Stand Up Paddle Surfing uk / Stand Up Paddle Boarding in Swansea & Gower, Wales. UK
The Water Temperature is:11° C
The Average Wave Height is:0ft
Archives for February, 2012
8’6 GONG SUP CLOUD REVIEW
Written by matt on Monday 27 Feb 2012
Scroll down for new review of the 8’6 GONG ‘CLOUD’
We take a look at the ‘GONG SUP 8’6 SHERPA’
Written by matt on Saturday 25 Feb 2012
Here are some first impressions from friends……..? Weird , wtf, it won’t work , what next, cool, I want one ,I don’t see the point.
Here are some pictures of the 8’6 Sherpa so you can call judgement yourself.
200 litres will float bigger people but this board is aimed at space conscious paddlers, ladies and lighter weight guys living in the city but wanting something to burn off the excesses of city living !
Weight – 10.6kg
PRICE £600 incl deckpad and fin.Interested…. !! Pre order and make sure you have one for summer the first batch has already gone !
Call 01792 367453
Gareth and Jim doing good !
Written by matt on Wednesday 22 Feb 2012
Day 2 of the ISA World Stand up paddle board championship and Jim Richardson from ‘Gower’ and Gareth Grant are both through to the 3rd round ….Bravo boys.
Check some pictures of them in action and follow their progress here
Gong SUP 8’6 Cloud pics
Written by matt on Wednesday 22 Feb 2012
With GONG SUP boards now in the U.K , if you’re in the market for a Stand up paddle surf board and are not sure which model to get , please give us a ring or pop in to our showroom for a look.
Check some great pics of the GONG sup 8’6 Cloud below and a review by John Harris.
This is what I found out today!
First some explanations and excuses, I weigh 76k, 173cm, thats 5’8 in real money, have been on SUPs for about 4 years, kitesurfed, windsurfed, surfed, for 25 years, I’m old. Comparing this board to Starboard 9’8, Starboard 9′, Gong 9,9, PSH 9′?.
Today at Saunton, conditions perfect, very little wind, head high to overhead, 14 seconds wave period, sunny, damn it’s February what did we do right to deserve this, it was beautiful.
For me the Cloud is less stable than the other boards, with the exception of the PSH which was not much fun in anything other than flat glass, the stability is not at all bad, certainly easier than a Gerry Lopez 8’11, but at 30.5 wide the Cloud should be stable, although it has a more curved plan shape than the Gerry Lopez.
Getting out through the white water was no problem, the nose has more lift and is more pointed than I expected it to be, it cuts through the foam easily. now to get into position,
Maybe it’s the rocker, and the constant curve of the rails but this board spins round easily, so much so that it’s better to at 45 degrees to the wave when you start paddling to take off. Foot positioning was as standard, back foot back, and front foot were it originally was (approxiamately by the hand hold), As Patrice has said before it’s not a good idea to walk to the front of the board while paddling to catch a wave (maybe on the 9’9) but not on this one as it causes the rocker to plough water and doesn’t help the take off,
Today I was surfing with Paul who was riding a Starboard 9’8 and we were picking up on the same waves, so the Cloud does get going quite early, no problems there.
So its on the wave and surfing, yes Surfing, it was fast, loose, responds well to foot pressure, doesn’t seem to bog down, maybe the wide-ish tail helps, feels small, fun, and feels like you could be “out of control” on this board but still be in control, I love it,
I wrote Surfing twice, the Cloud feels like a slightly more curved “Fish”, for me it feels like a proper Surf board, Patrice was either lucky or he knows what he is doing, definitely the latter, he certainly knows what he is doing!
Custom Scarfini fins available at CUSTOM FINS
lovely double concave before the fins giving this board lots of Lift, speed and drive down the wave face.
All Gong boards come with a camo 3M adhesive deck pad (pictured) – here a Tail pad has been custom fitted in the tail area of the board for added grip in surfing.
Check our tail pad selection TRACTION PADS here
With 130 Litres of volume the board is ideally suited to 85Kg and below intermediate SUP board riders, but will accommodate larger experienced riders up to 16+ stone.
Call us on 01792 367 453
ISA SUP WORLD CHAMPS DAY 1 – Highlights
Written by matt on Wednesday 22 Feb 2012
ISA SUP world championship opening ceremony
Written by matt on Monday 20 Feb 2012
Watch this video and see if you can spot our UK boys !
9’0 vs 9’1 GONG Board Comparisons
Written by matt on Thursday 16 Feb 2012
With the 2012 GONG SUP boards getting a lot of interest of the past few weeks, I thought I would draw some caparisons against two very similar boards in the Bamby bamboo range the ’9ft NFA’ and the 9’1 ‘ASYL’
The Bamby line from GONG-SUP this year has received great remarks from those who have had a board delivered already and are using them. A fantastic construction featuring a 25kg/m3 blank epoxy laminated with and a 300kg/m3 bamboo sheet and Dyna fiber for a dynamic, supple board which is VERY lightweight and strong.
We will start with the NFA range
The NFA (No Friend Attitude) range is a concept aimed for all people: big, small experienced or beginner. The board line features 9ft,10ft,11ft & 12ft boards offering a stylish mix of ultimate wave catching /crossover flat water paddling boards every surfer should have in their quiver. There is a size to suit all levels and styles of riding from the compact 9ft NFA through to the longboard style 11 & 12ft NFA models.
The NFA 9’0 x 30 11/16 x 4 1/2 -130 litres is a dedicated surfing model without embellishments.If you own a surfboard or longboard and fancy getting into SUP this board offers 100% style to your riding and features a Longboard rocker line low and fast.
The boards width at 30″ is situated forward of the centre of point of the board making the 9ft model give ultimate stability but a traditional longboard characteristic, combining a dome deck with its low volume rails.
The NFA 9′ is mounted with a tri fin 2 + 1 fin setup for a traditional style smooth and clean wave entry and performance.
We now look at the 4×4 GONG range of which the 9’1 is a family member
The 4×4 Range is produced for people looking for a performance board, even if you don’t always have time to get out in the best conditions.This range features flatter rocker lines which make these boards very fast in mediocre windy/ choppy lumpy conditions.The boards are still performance based in cleaner conditions but volume and rails have been kept fuller to allow more ease of use for people looking for a “speed switch” in a variety of wave types.
The 9’1 x 30 7/8 x 4 3/16 – 140 litres ‘Asyl’ in comparison is a very modern and spirited board which can be made to surf in all directions. Its widest point is more traditional set at the centre of the board unlike the 9FT NFA and therefore offers a frantic skatey feel but just as comfortable on the nose as it is in 360′s and powerful thrown cutbacks.
The Asyl is mounted with FCS quad or try fin setups, so you can play around with what works best for the conditions in 3 or 4 fin.
Tested in head high conditions, this board would be best used in the 1-4ft range.
Again the rocker of the Asyl is of longboard calibre low and fast but with more comfort in a variety of conditions with its 30″ width and 140 litres you will be amazed at what is achievable with this high performing board.
ORDERS BEING TAKEN NOW FOR THE 9FT AND 9’1 BOTH PRICED AT £649 (INCL fins/deckpad)
Call 01792 367453 or go to RESERVE BOARD DEPOSIT
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