Jonathan put his new Starboard K15 into the water today for the first time and Paul had his Starboard 12'6" Pin.. They looked like twins.

Here's my pictures.

DJ

Does anyone else think Jonathan looks just like Carl Barron the comedian?

Thanks DJ, so nice to be able to "delegate" forum photo responsibility to the "master"!

Well the K15 sure is different to the Surf Race and a beautiful smooth cruiser, similar in some ways to the Penetrator but way way more stable and much more directionally stable with the fin way back. The fin I put in is just a little bigger than the super fine little pointer that came with the board, it's actually the alternative fixed fin that came with the F14 and seems perfect in the K15 so far. The board certainly feels big, I'm sure for my weight a 27" or 28" version would have been fine if such a thing existed but it is nice - particularly in winter to just be able to relax and cruise.

It has this feeling when you paddle it that there is no "top end" speed, like the faster you paddle the faster it will go. It has the same press on the rail to steer effect that the Pin and the Penetrator had - that is depress left rail go right, but because it is so stable you need to focus more on retaining the tilt of the board to effectively steer it.

The deck is so sunken it's amazing, I'm guessing that I'm only standing about a cm off the water

Dave and I paddled upwind for an hour last night then did a very gentle down-winder on tiny tiny waves, very tricky to catch but every so often I got a little insight into how good it's going to be for light wind down-winders. Two awesome new boards in a row....feeling very spoilt right now!

Carl Barron, certainly makes a pleasant change to Paul Kelly, always felt bad about that one because I'm such a crap singer.

Don't worry Lacey, had a friend call around last night when it was still on the van - he asked if I was still doing stand-up!!

I wonder how long before Jonathan gets one of these new Starboard foot-spa boards..

DJ

Is the splash guard optional? Looks like an afterthought perhaps to handle rougher conditions. I imagine in some half frozen lake in Sweden they probably choose to leave it off. It is just E.V.A?

Love the venturi drains in the bottom. That's Ski, Kayak, OC1 tech coming into play.

How much does it weigh ?
Have you tested it to see how quickly it empties a known quantity of water from the foot well, lets say 20lt.

Looks like a quick and comfortable board - beautiful finish too.

DavidJohn said...

Jonathan's new K15 should be a great board for long distance paddling like Phillip Island crossings.. There's no doubt the SurfRace could do it but the K15 should do it much easier.. I wonder if it will keep up with my Naish 17 Glide..

DJ

After having a quick run, and by quick, I mean that quite literally, on the K15, I feel that you might be eating your words there. In fact, when you do the Phillip Island crossing, it might pay to pre-arrange with Jonathan to order your pie and chips when he gets to the Cowes cafe. Hopefully they will still be warm when you arrive.

Sups started out looking like enlarged surfboards, but a few years on the newer funkier models are looking more like canoes. I remember I used to giggle at JohnDavid when he would paddle his canoe like a sup. Something in the pics just doesn't resonate with me.

Let me put it this way - it's like a silent lawnmower. Lawnmowers all make a lot of noise - they have to cause they are used mainly by males to control the wilderness. Silent lawnmowers don't sell.

I can't see this board being a big seller.

To be honest.. that vid was his first ever paddle on the new "New" Starboard and he had his feet tight against the drain holes in the standing area.

When he noticed the water build up around his feet he moved them slightly away from the holes and 90% of the water drained away.

But still.. it's a funny looking boat.. I mean board..

DJ

jenkz said...

Johnathon you were saying you feel like your standing level with the water. Are you going to shorten your paddle length or is it not that noticable?

Heh Luke when I paddled the K15 I did notice that when I swapped sides I had to lift the paddle a little bit higher to avoid hitting the side of the deck (where the soft foam like barried is). PS the white water barrier around the board is soft foam for those who were wondering.

So probably yes I would shorten my paddle if I had this board.

Hi Luke, yes that is what I meant about being level with the water, when I'm on the board and look down into the drains the water level is about 1cm below the deck level! I'm on a bit of a "long paddle thing" right now so I actually quite like it. Got a new Kialoa Pipes when I was on Maui and cut it 16" over my height but I was using it with thick downwind boards, it makes such a huge difference to your reach forward and I think really helps you catch runners. So my current paddle length of 13" overhead actually feels fine in the K15