SUP Review
- This topic has 14 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated Aug 15, 2011 at 3:27 pm by
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A friend of mine put this up on my board a few days ago and I thought you guys might also enjoy it.
Ooooh, stand up paddleboard. Took me a while to figure that out Mike.
Lauren has been looking at one of those, actually. I am not convinced myself; I don’t see that it is that much more stable than a Native kayak or small canoe, and it is much harder to go upstream in (it’s kind of a barge, really). It’d be nice for flat water but for rivers it has its disadvantages. A major one is the inability to bring much with you.
I have been stand up fishing out of a 14’7″ Old Town Guide canoe all summer and I am really liking it. I have my little axle for transport (which I can stow in the boat), and I can haul a cooler for beer, a drybag for cameras, extra rods (I have been hauling at least an 8 or a 10 and a spey) not to mention an anchor, which is nice.
All told the weight is about 100 lbs., so heavier, but the axle cancels that issue out. I honestly don’t know if the canoe would be stable for everyone; I think build has something to do with it, but I am 100% comfortable in it and have even fished standing in waves out in the ocean.
They are very popular down here with the recreational paddlers, but not so much as a fishing platform.
Mike…looks like a neat board. I’ve been paddling a Native Ultimate 14.5 Tandem, Liquid Logic Versa Board, and Diablo Paddlesports Chupacabra and have found they all have a place as a fly fishing depending on where and what you expect to do with them.
A few photos of the Versa Board and Chupacabra in action this summer.
The most versatile of the lot is the Native Ultimate which works in solo as well as tandem, easy to stand up from, very stable, and tracks well. The Ultimate seems to do great on all types of water except open water where you might have to be careful of waves washing into the boat. We did a trip on Lake Michigan around Mission Point and I was happy the lake was flat. It might have been a problem if it was choppy at all. Kayak and two seats push the empty weight on this boat near 80 pounds.
The Liquid Logic Versa Board is really a great play boat, unreal stable, tracks very good, and comfortable to paddle standing up or sitting down. This is my wife’s kayak and she’s very happy with it. I like it as a stripped down kayak to use with just a gear bag strapped to the deck, fly rod, and stand up paddle. The Versa Board weighs just over 50 pounds.
The Diablo Chupacabra is almost four feet shorter than the Versa Board but a little wider. This makes for a very stable SUP kayak but it’s slow to paddle in open water and doesn’t track all that well. There is a skeg in the works which should help. I did 13 miles of the Au Sable River in Michigan in it a couple weeks ago and was very impressed. It’s a great river boat and handles great in the current. Dry storage under the front hatch is a neat feature and the area in the back of the kayak holds a YETI Roadie cooler or gear bag no problem. Empty weight on the Chupacabra is just over 50 pounds.
Finally, I’m learning that just like with fly rods no one kayak does it all.
Oh…and they are great too if you have children. Our kids love being in the kayaks and are really comfortable in them.
Thanks for the write up guys. I have been looking to add a SUP to the fleet… leaning towards versa board.
Mike Lewis…if you have another other questions please feel free to email me at thefiberglassmanifesto@gmail.com.
I have been stand up fishing out of a 14’7″ Old Town Guide canoe all summer and I am really liking it.
You must have balance like the Karate Kid.
I have found that “stability” is a subjective term when it comes to flyfishing and kayaks. I bought two Native Ultimate 12s after hearing all the reports about being able to stand up and fish from them. Well….I can’t do it. Don’t get me wrong…I can stand up in it and cast the flyrod…but I’m constantly having to correct my balance. This causes a lot of “ripples” that are generated by the boat. I’m quite sure this could…and would…. spook the fish.
I’m still searching for that “perfect” platform 🙂
Guys –
I am sure you would be able to handle it just fine if you really cared enough, but yeah, physical size and relative strength and, not to sugar coat it, balance, are just unavoidable factors.
Just bought a Versa Board. Have fished the demo boat several times out of my buddy’s shop Go With the Flow in Roswell, GA. Solid fishing platform, but not for everyone. It’s nice that you can sit down and paddle if you need to go upstream; not as quick as a good kayak, but doable. The rear wheel makes getting to and from water pretty easy.
I will say the chine on the Versa Board will kick you over if you’re not super careful when trying to side surf or ferry across a standing wave. I dumped a few times until I figured out the break point.
As for fishing, love the clean deck, ease of paddling, and how stealthy they are in lake/flats fishing situations. I wouldn’t suggest it for moving water to someone who can’t paddle/read water well or for someone who is not in decent physical shape.
Caught a lot of stripers off the Versa. No issues whatsoever and if anything, it’s easier to clear line when you are hooked up.
I’m a pro angler for Diablo (made right here in Texas), and the same exact size as Matt. I use the Adios which is 12.5 feet long and 36 inches wide. They’re wide enough to be a hand full, but the only way to get soaked on one of these is to fall off, not roll it over. I regularly fly fish it in 360 degrees, and although it does have a “sweet spot,” you can still move about the deck pretty amazingly. Paddles, for SUP’s can be expensive. I am looking to pole though, and a Stiffy can cost less than a good SUP paddle. It’s a great world.
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