Follow Starboard as they celebrate World Oceans Day to help raise awareness of our Oceans! Showing their amazing crew involved in the Plastic Offset Program that they have been running. Each year on June 8th we [&hellip... Read More

The post Dave Kalamas Trip To Australia appeared first on SUPboarder Magazine.

Follow The Euro Tour as they bring us to their 4th stop Portugal for the Madeira SUP Challenge 2023 where SUP Sprint athletes battled it out for the top spot! Sit back and enjoy the [&hellip... Read More

Build Up To Racing the Head of the Dart. By Hector Jessel, Starboard UK Team rider.2023 Head of the Dart mens winner.Introduction Hi my name is Hector and Im a SUP racer/team rider for Starboard UK and am the current National Champion. As the winner of the 2023 Head Of The Dart mens fleet, I am hoping to return for 2024 and defend my title. In this article and am going to talk about how I prepare for a race like this as well as offering advice for first time racers who might be feeling unsure about the prospect of entering their first event.Physical preparation Last year was my first international racing season which continued right up into November. I had some time off over Christmas and started training again in the New Year, working towards the first race of the UK 2024 season, at Bewl in a few weeks. Most of my winter training has consisted of long, steady-state paddling and as races draw closer I like to up the intensity of my sessions. Everyone trains differently, depending on where they live, the conditions and their time schedule. But one thing that I see all good racers do is cross train. Whether this is swimming twice a week at your local pool or going to the gym after work, cross training is a great way to stay fit off the water and it can be a great opportunity to give your paddling muscles a rest and work on other muscle groups. I also like to do paddling-specific exercises in the gym and I have seen a big improvement in strength and fitness from this. For a beginner racer, paddling 2 days a week and cross training 2 days a week would be a realistic target to reach on the lead up to an event.My own training regime has steadily been growing over the last few years and as I will now be competing in the Open mens division I am now training twice a day, 6 days a week with one rest day. At least 4 of these sessions will be on the board and the others Ill either be in the gym, on the bike, swimming, or the occasional surf. I understand that most racers do not (need to) train this seriously, nor do they have the time.Conditions When preparing for a race it is important to know the possible range of conditions that you may be presented with on race day and to prepare for the worst. This way, when you turn up, you will be prepared for whatever the conditions present. An example of this is the HoTD. The Dart can have strong winds which may create small, frequent chop. It is sensible to practice in conditions like this at least a few times before the race just to familiarise yourself with the water state. Knowing the conditions will give you a slight edge on your competitors confidence wise. For new racers, the most daunting part of a race is normally the start because it involves the roughest water and there is very little space between you and the other racers. To prepare for this, I recommend paddling in rougher conditions and, if possible, practising your starts next to other paddlers. If, by the time race day comes, you are still not feeling confident, then you can wait behind on the line and start paddling when the quicker racers are ahead of you.ClothingTheres nothing worse than being too hot or cold during a race. This is why selecting the right clothing for the conditions is vital for an enjoyable event. Personally, I get quite hot when I am racing, so I tend to wear just a pair of board shorts and the race bib for most races. If the conditions are colder then I like to wear my 1.5mm wetsuit leggings and a few under-layers on top. It is important to account for your skill level and the water conditions when deciding what to wear. For example, if the water conditions are looking rough and you dont feel confident with your balance, then it might be sensible to wear a wetsuit or extra neoprene layers. Something that is great about events like Head Of The Dart is that there is a massive range of abilities and everyone has different preferences when it comes to kit. If you are unsure what to bring, then its best to wear too many layers than too little. My kit For the race I will be riding my brand new 2024/5 Allstar 14 x 21.5 along with using my Black Project paddle and fin. If you would like to test ride any of these then please speak to me after the race and I will happily lend them out.Conclusion I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have writing it. If you have any other questions about the race then you can contact Fiona through the race website. I would also be very happy to answer any questions through my Instagram account @hectorjessel. I look forward to seeing you all at the 2024 Head Of The Dart SUP race.The post Build Up To Racing the Head of the Dart / by Hector Jessel, Starboard UK Team rider appeared first on SUPboarder Magazine.

Follow Leonard Nika in this video where he gives some tips on how to improve your Roundhouse Cut Back on a wave when SUP Surfing! Make sure and check it out!... Read More

The post Starboards New All Star: Deep Dive Talk appeared first on SUPboarder Magazine.

Clayisland is back with another video showcasing the world of foiling, he aims to help people get into and learn to foil through his videos so be sure to check them out! Learn to wing foil [&hellip... Read More

The post SIC Rocket Ship Turbo (RST): New All-water Race SUP appeared first on SUPboarder Magazine.

The post Push Past Impossible: Paddle Film Coming Soon appeared first on SUPboarder Magazine.

GUNSAILS SPECTRO 7.8M TEST REVIEW 2024GUNSAILS SPECTRO 7.8M TEST REVIEW 2024The Verdict The GUNSAILS SPECTRO offers ultimate simplicity and comfort from rigging to usability on the water. The SPECTRO will elevate your freeriding and nudge you into the racing arena without any complexities. With easy to reach power and control the SPECTRO doesnt ask too much of you unless you want to push things a little harder.The Lowdown Simple and easy to rig right from the start, the SPECTRO possesses two cams which are cleverly disguised within the narrow luff tube. There are no visible zips on the luff to access the cams, and no sign of a tack strap either. This all makes sense during rigging as the SPECTRO rigs with complete and utter simplicity. Popping the cams on is straightforward and can be done once the boom is in place and a little outhaul is applied. Set to the recommended setting and the tuning mark on the second panel from the top, the SPECTRO maintains uniform leech looseness, as expected from a sail of this size, all the way down to the clew, where two eyelets are positioned for adjusting and tuning according to the conditions. The lower two battens have been reinforced with a PVC strip to prevent wear and tear as the upper batten potentially rubs against the boom, while the lower one is more likely to come into contact with different surfaces or the rider. Comprising entirely of monofilm apart from the bottom panel, where multi-directional X-Ply is used to help resist any stress and wear that is more likely to occur at the bottom of the sail. The SPECTROs 7-batten outline appears to offer stability, and upon examination of the profile and draft, its evident that its not overly aggressive and seems to be distributed along the width of the sail to provide smooth and unintimidating power.Brand ClaimWith its 2-camber design, the SPECTRO is the essence of an uncomplicated but powerful early planing sail that combines top speed with effortless control. The perfectly balanced profile, the defined draft point and the playful handling in manoeuvres offer a performance-oriented, comfortable freeride feeling.PerformanceFeeling light in the hands, the SPECTRO is easy to handle and position, while getting going is a smooth process as you would expect from a GUNSAILS sail as the power builds in the sail and helps pull you onto the plane; it never asks too much from the rider. Meanwhile, the SPECTRO is easy to lock in, particularly when nicely powered. With your eyes up assessing the wind and water ahead, the SPECTRO responds well to any input the rider chooses to give it. The SPECTRO remains stable in the gusts as you commit and push harder and although it may not be the most natural to pump, a quick tweak on the outhaul gives the SPECTRO a much fuller profile, which elevates its bottom-end ability and pumping, as well as its ability to pull through the lulls with some deliberate adjustment in your sailing line. Exiting transitions, whether it be a tack or gybe, the SPECTROs cams rotate with complete and utter ease, like any conventional rotational rig you may have in your quiver. The SPECTRO performs best through the gybes with plenty of power and speed running through the rig, which gives you the best possible chance of achieving a fully planing exit. However, if you arent yet totally dialled in on your gybes, dont worry as the SPECTROs lightweight handling, simmering power delivery, and easy-to-position character, make staying dry while gybing almost a guarantee. Angles upwind and downwind are decent, but the SPECTRO excels and feels most comfortable across, or just slightly off the wind, helping to make it one of the most comfortable, controllable, and performance-reaching 8-metre sails in its category.WEBSITE: www.gunsails.comGUNSAILS SPECTRO 7.8M TEST REVIEW 2024VITAL STATSPrice: 649Size: 7.8mLuff: 487cmBoom: 207214cmBattens: 7Cams: 2Ideal Mast: 460 SDM Expert/SelectAvailable sizes: 5.5, 6.3, 7.0, 7.8, 8.5, 9.5OTHER SAILS IN THIS TESTDuotone S-Pace 7.8mGoya Mark 2 7.8mLoftsails Switchblade HD 7.8mNorth FreeRace 7.7mPATRIK GT3 FRC 8mSeverne Mach 7 7.5mBACK TO TEST OVERVIEWThe post GUNSAILS SPECTRO 7.8M TEST REVIEW 2024 appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.