Area10 said...
The answer depends on your sample. If all the people you are considering are elite athletes, then the performance difference between them is really quite small and the board could certainly have enough influence that, say, the guy given a 11ft surf SUP will get spanked every time by his colleagues on 12-6 race boards. So from this sample you might conclude that the board makes a huge difference to performance.
But if your sample is a large group of people who range in ability from unfit beginners to elite athletes, then 99% of the result would be predictable by knowing who was on the board rather than what board they were on. From this result you might then conclude that it is all about the athlete, and the board makes little difference.
So the differences in people's opinion to this question are probably just because they are thinking about who they paddle with, and the differences they have personally witnessed. There can be no simple "right or wrong" answer, only estimates that vary in their accuracy in describing particular circumstances.
Sorry - I'm a scientist. I can't help myself...
Definately couldn't have said it better. In terms of surfing the difference in performance between a light, low volume, rockered SUP and the typical heavyish over volumed large area popout would be substantial.
Imagine Kelly on a 6'6" old school single fin that weighs about 4kg - he would still rip by normal standards - but by his own and that of his peers he would be well below par.
Same for many sports - people underestimate the value of well designed equipment once they get to a reasonable level, even beginners and intermediates can benefit from a well designed piece of equipment. Or as Dogman said "you can only do so much on a crap board"
