UPDATE: I have been using this board for 2 weeks now. This has included 15 sessions:
• 2 Downwind Sessions. Each 2.5 miles. Both Bay sessions, Coyote Point to 3rd Avenue San Francisco Bay: First session was blowing 35 gusting to 50, second was blowing 40 gusting to 60 mph. Not mellow.
• 6 Winging Sessions. One started out light, I was on an 8 Meter CWC, then the wind picked up to 15-20 mph. Other Sessions have all been on a 5.5 meter wing. I am realizing that this board may NOT need anything bigger than a 5.5 meter (all on Axis 1300 except one time with Axis 1099). Several sessions in the ocean inside Mavericks. A few where I was worried if something went wrong everything would break. Waves from 5 to 12 feet. Tried to avoid whitewater.
• 7 SUP Foil sessions. I have been committed to this board with the Axis 1300 with 450P tail. I have been taking this out in BIGGER conditions than I would like. Examples 10 feet @ 13 seconds and I would just go out and try to catch and fly on smaller, 5 to 7 foot faces. Winter in Northern California IS abusive.
The board has held up despite relatively extreme open ocean and hurricane wind conditions: I have 2 tiny pinpricks in the 1.4 ounce glass in the tail. The rails, forward of where I stand also started getting abused from my legs when I would paddle sitting down. I added a 10” x 2” carbon tape extension. I keep the board in a padded bag, like the old days of windsurfing. The greatest risk to the board is from travelling in cars, on bicycles and on the beach. Otherwise, the thin protective shell is working well. No weight gained, and no delaminations thus far.
Learning to SUP Foil a 21” wide board is another topic. This has taken a great deal of patience, and stretching my lower back. I am just starting to be able to stand semi-comfortably mostly-square stance. I will then wait for a wave and paddle square until the last second then get into ‘surf’ stance. However the conditions have NOT been clean EVER. The ocean chop is arguably harder to stand in than the Bay when it was blowing 50 mph. I am looking forward to some smaller days to practice.
