Today, I launched from Tidewater Boathouse in Oakland just before 11am for a lap around Alameda island. The course is 15.5 miles long and offers a balanced circuit of upwind & downwind. I caught the very end of the ebb and was able to ride that almost to the north tip of the island. Paddling against the very start of the flood, the wind threatened to pick up some, reaching maybe 10 kts at times. As I rounded the point and turned southeast into the Oakland estuary, the flood was gaining a bit of speed and the wind was now at my back. After a short break for some food & water, I powered the
All Star the rest of the way back to Tidewater for a time of 3 hours, 14 mins averaging 4.8 mph. I managed to take 40 minutes off my best time for this route.
This was the 2nd time I've had the All Star on the water and I started to get fairly comfortable on it. It isn't unstable at all, but the secondary stability kicks in further on edge than wider boards, so it takes some getting used to. On flat water it absolutely flies and the narrow beam is very apparent. It handles upwind and downwind very well, although I have yet to have it out in rough, windy conditions. Having not weighed the board yet, I can say that it feels light during the carry and while on the water.
I'm looking forward to many more miles on this board and think it's going to be a perfect board for the mixed conditions we get in the Bay Area. Once I get more time on the board, I'll put together a better review for anyone interested in it. 14' long, 25" wide, 238 liters
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| Starboard All Star 14' x 25" |
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| Ready to launch from Tidewater boathouse - Oakland |
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| The clockwise route starting from the bottom right corner |
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| Nice paddle |
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