Reviews
SUP Gower Board & Paddle Reviews
Quick blade paddles
NEW DROPS SUP board reviews & photos soon – 8’10′ 8’11 & 10’11
Mistral 11’1 wave SUP
This board is great value for money and another board ideal for the first time buyer. The board has a good deal of volume and a great template suited to waves but also performs as a flat water paddler. The board is stable and quick to turn, the rounded pintail increases its responsiveness, The board flexes underfoot which helps in choppy conditions and is great at catching mushy waves as tested out ‘Port eynon’ Gower the other day.
A 3 quarter length deckpad makes waxing only necessary on the nose, in all a great first stand up which will take you eventually onto something Smaller
KIALOA SUP paddles
What size should your SUP paddle be ?
Surf Paddle Sizing Information,height above paddler if :
8″ if you hope to spend most of your time in the surf
9″ if you are unsure
10″ if you are mainly paddling in flat water with some surf use
Your Height : Paddle Length
5’0”-5’2” 68″-70”
5’2”-5’4” 70″-72”
5’4”-5’6” 72″-74″
5’6”-5’8” 74″-76″
5’8″-5’10″ 76″-78″
5’10″-6’0″ 78″-80″
6’0”-6’2” 80″-82″
6’2”-6’4” 82″-84″
6’4″-6’6″ 84″-86″
New stuff
We will be reviewing Stand up paddleboards and all associated equipment including – Paddles,Leashes, Fins, Impact vests, Camel packs, Waterproof mp3 players, bags, carrying devices and much more!
I have put together a brief Review of the boards I have owned or tried out to make things easier for you when you decide to buy one
First up is the Naish 11′6 SUP
This board is great if you’re first getting to grips with your balance and paddling at the same time. The board is wide at 29 3/4 and very thick so great for the larger 15 stone plus guys and equally good for the smaller learner.As the rails of the board are so thick it is very stable and if you start to lose your balance by rocking, a thick rail is harder to sink into the water than a thin one therfore you can recover from the wobbles quite easily I found !
The naish Sup comes in 2 sizes (now many more sizes available)- 10’6 and 11’6 and both boards are covered in a wood veneer composite laminate which looks great.
In the Waves
The board has a lot of volume at 260 litres so paddling for small waves is very easy. Once riding its all about throwing your weight around to shift the course of this 11’6 beast, Stamp on the tail and the board responds very well – But it does not feel very lively underfoot – Its like point and ride, this is due to the board thickness.
In bigger waves However things start changing and the board seems to inherit a penchant for steep drops and walls.This is due to the boards Rocker line and template which for riding bigger waves has to be one of the best points about this board.Catching bigger stuff still remains easy infact you’ll find yourself looking over the waves in the set for the biggest as this board seems to crave them once riding.
Speed is not a problem -The bottom shape is flat and with the 10.5″ single fin it glides over rough sections and turns on a dime.The down side of the board- Because of the Rocker line it not that great at flat water paddling.
The only real problems with this board is: getting stuck inside when a set comes or having to re- wax it, although there is a EVA deckpad model which I would highly reccomend!
Next up is the Jimmy lewis 11ft SUB
Another board ideal for the first time buyer- this board has a good deal of volume and a great template suited to flat water paddling.The board is stable and great at catching small surf but with a squarish tail is a little harder to turn so better suited to riders who have a longboarding background.
The rocker line of the Jimmy lewis 11ft is flatter than most and at 30″ wide its a great flat water paddler but once in waves of any size tends to get a little swamped unless you’re used to drop knee turns.
However it feels alot more lively than the Naish and feels like a Hotdogger if you can call SUP boards that ! The standard fin is huge and square at 11″
Optional deckpads are great ! avoiding wax is a good thing for any board of this length. One bonus of the Jimmy lewis deckpads are the raised rail sections meaning more grip when the waves get a little more juicey or more grip for your dog!
If I was to recommend this board to anyone- it would be the beginner to intermediate who fancies a SUP board for its cross training properties and who occasionally likes to ride small waves in clean conditions (a board for the masses)
(Galaxy of new Generations )
The guys at Gongsup certainly know that this sport is going places as they have a huge range maybe even the largest range from one supplier.They also have 3 different construction methods for each of their board lines meaning there is even more choice.
Their boards range from the 7′7 Nanogene strapped paddle surf board to the huge 12ft No friend attitude.
The board on test is the Gongsup 10′ 2 Greedy Quad SUP (proteck model)
This board is made for waves no question about it , its not a great paddler and would not suit a beginner learning the balancing techniques, although a lighter person may get along a bit better.I weigh 87 kg and its just on the limit for me when paddling in any chop or wind, as water cascades over the tail making it hard to get any planning speed up in flat water.
The deck pad on the board is great and very comfortable underfoot and the sugaring on the nose avoids any wax being placed anywhere near the board which is a good thing believe me! The board comes with two small side fins and a rear 8 ” back fin however there are slots for a quad fin setup – which although does not allow much flat water stability totally transforms the board in waves.
The board is slightly heavier than the others on test suprisingly but this factor helps the board track better in waves .The rocker and template allow waves to be caught quite late and the pulled in tail allows for quick re- entries and fast bottom turns.In comparison to the Naish sup the rocker line is not as prominent on the Gongsup but it still seems to hold itself very well in larger waves and feels more capable of Aggresively Slashing waves if thats what you like to do, at 29 4/9 wide it responds very well !
Stability **
Paddling ***
Waves ****
The Greedy 10’2 ‘Highteck’ Model
Although exactly the same template as the board above the difference in weight is amazing.The board responds so much quicker and in flat water it is twice as fast as its heavier brother.In addition the highteck model comes with a small leash plug/cord on the side of the rail which comes in very handy when carrying the board or picking it up. The paddle can be easily hooked up to this leash plug cord, to aid long walks down the beach.
I would say that in my wave riding experience with the Highteck Greedy 10’2, it performs very well and is a joy to ride in waves of any size, It is also a very suitable flat water paddler but not for standing waves !! (see below). (The highteck model comes as a designated Quad – while the Proteck has a Fin box for a larger Back fin for thruster set up )
Buy it here
Stability ***
Paddling ***
Waves ****
Gong sup (highteck) No friend attitude 12ft SUP
This is a particulary good board for its size at 12ft in length, 30 3/7 wide and 5 inches thick it is very light to carry.Infact its is a lot lighter than a lot of similiar and smaller boards on the market.
A very stable board with great flat water paddling ability and a very progressive shape for its size, just look at what ‘Patrice Guenole’ and the gongsup boyos are doing on them in France and you’ll be amazed by this boards versatility.
Personally its great in small to head high waves, then I want something smaller but this board has been proved in bigger stuff.A progressive shape for the true Longboardsman – come and try our demo model.
One very good feature all the ‘Highteck’ Gongsup boards have is the rail leash plug which enables the rider to pick the board up more easily and also carry the board with the paddle with a bit of customization. (especially useful with the 12ft NFA)
Buy it here
Stability ***
Paddling ****
Waves ****
The 10’4 Jimmy Lewis Waverider
Jimmy Says – “Featuring a very similar flat bottom and turned down rails to the JL Allrounder, but with a more curved template with narrower tail and nose & harder rails in the tail section. This board is extremely manoeuvrable, surfing waves more like a shortboard than the longboard styled standup boards. It features a 2+1 tri fin set up to produce a board with a very drivey feel and performance down the line”
The JL 10’4 in my opinion is very fast turning board once on the wave, its drive and acceleration for a board of this size is amazing, but for its volume is not a great flat water paddler. It would seem relatively unstable especailly for a first time paddler around 80 kilos, but what board does’nt feel unstable on your first SUP session.
JL has produced the chart below to help people of different weights to decide there ideal wave rider model.
Stability ***
Paddling ***
Waves ****
Naish 10’6 SUP Review
Oli from Bigbluekitesurfing was kind enough to write the followiong review on the 10′ 6 Naish SUP
The 10ft 6 x 28 Naish SUP board looks the dogs with its wood finish and grey camoflage pad. Narrower and more unstable than its bigger brother and at 160 ltrs of volume compared to 230(11’6) this board prefers bigger waves. It tends to struggle to generate much speed on smaller waves but in the big stuff it is pretty fast. With a thruster set up (FCS) with a bigger adjustable centre fin the 10 ’6 naish feels loose and is very quick to turn if using a solid rudder stroke or carving a tight turn without the paddle.
The board is suprisingly light weight for its size and this assists in carrying almost feeling like a normal longboard, naish’s carry handle is again a welcome addition to any SUP board.Its weight also makes paddling over big white water easier due to its direct response to the paddle.
Although much less stable than the 11’6 the 10’6 board is still a joy for exploring rivers and estuaries -it may however take you a bit longer to master if it is your first SUP board.
Call oli on 07816169359
Stability ***
Paddling ***
Waves *****
SUP Accessories
Stand up accessories- Power ball review
Powerball is a dynamic and completely revolutionary new gyroscope that literally explodes with mind numbing torque and inertia once you activate its internal rotor. It’s about the same size as a tennis ball and weighs just a little more, but take a Powerball in your hand, set that rotor in motion with the cord provided and you’ll experience an extraordinary sensation! It can reach speeds in excess of 15,000rpm. One of the coolest & most addictive new product’s, available in several different models with lights and rev counters. Great fun and an awesome way to build your paddle: hand and forearm strength while watching the telly.
Fish eye cameras
Fancy a cool camera for your stand up paddleboarding shots
The Original Fisheye camera only flipped its way into our lives in 2005, but it is difficult now to imagine life without its ‘in-yer-face’ Fisheye barrel distortion. The Fisheye phenomena has swept the globe and got us all hooked. The Fisheye was the first 35mm camera in the world to be produced with a built-in Fisheye lens. Its 180-degree view lens gives a new definition to the word wide. That’s one of the reasons the Fisheye is the best candidate for underwater shenanigans. The Fisheye lens captures the 180-degree view, and then its barrel shape sucks everything up to give that freaked out circular distortion. Other underwater cameras that lack the Fisheye’s amazing depth of field have problems to focus. Not the Fisheye! It’s exactly this feature that helps both the target and background stay sharp. It rocks a built-in flash and its gorgeous lens creates awesome colours. It’s the classic Fisheye experience!
Then there is the Fisheye 2! This bad boy has all the features of its older bro and then some. The product of deep and meaningful feedback sessions with Fisheye afficionados, Number 2 takes Fisheye to another level. Complete with a bulb settling for long exposures and a magic switch for multiple exposures on one frame, you might think that would be enough. Hell No! In addition to the Fisheye 1′s built-in flash, Number 2 has the ability to fire from a hotshoe flash as well. Oh. Did I forget to mention the true Fisheye Viewfinder
fish eye cameras
Paddle guard
SUP gower can now provide you with the perfect durable paddle guard for your SUP paddle
They are easy to fit to a carbon paddle blade if you have a wall paint heat gun, simply heat the strip up and mold to the paddle blade (minding the glue which can get very hot)
We have a few paddle guards in stock now, so if you need one go onto the shop Buy it here
VISIT our Kiteboarding / Stand up paddleboarding blog SUPgower / GKR Blog