to handle both. What u think?