First post but have enjoyed reading and learning from you all.

Am looking for new downwind / choppy sea board. Have been using the JM Navigator but find it buries the nose too much and too frequently. I have been reading about the new Naish Glide and it sounds like the business and we can get that board here in NZ shortly. But I have a mate raving about the NSP and it sounds as though it performs similarly to the new Naish. Has anyone tried both? Be great to hear what you think.

Haven't tried the NSP, however I've recently gone from a JM to the new Glide GX & I can honestly say the Glide is a far better board! Quicker on flat water, pivot turns are easier, more stable & a lot easier to carry!!!!!! Haven't done a downwinder yet though.

JE79 said..

We have a snotting easterly here in chch today and the NSP coco carbon has just been dropped at my place to test drive this afternoon.

And? ... what happened?

Zeusman - done any downwinders on the Glide yet?

Apologies foamballer, I got distracted as I have just learnt that my hugely expensive Bark Phantom 14 is seriously broke. Took it to a carbon specialist for (another) repair and they say the skin/lining inside the board has delaminated causing the board to lose shape. Looks like a warranty claim.

Anyway, back to the NSP's. We had both the NSP DC14 26" and the DC14 29" in coco carbon. Strong easterly meaning pretty tough paddling straight into the wind, average 2-3 foot wind chop. The 29" was unbelievably stable and quicker than the 26" on way out (not alot in it). Surfed great. Alot less pearling than the JM Navigator, picked up the waves easily and enough glide to paddle through to catch the runner in front. Did a repeat run but on the 26". It was surprisingly stable, hard to believe is only 26". More volume behind your feet really seems to provide stability. Required a bit more movement on the board on the downwinder but again not much difference in speed to the 29" coco carbon.

I have ordered the 26" to replace the phantom and still undecided about the DC29" coco carbon or the new Naish glide for my downwind, touring board.

foamballer said..

JE79 said..

We have a snotting easterly here in chch today and the NSP coco carbon has just been dropped at my place to test drive this afternoon.

And? ... what happened?

Zeusman - done any downwinders on the Glide yet?

No not yet.... Work is seriously hindering my life at the moment!

Paddled both today back to back.. Took some pics that I'll post soon.. Very similar dimensions but very different boards.. IMO the Naish is the most stable out of the two.. I'll post a review when I post the pics.

DJ

I own a 14 x 29 DC/NSP and had the opportunity last week to paddle both boards back-to-back for a couple of hours each in a few different water conditions including small (knee-thigh high) surf, glassy flat water and confused chop. My impressions:

Glide 14 x 29 GX:
More initial stability as DJ says, feels sort of "planted"
Big square tail makes it easier to step back and turn
Sweeet in flat water,
In chop it felt a little bit corky for my taste and tended to steer off the nose a bit in really confused, messy water
In surf, less lively than the DC/NSP, the 'planted' quality felt a bit boggy to me in surf
A bit more flexy under me than the DC/NSP Coco (It was the carbon GX tested, not the AST GS, I am a clumsy fat bastard, most folks probably wouldn't notice)
The new diamond deck pad is a bit aggressive, it'd probably wear in a bit with use


DC/NSP 14x29 Coco:
More initial tip, secondary stab holds better in confused water, over all feels more mellow in chop
More challenging to step back and turn because of the initial tip
Also sweet in flat water, very mellow in confused, choppy conditions, nose doesn't get pushed around at all
More lively in surf, quicker/easier to accelerate onto a wave (once I figured it out...when it releases it just goes )


Overall I reckon they're both excellent and it'd be a close call between the two. I'd be very happy with either board but for MY tastes and local waters, I'd give it by a small margin to the DC/NSP, yours might differ. I'd recommend holding out to test them both if you could.

(note about surf...I can't surf worth a crap and had never tried surfing a 14' before last week, can't see myself doing it a lot)for

HumanCartoon said..

I own a 14 x 29 DC/NSP and had the opportunity last week to paddle both boards back-to-back for a couple of hours each in a few different water conditions including small (knee-thigh high) surf, glassy flat water and confused chop. My impressions:

Glide 14 x 29 GX:
More initial stability as DJ says, feels sort of "planted"
Big square tail makes it easier to step back and turn
Sweeet in flat water,
In chop it felt a little bit corky for my taste and tended to steer off the nose a bit in really confused, messy water
In surf, less lively than the DC/NSP, the 'planted' quality felt a bit boggy to me in surf
A bit more flexy under me than the DC/NSP Coco (It was the carbon GX tested, not the AST GS, I am a clumsy fat bastard, most folks probably wouldn't notice)
The new diamond deck pad is a bit aggressive, it'd probably wear in a bit with use


DC/NSP 14x29 Coco:
More initial tip, secondary stab holds better in confused water, over all feels more mellow in chop
More challenging to step back and turn because of the initial tip
Also sweet in flat water, very mellow in confused, choppy conditions, nose doesn't get pushed around at all
More lively in surf, quicker/easier to accelerate onto a wave (once I figured it out...when it releases it just goes )


Overall I reckon they're both excellent and it'd be a close call between the two. I'd be very happy with either board but for MY tastes and local waters, I'd give it by a small margin to the DC/NSP, yours might differ. I'd recommend holding out to test them both if you could.

(note about surf...I can't surf worth a crap and had never tried surfing a 14' before last week, can't see myself doing it a lot)for

Hey HC - thanks for the comparison...
Very interesting as the DC/NSP coco is the only other 14'er that I've ridden apart from my 2013 glide, so the DC/NSP is the benchmark for me. It was early days for me when I rode it, but my impression was that it was a very well behaved board. My other comments are near the end of this thread if anyone's interested: www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/Review/The-new-NSPDC-boards-are-in/. If this board came in a cheaper variant then I probably would've bought it.
If the new Glide is more stable that this board then I'm really looking forward to trying it out (got a GS on order). Your comment about nose steer in the chop - do you mean the nose turning around and aligning with the chop and hard to paddle cross wind? Or more the reverse rail steering thing when catching a wave/chop?

IMO nose steering is where the nose once touching the water (on or in) wants to pull left or right.. Nose shape.. Rail shape.. Rocker.. and shape under the nose has a lot to do with how much a board does it.. Also the paddlers technique effects it the most.

Reverse rail steering or opposite rail steering is something different.. It's something most boards do regardless of nose shape and happens when you are when the are not fully planing.

Both these have nothing to do with chop.

DJ

JE79 said..

Still keen to read your review and see your photos DJ.

Second that!

Good photos for comparison purposes thanks DJ. When can we read your review?

foamballer said..

By comparison, the coco board looks like it's been in the sun too long with the vent screw done up.
Hard to compare the rocker in those photos, but they look similar expect maybe the first foot or so of the nose?

The bloke paddling looks like he's been in the sun too long with the vent screw done up.

That's the 2014 12'6" Glide and the 2013 shape 14' Glide in the new 2014 colour closer to the camera... The idea with the 12'6" nose shape is to get max waterline out of a 12'6" board using a piercing shape nose.. The DC boards are not piercing shaped noses. They are boofing shape noses.. The idea of the boof is to resist the pearl.. IMO they do resist the pearl but it comes at a cost being a slight slowing and splashing.. The new a Fanatics are similar.. The different nose shapes is more about not catching and doing the broaching thing... It's very complicated with no right or wrong answer.

sup46 said..

...do you know if the (real!) 2014 glide 14ft GS will get the dropnose like on the GX? or more like the nose on the 12ft6? based on the limited pics on website, comparing the plan outlines and markings of both, it kind of looks like it will be more like the 12ft6.

DJ's pics next to the DC/NSP and the ones with the fat bloke on them are of the NEW 2014 Glide, the GS and the GX will be the same shape, different construction.

Hi Guys,

Been following this thread closely, as I had had a private chat with HC who said at the time he was getting an NSP. The Glide has just landed here in the UK, and the NSP is due soon, in Feb 2014 I think, both of which I am considering. Any pics of the NSP in the water available?

Mate i will be surfing anything on that 14 when it arrives too. got to be stylin coming in through the breakers for sure!

well i took a closer look at the nose issue, on naishsurfing.com, and ALL the pics shown as 2014 14ft GS actually have the telltale numbers on the tail "12'6" ". (WTF?). No wonder it looks like the 12ft6 - it IS! maybe the work-experience kid did the photosetting for them. doesnt matter tho, cos im pretty sure now that my GS is gonna have the GX shape. yieeewww cant wait. only days away!