As a result I stumbled on this…
I’m so sorry to post this. We do strange things in mourning.
That first board looks interesting and definitely rideable
Really? That’s good to hear. It’s only $200. I was thinking that it would be too wobbly, but then if it’s a shortboard it shouldn’t be as wobbly as an inflatable SUP. I was also thinking the rails are fat to drag and maybe the fin attachments are draggy too. But take the back fin out and maybe it’s not going to be too bad for $200.
The other one has a ridgid core that looks great, but so expensive at ~$1500.
I’ve been taking my chances with a foamie and the lifeguards since posting this. If I get sent to jail I’ll come back with one of these
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Years ago there was a period where I was working near Malibu and surfing it pretty regular, and there was a Hawaiian guy who used to show up almost every day with a big inflatable SUP. He had a small car, but he would pull that thing out and blow it up every morning, and go out and get good rides on it.
It didn’t look like much, being an inflatable board, but he made the best of it. He had a lot of energy and stoke, and the board didn’t prevent him from getting good waves and having a lot of fun.
I have never used an inflatable but all the users say they are plenty rigid with the proper pressure.
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Yes more a rail refining problem than a stiffness one. I see sup inflatablf front and rigid back to have hard rail and fins setting.
Well if it got down to surfing on the inflatable boards you have pictured or any inflatable board in general, I could fully support a ban on surfing.
Too many unknowns for me to have a real opinion. Like the waves, the crowds, the skills & goals of the original poster. But if you had decent or better waves, and no crowds due to the ban, and you’re a decent surfer and all you were looking to do is have fun, I would say just based on the few (SUPs) I’ve seen, you could definitely do that on an inflatable.
I don’t really like soft boards like Costco sells but I see guys getting decent rides & having fun on them, so maybe that’s another option. Like I say there’s a lot we don’t know. I guess thats what he means by taking his chances on a foamie, wonder how that’s going.
Actually, there are times when an inflatable is the only option. Tomorrow they’ll be a typhoon. When the waves are big enough, it’s banned, when the signal comes down, it’s flat again. Merry hell. Slip a board and sneak out somewhere quieter though is easier if it can go in a backpack.
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If inflatables are legal I would definitely take one out for a few uncrowded waves.
Here are a few shots from a google search of the boards posted
Check out a video called “Drive Thru Japan” hosted by Redbull (I can’t post the link). Rob Machado and Donovan Frankenreiter surfing Japan–Frankenreiter uses an inflatable in the first section of the video and gets some decent rides!
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I did check it out, was pretty interesting. I think his board is the one posted in the opening post. Its an older movie tho, everyone looks so young.
Its clearly not going to be a high performance board, but does look like he gets some decent rides. The main attraction would be being able to surf when regular surfboards are prohibited. Which should lead to some pretty uncrowded conditions.
There was a surfer, screen name Steamroller at the old Surfline forum, who surfed an inflatable Uli surfboard. Rolled it up and put it inside his car. He had video of him riding it.
Yeah, I am almost certain that’s the guy I mentioned in an earlier post, he used to surf malibu a lot back in the day. I had forgotten that he posted here. A big hawaiian guy, right?
Yeah. A real big guy. He worked at the airport (LA?)
? Named after our friend and ULITeam athlete Clinton Yap, aka Steamroller?
https://www.campsaver.com/uli-steamroller-inflatable-multi-purpose-sup-board.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqcFlyRfwev2YVz4z9OZ3bvuSNdP0QbExYm3EKxvHa8GhjyNBKY
I’m thinking this is him.
That guy’s video was what got me into this about 15 years ago when Uli were the only ones available. But it was SUP and a bit floppy.
Got chased off of Harlyn on a small day one time with it.
Was $800 when new!
The shorter boards might work a bit better. The boards with the internal stiffing structure look decent.
I’m going to try one, even though they’re expensive!