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Exocet Wind SUP Saves the Day
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Windnc



Joined: 22 Apr 2005
Posts: 85

PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 10:14 am    Post subject: Exocet Wind SUP Saves the Day Reply with quote

Once again the Exocet Wind SUP saved the day when what would previously have been considered a pretty much unsailable day, turned into a really fun ocean and wave riding afternoon. This board continues to reward time and again. It provides the ability to get out on the ocean in light on shore to side on winds to catch a bunch of fun wave rides and downwind swell surfing. Then just head way back up wind with ease thanks to the daggerboard and repeat the whole process again and again. Overall the Wind SUP’s versatility as a light wind ocean/wave board, an SUP for paddling, a flat water windsurfing long board, and a stable easy board for beginners to learn on, is very impressive.

Does it have drawbacks? Yes, it is big at 11’8” long and fairly heavy. Hence it is more weight to lift and launch and more prone to ding damage when handling /transporting if you are not careful. There is also more potential risk for damage to the board and rig in the surf inherent to sailing any big SUP or windsurfing long board in surf conditions. Still these are drawbacks and risks I understand and accept in turn for all the fun this board can provide. Would I prefer to be shortboarding? Of course, but when the winds and conditions are not cooperative then boards like the Wind SUP certainly beat just sitting on the beach wishing and waiting for better conditions.

So after several straight days of really light south and straight on shore wind at Emerald Isle, NC, this last Saturday it finally began to swing a little SSW and more side-on. By 2:00 p.m. it was up to around 8-10 knots so I decided to take the Wind SUP with a 7.5 Aerotech Phantom down to the beach. The tide was still fairly high and due to the more on-shore winds, higher tide and shore break it was not easy to just flop the board down in the water, beach start and go like you would in more side-shore winds. The best method is to wade out while pushing the board and rig out past the in close shore break area. Once out and about 10 - 15 yards off the beach, you could then just climb aboard, up-haul quickly and go. Here again, the high volume and stability of the Wind SUP makes uphauling far easier in the rock and roll surf conditions.

Then by kicking the WindSUP daggerboard down I was able to quickly sail upwind to just east of Bogue Pier. The waves are usually better there and thus the reason for the Pier being a popular and well known North Carolina surfing spot. However, although the waves were 2-3 feet the onshore-side on wind made for pretty poor conditions for surfers with only a few out and in close. There were no SUP paddle surfers or Kiteboarders to be seen either. So I had the whole place pretty much to myself. By then the wind began increasing to 10-12K and I was able to more easily plane up and onto a number of fun wave rides almost into the beach and fast tacks back out.

After catching a few waves I then kicked the dagger back down and headed out about 300 yards past the pier to clear all the fishing lines, and sailed upwind about 1/2 mile west. Made a few more wave rides there and by then the wind had increased to 12-14K with a few higher periods. This made for some really fun beam to broad reach planing and swell surfing - down-winder style, back to the east side of the pier. Now with the added wind strength and being able to plane easily you could catch waves farther out and get some really long fun and fast rides in. Plus the Wind SUP with its wide classic long board nose just climbs up and over the breaking surf and white water with such ease when heading back out. This really makes going out over the surf in light winds so much more stress free!

Finally after about 3 hours non-stop on the water, and having made a whole bunch more powered up beam to broad reach runs in and out while catching more waves and swell rides back to where I started, I called it a day. Thanks again to the Wind SUP I had the opportunity to get out and have a really fun windsurfing and light wind wave riding session in what before were generally considered unsailable ocean on-shore wind conditions. The Exocet Wind SUP made it not only sailable but a whole lot of fun on a beautiful sunny and warm June afternoon off the Crystal Coast of North Carolina.
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danothemano



Joined: 25 Jul 2007
Posts: 77

PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 10:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

No kiters? Awesome! Razz
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windrockwater



Joined: 03 Aug 2010
Posts: 66

PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 7:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just got the windsup. I normally use a 130l JP xcite but needed a big board to replace my mistral super light. Last week I used the windsup to sup with my wife and son. It was great. This week I went to long island sound and decided to try it in 10 knot winds with an old Naish noa V 8.0 sail. That sail always really sucked on the 130 l board. It felt big and heavy and cumbersume and i never once had it planing So I figured I would try it with the windsup one last time or give away the sail. Guess what? It was awesome. I was planing around and giddy. Literally lughing that this big monster board could be so much fun. We do not get lots of windy days on long island sound. So I might have the perfect summer rig now: The windsup and a 8.0 sail. I even got the kiddie sail rig to take my 7 year old out. I think this board might restart my water passion. Hooray. I am glad this pricey board is starting to pay off.
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justall



Joined: 30 Jul 2007
Posts: 442

PostPosted: Tue Jun 04, 2013 8:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great post .... That got me thinking that I'd like one, too, especially with my daughter starting to enjoy the sport.
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windrockwater



Joined: 03 Aug 2010
Posts: 66

PostPosted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 9:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Getting the windsup was a total gamble. And an expensive gamble. There is no real way to try anything around here. So its just going on instinct and reviews online. Kinda scary when buying a big 2k board sight-unseen! Some people have raved about the WindSUP. Others poo poo it that you should have either a good SUP or a good sailboard but they think the windsup is not great at either (sacrifice).

So far i think this hybrid board opens up more potential for me to simply get on the water. If there's good wind, i use my 130L board. If there is light wind, i use the windsup now. If there is no wind, i use the windsup to sup. And since the wind here is so finicky, that makes sense to me. Simply getting my ass to the beach is hard enough. So at least i know i can get on the water one way or another!
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boardsurfr



Joined: 23 Aug 2001
Posts: 1266

PostPosted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 10:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

After reading a lot of enthusiastic posts on this forum, I gambled on the Exocet WindSUP 10. Seems I lost when the thing broke second time it saw waves. Others had similar problems.

I then bought the BIC WindSUP 10.6, which costs only about $1000, and has a more durable construction. It has a much nicer glide that the Exocet. That's not just my opinion, but was shared by ABK instructors. Andy Brandt really liked the BIC (but not the Exocet), and even ABK wave sailor Eric really was impressed. The BIC planes similar to the Exocet - both plane nicely in waves, and decently on flat water, but neither is exiting when planing on flat water.

The BIC does not have a daggerboard, which may limit its use for teaching a bit. But for an intermediate to advanced sailor who knows how to dig in the windward rail, it goes upwind better than the Exocet WindSUP 10 with the dagger board down. The Exo performance with the daggerboard down is not impressive, and a pretty far cry from older longboards.

In my opinion, the BIC is a better board at a significantly lower cost. The hype about the Exocet planing is just that - hype. If there's enough wind to plane, most windsurfers would be on a different board. If the goal is low-wind planing, a formula or formula-type board will give a much more exiting ride. James Douglass is a case-in-point: after moving to low-wind Florida, he first got a big sail for his Exo WindSUP, but then also got a formula board very shortly thereafter. From his posts, his formula board gets a lot more use.

If playing in waves is important, keep in mind that the Exocet WindSUP weighs substantially more than most sailable SUPs. That's a big issue when trying to get through shore break. Unfortunately, the high weight does NOT seem to mean it can take more of a pounding.

I think getting a sailable SUP is a great idea. They can increase the number of fun days on the water dramatically. But as the owner of both an Exocet WindSUP and a BIC WindSUP, I do not think that the Exocet should be top of anyone's list. There are plenty of other sailable SUP options. Some brands and shops have regular SUP demo days - just bring a rig and see how the SUPs sail before you buy.
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gk3540



Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Posts: 45

PostPosted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 2:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My experiences with the Exocet 11'8 are extremely good. Excellent upwind performance with the dagger down, better than the dagger-less Curve 11'5 and Amundson 11'3. I read about boardsurfr 's unfortunate experience with his 10' windsup (on his excellent blog) and happen to be very interested in the BIC ace tec wind that he's referring to. But regarding his Exocet windsup, it sounds to me more like a problem with Exocets warranty and lack of interest in customer service. I think this 11'8 is awesome. I prefer it to shortboards because it has far more range and versatility. Regarding the marketing ploy of branding it a beginners board or light wind board, I refer anyone interested to a fun to read windsurfing book, "Windsurfing--wherever there's water and wind" by Glenn Taylor--Copyright 1979, so keep that in mind, if you can find it. Windsurfers used to do all kinds of cool, talented, complex maneuvers on the original windsurfer, which this board reminds me of. It is a lot lighter than that board, more modern, but has similar dimensions.
This Exocet 11'8 can be used in far more diverse situations than simply light wind and save the day mentalities. Yes, the volume becomes redundant at higher wind speeds, but it will get you back in lulls or in the occasional gear breakdown. I broke my mast one time way out in the outer swells and limped this board back in pretty easily, standing up. Meanwhile, I windsurfed it with a 4.7 sail on a 25 mph day (that was predicted to be 15), and it kept up with my friends 115 liter shortboard. Yes, it is big---I've broken my windshield on the SUP ( was able to fit it inside barely, on the diagonal)and just traded it in for a long bed pick up. The 11'8 looks pretty cool with its tail and fin sitting up back there. If you are smaller than my 6'1, 185 lbs, you might not find this 11'8 as useful.
The other thing I would add is that I wouldn't call this a very good wave SUP, when paddling. I'm sure it's good for catching small waves or on flatter water paddle cruises, but this to me is a replacement for my Kona one for windsurfung in the waves (emphasize the waves, b/c that Kona one is a great board). I have had no problem with wave durability from my Exocet 11'8. But for paddling in surf, I don't use it. I bet that BIC wind ace tec paddles in surf well. I have heard great things about its durability and its windsurfing ability. And it's $500 less than the windsup. The BIC is on my list for the future, but I sure hope to see this 11'8 remain viable--I love mine....
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windrockwater



Joined: 03 Aug 2010
Posts: 66

PostPosted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 10:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I did read about your problems with the Windsup. That made me nervous. I also narrowed it down to the Windsup and the Bic (not alot of other choices). I spoke with someone at Isthmus sailboards who helped guide me. I have no way to compare it to the Bic. I hope the Windsup doesnt start to fall apart. The padding on it seems a little lazily installed. Uneven cut edges and some of the glue shows at the seams. Even the paint job is kinda wobbly. But otherwise it seems solid.

FYI, I am 6'5" and 215lbs. So the big board seems just right for me. Also, yes the board points directly upwind with the dagger board down! Thats great. I can sail upwind quickly and then turn around and plane downwind and then reverse. Thats important for the onshore winds and tight spaces that i sail in.

I have not tried SUP in waves. I am a little worried about damaging the fin or the board in the shallows.

I wish the board had tie-downs for a gear mesh in the front. And it didn't come with footstraps so i need those. The fin is giant. I suppose i could use a smaller fin than the stock one?

It should be interesting to see people i know try to learn on it. Its like a barge. Ha.
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Windnc



Joined: 22 Apr 2005
Posts: 85

PostPosted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 11:27 am    Post subject: Exocet Wind Sup Saves The Day Reply with quote

Windrockwater:

I would not recommend using the stock long fin that comes with the WindSUP for sailing in the Waves or even for SUP Paddling. Although it works well for flat water sailing especially with bigger sails, I have found a 34cm True Ames Convert works pretty well for light wind wave sailing for my 200 lbs.

Another fin I have used is a 10" True Ames Surf Grass on it for light wind wave sailing. That fin makes it a little easier to turn than the Convert, and gives good clearance when beach starting but is not as efficient for getting the board up on a plane.

I do use the 10' surfgrass fin all the time for SUP paddling though as it also makes the board turn easier and gives a heck of a lot more access to shallow water paddling than the stock long fin too. Another friend of mine who has the WindSUP uses a Maui Fin Company San Carlos Weed Wave 25cm on his for paddling with good results. I sailed his board several times with this fin on the ocean and waves in light winds and it seemed to work O.K with similar performance on the WindSUP to the 10" Surf Grass.

It would be interesting to hear what other fin options others are using on their WindSUP's too. Anyone?
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gk3540



Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Posts: 45

PostPosted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 12:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use a 29 cm true Ames surfgrass fin when sailing off the beach and the few times I SUPed it in waves (like I was saying, there are better options than this board out there for wave SUP with paddle)
I put a 38 cm Kona surf fin on it in the river, for the flatter conditions and less of a need to have that shallow 29 cm which works so well at the beach.
I haven't used the 44 cm stock fin all that often. I almost put it on one day when using 9.0 sail but the 38 cm Kona worked fine with that sail, on that day.
This board looks big, yes, but when powered up in the ocean with all the chop and waves, it feels just right.
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