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gear // ocean performance

Tapping nearly six decades of board shaping know-how has led Hobie to develop an SUP called the ATR, one that does for standup paddlers what the downriver kayak does for rookie river-runners. The name stands for All Terrain Ride, and Hobie shaper Mark Johnson says the design places a premium on all-around “paddleability,” followed by stability and surfing performance. Still, the ATR can certainly handle its own in the surf. The tucked rails and an accentuated V-bottom in the tail improve handling on the wave, while well-placed volume and flat deck accommodate wobbly entry-level paddlers looking for a flatwater tour. Available in three sizes. ($1,599 in EPX foam molded construction, L: 11’2”, W: 29.5”, T: 4.62”, 25 lbs., hobie.com).

It only takes a couple of strokes to get the C4 Water-man Holoholo up to speed. What you choose to do with this sleek cruiser’s unparal-leled glide is another matter. Sure, you can take it in the surf. Shaped in the tradition of Hawaiian “olo” boards, the Holoholo quickly planes on the smallest downwind rollers and accelerates down steeper faces. Shaper/de-signer Dave Parmenter says the steep, sailboard-like rails allow clean “exhaust flow” of water behind the narrow but stable hull. The result is what Parmenter calls a “certain Cadillac glide” that translates best over long distances. Re-movable tie-down plugs con-vert this ride into a versatile overnight touring machine ($1,867 in Thermal Epoxy Compression with EPS core, L: 12’, W: 27.5”, T: 4.75”, 25 lbs., c4waterman.com).

Standup newbies will be hard pressed to find a more stable platform to dial in SUP stroke mechanics than the 12’1” Laird. Benefiting from Surftech’s technical manufacturing resources, this Laird Hamilton-designed board is made of Tuflite—a lightweight material featuring sandwich construction of fused-cell EPS foam and two epoxy/fiberglass layers that sets a high standard for board durability and responsiveness. All you need to know is that this stiff and buoyant beast provides plenty of forgive-ness in choppy water, and its tapered tail makes catching your first wave a cinch. More experienced surfers will be surprised at how easy it is to shift positions while riding and cutting up bigger waves. ($1,571 in Tuflite, L: 12’1”, W: 31”, T: 4.13”, 30.4 lbs., surftech.com). — Dave Shively

C&K’s do-everything standup paddleboard quiver

photograph by robert zaleski

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Sit-down paddlers accustomed to the comfy feel of Werner Paddles’ ‘oval in-dex’ shaft will make an easy upright transi-tion to the Nitro. At a mere 20 ounces (for the one-piece, 78-inch length), Werner’s newest SUP model makes those high-cadence strokes for catching set-waves feel as smooth as a comb through surf wax. Chalk that up to the long, narrow and buoyant foam-core carbon blade and an all-carbon shaft solid enough to help you progress steadily through any surf condi-tions ($299, also available in two-piece, adjustable two-piece and adjustable three-piece shafts, wernerpaddles.com). — Dave Shively

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Those entering the SUP realm to cruise the coast or dabble in the surf will benefit from the lightweight feel and flex of the QuickDraw from Sawyer Paddles and Oars. The handy CamLock Ferrule puts the quick in QuickDraw, as it easily un-locks the shaft to adjust length all the way to 90 inches—perfect for your Sasquatch-sized in-laws. Want to toss this beauty in the trunk of your Prius? No worries; the QuickDraw telescopes down to 63 inches. This do-it-all comes in three blade ver-sions: an optional all-bamboo blade, the cedar-core Zephyr or the Radial (pictured) featuring a carbon power face, fiberglass-reinforced red cedar and ponderosa pine core and Dynel edging, at 28 ounces ($329, paddlesandoars.com).

Hobie’s five years spent at the forefront of SUP design culminates in the Carbon Hybrid, a paddle crafted from the R&D rigors of Hobie’s race and surf teams. But don’t let the name fool you, this paddle is all carbon; the ‘hybrid’ tag comes from the gamut of SUP disciplines you‘ll feel confident using it for—touring, racing or surfing. Although only 21 ounces, this stiff stick features an 8.5-inch-wide, double-dihedral blade shape and a rigid center spine for significant purchase on those power strokes that matter most. The Car-bon Hybrid also boasts a light, tapered oval shaft that’s a quick swing from side to side and there’s no reason for hesitation when you’re ready to lean in on it for your first massive bottom turn ($299,hobie.com)

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surf kayaksValley Rush ($2,125 in vacuum-infused Kevlar/carbon,valleyseakayaks.com) L: 7’2”; W: 24”; 20 lbs.

Valley Sea Kayaks has downsized its proven Rush to 7 feet, 2 inches, packing performance into one of surf kayaking’s tightest bundles. Any lingering short-boat lag we experienced on the paddle out to our stormy Central California testing grounds dis-apeared with the first wave ride. “It’s a bullet!” our largest, 6”3”, 195-pound tester said. “The transitions were very fast, with full control and it likes to hit the top of the wave with very little effort, but it does take some skill to control the speed in the pocket.” Remarkably stable, predicatable and quick to pop over broken waves, the Rush suits intermediate paddlers well. The expert surf-paddlers in our test crew found plenty to like as well. “It had so much potential to do everything that I wanted it to do—get really big airs. It’s just really balanced with very good volume placement.” The Rush comes with three adjustable fin boxes in thruster configuration, and is also available in 7’6” and 7’10” versions in composite or, for the latter, a roto-molded triple-layer polyethylene Valley calls the Storm ($1,175, 30 lbs.).

Murky Water Aqua Libre ($1,750 in carbon/carbon-Kevlar layup, vacuum-bagged with foam-core hull, or $1,550 in fiberglass-Kevlar, murkywaterkayak.com) L: 7’3” W: 24.75”, 18.5/20.5 lbs.

Vincent Shay likes the predictable performance that his re-nowned Reaction surf kayak offers beginner to intermediate paddlers. But when the designer started work on his next -gen-eration surf kayak, he took a page out of the waveski perfor-mance book. The result, built by Ed Skrzypkowski at Ontario’s Murky Water Kayaks, is a short, supremely stiff package with sharp edges and slight V-shape hull through the tail that trans-lates to serious speed and edge-to-edge maneuverability for aggressive wave carvers. “It’s got fine, really hard rails which makes it very fast, but was a little less forgiving,” said one ex-perienced tester. “But it’s super fast with plenty of drive on the bottom turn; very loose, but the tail slashes nicely, with excellent overall build quality.” — Dave Shively

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waveskisMaliko Creations TL Waveski ($1,600 plus shipping, in vacuum-bagged high-density foam with fiberglass/epoxy, tlwaveskis.com) L: 7’2”, W: 22 5/8”, 17 lbs.

Tyler Lausten is quick to point out that maliko is a Hawaiian word that loosely translates as “new growth.” It fits Lausten, a 21-year-old waveski surfer-shaper who charges waves and sees a new challenge in every hand-shaped board he crafts to paddler specifics in his Maui shop. “[I strive] to create some-thing that will be as easy to ride and paddle as it is an extreme high-performance craft,” he says. The ‘ski C&K tested was definitely on the expert side of the performance spectrum—to the point that our tester spent more time stabilizing in choppy surf conditions than worrying about the board’s aerial capabili-ties. However, this was a board fit to Fletcher Burton, a lifelong surfer who won his first national surf kayaking title 10 years ago and, like Lausten, was a runner-up for an age-class waveski world title in 2007. “It’s the strongest freaking board I’ve ever had,” Burton says. “Tyler’s building these to windsurf technol-ogy standards, so that rigidity relates to giving you speed. The fins are set back, and that allows you to turn more vertical up the wave face but still release for turns.”

Infinity Stinger ($1,360 in epoxy-fiberglass composite Tuflite,infinitysurf.com) L: 9’6”, W: 24”, T: 6.5”, 26 lbs.

Want a waveski that’s been honed by an experienced board-shap-ing guru? The Infinity Stinger is covered in the fingerprints of Steve Boehne, founder/owner of Dana Point, Calif.’s Infinity Surfboards, who shaped his first surfboard in 1960 and has been “heavy into” waveski paddling and shaping for more than two decades. The Stinger is one light and stiff ‘ski (utilizing Surftech’s Tuflite technol-ogy) and adjusts to different leg sizes. It’s also capable of aggressive surf turns, but buoyant and forgiving enough to quickly get even a 250-pound paddler onto a wave. “On a waveski you’re in a fixed po-sition turning from the center, unlike on a surfboard,” Boehne says, pointing to his patented wing profile along the rails. “The wing works in conjunction with the fin, which I put behind the seat—it pivots and releases for a cleaner bottom turn.” The Stinger is also available in a slimmer, and more maneuverable, 9-foot length ($1,200), but Boehne suggests the larger version for crossover paddlers as “an advanced design that’s stable enough for the average guy to ride.” — Dave Shively

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surfskisThink Kayaks Uno ($3,195 in vacuum-bagged kevlar/honey-comb/epoxy, or $4,195 in carbon, pictured, thinkkayaks.com) L: 21’3”, W: 16.5”, 27/22 lbs.

Think’s newest model came storming off the beach at its Euro Challenge World Cup debut in May, earning a podium finish for South African Sean Rice. Where the Evo offers all-around skill versatility, the Uno accelerates another notch with a slimmed-down waterline and rocker profile rewarding advanced racers looking for that numero uno spot with amazing glide, wave re-sponsiveness and the ability for the bow to “pop” during that all-out sprint to the finish.

Fenn Kayaks Mako Elite ($1,975 in fiberglass, $3,400 in vacuum-bagged carbon-Kevlar, oceanpaddlesports.com) L: 21’1”,W: 17”, 38/27 lbs.

Keith Fenn’s surfskis have quietly gained a foothold across North American races as paddlers grow more keen to the South African-made boats that dominate the Southern Hemisphere’s lead race packs. The latest ‘ski from Fenn improves on the user-friendly Mako 6 with a single footwell and adjustable footrest, added wa-ter bottle holder, surf handle, more forward rudder, and a narrow-er seat and stern that means closer connection with the boat. “It wants to go like a racehorse and just hop over to the next swell, and it runs a bit more than the Mako 6 in smaller, choppy waters and wind-driven, downwind swells,” says DeAnne Hemmens of Ocean Paddlesports, who has distributed Fenn ‘skis in the States for the past 12 years.

Epic Kayaks V12 ($2,495 in vacuum-infused, foam core, fiberglass/carbon/Kevlar layup, or $3,495 in vacuum-bagged, Nomex foam core, woven Kevlar layup, epickayaks.com) L: 21’, W: 17.1”, 32/23 lbs. When developing his company’s latest surfski, the V12, Epic owner Greg Barton considered the flatter and more moderate water in many U.S. and European races. Looking to maximize speed on the flats for advanced sprint and marathon paddlers who won’t be irked by the loss of some initial stability, Barton decreased the ‘ski’s water-line width and added a more pronounced cockpit to mimic the catch position of K-1 sprint boat. Hank McGregor certainly took advantage of the V12’s speed at this year’s Molokai World Champi-onships, claiming the sport’s biggest prize. — Dave Shively

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