The (Prone) Paddleboard Thread

Belchfire1

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Jun 27, 2013
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Damn, I would have bought that but my wife ordered me one for my birthday. Waiting on arrival..... Thanks for heads up. they are rare over here.
you def don't want a narrow board. probably why this guy is selling.
what did you end up ordering?
 

trevorbc

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Jun 27, 2012
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What do folks think about VESL boards? I got into prone paddle boarding last summer. Love it.
 

Belchfire1

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I've never used a leash but have only done flatwater ocean paddles without too much current running. A solo downwind run with 4' to 6' ocean swells would have me reconsidering. What type of conditions are you looking to paddle in?
 
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trevorbc

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I've never used a leash but have only done flatwater ocean paddles without too much current running. A solo downwind run with 4' to 6' ocean swells would have me reconsidering. What type of conditions are you looking to paddle in?
Mostly on flat days. I haven’t been using a leash but was thinking about several scenarios where it might be warranted. Just got back from my first paddle on the bark. The two miles that usually takes me about 43 min on the long board just took 23.

What is this thing? I measured and it appear to be 14 feet. Is it an older model?
feet. DFDBEF3E-A236-4BD1-8F6B-FDE6ED7EBE18.jpeg488DD21B-C992-4EDC-BE7E-294D0FCF4533.jpeg
 
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trevorbc

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Mostly on flat days. I haven’t been using a leash but was thinking about several scenarios where it might be warranted. Just got back from my first paddle on the bark. The two miles that usually takes me about 43 min on the long board just took 23.

What is this thing? I measured and it appear to be 14 feet. Is it an older model?
feet. View attachment 139707View attachment 139708
0056EDE3-EE31-4F43-A92A-E08FE31A75B7.jpeg
 

Belchfire1

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2 miles in 23 mins is hella fast for your first go out. The board looks like a 20yo Bark stock 12' to me. I had the exact same board. It could be a 14 though, same vintage. They surf well and paddle slow, you must be a beast.
Where are you paddling?
 

trevorbc

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2 miles in 23 mins is hella fast for your first go out. The board looks like a 20yo Bark stock 12' to me. I had the exact same board. It could be a 14 though, same vintage. They surf well and paddle slow, you must be a beast.
Where are you paddling?
I had a 12ft tape at the shop and was still several feet from the end so assuming 14. Just looked again and it was 1.88 miles in 27min. High tide (probably why my normal 2 miles was only 1.88) and quite flat. I’m in Maine. I paddle from one beach to another, open ocean, although I stay about 100 yards from shore. Nice view of all the water front houses. I’m definitely not a beast, although sometimes picturing another kind of beast right behind me puts a little pep in my stroke.:shark:
 

trevorbc

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I had a 12ft tape at the shop and was still several feet from the end so assuming 14. Just looked again and it was 1.88 miles in 27min. High tide (probably why my normal 2 miles was only 1.88) and quite flat. I’m in Maine. I paddle from one beach to another, open ocean, although I stay about 100 yards from shore. Nice view of all the water front houses. I’m definitely not a beast, although sometimes picturing another kind of beast right behind me puts a little pep in my stroke.:shark:
I was surprised at how tippy and narrow it was at first. I’ve never tried to paddle on my knees as I’m doing it to stay in paddle shape. So they make faster boards? It definitely feels like a huge improvement over the longboard. Do you just find the sweet spot like a surfboard? I experimented with moving up and back a bit and found a spot that seemed right but not sure if I should have been more forward.
 

Belchfire1

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That board is actually quite stable. The fast ones are hard to balance on, even on your belly. I'd say the first 100 miles of paddling will be torturous. You'll either love it or hate it. Balance and speed will come with repetition.
It really helps having someone else to paddle with to see if you're too far forward or whatever.
Get a Garmin and track your speeds, best advice I've gotten. It'll help you understand the sweet spot in terms of efficiency.
 
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trevorbc

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That board is actually quite stable. The fast ones are hard to balance on, even on your belly. I'd say the first 100 miles of paddling will be torturous. You'll either love it or hate it. Balance and speed will come with repetition.
It really helps having someone else to paddle with to see if you're too far forward or whatever.
Get a Garmin and track your speeds, best advice I've gotten. It'll help you understand the sweet spot in terms of efficiency.
I’ve been doing that same paddle all summer on a longboard and even with that inferior piece of equipment, I’ve enjoyed it thoroughly. I have an Apple Watch 7 so I’m getting all the same data as the Garmin (I think?)
 

Belchfire1

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I’ve been doing that same paddle all summer on a longboard and even with that inferior piece of equipment, I’ve enjoyed it thoroughly. I have an Apple Watch 7 so I’m getting all the same data as the Garmin (I think?)
the big thing i use the garmin for is mins per mile and distance. thats all you really need. I mount it on my bottle cage so i can see it while i paddle. really gives you a good sense of efficiency. once you start paddling for 1+ hours is when it starts wearing on you. our short paddles are 5-6 miles and long ones 10+. I lived in new england for years and the conditions in SD where i live are waay easier. smooth ocean and warm air. you're badass just getting in the ocean up that way.
 
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trevorbc

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the big thing i use the garmin for is mins per mile and distance. thats all you really need. I mount it on my bottle cage so i can see it while i paddle. really gives you a good sense of efficiency. once you start paddling for 1+ hours is when it starts wearing on you. our short paddles are 5-6 miles and long ones 10+. I lived in new england for years and the conditions in SD where i live are waay easier. smooth ocean and warm air. you're badass just getting in the ocean up that way.
Those distances sound far off from my measly two mile runs. You guys are doing another sport. With this new boat/board I can see pushing it. That said, my goal really is just to stay in decent paddle shape for surfing. We can have some long flat spells here in the summer. Conditions that time of year are beautiful for prone paddling. That said, if I tried to go full on like you guys I might be pushing the shoulder tendonitis. I seem to get it when I swim a lot too. Working on doing some supplemental shoulder strengthening at the moment. Pretty stocked on the prone paddle boarding at the moment though, it is a great excuse to get out on the water for a workout.