segunda-feira, 29 de agosto de 2011

Naish Nalu 11’6″ Review

In: http://www.supadvisorblog.com/expert-reviews/

Our thoughts and findings on the Naish Nalu 11′6

Perspective

We know this board inside out. It was the staple platform for our paddleboarding school for a whole season, so we’ve seen how it works for all types, weights and abilities of user. We’ve also used it ourselves in every sort of conditions from mirror flat to fairly big surf.

Design & Variants

The basic dimensions of 11′6 long, 30″ wide could describe a lot of boards out there. But what sets this Naish apart is the volume that they’ve crammed into that plan shape. It’s thick.This allows a relatively large amount of nose and tail rocker, but huge volume underfoot through the mid section, resulting in a kind of ‘raised up’ ride. You’re high off the water. The rails are not sharp nor thin in the tail.

The board comes in two variants, the AST, with its all-over soft deck covering, and the ‘Epoxy Wood’, which has the pretty looking wood laminate and comes with a rubber deck pad (that you fit yourself) to cover the rear half.

Our findings

One hell of a board. Genuinely very hard to fault for all-round use! We have been consistently impressed by just how user-friendly the shape is. Unlike so many boards, it doesn’t seem to have a ’sweet spot’; that point where you need to stand for the board to work best. It feels like you can stand almost anywhere on the Naish, it just doesn’t seem to mind. Which is fantastic for when you’re trying to negotiate very shallow water, you can stand way forward and get the fin almost completely out, and cruise comfortably through water just a few inches deep. It also makes it great for teaching as it’s so user-friendly and tolerant, and also really good for two-up, taking kids for a ride etc (particularly as the extra thickness means that they’re well up out of the water, and don’t get wet).

It’s also extremely fast. In very flat water it’s probably no faster than most midlength cruisers, but when it cuts up rough it really comes into its own. Hacking upwind against steep chop, it just cuts through and over the rough stuff, leaving other boards in its wake. We were consistently surprised by just how good it was in these conditions, making difficult conditions so easy that it’s only when you looked around to see where everyone else was that you even realised that theywere difficult. (And conversely, when you weren’t on an 11′6 you just had to put up with having your butt kicked when you turned the corner into the wind…)

At the first 2011 NZ Hyundai Surf SUP race, in and out four times through the surf at the legendary Piha – two out of the top three riders were on Naish Nalu 11′6s. How impressive is that! It really underlines the fact that when it cuts up rough, when you need to concentrate on everything else that is going on around you; getting out through the sets, getting the best rides in – a board that is hugely forgiving and versatile will so often be the fastest.

despite its size it's a lot of fun in the waves

In the waves, it’s actually not at all bad considering its volume. Because it has a lot of rocker, it really does turn. Obviously its ponderous, and can hardly be described as snappy. But if you dig the paddle in and lean, it pivots well. And you’ll catchanything on it, because it’s so nicely directional and easy for your run-up that you can accelerate very quickly up to speed. Because it’s single fin and the rails in the tail are pretty thick, you’d expect it not to hold in at all well, but we’ve had the board out in surprisingly big and steep surf (like well overhead) and not once has it lost grip. The thing is, if you’re a surf pro you’re not going to be on this board anyway. But if you’re wanting a board to get to grips with the waves on, then this is a great choice as it holds your hand every step of the way. (It should be mentioned that obviously one thing against it for wave use is its bulk; if you’re learning, don’t use this near other people, especially groms etc in the shorebreak directly inside of you. Bear in mind that if you’re on a 10′ leash then with this board you have a 25 ‘kill zone’ all around you. You won’t make any friends if you biff them with a board this big!)

Which construction to go for? Well, the Epoxy Wood is a little bit lighter and definitely looks more pretty, but it’s more pricey, and actually on a board like this there is a whole lot to be said for being able to walk wherever you want on the board – because you can, and you will!

So, all in all, this is a highly recommendable board. It’s just a great all-rounder, and hugely user-friendly with it. OK, it’s big and it’s not the lightest, but you can take this board anywhere and have fun on it – as can anyone else.

Weight Recommendations: Despite its plentiful volume, being 30″ wide, it’s not that ideal for real heavyweights. Width is everything when it comes to weight support, volume is actually much less significant. If you’re knocking on 100kg or more, you’ll have an easier time on a wider board. At the other end of the scale, we’ve had 9 year olds happily charging around on this board, loving every minute of it.

Overall – it’s now a four year old design, but it’s as relevant as ever (as the Piha event proved!). Well priced, extremely tough (our school boards were testament to this!), and amazingly user-friendly. Naish really got this one just right.

Expert Review originally published at out partner site Stand Up Paddleboard Talk

SUP | A Little History

In: http://www.c4waterman.com

Back in the 60's the Beachboys in Waikiki, like Duke and Leroy AhChoy, started standing up on big surfboards, using long paddles to maneuver. At times they would take a camera with them, and take pictures of tourists. It caught on with the other beachboys, as well as the kids growing up in Waikiki (such as myself). The sport later died out with the introduction of shorter, lighter, fiberglass boards, but Leroy was out as long as his age allowed him.

The sport had a renaissance during Retro movement. The Maui guys, Laird Hamilton, and Dave Kalama, and the Makaha Beachboys (Brian Keaulana, Bruce DeSoto & Mel Puu) began doing it again for exercise, training their core & legs for tow-in surfing, and for the pure enjoyment of the sport. Stand-up gives a paddling advantage, allowing them to catch waves early, a great help in the crowds at Makaha and in Waikiki. They also found that when surfing with these boards, the paddle could be used to help carve into turns, improving the maneuverability of the long boards they used.

With its growing popularity at Makaha beach, Brian Keaulana decided to add "Beachboy Surfing" to the world-recognized "Buffalo Big Board Contest" in 2004. The response was overwhelming, with over 49 participants entering the Stand-up division, which included many of Hawaii's elite waterman and past world champion surfers, using Pohaku Beachboy paddles.

The boundaries of the sport were pushed further by my good friend Archie Kalepa in 2004, when he was the first to cross the Molokai Channel solo on a Standup paddleboard during the Quicksilver Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard race. (time: 6hrs; UGG!) His effort inspired us to start "downwind " paddling runs, and to begin holding the Hennessey World Championship Paddleboard race on Oahu (Hawaii Kai to Waikiki , 10miles). It offers a Standup division with Prize money.

A Division of Team Standup Crossing was added to the Quicksilver Molokai to Oahu race in July of 2005; this race brought together a field of 9 paddlers, and was won by the team of Myself and Brian Keaulana, finishing 10th overall in the Paddleboard field with a time of 5:18 mins. 2nd place was the team of Archie Kalepa & Dave Parmenter less then 3 minutes behind.

RRD Stand Up Eleven SUP board

Tuesday, 16 June 2009 11:07

Roberto Ricci Designs (RRD) have released an SUP board called the Stand Up Eleven, which you will not be suprised to realise is 11 feet long ! I managed to take this board for a quick distance paddle at West Wittering last month. It is a very stable board, absolutely perfect for beginners to get to grips with paddling, and for them to take into the waves once they have mastered the paddling basics. It has a forgiving softskin deck, which feels good underfoot, and it has a 8.5 inch fin, which means it works well in the surf.
Here is the press release from RRD:

Finally a real all round Stand Up Paddle board! Many brands have started to make SUP boards before RRD, but this 11” represents the latest development in SUP designs. Easy to paddle, the right board for everyone willing to start to SUP!

Features
The thin volume profile and the generous rocker in combination with a wide outline , generate a great stability, but once used in the waves, the board becomes a real wave rider! Equipped with a middle handle to carry the board, we have used this board opening to extend it with a middle mast box in order to convert the SUP into a very efficient and fun sailboard!

Rails configuration:
50/50 round edges on the nose area, 60/40 full rails in the middle to improve paddling potential and stability, full 80/20 rails with round TUE in tail area to improve turning potential
Hull configuration
Light concave on the nose are with V configuration rail to rail from middle to tail end. Double concave onto the V from the middle section until 60 cms from the tail.

Fin
US box Fiberglass CNC foiled Dolphin outline 8.5”
MODEL size FINS
Stand Up ELEVEN 11' x 31” x 4 1/2” single dolphin

Technology:
EPS/ HD Glass/ Wood sandwich skin on stepping area with a combination of Glass fibres laminated in Single Shot moulding process. Deck covered with Softskin ™

Fonte: http://www.supglobal.com/stand-up-paddle/reviews/124-rrd-stand-up-eleven-sup-board.html

domingo, 28 de agosto de 2011

SUP Como Começar | Artigo publicado em www.standupportugal.com

Stand Up Paddleboarding não é difícil de aprender e pode fazê-lo em quase todos os locais onde haja água em quantidade. No início, irá estar de pé na prancha, o remo será a parte mais desafiante. Se já surfa, então a vertente de deslizar na onda ser-lhe-á bastante familiar, com a diferença de que pode apanhar mais ondas e manter-se nelas durante mais tempo.

Nesta secção, pretendemos dar algumas dicas fundamentais. Desportos como o Stand Up Paddleboarding permitem construir um estilo e técnicas próprias. Estas indicações são apenas o básico ao qual pode adicionar o seu próprio estilo e técnica.

Primeira Vez
Para que a sua primeira experiência seja um sucesso deverá escolher um lugar de águas calmas, sem correntes e com pouco ou nenhum vento.

No momento em que se conseguir colocar em pé na prancha e começar a remar em frente, assegure-se que os seus pés estão bem virados para a frente e alinhados um com o outro paralelamente à distância dos quadris, isso irá ajudá-lo a adquirir estabilidade e também a remar de forma eficiente. Se ainda assim se sentir instável, deverá mover ligeiramente um dos pés um pouco para a frente.

Remada
Segure o remo com uma das mãos mais ou menos a meio e a outra na ponta em T, com as costas direitas e os joelhos ligeiramente dobrados, coloque o remo o mais à frente possível 1/3 do remo deve estar dentro de água. O objectivo é puxarmo-nos para o remo, deslocando assim o nosso corpo e prancha para a frente. Assim que o remo passa o nosso corpo, devemos rodá-lo e trazê-lo pela superfície à frente para repetir o movimento. Dica: Tente fazer um movimento em J para ajudar a manter a prancha direita para não ter de trocar constantemente de lado. Imagine que o remo vem para baixo ao lado da prancha, esta é a parte vertical do movimento em J. Quando chegar ao final da parte vertical do movimento vire o remo e faça o movimento para fora. É preciso um pouco de prática, mas vale a pena tentar. Mantenha a cabeça erguida e olhe sempre em frente, se olhar para o remo você provavelmente irá cair, mas não há problema nenhum.

Direcção
Os movimentos de remada efectuados só de um dos lados da prancha vão fazer com que a prancha se mova nessa direcção. Adicionalmente experimente utilizar a pressão nos pés para acelerar a viragem.

Viragem de 180 graus
Essa é uma manobra fundamental utilizada de posicionamento para apanhar ondas. Existem várias formas de fazer isto.

1) Virar Parado
Este é a mais fácil e provavelmente mais estável forma de virar. Você precisa fazer movimentos longos para a frente e para trás num dos lados da prancha, isso fará com que a prancha vire e fique posicionada para apanhar as ondas. Esta é a mais lenta forma de virar.

2) Virar em movimento
Se você tem alguma velocidade na remada pode virar a prancha de uma forma mais rápida. Tem que ser ágil com os pés e não se admire se cair algumas vezes ao tentar. Quando estiver prestes a virar coloque um dos pés na parte de trás da prancha por forma a fazer com que esta afunde ligeiramente, ao mesmo tempo reme num dos lados consoante queira virar para a esquerda ou para a direita. Para parar de girar volte a por o pé junto do que está mais à frente por forma à prancha voltar a posição inicial. No fim desta execução poderá ser necessário utilizar o remo como terceiro ponto de contacto com a água por forma a manter o equilíbrio.

Fonte: http://www.standupportugal.com/comocomecar/comofazer/comofazer.html