Out of all the boards on your list, I’ve only tried the Blair so far so I can’t give you a good opinion.

What is your current thinking on these racers? I was considering the Naish 12′ Glide, the Starboard 12′6″ Pin, a custom Infinity 12′6″ or 14′. Do you still think the Joe Blair 12′6″ is the way to go?

At the end of the season all of the SUP gear was marked way down. New And used.

I’m envious of all the boards you have

Because of my weight, I’ll be looking for something in between 29 – 30 inches. I don’t want to sacrifice stability for speed since I’ll be spending the vast majority of my time casually exploring various northern California lakes versus the occasional race.

As a partner in a small business, I can appreciate making a profit. That said, I’m concerned about the prices being charged for the new 12′6″ boards. IMO ~ it’s going to be hard to appeal to the masses when a board and quality paddle will set you back $1500 – $2000.

I’m interested to read other people’s take on that as well as any input on their experiences with the new boards out there. For now, I’m looking at a 12′6″ and will eventually add a 14′. That is unless I try the new Bark/Surftec and fall in love

Take care,
Ralph

Blair and I have been discussing a race board for a few months now and his ideas are pretty different than other people so I wanted to give it a shot. Blair always tells me things that sound kinda out there but always seems to deliver so I don’t doubt him anymore. He’s in San Diego so it’s best to call him. He’s an interesting guy to talk to and you’ll learn a lot. Tell him I referred you and call him ‘tarter’. It’s his nickname I gave him.

The Blair board nose allowed me to catch very small ocean swells and stay on them much better than the Infinity. That’s just my experience though. Other riders may prefer the Infinity.

I tried a Dennis Pang 12′6″ which was made for Battle of the Paddle the other day and liked the displacement nose and rocker although that particular board was too tippy for me. I’m having one made by Dennis around 16′ and 28″ wide for more stability. It will also have a rudder.

If you’re racing in flat water, I heard Bark is good and his boards look like they are made more for those conditions. Blair is going to make another race board around 15 or 16′ with a rudder specifically for flatter conditions although that will probably take a few months to concept and shape.

Starboard has a very fast new 15′ race board that should be out in the spring. I tried the proto and really liked it. It’s also very different. 2009 should have very good product.

Thanks for writing. How come you picked the Blair? And, if you don’t mind my asking, what’s the retail on his boards? What’s the width? That’s a great looking board.

I think the Infinity has a similar v-bow as the Bark board. From your write-up, it seems you prefer the nose of the Blair?

We just started doing this a few months ago. Unfortunately where we live there are currently few options to try boards. We have an aquatic center associated with Sac State University that offers SUP classes on a great small lake that virtually in my back yard. They use old windsurfs to teach on.

The guy that teaches the classes sells a few boards basically out of his garage. He will be carrying the Hobie, but will not have a demo board???

I hate to spend almost $2000 on something that I haven’t even tried. My knowledge thus far has been gained by reading various websites and the blogs.

I hope to do the races held at Lake Tahoe (about 85 miles from us) including the 22 mile across the lake race. The Surftech Bark looks interesting. There’s a shop in Lake Tahoe that carries Bark. I’ll try it out in the spring.

Thanks so much. Ralph