Hi All,
Looking at getting a 14' Downwind Board, specifically for downwinds.
I have four in mind and wondering if anyone has had experience riding them in a downwind and what your thoughts/advice is about each.
The four in mind are 14' S.I.C. non rudder / 14' C4 Vortice XP / 14' Naish Glide / 14' Open Ocean Starboard
Things that are important to me:-
1/ Volume of board
2/ Weight
3/ Stability
4/ Overall feel when riding
Cheers
So is it 3 or 4 that you have in mind?.. 
The AST 14' Glide is by far the cheapest..
... and IMHO it's also the best.. 
DJ
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/In-the-making/
This one does look good !
But those 4 you suggest are all good boards.... It's just a matter of trying to get a free paddle on a few of them.... Have you been down to The Goldie Dawn Training sessions.... river conditions, but you should be able to politely test a few.... in the flat.... just to see how they go, how they feel, the stability, etc... weight... talk to people....
Haven't been on a 14' SIC, but I have tried the C4 Vortice, the Naish Glide and I own the previous model Starboard 14' - the Elite Race.
If you are looking at the SIC and the C4 and if weight is important (and presumably price is not) then you must be considering the carbon versions of the Naish and Starboard. The glass versions add about 3kg and are not a fair comparison with the hollow carbon SIC and C4.
I have found (and we confirmed in a timed test) that there is absolutely nothing separating the Naish from the 2010 Starboard for speed in flat water, volume, weight and stability. The overall feel is an entirely subjective thing with these two boards - some like the Naish, some prefer the Starboard. However, I have seen the new 2011 model Open Ocean, and talking to Jonathan, it seems to be a significant improvement on the 2010 Elite, so on that basis, I think Starboard may have edged ahead of Naish.
However neither of these boards is a jet. They are both great fun downwind boards, just not necessarily race winners. The C4 is definitely faster and lighter but you are giving up a little stability. Maybe even a lot of stability depending on your weight and skill level. It's an excellent board, but you will need to try one before committing.
C4 Vortice 14 - We measured the "water line" width at the central wide point... Bottom Edge to Bottom Edge, or Chine to Chine... not the outer most wide points... and the inner measurement was only about 23 inches. Quite narrow. Or 23 something... Effect is increased speed, and slightly reduced stability....
I'm with DJ; ideally you need more than one in your quiver. The four you listed are great. Lately I've been paddling a 14' Hobie Elite and the Angulo Designs - 14' Shaka EST:
- Clean and fast downwind run = Hobie (sweet carbon rocket).
- Choppy, rough and lumpy = the Shaka (extra width and volume for awesome stability).
hi . imo stick to a 12'6 it will allow you to go in more beginner style races , they go just as good as 14 ft easier to store, carry and the lastest models like from fanatic or deep ocean are the most stable boards i have riden . you can even compete in bop style events which will be the bulk of races . i traded my 14 glide down and i belive it is faster and far easier to handle on waves , i have really enjoyed surfing it in small to medium size waves. just my 2 cents worth
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for the responses.
I do have more than one board in my quiver I have a Fanatic 10'6 and a Fanatic Carbon Fly Race 12'6 which I love.
I am looking at adding another to my mix being a 14' specific downwind board and am down to three choices. SIC / Vortice XP / Naish Glide.
I will see if I can get to test them over the coming weekends.
Cheers
I have been paddling a Hobie Elite 14' and it has a great shape for downwinders and flat stuff. I really like the displacement nose on it; like the Fanatic Fly Race (I have a 12'6" too and love it) it tracks straight even when the nose is submerged and as long as you can get over your old surfing worries of burying your nose it is awesome.
Seems the new Surftec Bark Dominator 14 is getting great reviews overseas, does anyone here in Aus stock them???
supgladiator.com/2011/04/05/surftech-bark-dominator-14-first-impressions/
