prodigal:
Since the performance of products like kayaks, paddles, SUPs, ect. is greatly influenced by the skills of the rider, it seems appropriate to know a little about the dude writing a review. Im in my early 40s, 5' 11", 175#s, and of average athletic ability. Ive been paddling various plastic boats since 1988 and my chosen career field only requires that I work 7 days a month, allowing me alot of time on the water. I am an ABSOLUTE novice on a paddleboard but it should be noted that Ive been standing on SOTs for many years. Im just not great at it and have always struggled to fight a fish while standing. My first exposure to the SUP was when Mooch brought one to BAM III and let me take his for a spin. Since then I have only been on a traditional board a handfull of times, read some mags, watched the "ultimate guide" video, and I spend some time on the Indo Board.
The Speeder is produced by Imagine Surf that is owned by Corran Addison who I have been a long time fan of both his style and accomplishments. http://www.imaginesurf.com/ I first spotted the Speeder in late 2010 in a Canoe&Kayak mag and I knew immediately that I had to have one. This was to be my site fishing platform that I had tried to make my SOTs ,without much success, AND it came in SEAHAWK GREEN! As the moths and mags went by, I couldnt help but notice that the speeder was evolving.
I finally spotted the Speeder on the Playak site and it confirmed that this was the board for me.
There were some delays and the Speeder continued to mutate as the months went by. When the Speeder finally arrived we learned that it was well worth the wait and that Imagine had done alot of things very right.
The first and most obvious change was the nose of the board. The nose slices through chop, increasing stability, and helps the tracking of the board. There is also 0 hull slap.
The hatches are very similiar to the WS hatches. We have found very little water in the board even after trips where the hatch was completely submerged.
The secondary hatch on the deck is not as waterproof. In fact it completely fills up, but it does hold a small pelican box that will displace the water nicely.
The seat was the other unexpected surprise and we have found that it is very nice on a day trip to take a little time off your feet. The "boat" paddles well and with legs straps it can be rolled without much difficulty.
Now I need Werner to create a paddle that converts from kayak paddle to SUP paddle.
The skegs attach and remove easily and I found out on the SanJoaquin river that they are made of very sturdy stock.
I really like the cut away drain plug.
The only rigging that Ive done is a flush mount Scotty holder for either a rod or a vanity mount. I doubt that I will add much more to keep the board light and nimble.
Ive made my comparisons to a traditional board from time on a 10' 4" classic from Focus Surf. http://www.focus-surfboards.com/
My first attempt to test the Speeder did not last long, but I found it to be far more stable than the traditional board. I found it very forgiving with my lack of any real skills and I was able to try things on the Speeder that would have sent me swimming on the classic SUP. I wasnt able to get much further than that since the RedHead and Bijou wanted to try it out. Once they got on the board I didnt get to do anymore "testing" for a few trips.
They found the deck to be very comfortable and could even be called "lounge like". The Speeder is a perfect day tripper.
After distracting her with the traditional SUP, Ive been able to get to work and learn how to transfer my paddling skills to the board. I have ALOT to learn but Im having an absolute blast!
The Speeder is 11' X 30" X 8" and weighs in at 64#s.
Fishing from it is a dream as I found out recently on the SJR. http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,33196.0.html
We learned on this trip that theKraken (6'4" 250#s) was almost too much for this low volumn platform.
The "Wizard" from Imagine would probably be the better board for the XXL paddlers.
Both of these boards are available at Pacific Outfitters. http://www.pacificoutfitters.com/
Im not affiliated with any of the above mentioned companies. Just the dude with alot of time in the water on plastic boats. Ill continue this review as I get more time and adventures but as of now Im shaking the pom poms for Imagine Surf and everyone involved in making this board happen. :spiderman:
Sailfish:
Thanks for a good read and a fine review terry.
PISCEAN:
that is a slick looking little craft. As my significant other has been pulled to the SUP side I'll probably be "in the market, as it were" soon. I like the idea of a small yak/sup hybrid, I just haven't seen one built well. This looks pretty cool. Thanks for the review!
Joe Montana:
Waiting for Mooch to give the :smt007
Thx for the eval
mooch:
Terry,
Gonna have to hit lake mendo soon for a fish n' chill. Will bring my SUP with me. Let's hook up there and compare notes. I'll be pimping my SUP with a water proof deck bag and some bunjee cords to secure it with.