Hi All,

I am a newbie to this SUP thing (2.5 weeks) and LOVING IT!! I am currently using a 12'6 x 30" cruiser borrowed from a friend but I am already looking at the awesome boards available, the wife not too happy! and have a question,

I am working on, in a couple of months, getting my own steed and into some serious long distance/exercise paddling in the open water offshore. My fantasy goal is to DW to st Vincent from Barbados for my 41st birthday(a year from now).

what do you think about the race 14' open ocean for somebody weighing in at 290 and working on losing 40-50 lbs over the next year?

Do you mean the Fanatic 14' Fly Race (the 320 litre version) or Starboard Open Ocean?

At your weight I definitely recommend staying above 300 litres in a 14 footer. Both of those boards will float you fine even at 290lb. Each has its pros and cons for a big fellow IMO, (I'm 280 and falling, slowly) I find the slightly wider Starby marginally more stable and generally tractable in rougher water but I've spent more time on it than the Fanatic. The Fanatic feels quicker and tracks better for me on flat water but I don't have data to back that up. Try and test both if you can.

FWIW Here's a link to a flat water test we did here in Melbourne earlier in the year, in which both boards feature:

www.supvic.com/the-rps-supvic-ultimate-14-board-test/

Note this is purely a flat water test, in which the open-water/DW oriented boards (Starby Open Ocean, Fanatic Ocean, Naish Glide) weren't as fast as the flat-water boards in the conditions but that's to be expected. Only one of the test riders is over 120kg.

Hi Christopher

And welcome to the breeze

Also being larger in bones, similar thoughts to Sir Cartoon, but i would like to throw into the mix the Angulo Shaka, which is my choice for everything that doesn't involve beach break waves, so race, open ocean, distance, runners DW etc.

The other option had I not been able to secure the Shaka was the Laird Coastrunner. It was just a little slower and wasn't going to catch runners as well IMHO

I tried the Starboard Open Ocean, and struggled to stay on it in the smallest swell and about 8 mths later, have paddled a Fanatic and whilst i did stay on, that was in a very gentle bay with little to know swell, wind or chop.

Personally I like a 30' wide board, and the idea is to keep on it, rather than get on and off it so these tinciny wincy 28' boards just dont cut it for mine

Before i bought the Shaka I tried, Coreban, Naish, Starboard, DC, SupLove, Laird Coastrunner, Bark Expedition, Lahaui Kai (scary board )

So as everyone says, try everything and narrow it down, its you that is paddling the thing and you have to be comfortable.

Good luck with it, and lets us know how you go.

BTW I started at 278 lbs and am now down to 255 lbs after 7 mths of paddling 3 times a week.

Greg

Hey Stu,

Thanks for replying, I will be traveling to Puerto Rico this Friday and plan on trying out the boards at Velauno paddle boarding, they have fanatic race 14's and surf tech bark dominators.

Christo