One of my New Years' Resolutions (from 2015) was to learn to surf and it took a full 18 months for me to get around to properly scratching the surfing itch with the purchase of an all-round board that has a leaning towards waves, the Starboard Widepoint 11'2".
About Starboard
Starboard are one of the largest SUP companies in the world and a logical choice for me as their UK base is just a few miles up the road from me. I was also lucky enough to attend their Dealer Meeting in Costa Brava for SUPboardermag where I got a good look at the entire 2016 SUP range.
The Widepoint Range
The board I've had since September is a 2016 model. For 2017 the board shapes are the same across the range; 6 boards sharing the same 32" width from the shortest board at 8'2" and 123l volume to the 11'2" which comes in at 198l. Most of the range are available in 4 constructions, 'Starshot', 'Starlight', 'PineTech' and 'Blue Carbon'. The board I have is the base 'Starshot' model.
The promo video for the range from Starboard can be found here
The 11'2"
I think that it looks great. It looks like a large surfboard with a good size deck pad in grey and red, nothing too shouty which suits this beginner surfer. There's no kick pad on the deck indicating the all round nature of this model, the deck pad is smooth and reasonably grippy, better with bare feet than with boots on. There is a mount for a leash at the tail and a recessed carry handle placed centrally.
Underneath there's some clever shaping which is best described by Starboard;
"a monoconcave bottom shape throughout the range, for a fast central rocker whilst maintaining rail curve for manoeuvrability. Rails are low to moderate volume, which are pinched as you move forward for good acceleration and control. Tails are area squash tails for responsiveness, with pulled in noses with generous rocker for being able to deal with waves which are a little hollower."
To the novice that might mean nothing, to me that means that the designer has had a think about how this board will be used and who is likely to ride it. The shape therefore lends itself to catching waves easily and having fun. It's certainly far easier to have fun in easy surf than any similarly sized inflatable board.
On the bottom are fittings for three fins; a nice long US style centre box allows for plenty of fine tuning with the centre fin and two FCS style side fins. Three fins are supplied with the board, a plastic starboard branded 8" centre fin and two plastic 4.5" side fins.
The board weighs in at a touch under 12 kg which isn't bad for a board of this size and actually slightly lighter than the next up in the range, it's only when you get to the Blue Carbon model that the weight comes down significantly. Finished with a glossy white top coat on top and a matte white underneath I'd suggest rail taping from the get go to prevent unsightly chips.
The one thing that Starboard could have done better is the handle, it's position is spot on giving a level carry to and from the water but there is no ledge so the board is balanced on your fingertips, fine for a short carry but other boards up the range have a better, deeper handle handle that lets you get a better grip and makes carrying any distance far, far easier.
On the water
It's fun. Simple as that.
If making the transition from an inflatable board to a widepoint the first thing you'll notice is the noise, hardboards with a bit of rocker slap through the water. Then you'll forget that as soon as you push through a wave as the thin nose slices through chop and whitewater where the thicker nose of an inflatable would float over it. And of course there's no flex, none at all, every bit of energy put into paddling out moves you the board forward. The width and length make for a very positive board in uneven water that gives the paddler a great deal of confidence.
As a cruising board it's got the length and width for anyone to use but the glossy finish and lack of any concession to cargo mean that you'll have to carry any supplies on you, not the board. The length gives good glide too, you're unlikely to win races on it but for flatter days or to paddle to quieter breaks it works well.
As a starter surfboard it's just about perfect! In knee high surf the only reason you won't catch a wave will be timing, if you start to paddle too soon then you will outrun any easy, lazy waves. The best approach is to be patient and wait until the swell starts to lift the tail then a couple of strong strokes and you're surfing. It's that easy and I'm convinced that SUP surfboard of this size could have anyone surfing.
Paddling out is easier than on a shorter board, the extra volume and width making short work of small waves but some body English will be required for anything chest high or bigger, getting a foot back to help lift the nose works wonders. Turning between waves also needs some input from the paddler, standing int eh middle with a cross bow turn will work but isn't quick so getting your weight back to lift the nose is in order. And with a board this stable the more you put into hustling it about the more it will give back.
The thing with fins
The 2 + 1 fin set up is pretty standard on boards this size and the supplied fins work well, to a point. One disadvantage of the board size is that to get the best out of those fins you're going to have to learn to move about the board, simply standing near the middle of the board and putting more weight on your back foot doesn't engage them so to carve a stylish bottom turn you're going to have to get back on the board. Cheap plastic fins are a sensible choice for a board at the bottom of the range, they save some money and will withstand some abuse from inexperienced users. The point that they stop working is in bigger surf, so much so that they went missing in action on a big(ish) day on the south coast of Devon, one of those days where I learned a lot about surfing. The missing fins have now been replaced by a glass centre fin from CJB and two better side bites from FCS. Despite their violent removal by mother nature the board was unmarked, testimony to the strength in the construction.
Changing the centre fin makes a huge change to the way this board handles, the supplied 8" fin gives a nice easy ride on a wave with sweeping turns once you've got used to working for them. Swapping that to a 9" results in a more stable ride but makes the board feel sluggish and slower to turn while putting a 7" in makes the board far more lively. Remove the side bits and surf with a single fin on days when you just want to chill out and ride to the beach every time or want to paddle somewhere rather than catch waves at the local beach break. As a complete novice surfer the difference swapping fins on this board makes to the character of the ride has been a big surprise.
My verdict
With a rider limit of up to 115kg this will really suit the larger paddler and as an intro to surfing it's a cracker. It's well made, strong, user friendly SUP that will take a novice surfer from needing 'L' plates to confidently navigating surf at their local break.
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| Starboard Widepoint 11'2" |
Starboard are one of the largest SUP companies in the world and a logical choice for me as their UK base is just a few miles up the road from me. I was also lucky enough to attend their Dealer Meeting in Costa Brava for SUPboardermag where I got a good look at the entire 2016 SUP range.
The Widepoint Range
The board I've had since September is a 2016 model. For 2017 the board shapes are the same across the range; 6 boards sharing the same 32" width from the shortest board at 8'2" and 123l volume to the 11'2" which comes in at 198l. Most of the range are available in 4 constructions, 'Starshot', 'Starlight', 'PineTech' and 'Blue Carbon'. The board I have is the base 'Starshot' model.
The promo video for the range from Starboard can be found here
The 11'2"
I think that it looks great. It looks like a large surfboard with a good size deck pad in grey and red, nothing too shouty which suits this beginner surfer. There's no kick pad on the deck indicating the all round nature of this model, the deck pad is smooth and reasonably grippy, better with bare feet than with boots on. There is a mount for a leash at the tail and a recessed carry handle placed centrally.
Underneath there's some clever shaping which is best described by Starboard;
"a monoconcave bottom shape throughout the range, for a fast central rocker whilst maintaining rail curve for manoeuvrability. Rails are low to moderate volume, which are pinched as you move forward for good acceleration and control. Tails are area squash tails for responsiveness, with pulled in noses with generous rocker for being able to deal with waves which are a little hollower."
To the novice that might mean nothing, to me that means that the designer has had a think about how this board will be used and who is likely to ride it. The shape therefore lends itself to catching waves easily and having fun. It's certainly far easier to have fun in easy surf than any similarly sized inflatable board.
On the bottom are fittings for three fins; a nice long US style centre box allows for plenty of fine tuning with the centre fin and two FCS style side fins. Three fins are supplied with the board, a plastic starboard branded 8" centre fin and two plastic 4.5" side fins.
 |
| Perfectly placed but could be better particularly for a board this size. |
The one thing that Starboard could have done better is the handle, it's position is spot on giving a level carry to and from the water but there is no ledge so the board is balanced on your fingertips, fine for a short carry but other boards up the range have a better, deeper handle handle that lets you get a better grip and makes carrying any distance far, far easier.
On the water
It's fun. Simple as that.
If making the transition from an inflatable board to a widepoint the first thing you'll notice is the noise, hardboards with a bit of rocker slap through the water. Then you'll forget that as soon as you push through a wave as the thin nose slices through chop and whitewater where the thicker nose of an inflatable would float over it. And of course there's no flex, none at all, every bit of energy put into paddling out moves you the board forward. The width and length make for a very positive board in uneven water that gives the paddler a great deal of confidence.
As a cruising board it's got the length and width for anyone to use but the glossy finish and lack of any concession to cargo mean that you'll have to carry any supplies on you, not the board. The length gives good glide too, you're unlikely to win races on it but for flatter days or to paddle to quieter breaks it works well.
 |
| Widepoint |
As a starter surfboard it's just about perfect! In knee high surf the only reason you won't catch a wave will be timing, if you start to paddle too soon then you will outrun any easy, lazy waves. The best approach is to be patient and wait until the swell starts to lift the tail then a couple of strong strokes and you're surfing. It's that easy and I'm convinced that SUP surfboard of this size could have anyone surfing.
Paddling out is easier than on a shorter board, the extra volume and width making short work of small waves but some body English will be required for anything chest high or bigger, getting a foot back to help lift the nose works wonders. Turning between waves also needs some input from the paddler, standing int eh middle with a cross bow turn will work but isn't quick so getting your weight back to lift the nose is in order. And with a board this stable the more you put into hustling it about the more it will give back.
The thing with fins
The 2 + 1 fin set up is pretty standard on boards this size and the supplied fins work well, to a point. One disadvantage of the board size is that to get the best out of those fins you're going to have to learn to move about the board, simply standing near the middle of the board and putting more weight on your back foot doesn't engage them so to carve a stylish bottom turn you're going to have to get back on the board. Cheap plastic fins are a sensible choice for a board at the bottom of the range, they save some money and will withstand some abuse from inexperienced users. The point that they stop working is in bigger surf, so much so that they went missing in action on a big(ish) day on the south coast of Devon, one of those days where I learned a lot about surfing. The missing fins have now been replaced by a glass centre fin from CJB and two better side bites from FCS. Despite their violent removal by mother nature the board was unmarked, testimony to the strength in the construction.
 |
| Fin box with replacement CJB fin |
My verdict
With a rider limit of up to 115kg this will really suit the larger paddler and as an intro to surfing it's a cracker. It's well made, strong, user friendly SUP that will take a novice surfer from needing 'L' plates to confidently navigating surf at their local break.