hey guys
i managed to try a 2017 NSP Puma 14x24 yesterday. Those bulbous nose's (over my current board) make such a big difference! Doesn't bog down when hitting a wave head on and helps to keep it out when going on a wave- managed to hit 9.7kmph on flat without really trying, which is not bad.
stability-wise, I didn't fall off in the 1.7km test but it was noticeably more tippy than my current board!! I read somewhere that the nsp's have a rounded bottom which makes them less stable than other designs of the same width? Does anyone else have feedback or experience on this?
i was OK on it, but worried how tippy it would be in more choppy stuff or downwind.
Curious to know whether another brands 24' might be more stable due to the Nsps round bottom or no rule of thumb there? It's pretty hard to test other boards so kind of a guessing game!
I also came across a 2017 14x28 all star for sale locally that was another option- some people said this would be too big for me? Can you have a touring board that is too big? Would be it too limiting when I get better?
im 70kg, current board is 12'6 x 29 and it's super stable. The nsp was a very different story, but I didn't fall off. Not sure if I would find it easier as I get used to it, or whether I just need something wider.
one things for certain though, the noses of the new boards rock!
Imo there's no such thing as too big with flat water boards and there's nothing wrong with being super stable. I actually think it's a good thing.. 
9.7 ks nice one. Can you try the allstar. If you have storage and can transport a 14 ft board definitely go for it.
Select to expand quotebenjl said..
hey guys
i managed to try a 2017 NSP Puma 14x24 yesterday. Those bulbous nose's (over my current board) make such a big difference! Doesn't bog down when hitting a wave head on and helps to keep it out when going on a wave- managed to hit 9.7kmph on flat without really trying, which is not bad.
stability-wise, I didn't fall off in the 1.7km test but it was noticeably more tippy than my current board!! I read somewhere that the nsp's have a rounded bottom which makes them less stable than other designs of the same width? Does anyone else have feedback or experience on this?
i was OK on it, but worried how tippy it would be in more choppy stuff or downwind.
Curious to know whether another brands 24' might be more stable due to the Nsps round bottom or no rule of thumb there? It's pretty hard to test other boards so kind of a guessing game!
I also came across a 2017 14x28 all star for sale locally that was another option- some people said this would be too big for me? Can you have a touring board that is too big? Would be it too limiting when I get better?
im 70kg, current board is 12'6 x 29 and it's super stable. The nsp was a very different story, but I didn't fall off. Not sure if I would find it easier as I get used to it, or whether I just need something wider.
one things for certain though, the noses of the new boards rock!
The new nsps are awesome. Im back on them.
They work like this. They have less first up stability then most other boards. If you paddle smooth and keep your hands and paddling style over the board you can easily negate that first up stability. After the boards will just about deal with everything thrown at you with minimum disruption.
At present im paddling the2018 14x 23" sonic at training in half darkness with a lot of other paddlers and prone paddlers who throw off the worse side wakes. When others are struggling im paddling straight through .
Seriously . I was just about over paddle training after the last few of years on skinny boards tripping around not having much fun at all.
Now im almost having fun at training.haha
Cheers
Cheers mate, yeah I found it had a kind of super-rolly feeling but then never actually tipped over and kind of have a secondary stability after initial tippy-ness.
Im hoping to try a starboard allstar 14x28 that someone is selling, but I imagine that won't really be a fair comparison due to 4" wider width and more boxy rails
