Beginner 85kgs, looking at buying an inflatable (necessary for storage issues) as an ocean cruiser that is also able to pick up runners. Does it exist?
40 years windsurfing experience, done stacks of downwinders speeding over the swells.
Ive been watching the SUP downwinders when I'm out there and I'd like to go a bit slower sometimes and learn how to work the runners. Looks technical and fun.
Any advice on what boards to look at appreciated.
Personally I don't like the idea of inflatables for downwinding.. They are pretty wobbly.. pretty tippy.. and pretty sticky to the water making it hard to get planing.. and once you get going on a runner and need to step back to lift the nose and these boards do the opposite.. They do this strange reverse rocker thing actually dropping the nose rather than raising it.. I know punctures and leaks are rare on inflatables but I'd hate to be way out from shore in a strong wind and have any of those issues.. Also.. pearling is a big part of downwinding and if you pearl the nose of an inflatable you are likely to get shot out backwards.. 
I'm sure it's do-able.. but do-able and enjoy-able are very different things.. Doing light wind downbrezzes might be fun but serious downwinding is going to be very hard if not impossible.. I think SIC have an inflatable bullet that might be ok.. I might try my 12'x34" Glide Air one day and see if it's possible.. One day when I don't mind getting wet..
^^^
DJ - Thanks for the advice - the limitations you've outlined make perfect sense.
I'd like to go an inflatable as a first step, if it works out well I could get a regular board and pay for storage.
Be VERY careful on the safety issues. Inflatables are very strong but can be punctured by abrasion easily. I know of one board that deflated because the paddle had a tiny nick on the side, and repeated fricytion on the ray fiber ripped the board fabric.
I wouldnt downwind alone with an inflatable, and always be in position to be seen by the buddies: agree with them to never leave me behind.
Good advice above. If you made a list of things that inflatables are good for, you'd have to get a very long way down it before you'd find downwinding. In fact it would probably be the last item on the list, after "makeshift campbed", "windbreak", and "roof for the kid's playhouse".
So I thought I would try one of the "Downwind Specific" inflatables, mainly as I didn't want to have to try and store or transport a 14ft hardboard. I used it a few times and it was OK but as DJ says, its sticky, bouncy and it does that reverse rocker thing which I imagine is a result of the board sticking to the water and not releasing.
I went for the Imagine Connector (Dave Kalama's design) which is a great board, well made etc but after a few sessions, decided to bite the bullet and go for a hardboard. Needless to say I am much happier on my Jimmy Lewis M14!
Here's a short clip of the Connector, downwind in about 20 knotshttp://supaddler.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7
