2015 YOB Bathurst 27x14

Here in the West YOB (Yu On Blu) Australia have been somewhat of an enigma with the SUP scene. A family run business, they're boards have always been seen as a price point entry in a market dominated by big name players. Certainly they're bread and butter boards are designed aimed at the appropriate markets, but their surf and race boards are starting to gain respect and a cult following among more paddlers with every shipment that hits the docks. I though I'd give my impressions on mine.

*Disclaimer, I'm not sponsored, I pay for my boards like everyone else, I own this model and the previous glass version and I am a weekend warrior, I have scored a couple of free hats though.

Basically this board is designed for local WA conditions by a local WA paddler, who also in addition gets all his feedback from other local frothers, and not the athletic elite, the weekend warriors who who may not have correct conditioning to conquer a sub 25" downwind rocket.

Rocker: and a roller. The Bathurst has plenty of it up front as well as noticeable tail rocker. This thing is not built for river unless your wake surfing the Rotto Ferry. Downwinding this thing falls into gutters and sits there until there's nothing left or you want out.
Tail: It's at the rear of the board where you connect your leash. It's a pin tail which helps it glide despite the emphasis on rocker.
Nose: It stands out, it's hard not to draw comparisons to the fanatic. Into the chop it's the complete opposite of paddling on a displacement or piercing bow, the impact reminds me of when I used to come off head first wearing my Stackhat as a kid, this things got some acreage. Downwind, this baby is hard to bury, and if you do, the immediate reaction is to fire back out quickly and cleanly, youtube submarine emergency blow . The bow also seems to climb over runners in front without destroying the wave or dissipating it's energy to much, which rewards the effort of trying to make a link up.
Stability: Reasonable primary and secondary stability make this board at my weight (90kg's+ish) not to bad, until our old nemesis side chop appears. Side on in the surf with a light chop is hard work, yet once pointed in the right direction with it's like being on the USS Nimitz. Probably the weak point, but as a heavier guy, I think paddlers down the weight scale experience less hard ship, but in similar conditions, I seen more paddlers on other boards off more often than myself.
Construction/Presentation: It's that brushed carbon look you get with boards made of carbon. It's rock solid, survived two serious nose dives, a friend introducing it to a limestone wall and the inevitable board stack for SUP missions. Paint job is minimal, as well as the finishings, one carry handle, breather valve and leach point at rear. Weight wise it's light enough, although not at the top end, the board is designed as a keeper and the lack of paint allows traditional weak spots to get a beef up.
Overall: It seems if you have a surfing back ground, this board wants you to downwind on it. It's generous rocker means you don't have to move to much on runners, but when you need to get a foot back on the tail, it's a solid fist pumping experience. This board loves going downhill, and will easily stay with guys riding boards with all sorts of paint jobs. Side chop is hard work, no recessed deck and the nose mean the legs need to be in the mix big time. Flat water, buy a flat water board if your worried about being at the top of the field, not a slug by any means, but this board was born of the ocean.

The Bathurst punches well above it's weight for it's price. It's a board for the age groupers and the frothers who gee up when the arrows go green. The closest comparable board I've paddled is a DC and Ace, so I'll give an overall 8/10

I'd buy another one. Some pics to follow

I bought that proto after using it for that race. (Thanks Lach for loaning it out to me)

Geat board