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You can only wait for a train at Lechmere for so long
By adamg on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 9:29am
Photographynatalia captured a woman doing a standing paddle across the Charles the other day.
Copyright Photographynatalia. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.
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Is she carrying any pogs or magic cards?
These look like fun but what a fad! I see paddleboards everywhere this year and I bet you will be able to get one for a great deal in a couple years when they are sitting unused in basements.
You mean like kayaks?
You mean like kayaks?
.
Probably better to be out there paddleboarding than to be sitting at home criticizing them from a computer.
Fads coming and going
Ten years from now you'll be able to buy unused snark for five cents on the dollar at yard sales.
I had the same thought
Can somebody tell me what's the benefit?
Sitting > Standing
swirlygrrl the mighty Iron Herring not logged in
Paddleboards never need to be bailed out, they ride surf quite well, and they are easy to get back on if you get tossed off.
You also don't need to be in a toasty warm boat with a spray skirt for hours - so they are cooler in that sense if you are in serious enough water that you need to wear a spray skirt in a kayak.
I'm a kayaker, so I can immediately see those advantages.
Do you need a skirt in flat water?
I've seen these out in Salem and the Charles. Not much if any waves. Both times the person doing it looked kind of bored. I'm a canoe guy at heart though, and I do windsurfing as well so this just seems like the worst of both worlds. I'm always up for something new though.
Spray Skirt
I don't use a spray skirt in warm flat water - in the winter, with a 3mm wetsuit, it makes the boat nice and cosy!
I have a low-volume boat, though, so not much water gets in anyway (Necky Looksha IV with a tight cockpit and rudder). The downside is that it holds the heat too well in the summer if I'm on flat water, which is warmer.
I've seen paddleboarders doing the Blackburn Challenge as well as in surf/waves, so I can see certain advantages to them. I'm pretty committed to my kayaks, personally.
Depends what you want
These are two totally different on-the-water experiences, and it just depends on what you might want. Kinda like comparing alpine and XC skiing.
If you're just day-tripping and cruising around somewhere on flat water, it's a toss-up. On a hot day, you may be more inclined towards the board, as you can just jump in and cool off. Find a surf break somewhere and you can try to catch a wave. Get into choppier water or a cooler day, you may tend towards the kayak with a skirt. You can surf with a kayak, though it gets much trickier and hairier (can you say "broach"?) in even mediumish waves.
The kayak can take you on an overnight or multi-day trip, which is nice. You can put a ton of stuff in them (i.e. beer!) and live pretty large with a few boats packing stuff. And yes, I've read stories of people doing the same with a board, but you're much more limited.
Some pretty serious whitewater guys have taken to boards, and I think mostly because it's different and a new challenge.
Take your pick. Rent one of each and see what you like. With either one, keep an eye on currents, tides, wind, and the weather.
And I agree, in a few years, you should be able to pick one up cheap when the newness wears off, just like kayaks today.