I am looking into a 14' downwinder (Christmas is coming and Dad is getting fat), not easy to demo in a quiet little backwater like the mid coast SA although I scored a test of the fanatic fly surf tonight - which was great on dead still water.
I am 6'2" and about 105kg so I am wondering if a bit of width will help. I am reasonably balanced but want to get as much fun out of downwinding in conditions that will have side chop as possible. I have been looking into:
Naish Glide
Fanatic Fly Surf
Hobie
DC
At the moment I am thinking that they would all be great fun and have heard a lot of good about the new model Naish Glide. Have also heard that Dolphin are making some.
Check out the Angulo Shaka, 14'0 x 30 www.angulodesigns.com
Good one for the bigger guys.
I don't think you are going to have any problems with any of those boards. You just need to choose one for your conditions. If you are paddling alone it may not make a lot of difference. I have a 14' board and it has plenty of volume and these boards have secondary stability so staying on is easier than you think once you get to know the beast.
Happy decision making.
Haven't paddled a DC or Hobie 14 but alongside the Naish and the Fanatic, I prefer the 2011 Starboard Open Ocean for downwinders. They're all good, it just comes down to personal preference.
Hi Dan,
I have just brought a DC 14" makaru its 30" wide model and very stable and surprisingly quick for a wide board. I have only had a few flat water paddles on it and am still to do a DWer on it but I am stoked with the purchase. I am the same height but 10-15 kegs heavier than you
I also had a paddle on the 14" hobie on flat water, the hobbie felt slightly faster on the flat but slightly less stable but still has plenty of 2ndry stability.
Cheers
New DC 14 Makaru. AWSOME board. 6ft3 115 kg club.
Stable, fast.... light
made with extra 6 oz under the deck pad for the larger build with custom spray.
Tried the rest got the best...
thanks for all the comments guys. Some pretty funny footage of a first outing of a DC 14 just posted on general discussion by David John.
Hehe yeah, we've all got to start somewhere. FWIW I'm 6'2, nudging 120kg and will see 50 in the new year. I started SUP in March this year, I've never surfed and my balance is iffy at best. I demo'd the 14 Glide, 14 Hobie, 14 Fanatic (perhaps unfairly, in very poor conditions) and a couple of Starbies before taking a punt on the 14x30 DC, based on the extra width.
I've had the DC for about three months and have done a fair bit of flat water time and out 'n back on it in the cooler months, in up to maybe 15 knots & 2-3ft swells. In those conditions the board is slick and very forgiving. It picks up smaller runners without having to think about it and works well upwind too.
Yesterday's conditions were a good couple of notches up and not the gentlest initiation to DW...25ish gusting to mid-30's and lumpy swells way bigger than I've been in before. Fair to say I was a bit intimidated and the board gets a bit technical in those conditions with the cutting nose, soft rails and relatively flat rocker (compared to the Glide). When I did manage to get it tuned it absolutely flew and I even managed to link some smaller runners towards the end. I'm going to have to work hard on skills (and go easy on the pies and frothy ales) to get the best out of it on bigger days but I'm looking forward to it 
Dan
DJ'S Footage definately not a indicator of the boards performance. HC is right, more time more practice then comes confidence.
^ I bought that actual yellow board from Dale, it's the proto for the Makaru. Farquo's quite right, the funny bits of DJ's clip aren't indicative of the board but the rider.
I'd recommend the board highly to any outsized paddler looking for a quick 14, it'll get you started easy enough and you won't be pushing its limits any time soon. I'm having a shedload of fun on mine and definitely don't regret the choice - you can see from DJ's vid how well it propels a 120kg man-meat missile 
(now, if only there was a big-boy 12'6 just as good to round out the quiver...)
If it's for down-winders I'd recommend going for something that's a planing hull.. has lots of rocker.. and forgiving and easy to paddle.. Boards like the 14' Naish Glide and 14' Starboard Open Ocean come to mind.
DJ
Saw HCs comment on analysis paralysis on another thread. I am probably just thinking too much while I save a few shekels, but.... how big is the difference between the new and previous Naish 14' down-winders and will a down-wind novice notice it?
Having gone through the learner process of buying a couple of cheap all round - surfing boards, learning then selling and also learning the hard way with paddles, I am trying to get it relatively close on the downwinder purchase!
^What PT said. Of the handful of factory 14s I demo'd I liked the Glide the most, by a large margin. Even with my very limited skill in the bumps I found it very tractable and really enjoyed it but I was looking for something more slick in flat water so went with the DC.
I'd almost be tempted to jag a good 2nd hand Glide myself, just to have a bit of variety in the quiver.
