Stand-Up-Paddleboard Designs for 2014
I spent a great deal of time coming up with SUP designs, and after talking to some paddleboard retailers in Minnesota, I decided to build mostly 10’6″ all around flat-water cruising paddleboards. The “10-6 Cruiser” model is designed to be ultra stable at 31.5 inches wide, and with 171 liters of foam, it is buoyant enough to easily float beginner surfers up to 210 pounds. It will come with a 1+2 fin set-up and has a double-concave through the entire length of the board, which will make it track really well through the water. It has a fairly flat rocker, but plenty of nose flip, so it will be fast but can handle waves and chop. This board will be offered in 2014 with a bamboo deck and the option of carbon fiber rails. The non-carbon model will be available in a variety of colors. Check out the image below of our final design plan:
What do you think? They look pretty cool, right!? Now onto the other models…
On the left you’ll see the 9-11 “Fresh Surfer.” At just under 10 feet long, this board does not have to be registered with the DNR as a watercraft, and you don’t legally have to have a lifejacket with you (MN DNR requires the registration of all watercraft 10 foot and over operating outside the surf zone.) I designed this board to be surfed on the North Shore of Lake Superior, and behind an inboard boat. Is this the first SUP designed for wake surfing? You’ll notice the surfy outline, quad fin option, and it also has more rocker and plenty of nose flip for the steeper waves on the more advanced reefs of the great lakes. It also has a fish tail so you can sink the tail and engage the fins and rails on turns. It also features a double-concave throughout, which will make it fast through the water. This boards is designed to take a beating as it will feature a sandwich construction with bamboo deck and bottom with carbon fiber rails. This board should be pretty much indestructible. At 30.5 inches wide, it will still be stable enough for beginners up to 175 pounds, but I designed it for an intermediate surfer weighing about 185 (that’s me.) Oh, the perks of being the shaper!
Finally on the right, is the “11-1 Yogi Fisher.” This board serves 3 purposes: First, its specifically designed for SUP yoga which is becoming extremely popular these days. At 11’1″ and 32.25″ wide, this board is extremely stable and wide enough to fit your Yoga mat (although it has extra long traction so you don’t need a separate mat.) It also features a super-flat deck and boxy rails which make it even more stable. The second purpose for this one is to use if for fishing. There is no way to get closer to the water and the fish below than on a SUP. Its not shown in the image, but this board will have bungie straps on the nose to secure your gear. The third and final purpose of this ultra-stable board is to accommodate beginner riders up to 300+ pounds. This board will make stand-up-paddleboarding accessible to almost anyone who can stand up! It also features bamboo deck. The rails and bottom will be offered in a variety of colors.
I’m super excited about these boards. The reason I choose the factory I’m with is their super high quality construction, and clean finish. I looked at over a hundred paddleboards at the Surf Expo this summer, and this factory produced the highest quality by far! My favorite part is the carbon fiber rails. I’ll try to get some photos of finished boards up soon.
The boards will be available from the Twin Cities area in Spring 2014. They will be shipped directly to St. Paul – No middle-man distributors mean the prices will be competitive and the construction quality is considerably higher than pretty much anything on the market in the Midwest. All boards will include bamboo deck, traction, leash plug, vent, carry handle and fins. I will also be offering carbon fiber adjustable paddles with all boards.