Recently added comments

 Great How to for Beginners and even some Advanced ,  Saturday, 24 April 2010 Even though I\'ve had several years of stand up paddling and consider myself an advanced surfer and paddler, I learned various paddling techniques that make me a much better paddler. And of all the videos that I\'ve seen, Dan and Nikki\'s Ultimate Guide to Stand Up Paddling is by far the most comprehensive guide to date and a \"must have\" for everyone considering to stand up paddle.

 Great All Around!,  Saturday, 02 January 2010 I Love It! The board is highly maneuverable and still let\'s me noseride; it\'s shockingly stable for its size; paddles really well catching waves; and has surprised me on how durable it is. What surprises me the most, however, about this Rusty Stand Up Paddle Surfboard model is how it keeps its speed through and through. The typical stall after hitting the white wash on a cut back is non-existent (the board shoots right through it and holds up the pace) and you simply fly when pumping down the line. The pulled in nose isn\'t that conducive for hanging tens, for instance, but it still let\'s you get some nice fives and the lack of volume on the tip allows you to draw pretty sharp turns.

 Great noserider with a touch of turn to it,  Saturday, 02 January 2010 The board works wonders on small breach break, excelling on the stability to walk the nose and the glide and lift you get once touching the tip. The glass and resin work are outstanding, unquestionably featuring some of the best craftsmanship you\'ll ever see on a surfboard. But if you want to crank that longboard off the tail, trying to drive some performance out of it on the turns, then this is not quite the longboard for you. It\'ll turn and work fairly well maneuvering the chops of a small beach break, but don\'t expect to draw very sharp turns. All in all, the missing link scores as an outstanding noserider with a touch of maneuverability to it while displaying basically unmatched craftsmanship.

 Excellent Surfboard Bike Rack,  Wednesday, 30 December 2009 SUMMARY. If you\'re looking for a bike rack that can manage different surfboard/board sizes and tote some extra material (like a towel, wetsuit, and more), then this is by far the best rack that I\'ve ever put to the test so far.

PROS. The fact that the Quiver Kaddy has a hitch that attaches to the seat bar, it (unlike the side rack) does not offset your balance, does not easily throw you off course from wind gusts, and allows you to travel at much faster speeds without having to worry about stability. The wheels on the kaddy are incredibly stable, and the axes extensions allow you to ensure that the kaddy does not tip as you are travling along (but obviously you have to go easy on the turns, as always). The pouch allows you to carry important surf accessories, like a towel, wetsuit, etc. And the racks can be adjusted to fit basically any size surfboard, from shortboard to stand up, and even to kayaks.

CONS. So far, I honestly don\'t have much to say on the negative side. The only problem I had was initially with the hitch that latches onto the seat bar. During my first trials, it broke. But Mark from Quiver Kaddy quickly replaced it and that problem hasn\'t happened again since. Overall, and here is the important point, if you\'re looking for a rack that can handle long rides and haul different size boards with some accessory in it as well, Quiver Kaddy is the choice rack.

 Excellent Stand Up Paddle Surfboard!,  Sunday, 25 October 2009 SUM. This is a perfect all around stand up paddle surfboard. It works excellently both off the tail and off the nose, offering a great mix between maneuverability and noseride-ability. This is a perfect match for riders seeking to take their performance to the next level.

PROS. The board is incredibly stable for its volume and dimensions (remember, relative to my size/6-1 and weight/190) and yet offers outstanding performance, being not only maneuverable and a fairly good noserider but also keeping its speed throughout all the ride. This surfboard, unlike your typical stick, does not stall when hitting the white water on a cutback and its always driving speed.

CONS. In the mix between maneuverability and noseride-ability, it leans more toward maneuverability, due to the relatively pulled in nose when compared to a traditional California noserider. Despite of easily allowing for hang-fives, hang-tens are relatively difficult to execute in comparison to boards with fully rounded noses.

WATCH TRAILER (of board in action)
http://www.mylocallineup.com/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=Local-SUP-Talent-Grabs-Some-S.-Swell.html&Itemid=112

 Top Performance,  Wednesday, 01 July 2009 SUM. This is definitely one of, if not the, best stand up paddle out there. It works really well for surfing and also paddling. I recommend this paddle for every SUP enthusiast who is looking to improve performance and is ready to have a shaft cut specifically for his size.

PRO. This is one of, if not the, best stand up paddle out there. It's incredibly light weight, has a comfortable grip both on handle and shaft, and has a design that both interacts really well with the wave and offers great speed while having enough give not to overpower the paddler.

CONS. The light weight, while being one of its greatest virtues, can in a very particular case become a vice. That is, in very windy conditions -- especially if the wind is coming sideways -- the blade (due to the paddle's lightweight) tends to flip with the wind as you work the paddle from one side of the board to the other, going against the wind.

 Durability not Performance,  Thursday, 25 June 2009 SUM. This paddle scores high on durability and versatility, not performance. The grip is relatively uncomfortable, but the strong fiber-glass construction makes it for a durable paddle and the two-piece mechanism is great for people of different height to use. I recommend this paddle for surf shops and families, where wear and tear is an issue and versatility is a must.

PROS. The fiber-glass construction on this paddle is very strong, probably above average. Both the shaft and the blade don't seem to bother taking a beating, either against rocks in case of the blade or a very strong paddler in case of the shaft. The two-piece system, as usual, makes it very versatile, so no matter the height there is a fit for it.

CONS. The grip, both on handle and shaft, is not quite comfortable, especially where the two pieces of the shaft connect. And the weight is 29lbs., too heavy for optimum stroke rates. Also, even though Werner's description caters this model for surfing, it seems to lag behind the wider, shorter blades in terms of interacting with the wave to drive leverage.

 Great Surf Paddle,  Thursday, 25 June 2009 SUM. This is a great paddle for surfing, probably one of the best ones out there at this point. But if you're a weak/beginner paddler, I would advise going with a paddle with a smaller blade-area. I do not recommend it for long-distance paddles.

PROS. This is a great paddle for SUP surfing. It's incredibly light, perhaps the lightest out there so far, allowing you to have a very high stroke rate. When combining this with the large blade-area, which has a swallowtail shape, one can drive incredible speed out of it. The grip, both on the handle and shaft, is very comfortable and the blade's shape works well to leverage turns. The flex, too, is just right.

CONS. The large area of the blade (as I see it) can easily overpower weaker paddlers during a surf session and it can be too much even for stronger paddlers on a long-distance paddle, since it offers little "give" in comparison to smaller-area blades. On head-high surf, the paddle whistles when using it for turns, but that isn't a biggie. I did break the paddle, but that seems to be a rare exception, for it has a very strong construction and a very hard-to-beat warranty.

 Squirrely But Really Fun,  Wednesday, 03 June 2009 PROS. Like it's the case with many -- if not all -- of these shorter SUP's, the board is fairly squirrely but a whole lot of fun. It's highly maneuverable and yet incredibly stable; it makes helicopters a piece of cake; and depending on the fin setup, the tail is prone to sliding when applying too much leverage, which makes it much easier to pull off 360's.

CONS. On the down side, the board does not drive down the line on the slower sections, but rather it tends to stall while the wave is peeling away, a problem which (I think) is probably inherent with these shorter SUP's. (If the wave is fast, though, the board will fly down the line.) But if you're riding powerful surf (like quick, hollow sections) this board will work much better than some of its longer counterparts, since it will better fit the wave.

 Completely Sold,  Saturday, 30 May 2009 Honestly, I was skeptical when I first heard about it. But after using it, I was completely sold on it. I feared that it would be either too rough or too slippery. If too rough, it would give me the traction, but it would be too abrasive. But if slippery, it wouldn't be too abrasive, but it wouldn't give me the traction needed. Well, after using it, I think this product hits a great balance between traction and softness, where it's not too rough on you while still giving you plenty of traction.