Gday all,
Ive been paddling around a borrowed 10'6" all round board for the last 8 months or so. 95% of my paddling is on the Georges River which ranges from dead glassy flat to windy and choppy, I normally paddle between 8 -10km. I've now given the borrowed board back so I'm currently boardless and keen to buy a 14' board.
I went to the Balmoral SUP demo day on Sunday. I first paddled the Lahui Kai 14 x 26, it felt tippy but I managed to stay on and did a couple of in and outs of the bay and caught a couple of little runners. I then paddled a 14 x 26 Naish Maliko. It felt much more stable and was a great board to paddle but the price puts it out of consideration. I then paddled the LK 14 x 27.75. This board paddled well and obviously felt more stable then the 26". Being my first time paddling 14' boards and managing to stay on the 26" do you think that would be the best size to go with? I do like the idea of doing downwinders so I realise stability counts.
Both the LK's are around the $2000 new which is a good price when compared to other boards.
I have spoken to a few people since and a couple of people have suggested that the LK is not suited to downwinders due to the cutting bow, but when paddling on the weekend the nose went under a few waves and popped back out without seeming to effect the glide of the board at all.
I am am also going to try and demo a few other boards like an 2016 all star and falcon, which are a similar price to the new LK.
Any advice appreciated. I'm keen to get back on the water paddling.
Mick
Try as many as you can and buy the one you like best. Trust your own experiences of the boards over what other people say. It would be a good idea to buy used if you can. Whatever you buy you'll want something else in a year or so.
Select to expand quoteArea10 said...
Try as many as you can and buy the one you like best. Trust your own experiences of the boards over what other people say. It would be a good idea to buy used if you can. Whatever you buy you'll want something else in a year or so.
Good advice.. demo, demo, demo.. 
Bit of an odd thing to say to a stranger...but how much do you weigh? A 14' x 27.75" is a good platform to start out with and should be ideal for downwinders depending on the shape. You don't want to go too tippy unless you are in "race mode" so you can relax and stay dry but still go quick.
Thanks for the replies. I'm 95kg. I haven't done any downwinders as yet but I'm keen to give it a go. Does anyone have any input on how the LK performs downwind? It seems to be marketed as a downwind board but advice I have been given seems different to that.
Cheers
I have a lahui Kai 14 27.25 and use it to paddle downwinders on Pittwater or harbour races. It's a good compromise flat, downwind and choppy water board and I would recommend to people getting in the sport.
Stability is very good. I have a starboard sprint which I use in flat water on Narrabeen lake it's only 23" wide.
Also I would think about looking at some of the second hand boards on the market for a first board.
I can't comment on the LK, but stability is your friend. You can paddle harder, go out in rougher water, and generally get more use out of a more stable board. If you ever get into racing then think about 26" and less. And if you are going to demo - do it on the blah days when it is choppy and windy so you can see what it is like in those marginal conditions - most boards feel good on glassy sunny days.
