My wife and I have just completed 18 months of supping from total beginners to probably advanced beginners .
We have loved every minute of it, bought many boards and have a collection of seven.
I love downwinding in the river, 20 knots behind you, small catchable waves - lots of fun with my Fanatic Fly 14, however my lack of balance made this board unstable and NOT fun for me in the ocean. Any side chop and I was off, tried many times but wasn't enjoying getting wet all the time.
So I started looking for a board that might suit me and asked David John on this forum for advice and thanks David you put up with my stupid questions and kept replying.
After talking to Dale Chapman on the Gold Coast I decided to make the effort and go down and see Dale who put aside a half day to show me around his factory and take me for a paddle on some of his boards to see what I thought.
I asked Dale for a board that would be very stable, even stupid stable in the ocean for downwinding and reasonable on the flat water. Well this is what I got. This board paddles faster than my Fanatic on the flat and today my first Ocean downwinder . Just 15 knots but I caught plenty of bumps paddled across the chop, had the nose hit the wave in front of me and didn't bury and didn't fall in once. I still have the smile on my face.
I am sure this board will build my confidence so I can become an Ocean paddler.
Thanks Dale you delivered what I asked for !