AHD Sealion XL purchase (NJ / Philly)

[HatterasFever]

fyi...i heard that WindNC in Avon, NC has started to carry the AHD SeaLions

[jpeter]

Keith, All the talk on this thread got me motivated to find an 83 sealion. WindNC is going for the first shipment right now and I did get in on it. Stoked for the upgrade from my XL.

JP

[isobars]

I made some, IMO, valuable mods to my SL before I even got it wet.

1. Rail tape to protect those big, fat, flawless rails from paddles and the ground. The best material seems to be helicopter blade tape; got mine at
http://blueplanetsurf.com/products/blue-planet-clear-rail-tape .
If it's good enough for an Apache gunship, it's good enough for me.

2. Their paddle grip tape.

3. Little EVA pads on the tips of each tail where the boom rests when warterstarting. Mine got used in high winds, and I didn't want to mess up the board's great finish.

4. Some anti-skid tape from Home Depot inside the board's grip slot so my fingers can NOT slip even in a long, windy, one-handed, windsurfer-style portage with rig attached. This makes carries very secure even in the absence of footstraps; I just supinate that hand so my palm is facing away from my leg, grab the grip slot, and carry everything confidently over the shoreline obstacles. Same goes for LONG walks to and from launches when paddling; you can carry these things for a mile with one hand, at a normal unimpeded walking pace, as though it's not even there, if your grip is secure.

(No, do not add footstraps. They defeat the purpose of that big, broad, versatile deck and the pronounced rocker. The whole purpose of that versatility is so we can dynamically place our feet precisely where they need to be at every instant to make the board obey as we pinch upwind (these things go upwind like there's no tomorrow whether planing or not), blast downwind with or without lots of power, bang one off a lip, react to gusts, finesse onto a plane as we crest a wavelet in a light breeze, etc. Da feet are constantly moving if you want to be the driver rather than a passenger.)

If you really, REALLY feel compelled to mount footstraps despite AHD's "direct orders" not to, mount 'em on your FEET. They'll do much less harm there.

5. And, of course, I added my usual 1" wide, 1/4" thick, self-stick, color-matched, EVA deck pad material on top of the nose and forward rails. Learning to sail a strapless board in planing conditions is guaranteed to produce some nose hits.

As a result, my SL still looks new after a long, sometimes wild season of Gorge and tributary wind/paddle/water/shoreline environments beneath a windSUP newbie.

[jpeter]

My xl lion is in pretty good shape after 2 full seasons.

Mods I will do:

Shark repellant eye candy striping on the bottom.

I ended up putting a strap thru the screw that holds the centerfin or blank in on the xl. This strap makes a perfect handle. For paddling it doesn't matter but carrying the board and rig with the 2 finger handle isn't so good. Need to figure out a way to mount a strap on the 83. (as there is no screw)

[mraupp]

Thanks for the tips. My XL it's on the way. Cannot wait to sail it! Let you all know what my first experience is. Thanks to Wind-NC.

[btbill]

Nice! Yea, great that Andy at Wind-NC now will be the East Coast dealer for Sealions!

I have a new Sealion Wings incoming, looking fwd to seeing how it compares to the Pro!

bb

[isobars]

Maybe they've shortened the built-in grip since I got my 8-3. I get all four fingers in the grip for a secure hold. Even then, walking ashore in a strong wind with a rig attached is a hassle even at just 8'3".

I'm eager to see some feedback from this new fleet of SL owners. I have no idea how they compare to their close competition, as I haven't yet seen another windSUP out in the river swell.

[isobars]

[jpeter]

My thought on the stripes is just that it has a "not in nature" look to it. Makes me look less like a big seal. It's just a giant caution sign.

[isobars]

Then try this: