Hey all.... I'm looking for input and comparisons between the 14' NSP Open Ocean downwind board and the SIC Bullet V2. I bought a V2 late fall and had a few good DW runs with it. Mostly 5 mile long, inland lake runs, where conditions were really lined up. Also 2 on Lake Michigan that were in late December. Those were a lot more challenging to me, as I struggled a bit to stay on the board. Lake Michigan is always so choppy for our DW runs.
I have liked the NSP boards, but no one carries them in my area. I am wondering I'd anyone here has experience on both of those boards? Are their handling characteristics similar? Or TOTALLY different? How do they compare on flat water as well as choppy water?
My "go to" board has been an SIC F14 for nearly 2 years. The Bullet V2 was just a good deal I couldn't pass up. I am wondering if the NSP may be a bit faster than the F14, without giving up too much stability?

Thanks.

Me: 6'4" tall and 225lbs.

Just to throw in there another board you might want to consider for gnarlier bigger days....the JL M14.

Hi mate you might want to clarify whether you are after more speed or stability.

I had my first paddle on the V2 yesterday out to Middle head, fairly choppy without much wind, a bit of a swell running. Very confused chop with the swell bouncing off the cliffs so you literally have chop running both ways in some parts. Board felt great. Looking forward to some windy days to try downwinding on it.

I'm looking for more speed than my F14 gives me in smaller conditions. The F14 will remain my go to board when the Great Lakes get rough. I am only looking at adding the NSP 14'x28 downwind board because an opportunity came along that is too good to pass up.

The Bullet V2 is VERY fast and really quite stable in some of the "lined up" conditions we get on Grand Traverse Bay. Some nearby inland Lakes offer 5-7 mile runs in East and West winds. But when it gets choppy and confused, I end up falling quite a bit. Maybe I'll get used to it and get better at keeping my balance as time goes on. I am hoping that the NSP will help me maintain better speed and stability closer to my F14.

If you are going to keep the F14 for big conditions (good idea), then you might want to consider the Bark Downwinder for smaller ones. It is a bit more stable than the Bullet V2 and is faster in flat water.

Another board to consider would be the All Star 14x28. Or maybe the Naish Glide 14x29.

For what it's worth I bought the V2 over the NSP Ocean board as I felt it was faster and almost as stable. It's good in lots of conditions.

And just to frame that a little further I sold the Naish 14' x 29.75 to buy the V2

and I got to touch Shires brand new V2 today, I might have even rubbed it inappropriately for a little while. I am a recent SIC guy and have the 12'6 Bullet 2 and paddled the 14 V2 today, absolutely outstanding board when it was super ****ty conditions. I now really want a lined up DW day to do a couple of runs on one.

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gregc said..
and I got to touch Shires brand new V2 today, I might have even rubbed it inappropriately for a little while. I am a recent SIC guy and have the 12'6 Bullet 2 and paddled the 14 V2 today, absolutely outstanding board when it was super ****ty conditions. I now really want a lined up DW day to do a couple of runs on one.

I haven't checked out the new NSP yet, but given that it's narrower, lighter, and has a nose shape that works better upwind, I don't see why it wouldn't be faster than the F-14 on flat water, and it would still obviously be really capable in DW/choppy conditions. The areas where I prefer the more rounded/boofy hull shape compared to standard planing hulls is definitely upwind, and this design lends itself well to being stable in quartering swell and cross chop. A lot of it comes down to personal preference in rough conditions as some just don't like the higher volume nose shape for downwind and some love it. For upwind, I really think it's the higher volume hull shape up front that wins hands down compared to the slap happy planing hulls.

Sounds like you have the rough conditions covered though, and I agree with a suggestion like the Bark Downwinder as a faster flat water shape. The name is a misnomer as the Downwinder really is more of an all conditions shape than a core DW board, and it will definitely be quicker than a standard planing shape on flatwater without giving up a lot of stability. The Allstar 14 X 27 or 28 would work well for your size, with the 27" still being DW capable but a bit more suited to flatwater than the 28. Both are highly rated as being really stable and capable in all conditions.

The NSP downwind board I am looking at is 14' x 28". It appears in the brochure that it carries its width farther back to the tail than the V2 does. Because of that, I am hoping that it will be more stable than my V2, even though I may give up a bit of speed. When Lake Michigan is blowing good, the V2 is not really an option for me yet. Hopefully I'll get better on it as the year progresses. Maybe the NSP will turn out to be easier for me when the conditions are bigger, if not, then the F14 eill remain my main squeeze. When the Great Lakes get rough, the conditions are generally quite confused and choppy. My last run on the V2 was December 27. It started out 2-4 footers and a nice 20 mph breeze, about 5 miles in the wind picked up to about 30 and the waves increased to 6-8'. It was choppy as usual. I have no doubt that I would have been VERY comfortable on my F14. I kept getting bucked off the V2. I

6-8 ft? So the bumps were well over head high? The V2 isn't really designed for those conditions. You want the V1 in conditions that big. Few boards are designed for bumps that big, which normally happen in the ocean.

I doubt that the NSP would be the answer. I've never paddled one, but I understand that they tend to have a slightly rolled bottom. This tends to make a board feel a bit unstable for it's width, and tends to be preferred by people with good balance.

In the conditions you describe I tend to use a Coreban Dart. Plenty of rocker and super stable. I've got the very light all carbon one that they don't make any more. But their carbon-Kevlar is still pretty light, and makes downwinding in big conditions about as easy as it can be. It isn't as fast as a Bullet V1 below 30 knots, but it really comes into it's own above that wind speed in messy stuff and bumps over waist-high.

But in general, and I hope you don't mind me saying this, it sounds like you might just need a bit more experience. You've got two great boards there, and if you are comfortable on the F14 in big stuff then use that then. And use the V2 for smaller stuff. For medium-size downwind (bumps thigh to waist high, and wind up to 30, with short period swell like tends to happen inland, a Bullet V1 is a much better choice for most people. Ocean race-boards are fast if you have the skills to use them, but tend to be more technical to use than dedicated downwind boards. It takes a long time to build up good downwind skills. I've been doing it now for 5 or 6 years, living in a very windy place that allows a lot of practice, and yet I still regard myself as essentially a beginner. So stick at it. It's a hard thing to do well unless conditions are small and perfect, and it is physically very demanding. If you want to go fast, it's by far the most physically demanding of all the various SUP activities you can do, and regularly reduces highly competent flat water specialist racers to their knees well inside one hour.

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gregc said..
and I got to touch Shires brand new V2 today, I might have even rubbed it inappropriately for a little while. I am a recent SIC guy and have the 12'6 Bullet 2 and paddled the 14 V2 today, absolutely outstanding board when it was super ****ty conditions. I now really want a lined up DW day to do a couple of runs on one.

Greg loves having his bullet rubbed!

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Area10 said...
6-8 ft? So the bumps were well over head high? The V2 isn't really designed for those conditions. You want the V1 in conditions that big. Few boards are designed for bumps that big, which normally happen in the ocean.

I doubt that the NSP would be the answer. I've never paddled one, but I understand that they tend to have a slightly rolled bottom. This tends to make a board feel a bit unstable for it's width, and tends to be preferred by people with good balance.

In the conditions you describe I tend to use a Coreban Dart. Plenty of rocker and super stable. I've got the very light all carbon one that they don't make any more. But their carbon-Kevlar is still pretty light, and makes downwinding in big conditions about as easy as it can be. It isn't as fast as a Bullet V1 below 30 knots, but it really comes into it's own above that wind speed in messy stuff and bumps over waist-high.

But in general, and I hope you don't mind me saying this, it sounds like you might just need a bit more experience. You've got two great boards there, and if you are comfortable on the F14 in big stuff then use that then. And use the V2 for smaller stuff. For medium-size downwind (bumps thigh to waist high, and wind up to 30, with short period swell like tends to happen inland, a Bullet V1 is a much better choice for most people. Ocean race-boards are fast if you have the skills to use them, but tend to be more technical to use than dedicated downwind boards. It takes a long time to build up good downwind skills. I've been doing it now for 5 or 6 years, living in a very windy place that allows a lot of practice, and yet I still regard myself as essentially a beginner. So stick at it. It's a hard thing to do well unless conditions are small and perfect, and it is physically very demanding. If you want to go fast, it's by far the most physically demanding of all the various SUP activities you can do, and regularly reduces highly competent flat water specialist racers to their knees well inside one hour.

Thanks Area. I know my F14 is still going to be my "go to" board when the Great Lakes get rough and messy. Unfortunately for us, a downwinders is generally a slightly quartering wind with good sized waves and confused chop. We are learning how the coastal shape affects the waves and conditions for us. We've been at it for 3 years or so now. Grand Traverse Bay in Traverse City is AWESOME on a North or south winds, but it's 350 miles round trip. I make that trip every chance I get when it looks to be working. We often do 2 runs that are about 12 miles each when we go. I had my F14 out last October in Traverse City on a 30mph day, with 4-6 footers rolling in about 300 feet of water. That was one of my most enjoyable runs. The second run, I took a friend's V2 with A.S.S. and had EVEN MORE fun. But conditions were VERY well lined up. If it were any bigger I would have stuck with my F14. The F14 was fast and maintained a good, long glide, but the V2 picked up the glide quicker and held it with less effort. But when I took it on Lake Michigan last December, I struggled a bit. Hopefully practice will help me out. The reason for me adding the NSP DW board is to have another option, with out steering. I can get an amazing deal on a 2016 NSP 14' x 28" Ocean downwind board. That's the only reason I am looking at it. If I end up liking it, I may sell the V2 to a good friend who was hoping to get the V2 I have now.

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Area10 said..
If you are going to keep the F14 for big conditions (good idea), then you might want to consider the Bark Downwinder for smaller ones. It is a bit more stable than the Bullet V2 and is faster in flat water.

Another board to consider would be the All Star 14x28. Or maybe the Naish Glide 14x29.

I find my V2 way more stable than my Bark DW and it is my board of choice for all but the smallest swell when I use the Vapour

Well, that just goes to show how subjective stability is, I guess. My friend, who is a little heavier than me, finds his Bark Downwinder more stable than my Bullet V2, and I use my Vapor in bigger, not smaller, conditions than my Bullet V2. I prefer the V1 to the V2 unless it's really quite small. I find the Bark Downwinder is faster upwind than the V2, and in flat water, but there is little doubt that for me it doesn't get on a plane as well as the V2 downwind. But a friend of mine who is quite a bit bigger than me tried the Bark Downwinder in downbreeze conditions and found it faster than his Naish Glide Mk2, which really surprised me - I was faster on the Naish. The interaction between person, board and conditions is a complex one for sure.

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Area10 said..


I doubt that the NSP would be the answer. I've never paddled one, but I understand that they tend to have a slightly rolled bottom. This tends to make a board feel a bit unstable for it's width, and tends to be preferred by people with good balance.

Not entering the debate on which board would be the answer, but the NSP 14/28 you are talking about does not have a slightly rolled bottom. It has a flat bottom.
Every of board width is treated differently to suit the public it is aimed to.
So the 14/25, 14/26 and 14/28 have totally different bottom and the 14/28 has been designed to give maximum stability in DW conditions.
The 3 boards share the same rocker line though

^ interesting

Can you describe the 14' x25 and x26 bottoms and their ride?

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yugi said..
^ interesting

Can you describe the 14' x25 and x26 bottoms and their ride?

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yugi said..
^ interesting

Can you describe the 14' x25 and x26 bottoms and their ride?

The 14/25 has a rolled bottom that tends to give more speed momentum and let's the board glides into the run very easily in DW even laterally. It requires a good balance
The 14/28 has a flat bottom to keep the stability but still has some roundish rails so it does not bite laterally if the board wants to slide into a runner.
The 14/26 is in between with a slightly rolled bottom for those who have an ok balance already, are looking for more speed than the 28 concept but still can't handle the pro model 25 in the chop.

Well, my NSP 14 open ocean downwind should be here this week. Getting anxious to try it out.

Congrats - It will be great to hear your views. It could be just the board you want. The Bullet V2 does have a low volume tail, so heavier riders will need to be quite precise with their footwork.

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Area10 said...
Congrats - It will be great to hear your views. It could be just the board you want. The Bullet V2 does have a low volume tail, so heavier riders will need to be quite precise with their footwork.

Hopefully we get a few good DW runs, soon after i get the NSP. I am anxious to try it out and compare it to the V2. I think the steering on the V2, particularly the tiller, causes me trouble because I can't put my foot precisely where I would like to. I definitely feel like i have to move a bit more on the V2 than my F14.

I think for most people and most conditions, a rudder is more trouble than it's worth on a 14.

I agree with you on that Area....i LOVE the rudder in anything up to 3', but after that i think it causes me too much trouble. I have had it several times where i use the rudder to turn, and i feel like the board wants to just keep turning, and it causes me to way over turn and i end up parallel to the waves and get knocked over.

The 14' DW board is on the left. Just got delivered yesterday. Hoping to try it out this week.

Well, no real wind here to try the board on a DW. Yesterday was a bit of a breeze, and a beautiful day to go padde. We took the NSP DC Ocean Race and the Downwind board (both 14'). Since the DW board is for me, i was anxious to get on it. The lake was calm to 18" with a westerly wind at about 8-10mph. When i first stepped on the board it felt VERY lively. I wouldn't say that it felt "tippy", because i never felt like i was going to tip over. We paddled into the wind for a bit, and this NSP is really impressive going into the wind. It feels pretty "fast" and really stable. The only times i was thinking I'd possibly fall, is when a boat wake would catch me from the side or if it was coming to me at an angle. The high volume nose seems to get pushed around a bit by side chop, but it may be just my inexperience with the board. When we turned and went downwind, it seemed to pick up small little waves, VERY easily. My friend (on the Ocean Race) said that both boards just seem to want to take off on even the tiny waves. I am VERY impressed with the over-all feel of the 14 Open Ocean downwind board. Looking forward to some downwind conditions to try it out in. My friend who i was with is so impressed with the 28" DW board, that he is going to order a 26" version as well.

A side note.... i also tried the 14'x26" Ocean Race. I've never been on a board that is skinnier than 27.25" (V2), and i was equally impressed with the stability i felt. TONS of secondary stability and the initial stability is very good too.

Me - 6'4" tall and 223 pounds

Thanks for this. I hope to demo the DC 17-10 at some point. Lovely looking boards. What are the weights?

I don't have a scale to weigh it on, but I'll try to find one. It feels slightly heavier than the V2.
I went out with a friend who was on a Bark Vapor 14', we switched boards and he said he could not believe how fast the NSP DC felt for a DW board. I am not a speed paddler, but i held my own against him, which surprised me.
Looks like we're going to have some DW conditions this weekend. Hopefully it come true. They're calling for 15-25mph winds from the south, which works pretty well for us.

Well this weekend provided several paddle opportunities. I did a 10.4 mile DW (solo), on Lake Michigan on Sunday. The wind was a steady 15 knots and the waves were about 3 feet, and pretty well lined up. More wind would have been good, but there were still loads of glides to be had. One thing i noticed is that the high volume nose wanted to dart from side to side when it would start to bury in a wave. Nothing too bad, but it did throw me off once. The NSP seems to be quite sensitive to foot steering, as it would easliy change direction as is paddled and had more weight on one leg or the other..
Hoping for some small surf this week to play with it again and learn to surf it better. I usually get Kook-slammed coming in to the beach after a downwinder, so i am hoping to get better at riding through the shore break.

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excav8ter said..
The NSP seems to be quite sensitive to foot steering, as it would easliy change direction as is paddled and had more weight on one leg or the other..

If this is giving you the feeling of the board not turning flat to change direction but instead going on its rail, and that could eventually put you off downwinding sometimes, then it might come from the fin more than the board. Especially if you were using the supplied NSP fin.
In that case try a fin with less area at the tip of the fin (VMG, FCS Eric Terrien etc .....) it will change the behaviour drastically
But since you are talking about the 14/28 I guess you don't need more stability through your fin. So to downwind you could even try a classic small center surf fin.
You will be surprised how much agility it brings to the board on runners and how much better you will be able to steer it right or left.