I'm just about to head off and do a down winder on Port Phillip bay on my 11'6" Naish..and I'll be thinking about what the new Naish Glide is going to be like. 
But before I do I thought I'd post this great vid by the C4 guys about the new C4 Vortice and open ocean SUP'ing.
It's interesting when they talk about rocker shapes..and it fitting the swell size.
Also interesting that they are pushing for a 14' and under..and 14' and over for racing..Obviously because their board is 14'.. 
It was also interesting that they did island crossings on normal SUP's and took 7-8 hours..Now with these new race boards they can do it in about 5 hours.. 
Some of you guys might have seen this vid..but if not..check it out..it's a bit long at 9 1/2 minutes..but still pretty good.
DJ
A 14' board is fast, but it greatly separates the general punter (on a 11'6" surf SUP that will take 8 hours) from the guy who forks out the coin for a 14' board (taking 5 hours). Also you have to have a Rudder on a 14' board and it should be hollow if it is going to be at a competitive weight, this makes the board expensive. If you have this segrigation the sport will never take off. 12' Class works because the boards are not too big for one personal to handle (even on windy days), and will be much more affordable. It is also closer in speed to Joe Blogs who just bought an 11'6" surf SUP but wants to do some fun paddle races.
12' and under rudderless class and then an Open class makes much more sense for the future of the sport. And will also fit in with the 12' Class that already exists with Paddle board (prone/knee style).
Now just to point out I didn't post this because Naish have a 12' board. I support Naish's vision of the future of the sport. Participation makes the sport. If you go too high tech and expensive you will limit your potential numbers of participation. Majority of SUP races have a 12' and under class and an Open class. I honestly think if you are going to go to 14', you may as well go to 16' or 18', because they are much faster again, and you need a rudder on all of them (14' and up) and it would not be all that much more expensive to go up from 14' to 18'. All the fast open boards are hollow, so the material cost is minimal. and cored race boards 14' and over would be way too heavy.
Regards,
JB
I chose SUP over sea kayaks because the board is a managable length and more of a fun toy.
If I had to go to 14-18' then I might as well have a sea kayak. It would be cheaper and faster into wind and I could take stuff with me.
TOATLLY AGREE jB I THINK ALSO HAVING A 12 AND UNDER CLASS THE RACE IS MORE ABOUT THE GUY WITH THE MOST TALENT , TRAINING ECT THAN HOW BIG HIS BOARD IS.
Yes i agree with the 12 and under to it the way to go i recon. Speaking of training i'm going down soon to do a paddle up the creek.
Paul
LUCKY BUGGER , WHERE WHERE YOU BLOKES YESTERDAY IT WASNT TO BAD AT THE ALLEY , SOME NICE WAVES COME THROUGH EVERY NOW AND AGAIN.
I agree with the notion of a 12' class, maybe 12'6 to allow boards like the Starboard which are certainly in keeping with the spirit of a 12' class.
Steve
12' + boards are just getting too big imho and look more like kayaks. One of the things I love about the sport is the simplicity of just being able to pull the board from the roof of your car carry it to the river, lake, bay, surf and just go for it - they are so versatile - and that's what I love about it.
Hi all,
Just for the record in Hawaii where this sport started there are 2 classes. Rudder and Rudderless ( IN SUP ), length is personal option. The reason so far in Australia we have the 12 foot thing is because of the prone paddle board influence ( and more people have one).
I agree there should be a stock 12 foot class, and then the unlimited class should have 2 divisions- Rudderless and Rudder for SUP races.
With this everyone will be able to race, and shapers and designers will have many options to explore. The sport will only grow with everyone involved, including those who choose 14 , 16 and 18 foot boards. The Molokai race in Hawaii is considered the world championship race for paddle boarders around the world including SUP, thats how they race there as mentioned above.
There are races in the works now for Australia that will work on that format with the added 12 foot class so there is maximum participation, there are enough restrictions in the world.
Regards,
Koka
Even just 2 classes, 12' and under rudderless, and open. IMO your pretty silly to want to ride a board 14'+ without a rudder, especially if the wind is slightly off direction. But Open means they can choose weather or not they want rudders.
JB
I just had a closer watch of that C4 vid. It looks like to board has a lot of rocker and doesn't really pick up those runs very easily, the nose always seems to be way out of the water. When we were riding the Glide in Maui (which is a very similar chop/swell), we were getting runs that were 2 or 3 times the length of that on the vid, and the Glide is so well balanced that the nose just sits perfectly above the water achieving the most efficient entry angle for speed and GLIDE. Hawaii has some of the steepest chop around, so a board with lots of rocker is not going to be very fast on fuller (normal) chop like we have here because the nose will be way up in the air. It seems the Vortice is definitely designed for big Hawaiian conditions, but I will wait until I have the chance to ride one before passing judgement.
Regards,
JB
