Select to expand quoterobon said..
Lahui Kai is another brand that offers a pretty big savings for a quality board, which would be more in line of what I'm looking compared to the C-Tec series by Bic. The Lahui Kai 14 X 27.25 has developed a good reputation as a capable all conditions board that is light with good durability, and it has a retail price much lower than most of the other players as well. 26 pounds for 2185.00 and free shipping. That's much cheaper than SIC, Starboard, and Bark offerings for an all conditions board in these parts.
In April I should have the chance to see first hand the new LK Race 14x26. That could be a very good value board.
Select to expand quoteLucBenac said..robon said..
Lahui Kai is another brand that offers a pretty big savings for a quality board, which would be more in line of what I'm looking compared to the C-Tec series by Bic. The Lahui Kai 14 X 27.25 has developed a good reputation as a capable all conditions board that is light with good durability, and it has a retail price much lower than most of the other players as well. 26 pounds for 2185.00 and free shipping. That's much cheaper than SIC, Starboard, and Bark offerings for an all conditions board in these parts.
In April I should have the chance to see first hand the new LK Race 14x26. That could be a very good value board.
Guess I should have mentioned that is USA pricing, but the Canadian pricing doesn't get marked up nearly as much as the other brands. Between 2400-2500 at two shops I found online in BC. There is a large discrepancy in reported weights for the 27.25" model. Between 26 and 29 pounds. 26 pounds sounds like a closer weight for the 26 inch wide model.
I guess there are big price differences between the brands across different countries. In the UK a BIC Race Pro 14ft will cost you the equivalent of 3,875 dollars US.
Lahui Kai raceboards are not available here. I did speak to the distributors but once they checked the RRP they weren't interested in sourcing them.
Select to expand quoteLucBenac said..
Darn if the price in Canada had not been hiked so much because of the exchange rate, I would have this one on pre-order.
How close do you live to the Border? If the dollar climbs a bit it might be worth driving over and picking one up. I have ordered boards from the States and drove over and said I was paddling for the day and didn't pay any tax coming back. I just take the board out of the packaging and actually do go for a paddle or spread a little dirt or sand on the board and come back to Canada. F*ck em. There is a shop selling Vapors right now including a board bag and free shipping in the States for 2649.00. If the dollar jumps up a bit, that's a pretty solid deal imo.
Select to expand quoterobon said..LucBenac said..
Darn if the price in Canada had not been hiked so much because of the exchange rate, I would have this one on pre-order.
How close do you live to the Border? If the dollar climbs a bit it might be worth driving over and picking one up. I have ordered boards from the States and drove over and said I was paddling for the day and didn't pay any tax coming back. I just take the board out of the packaging and actually do go for a paddle or spread a little dirt or sand on the board and come back to Canada. F*ck em. There is a shop selling Vapors right now including a board bag and free shipping in the States for 2649.00. If the dollar jumps up a bit, that's a pretty solid deal imo.
Well with the dollar around 1.4 it is still $3.7~3.8K.
The other aspect is warranty. After the adventure with the Downwinder, I would rather be in a position to deal this side of the border in case of problems.
That's why I mentioned it could be worthwhile if you waited for a bit to see what the dollar does. I used to live right beside the Idaho panhandle, so doing business in the States was a regular thing. Especially when the dollar was up. I see your point if problems happen with Quality control or possible shipping damage. My Glide had a few soft spots and small paint cracks, but I decided to not send it back and just bring the board into Canada rather deal with the hassle of shipping and wait times. The one thing about living here in the Kootenays is the region is relatively isolated with only a few options locally. If there is nothing available here, the only option is a 4 hour drive to Kelowna, which can also be slim pickings later in the season, so it's nice to live close to the border and be able to pick something up stateside.
I have now used the 14' for 2 short DW runs, 1 with plenty of wind and swell and one with little of either. Have to say the board is great. enjoyed it as much as my V2 and its certainly quicker when there is little wind. Surfed a few small waves on the beach as well and the board surfs well. If you get a chance to demo one its worth the effort
I agree with TJR. This is a superb board for downwind.
I've written a full review here, with pics:
www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/topic,29242.0.html
But the main points are:
1. I love this board!
2. REALLY good downwind.
3. Surprisingly stable for 26" wide.
4. Great in dealing with chop.
5. Average flat water speed, a little bit better for all-out sprints.
6. My one seems well-made and durable, so far.
7. Good price in the UK at least.
8. Mine weighs 29lbs without fin but damp. So mid-weight.
9. Kick turns very well.
10. Surfs pretty well. Not as good as Bullet V2 but better than many.
11. Superb general handling, feels very comfortable. A flattering board.
12. Fast and easy for general bumpy ocean speed work.
13. Did I say that it was good downwind??? Huge fun, and fast.
14. Definitely demo if you can.
Cheers guys. It did take quite a while... But I often have to rely upon internet reviews for my SUP purchases because there are virtually no demo boards in the UK (for any brand, never mind Surftech). So it really means a lot to me when I find a detailed review, especially if it's not by a retailer. So I thought I'd do a favour to anyone in the same position as me.
The standard of my photography is nowhere near that of the master, DJ, though. Although you try to show a board to it's best advantage on a dark wet winter's day in the UK and see how you fare haha!
Thanks for the review Area 10. Looking forward to demoing this and the new NSP tomorrow when the wind kicks in.
FYI, Wind Surf n Snow has a Demo of this board now also.
Sup Gear Australia has them and also Cronulla SUP has a board in stock.
This added to existing retailers.
and somehow someone has been convinced to paddle the demo from WSS in the B2B
So that's a 26" wide board on a course that I have never paddled in conditions that are challenging on a good day, what could possibly go wrong 
'and more importantly what was I thinking 
''wish me luck 
Select to expand quoteShireSUP said..
and somehow someone has been convinced to paddle the demo from WSS in the B2B
So that's a 26" wide board on a course that I have never paddled in conditions that are challenging on a good day, what could possibly go wrong
'and more importantly what was I thinking
''wish me luck
Ah don't be soft mate. it'll be a practically flatwater paddle Sunday morning. I'm thinking of taking my 14' x 24" Sprint.
ENE swell might not even get in the heads, wind won't even hit 10kn SSE.
Select to expand quoteArea10 said..
What do you normally paddle, and in what conditions?
V2 Bullet (and hence your comparison help (or perhaps didn't help )) in whatever turns up on the day........but this one is a mental challenge as much as anything
Select to expand quoteKieranr said..ShireSUP said..
and somehow someone has been convinced to paddle the demo from WSS in the B2B
So that's a 26" wide board on a course that I have never paddled in conditions that are challenging on a good day, what could possibly go wrong
'and more importantly what was I thinking
''wish me luck
Ah don't be soft mate. it'll be a practically flatwater paddle Sunday morning. I'm thinking of taking my 14' x 24" Sprint.
ENE swell might not even get in the heads, wind won't even hit 10kn SSE.
Sweet..........can you load your V2 and I will paddle that
ShireSUP - if you think you'd be OK on the Bullet 14v2 then you should feel right at home on the Vapor 14. Stability is pretty similar.
Select to expand quoteShireSUP said..Kieranr said..ShireSUP said..
and somehow someone has been convinced to paddle the demo from WSS in the B2B
So that's a 26" wide board on a course that I have never paddled in conditions that are challenging on a good day, what could possibly go wrong
'and more importantly what was I thinking
''wish me luck
Ah don't be soft mate. it'll be a practically flatwater paddle Sunday morning. I'm thinking of taking my 14' x 24" Sprint.
ENE swell might not even get in the heads, wind won't even hit 10kn SSE.
Sweet..........can you load your V2 and I will paddle that
Hah, I don't have a V2 anymore. Sold that to get the 17'4" Bullet here. :)
