I am looking at getting a second board suitable for touring in flat and choppy water (no surf).
Currently have a Starboard fisherman which is great for flat water (I'm 120kg's) but is not so good in the choppy water we get in South Australian Gulf waters. Also have a 6yo that likes to get on the board from time to time.

Looking at an inflatable as I'm commuting from Whyalla to Yorke Peninsula on a regular basis. Any suggestions will be gratefully appreciated.

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page63 said..

I am looking at getting a second board suitable for touring in flat and choppy water (no surf).
Currently have a Starboard fisherman which is great for flat water (I'm 120kg's) but is not so good in the choppy water we get in South Australian Gulf waters. Also have a 6yo that likes to get on the board from time to time.

Looking at an inflatable as I'm commuting from Whyalla to Yorke Peninsula on a regular basis. Any suggestions will be gratefully appreciated.

at only 120kegs one of the 12'6 x 30" inflatos from the majors would hold you up. I have a good few kegs on you an I've got on fine with the ULI 12'6, Starby 12'6 and the Naish 12'6 (with sufficient air in them)...any of them would be good touring options. Haven't been on any of the bigger Reds or the fanatic inflatos but they're supposed to be good gear.

(interested that you find the starby fisherman a handful, what are they...37" 0r 39" wide? Maybe it's too wide?)

Thanks for the advice.
The Fisherman is 37"wide. Can you explain why you think it may be too wide?

I am interested to find out why it int any good in the chop. Is it stability or tracking? I would have thought that width = stability and length helps tracking. Also what is the volume / thickness. Is it bending too much in the chop. Then maybe look at the Red boards - they have rail stiffners.
So it may depend on what the problem is.
By the way my kgs vary from 108 - 118 kg so I was looking for a board that was available in the stores at the time that had plenty of volume and a reasonable length. Thats why I chose the Starboard Astro 12'6" x 30".

The problem I have with the Fisherman (non inflatable version) is that in choppy water it is almost too buoyant and doesn't cut thru the chop but pounds across the waves.

An inflatable board should have less of the pounding sensation because it has more flex than a rigid board. Its worth trying a narrower board too. However, for flater water I think that a 12'6" - 14' board will be better for tracking.
I think that Redair will hire boards and also do try before you buy.

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page63 said..

The Fisherman is 37"wide. Can you explain why you think it may be too wide?

I was asking you...was wondering whether you found it unstable or otherwise intractable in chop, although with a very wide/round planform, maintaining speed and tracking in rough water would be challenging.

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page63 said..

I am looking at getting a second board suitable for touring in flat and choppy water (no surf).
Currently have a Starboard fisherman which is great for flat water (I'm 120kg's) but is not so good in the choppy water we get in South Australian Gulf waters. Also have a 6yo that likes to get on the board from time to time.

Looking at an inflatable as I'm commuting from Whyalla to Yorke Peninsula on a regular basis. Any suggestions will be gratefully appreciated.

Hi page63
We have two ULI 12'6" boards
Our newer ULI with the wiki rail handles chop better then the older ULI which is 3 kgs lighter .I am 100 kgs and find the ULI very stable and fast in flat water but it has to be pumped up to 18 psi where it performers much like a hard board.the board tracks well with a good paddle stroke but not as well as a single LARGE fin.
However it can be rolled up and put in the boot it doesn't break when it hits an underwater object you didn't see and with the trifins can be paddled into very shallow water no problems.
We have many boards now but still take the ULIs when we want hassle free paddling.
I have seen some of the other major brand inflatables to me they they aren't as well made (one in particular had a twist in the tail) ULI don't seem to advertise themselves like the majors but they have the quality so worth a look
Cheers
John