[Closed] Anyone own a rigid SUP

Both very good quality boards from 2 very reputable dealers. Either brand will be good and will last for yonks.

Loads of South Coast SUP'ers use them, no reliability issues other than user scrapes and scratches.

Only things to look out for if going S/H are:

Airscrew, take it out and see if there's any water ingress. If possible take a screwdriver with you when looking and ask to unscrew the airscrew.. if shouldn't hiss like a bike tyre when you undo it but it should be dry in there..

Scratches/dings, the nose is vulnerable to paddle whacks and beaching up the shingle and also getting on/off cars and up/down steps.. so check that any dings have been properly repaired... minor scratches are fine, dings not so much.. all you are looking for is water ingress.. The tail is also vulnerable in the same way as the nose, but also look at the finbox to make sure the fin hasn't been rammed in as it's been rammed up a beach.. depending on finbox type it should be easy to take out and look at the plugs.. like a surfboard. the next place to look is along the rails of the board.. again shingle scratches should be fine but dings and hard paddle whacks should be looked at for water ingress.

I wouldn't worry so much if there are some deeper scratches, these can be filled provided the board gelcoat is dry...

Sometimes the deck pads come off, easy fix with contact adhesive.

Don't forget a leash please...

Happy to comment more if you need more info...

Cool.
We're managing on pants Decathlon inflatables, a paddle from Hove to the pier and back is a favourite.

A couple of other more user pointers..

Since you’ve mentioned “inflatables” there are some core differences you’re gonna notice...

In no order..

Hard boards are not as “thick” as inflatables... typically an inflatable board is made up of chambers like a lilo.. a hard board is made of core foam and glass outer. So, a hard board is more dense, it carries more volume for less “thickness” this will translate into a more stable platform, more speed along the water and also be easier to manoeuvre. Inflatables are bigger and bouncier and catch the wind much easier, tend to be less forgiving and harder to manoeuvre.

So, once you’ve chucked your hard board on the water it should look closer to the water and in some cases the water will “roll” over the rails (edges) this is normal and aids stability. Once you stand on it, there maybe some water coming over the rails (edges) and you might think “shit, it’s sinking” no it isn’t. Hardbaords sit lower in the water because they are thinner in profile.

In chop (Brighton) they will be a tendency to “rock” back and forth on a hard board as it floats over the chop.. you may have to counter this by paddling a little harder to create more forward motion.. inflatables tend to absorb a little better the “chop” and roll over the top whereas hard boards tend to cut through the chop...

Enjoy it..

Whilst I would agree with bikebouy there are a couple of points.

Both fatstick and Neptune are budget brands. This means that though they are perfectly good boards they will be heavy. They are also not as durable as some of the more expensive boards from Fanatic and Starboard.

The second point is design. Hard boards benefit from the shaper on a way that inflatables can only dream about despite any carbon inserts and whatnots. This means that a poorly designed hard board will be a pig to paddle. Look at the touring designs around 11ft and upwards with pointed bows and gear tie downs as they are far more useful around Brighton than any psudo surf inspired design which will be slow and unstable.

in some cases the water will “roll” over the rails (edges) this is normal and aids stability.

How does that aid stability?

If you can wait a month or two you'll be able to grab an end of season bargain.
I bought a Naish board for the waves last year and it was half price.

Both fatstick and Neptune are budget brands. This means that though they are perfectly good boards they will be heavy. They are also not as durable as some of the more expensive boards from Fanatic and Starboard.

Erm, good point... and not wanting to derail your point... most hard boards, unless you are going full top end carbon performance boards are made in a similar way with similar materials.

Durability isn’t an issue from these two brands, both brands have been getting these made to their own designs now for 8yrs or so, in the same way Loco do. Durability is mainly down to how the boards are handled and stored.. on the water there will be a difference in weight between high end carbon boards and mid priced budget brands like these... but starboard and fanatic et all have their own factories and they’ve been producing “boards” (kite/windsurf) for yonks and have the production absolutely down to a tee but they too suffer with durability like any board does.

In this instance there is nothing wrong with spending £400-£500 on either of these brands, purely for the fact that they are very very well made and at a reasonable price point for people.. you aren’t paying for the promo/team riders like starboard/fanatic to ponce around the world doing magazine cover shots..

The point above about waiting for end of season is valid. Next years designs are coming out soon and there will be a lot of starboard/fanatic et all that will be discounted... there’s a reason their discounted, price. Not many people at that end of the market are willing to pay £1600-£1900 for a board from these two.. people have got savvy and wait for the sales when the costs come down to £1100’ish.. but these are the more performance end of the scale, cheaper boards built in very similar ways with very similar materials from these brands can be had for £900 or so... so yes if you want a high branded SUP then go ahead, but you’ll not notice much difference between their mid price point boards than you will with Fatstick or Neptune. The major point I’d put over for buying these two is the guys that run the brands are locals who will bend over backwards to help and assist with questions or queries whereas the big brands you are dealing with shops just wanting to shift gear at a high price and give little customer service (IMO, and I’ve been around Watersports long enough to know)

Stability.. water that flows slightly over the rails (edges) has a “suck” effect which holds the board down onto the water and therefore aids stability. Think of it as displacement in its crudest form.

BTW, I’m not affiliated with either of the above brands.. I know the guys well, and well enough to know who and what they do/are to their brand and how the boards are made and where they’re made too... I am sponsored by a SUP brand, but not starboard or fanatic et all... its a brand distinct from the mainstream and specialise in performance SUPs.

Enjoy the event, hope you continue to enjoy paddlebaording.. if not then you can always sell the boards you have as there’s plenty of interest in SUP’ing.

Stability.. water that flows slightly over the rails (edges) has a “suck” effect which holds the board down onto the water and therefore aids stability. Think of it as displacement in its crudest form.

Interesting theory. Goes against every bit of hydrostatics and naval architecture I have been taught. May be it's true for such small "vessels" but not for anything larger.

When we did paddle round the pier, I did notice that rigids cut through the chop whilst ours sort of hit it like hitting a wall and that throws you a bit.