Sent VIA Standuppaddlebend.com contact, a question from the Mid-West...
I am very glad to have found your website. I live in central Ohio, haven't had much time to get to the beach, and I have been keeping up with stand-up since I started seeing the pictures of Laird years ago. I do not own a board but as I was shopping for one I came upon an issue that needed resolved before purchasing. Do I need to buy a longer board for fresh water (lake, reservoir) than I would for salt water? Is the density of the water a huge issue with the board length vs. rider weight ratio? Please advise.
thanks, Brett W
Brett, Board sizing is a very complicated issue. The simple answer is obvious, fresh water doesn't float a board as well as salt water. I use the same board in salt water and fresh but I paddle in boardshorts in freshwater. I wear a wetsuit in our cold ocean waters. A wet wetsuit adds a lot of weight so I've never noticed a difference in salt water flotation. If you wonder how heavy your wetsuit is when wet, soak it and put it in a plastic bucket on the bathroom scale. With the extra weight in mind, boards made for Oregon have always been a little bigger than Hawaii.
Keep in mind that volume is what determines flotation in a board more than length. Length, width and thickness should all be considered. The best board-shapers have figured out where to put the volume in the board. Where you stand (therefore weighting the board) should be a sweet spot that doesn't cause the nose to plow or the tail to drag. The extra cost is worth it for a board shaped by a reputable shaper and if re-produced, replicated exactly.
I like bigger, high volume, boards for flatwater. 11' to 12.5' and 29" to 31" wide.
Any other comments out there?
RB
Welcome to the Stand Up Paddle Bend blog. This is our place to communicate with fellow paddlers about the sport we love. Our goal is to provide you with everything you need to have as much fun as possible with SUP!
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