You know how in the late 60s, early 70s the shortboard came onto the surf scene. The average length of the surfboard went from 10 to 6 foot, with an obvious reduction in weight. Is the same happening with SUP boards?
I know there are guys out there like Garrett MacNamara who are surfing on 11’11s etc in huge surf on paddle boards, and there are still paddle in big wave surfers on guns that can still be around 11 foot.
Is the same revolution going to happen with SUP boards. I saw this video on youtube by Ivan van Vuuren on Maui, surfing a 7 foot kids windsurf board as a paddle board, and it performed really well. This kindof proved to me that maybe larger paddleboards are only going to be the future for big surf - just like in normal surfing. if you want to watch the video, the title is “Stand Up Paddle Surfing a 7 Foot Board on Maui”.
In general shortboards seem to be getting much smaller too, as shown By both Kelly slater on a 5’11 at pipe and a 5’3 at micronesia and rob machado surfing a 5’2 surfing small waves at seaside reef, and even solid surf in bali.
I just find it so interesting you know the way boards are getting shorter and shorter.
boards go back and forth between longer and narrower to shorter and wider(relatively speaking) watch Style masters, I forget who the rider is but there is a guy on a 5’10 surfing backdoor.
go longer to go narrower so the board gets on rail easier, go shorter so you can side slip down into the pit and turn real tight. Watch what happened when slater hit the shoulder to do a turn? Bog. Look at 5’5" 19 1/4" redux, the boards are limited in what they can do by their length they don’t have enough rail to be able to do a routine round house, they just get over powered. there is a point of diminishing returns on both sides of the length vs width.
Your take on things is well based. One of the primary things I would ask customers ordering boards was if they wanted a long 6’6" or a short 6’6"…and so on. Then I woud explain to them the difference.
Regardless of length, when you become adept at designing surfboards, you become aware that the challenge and attraction is combining compound curves to achieve a desired effect. It’s no different with paddleboards than it is with logs, sailboards, kneeboards, boats, or anything else that moves through the water. Yes, the dynamics change depending upon what you are actually riding; load bearing for turning a 5" thick sailboard is considerably different from a 2" shortboard.
To focus back on whether the trend is to go shorter, that is largely determined by the performance to be gained, and the buying public. If a SUP customer wants to have more glide in their stride, they will more than likely stay with a longer vehicle capable of doing this kind of action. If a surfer wants the capabilty of turning a lot and fitting in the pocket of the wave, more rocker and a curvier outline ay be what’s in order.
So depending upon if you want to just go out on flat water and develop your core strength or be the next wave shredder at your local break, these considerations will create the criteria of what you may want to ride.
As of yet, I do not think there is a “status quo” (existing state of affairs) that has determined one so called magic approach for all conditions.
It’s to sell more boards. Once everyone has a new short board, pro’s and manufacturers will start using longer again for it’s set of advantages. It goes back and forth all the time.
Just kidding about selling more boards, but only just.
im 38 195pounds and 6 ft 3. my main board now is 5 11 by twenty by 2 1/4. thruster with the fins set back.
harder to paddle but getting used to it. all that happens is your positioning gets better. thinking of getting web gloves to get me into the steep ones better.
if you want to do trick surfing in small waves you need a short wide board. they are easy to turn and with a good curve in the rail line. easy turning can mean lower tail rockers and lots and lots of speed. short length means your front foot can counter balance better so your back foot can sit right over the rear fin ,this way can surf off the front foot at all times and rock back to tail surfing without shifting feet and or stalling the board. move the wide point forward and it turns into a barrel riding machine. soften the edges and increase tuck for steeper waves and have hard edges and boxy rails for small fatter waves. tail rockers can be low because the short rail line and zero swing weight makes the board easier to trun when you dont have 3 foot of rail in the water. shorter board you dont have to spread your legs as far apart for sweet spot surfing
a 20 by 5 11 has similar volume to a 6 4 by 18 1/4 proably more if you shape it right
these boards can help old school surfers you watch they alway stall the tail and blow there speed on bottom turns. old school guys can only ride head high plus with any style, unless there on mals. they require wave power to get going. new school surf the board like a skateboard or skim board and are using the rail all the time
Silly, props to you on riding smaller more maneuverable boards, too many people past 30 give into the temptation of more foam, and you can watch their surfing suffer. Today on surfline Rusty priesendorfer had an article on making appropriate size boards for bigger guys.
I'm relieved! Your response to that Redux video is similar to mine. A friend who should know better loaned to to me, exclaiming "this is the future!" in breathless tones..."They've gone back to go forward..."
I agree with you...those very short boards lack drive off the bottom, and while they're ridden very skillfully, they show limitations:- the outline curve wants to hook the rail in and up too soon in bigger surf.
Yawn...call me old, but the video gets mindlessly repetitive, you know the score, "Kid spins another trick to another yelling soundtrack".
The only bit of that movie that got me excited was that absolutely MENTAL lefthander in the end segment! (Oh, and the surfing potato was mildy amusing too...)
But this thread is about SUPS anyway...to which I can't add much, I don't ride SUP, but many of the principles of design will carry across from shortboards.
Some folks, including some pros have been riding them under 5’6’’ for years. Only now that the mags and Slater etc. start riding them are folks asking the questions about…are they the future. Everything old is new again at some point.
I made the 5'5 Redux and I do respect everyone's opinion. We feel we HAVE gone back to go forward. Kolohe had been riding the SD2 model forever. Then we had him try the Rocket to get into the movie which led to a bit of a hybrid with the Stealth. This then led to the Scorcher model which takes the best characteristics of the aforementioned and combines them into our newest shortboard. Biolos can explain it better. Do I buy into it? Everyone who rides them likes them so I guess so - don't listen to me though - I still sometimes think that fins and tailshape don't make that much of a difference and we all know that is wrong.
mike? this really you? roger. I just made a 5’9" patterned after the MR floaty fish (but in balsa composite with CF rails) that I’d like to show you when you get back to town.
I just wondered, Al merrick are not selling Kelly’s Wizard sleeve boards yet as they are all prototypes and only kelly is finish shaping the at the moment. The Deep 6 has finally come out, and they are offering custom dimensions. I was thinking, as all of the Wizard sleeve boards are designed around the same design and concept, If I ordered an Al merrick Deep 6 in a 5’6 by about 20 wide and 2 3/4 thick, Would it work well, like kelly’s shorter wizard sleeve models?