Has the new 'Kahalo' board been tested in the surf? I was just out on the Cape (of Cod) and spent an afternoon watching a bunch of surfers north of Marconi beach.
There were about 10-12 surfers out on regular boards and 3 guys on stand up boards that were doing just as well. One in fact was catching longer rides than any of the regular surfers.
Has anyone out there tried a stand-up paddleboard?
I was intrigued by this post, so I found the product description and 2 things jumped out at me. First, J.C. Harris saying that "he will be shifting one of his hobbies" to "walking on water". More appropriately, though, that with a Creature Comfort seat and a 240 cm double-ended paddle, the Kaholo looks like a viable alternative to the Sea Island Sport sit-on-topfor some situations.
Back when the SIS came out, there were some who felt that it didn't fit the bill for a fishing SOT and were asking about putting a seat on the San O' and turning that into a SOT. Various reasons were given not to do that, most having to do with the hull shape and stability, if I recall correctly.
But now I wonder if the Kaholo might not actually work for that. It has 2 more inches beam than the SIS and a hull shape with what looks to have great initial stability. It doesn't, of course, have as much ultimate stability as the SIS with its sponsons and hull shape, but if it's stable enough to stand up on, it should be plenty stable for sitting on (at least in conditions where fishing would be fun) even without the balance control provided by standing up.
The hull shape also looks to have much more wetted area (drag) than the SIS, so it probably wouldn't be as fast, but at 20 lbs lighter it should accelerate like a sports car, compared to the SIS. Forward, that is. With that "rocket ship" stern (as Ted Brewer calls them), accelerating backwards could have you chiseling water.
The fineness of the bow and the fins should also make it track very well, as long as the seat is located so that the center of gravity is at the right spot. And with the almost non-existent sail area of the hull, and the reduced sail area of the sitting paddler, weather-cocking should be next to nothing.
With a few more bungees, tiedowns, etc., it should serve very well for holding fishing or snorkeling gear. Don't know how scuba gear would work out because of the weight.
So I just thought I'd throw these thoughts out to the gang to see if anyone else has noticed the possibility.
Laszlo
Lazlo, and all interested. I thought the same thing when I stumbled on this vessel after reading the post. A friend of mine, years ago in high school, used a long board for that same purpose. He sat in the middle, used a kayak paddle, and decked out with a basket of crickets and a telescoping cane pole, he would never return from a day on the lake without enough bluegill and such for a big fish fry. I am sure with todays advances in equipment and such, enough could be done to turn this into a very adept flats boat, sneaking up on reds and specks or sneaking along the weed line to haul in a load of panfish. Almost worth the effort just to try it out. It’s speed could get you in and out quickly to many places in a day of fishing. Very good concept Laz!
I have a somewhat related question - where I live (San Francisco bay area) There are probably only three dozen windless days per year. At what wave height (short interval wind driven) does a paddleboard become unmaneageable? And would getting on your knees be a good solution to aid stability? In that circumstance, paddle length would become an issue…
Check out this 1/3 kayak, 1/3 SUP and 1/3 windsurfer board that is similar to the Kaholo and is built on a highly modified set of what seems to be Chesapeake 16 plans:
"http://www.lbwindsurfing.com/cruising/the-expedition-windsurfer/"
I was wondering if the plywood is thick enough to router in a standard loardboard fin box and leash plug.
Those fins don't look adequate for my purpose which are long downwind ocean paddles and against current estuary paddling. And in the ocean you never want a board that catches a lot of wind to get away from you if you fall off and it's windy.
Thanks for any replies in this older thread.
ScottR,
The plywood is thin (3mm-4mm?) but modifiying anything from CLC to fit your needs is part of the fun. I added a retractable skeg to my kayak when I built it, I think a different fin box would be easy, and I wouldn't go out in the ocean on a board without a propper leash.
Josh