Ahmet Senoglu - ahmet@
mallorcaresidencia.com
http://www.mallorcaresidencia.com
SUPcorner
Hi again! Last month we
talked about mainly different
SUP paddles and about rigid
and inflatable SUP boards.
This month, I want to go
through the various types of
boards and shapes in
more detail.
Choosing the right board can
be tricky sometimes. There
are so many different SUP
boards on the market right
now and depending on the
conditions the boards can
make your experience great
or terrible. Let’s summarize
different SUP boards:SUP Wave boardsThese as the name suggest
are designed to surf on a
wave. They are in general
bigger size looking surf short
board or long board shapes.
Their length varies from 7-8
foot up to 9’5’’ foot (yes, we
have foot and inches in the
SUP world). In Mallorca and
Mediterranean we usually
have wind generated waves
and swells therefore the surf
boards we use have different
shapes and volumes then the
ones in Hawaii for example. If
you want to learn surfing with
a SUP board, my advice would
be to start with a larger board,
learn to catch small waves
and gradually drop the size.
Also note that the paddle for
surfing should be shorter than
the regular distance paddle. In
general, SUP Wave boards
are not recommended to
start SUPing.All-round SUP BoardsThis is the largest segment
of the SUP boards in the
market. They are versatile,
perfect for starting to SUP
and can be good enough for
many casual SUP riders. Their
length varies from 9’5’’ up to
12 foot. Most of the all-round
boards have the traditional
surf board shape, I mean
flat on the bottom and witha slight rocker. Some longer
all-round boards also have
the displacement nose shape
like the race SUP boards or
kayaks. All-round boards with
traditional surf shape can be
good enough to start learning
surfing on small waves as well.
The important factor while
choosing an all-round board
can be the volume and the
width of the board depending
on the size of the rider. If you
are a new beginner there
is no point to choose a too
small or narrow board and
make a circus show on the
beach. If you are interested
in paddling longer distances
or in flatter waters such as
lakes then a displacement
nose type all-round board
can be a good choice for you.
There are also various specific
use all-round boards on the
market, such as yoga, fishing,
SUP-windsurf hybrid boards
and river SUPs. The river SUPs
segment is growing rapidly
last 2 years. The inflatable
boards dominate the river
SUP market because of their
durability with impacts.Race boardsMany races still have an all-
round class to welcome new
riders to the racing world
of SUP but when it comes
to serious racing then there
are 3 types of lengths we
talk about. 12’6, 14 foot and
unlimited boards (everythinglonger than 14 foot). Almost
all of these race boards have
a displacement nose shape
except the long downwind
boards (14 foot and longer)
have more of a surfboard or a
hybrid shape.In Mediterranean and Europe
we have mainly flat water
and semi choppy water races
and use 12’6 and 14 foot
boards. These boards have
different volumes and width
for different size riders. Race
boards are clearly faster than
the all-round boards but
are more expensive as well
because of the material used.
These boards are lighter and
have mainly carbon fiber
material. If you are interested
in the fitness part of the sport
and want to paddle in some
local races or paddle longer
distances then you can start
paddling with a race board
from the beginning. It is
possible to find good deals
in the second hand market
of the race boards because
many serious riders change
their equipment every year.
14 foot is more suitable for
heavier riders and latest
developments in the racing
scene in Europe make this size
more popular in bigger races.
But a cheaper 12’6 race board
can be a great starting point
for touring or racing.There are inflatable and
rigid board versions in all
these classes above. But the
inflatable boards are a clear
competitor in the all-round
class only at this stage. For
wave surfing and racing I
would still recommend the
rigid boards. Having said that,
the inflatable boards are
making some real progress in
the flat-semi choppy water
race front.If you have any questions
about SUP surfing or real
estate in Mallorca (which is
my real job), you can reach me
at ahmet@mallorcaresidencia.
com. Information about SUP
events in Mallorca can be
found on our Club de SUP
Mallorca Facebook page,
http://www.facebook.com/
groups/clubsupmallorca.
BIC-SUP Allround- Board SUB Board Race V1
SUP Downwind Board SUP Board Race V2 SUP Wave Board
MALLORCA LIFESTYLE