Hi all,
I recently got a Speed Coach SUP with training pack as I've lost or misplaced my Garmin 910XT.
Anyway, I've used it twice on DW runs so far. My initial impressions are good, it's easy and intuitive to use and set up.
The screen is clear and easy to read while paddling.
Being able to see realtime data like speed, time, distance, HR etc is very handy.
The distance per stroke stuff will be good for flatwater and technique training.

Yesterday morning our run was a South to North run down Pittwater in Sydney, approx 8km. This is an enclosed waterway subject to tide & current. During the run I moved out into the middle as the bumps looked bigger, however my board speed was 2km/HR slower than previous as it was against the current and more of a standing wave effect. I moved 50mtrs to the right and my speed jumped back up 3km/hr.
Very handy to be able to see this in realtime as I did not feel slower in the middle.
The arvo run was South to North again, Shelly beach to Brownwater, approx 9km, open ocean.
The Speed coach stayed solid on its mount through a few steep drops & solid pearling moments on my Ace.

You can export your run data in two formats; CSV file & FiT file.
I was wondering if anyone on here has figured out the best way to view data similar to what a Garmin gives you, eg:
1). Individual km times.
2). Individual km ave speed & heartrate.
3). Individual km peak speed & heartrate.
4). Plot a map/track of the run with km marks to see the speed etc over certain sections. (I know you can map your runs by exporting the FiT file into a third party app such as Endomondo etc but I'm keen to hear what others use and the Results)

Cheers guys.

I was wondering about these. Thanks for the quick review.

I've just signed up to Endomondo and I've exported the two FiT files.
This looks quite good, very similar to Garmin maps and stats.
The only thing I can't see yet is overall peak speed and where.
It does show you a graph of peak average speeds per km.
I've emailed the manufacturers to find out some more.

Hey Kieran, that sounds awesome. That data could really help during a race.
Would you mind posting up your top speed and average speed for a few runs. I have been getting asked a lot lately what a good speed is for flat water and this would seem to be fairly accurate.
Cheers

I lost you when it got to I lost my Garmin 910 xt ha ha
just get the new 920 xt
Training is cheating mate

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stimo said..
I lost you when it got to I lost my Garmin 910 xt ha ha
just get the new 920 xt
Training is cheating mate

Ha ha ha ha ha. Doing fun DW I don't consider training. ;)
I looked at the 920XT but I really liked the idea of having the display right there in front of you without having to look and squint at your wrist.
knowing me I'll probably eventually cave in and get one of those but for now the Speed Coach will do. :)

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Surf4Sanity said..
Hey Kieran, that sounds awesome. That data could really help during a race.
Would you mind posting up your top speed and average speed for a few runs. I have been getting asked a lot lately what a good speed is for flat water and this would seem to be fairly accurate.
Cheers

Yeah, I can recall several DW races where I've seen other paddlers on a different line to me seemingly catching less runs but clearly going faster, and I've done that myself. I guess also in a long distance situation it would also help to monitor your HR zones if that's what you have trained with(I know f*** all about this) and also monitor your pace + cadence to better pace yourself and last the distance.
Yup, once I get a few flatwater runs done I'll post some results.
As a rough guess regarding board speeds, in the right conditions the top guys are doing at least 10km/hr+ average. (I know; I've seen James Casey disappear into the distance often enough)
Me personally on my Starboard Sprint 14x24" I hover around the low to mid 9km/hr range.
I'm kinda interested to see what a faster cadence & small blade vs slow & deep cadence with a bigger blade and vice versa does for the distance per stroke.
At the end of the day it's just some stats to play with; there's no replacement for fitness & training. :)

If you download a .csv to .gpx converter then you can drop your data into almost any GPS software. Garmin has their own converter here: garmin-gpx-converter.software.informer.com/ (Disclaimer - haven't tried it....)

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PeterP said..
If you download a .csv to .gpx converter then you can drop your data into almost any GPS software. Garmin has their own converter here: garmin-gpx-converter.software.informer.com/ (Disclaimer - haven't tried it....)

Thanks Peter, I'll give that a go too. Would be good to be able to use one platform to look at stats etc.

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Kieranr said..

Yeah, I can recall several DW races where I've seen other paddlers on a different line to me seemingly catching less runs but clearly going faster, and I've done that myself. I guess also in a long distance situation it would also help to monitor your HR zones if that's what you have trained with(I know f*** all about this) and also monitor your pace + cadence to better pace yourself and last the distance.
Yup, once I get a few flatwater runs done I'll post some results.
As a rough guess regarding board speeds, in the right conditions the top guys are doing at least 10km/hr+ average. (I know; I've seen James Casey disappear into the distance often enough)
Me personally on my Starboard Sprint 14x24" I hover around the low to mid 9km/hr range.
I'm kinda interested to see what a faster cadence & small blade vs slow & deep cadence with a bigger blade and vice versa does for the distance per stroke.
At the end of the day it's just some stats to play with; there's no replacement for fitness & training. :)

sweet. You've got me pumped to dust off my GPS and see where I'm at.

Thats good, you'll be able to use it on the Hawkesbury . Does it have a back light that you can leave on. Have you had it running for a decent amount of time. Also did you look at the Makai by Velocitek.

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Kieranr said..
Hi all,
I recently got a Speed Coach SUP with training pack as I've lost or misplaced my Garmin 910XT.
Anyway, I've used it twice on DW runs so far. My initial impressions are good, it's easy and intuitive to use and set up.
The screen is clear and easy to read while paddling.
Being able to see realtime data like speed, time, distance, HR etc is very handy.
The distance per stroke stuff will be good for flatwater and technique training.

Yesterday morning our run was a South to North run down Pittwater in Sydney, approx 8km. This is an enclosed waterway subject to tide & current. During the run I moved out into the middle as the bumps looked bigger, however my board speed was 2km/HR slower than previous as it was against the current and more of a standing wave effect. I moved 50mtrs to the right and my speed jumped back up 3km/hr.
Very handy to be able to see this in realtime as I did not feel slower in the middle.
The arvo run was South to North again, Shelly beach to Brownwater, approx 9km, open ocean.
The Speed coach stayed solid on its mount through a few steep drops & solid pearling moments on my Ace.

You can export your run data in two formats; CSV file & FiT file.
I was wondering if anyone on here has figured out the best way to view data similar to what a Garmin gives you, eg:
1). Individual km times.
2). Individual km ave speed & heartrate.
3). Individual km peak speed & heartrate.
4). Plot a map/track of the run with km marks to see the speed etc over certain sections. (I know you can map your runs by exporting the FiT file into a third party app such as Endomondo etc but I'm keen to hear what others use and the Results)

Cheers guys.

G'day Kieranr
Is this the speed coach you're talking about "f###k they are not cheap"

Garmin are making a GPS watch purely for SUP, can't wait for this watch already. But I do love my Garmin 310XT

No that's the Makai from Velocitech. I have one and it's great but is a lot more basic than the Speedcoach which shows a lot more data and I understand can be programmed for interval training.
The Makai however is easy to see, will just display speed, time and distance whilst running, when stopped shows the average and fastest speed and the data cannot be downloaded or saved. It is waterproof and sinks too, so I added a safety line and just use the heavy duty 3M plastic Velcro tape to secure to the board.

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jt737 said..
No that's the Makai from Velocitech. I have one and it's great but is a lot more basic than the Speedcoach which shows a lot more data and I understand can be programmed for interval training.
The Makai however is easy to see, will just display speed, time and distance whilst running, when stopped shows the average and fastest speed and the data cannot be downloaded or saved. It is waterproof and sinks too, so I added a safety line and just use the heavy duty 3M plastic Velcro tape to secure to the board.

Thanks jt737

Do you have images of this Speedcoach

www.nk.com.au/products.cfm?fullid=8DFD5D33-1A4D-44F9-2DBB20EC05E1616D&id=54

I know Mick DiBetta from www.paddlepowertrainer.com uses these for his interval training

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mickeyb said..
Thats good, you'll be able to use it on the Hawkesbury . Does it have a back light that you can leave on. Have you had it running for a decent amount of time. Also did you look at the Makai by Velocitek.

It's got a light sensor built in so when it detects low light the backlight automatically comes on.
havent had it running for more than an hour or two so far but battery life is stated as being 6 - 8 hours depending on backlight use.
I looked at the Makai and it certainly looks good, I like the slimline design and the huge battery life but the Speed Coach just ticked more boxes for me as I wanted a replacement for my Garmin.

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stimo said..
I lost you when it got to I lost my Garmin 910 xt ha ha
just get the new 920 xt
Training is cheating mate

You don't have to live with him Stimo. It's going to be analysis paralysis from here on in. Not a bad piece of equipmwent for a guy who uses the "Kissane Method" of training. As he paddles now he shouts out his average speed, cadence and peak speed per kilometre....well I think that's what he was saying back there.

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NNSUP said..

stimo said..
I lost you when it got to I lost my Garmin 910 xt ha ha
just get the new 920 xt
Training is cheating mate

You don't have to live with him Stimo. It's going to be analysis paralysis from here on in. Not a bad piece of equipmwent for a guy who uses the "Kissane Method" of training. As he paddles now he shouts out his average speed, cadence and peak speed per kilometre....well I think that's what he was saying back there.

LOL......blinded by his instruments, he didn't even know we were at Makaha

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Chris Ting said...

NNSUP said..

stimo said..
I lost you when it got to I lost my Garmin 910 xt ha ha
just get the new 920 xt
Training is cheating mate

You don't have to live with him Stimo. It's going to be analysis paralysis from here on in. Not a bad piece of equipmwent for a guy who uses the "Kissane Method" of training. As he paddles now he shouts out his average speed, cadence and peak speed per kilometre....well I think that's what he was saying back there.

LOL......blinded by his instruments, he didn't even know we were at Makaha

Ha ha habhavha!!!
More like blinded by saltwater from f**king swimming so much!!!!!
Note to self: if it looks like Bullet conditions take the Bullet!!!!

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jt737 said..
www.nk.com.au/products.cfm?fullid=8DFD5D33-1A4D-44F9-2DBB20EC05E1616D&id=54

I know Mick DiBetta from www.paddlepowertrainer.com uses these for his interval training

Yes I remember the SpeedCoach now I checked them out a few years ago.

The SpeedCoach are excellent for prone paddle boarding interval training, as it's right in your face. Using the GARMIN for interval training or Downwind paddling would lose satellite contact with ever stroke so a GARMIN would be a s##t training partner for prone paddle boarding unless you strap it to your drink bottle.

The problem with SpeedCoach for Stand Up interval training or Downwinding is your just to far away to read it you'd want to have 20/20 vision unless your a short arse like Kieranr I apologise about the burn (Barney Rubble) I mean Kieran.

The beauty about the GARMIN 920XT for interval training or Downwinding is it's attached to your wrist, plus it tells you by it's beeping and vibrates for you when you're doing intervals or Downwinding so you don't even have to look at the GARMIN because you just know what the GARMIN is telling you.

Me personal the GARMIN is THE BEST training partner on the Planet.

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Downwinder said...

jt737 said..
www.nk.com.au/products.cfm?fullid=8DFD5D33-1A4D-44F9-2DBB20EC05E1616D&id=54

I know Mick DiBetta from www.paddlepowertrainer.com uses these for his interval training

Yes I remember the SpeedCoach now I checked them out a few years ago.

The SpeedCoach are excellent for prone paddle boarding interval training, as it's right in your face. Using the GARMIN for interval training or Downwind paddling would lose satellite contact with ever stroke so a GARMIN would be a s##t training partner for prone paddle boarding unless you strap it to your drink bottle.

The problem with SpeedCoach for Stand Up interval training or Downwinding is your just to far away to read it you'd want to have 20/20 vision unless your a short arse like Kieranr I apologise about the burn (Barney Rubble) I mean Kieran.

The beauty about the GARMIN 920XT for interval training or Downwinding is it's attached to your wrist, plus it tells you by it's beeping and vibrates for you when you're doing intervals or Downwinding so you don't even have to look at the GARMIN because you just know what the GARMIN is telling you.

Me personal the GARMIN is THE BEST training partner on the Planet.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!
No offence taken mate; I've seen you dancing at the Molokai hotel after M4M this year. After seeing that I can't take you seriously.

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Kieranr said..
Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!
No offence taken mate; I've seen you dancing at the Molokai hotel after M4M this year. After seeing that I can't take you seriously.

Ha ha ha ha!!! pissed on the dance floor, big night and fun times, looking forward to doing it again in July can't wait already I love molokai.

Back to business: I exported the FiT file into my Garmin Connect profile and it gives all the data the same as if you had used your 910XT etc.
just gotta play with the 'sport' selection to see if I can get the cadence figure in there too.