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Description

The 12’6” SG2 Crossfit stand up paddle (sup) board is made for high performance training in flatwater or ocean, but is also a competitive stock class raceboard with race proven results in the 2011 Battle of the Paddle in Honolulu Hawaii. Long distance and endurance athletes will find the board well suited for endurance paddle workouts of any length. The Crossfit was specially designed to perform well in flatwater lakes or ocean, in rough choppy water and glassy conditions. It's a fitness training board that is fast and stable but performs well in competitive racing—an all-round 12'6” board. The full displacement hull and sharp bowed nose makes it fast for when every second counts in a race. And at 29” wide, its increased width makes it extra stable and slight V bottom allows it to glide easily over long distances and in a variety of weather conditions. Stability and glide were the primary design goals for the board. Those two elements make it an unbeatable platform for distance training and core workouts. With stability and glide, a rider can concentrate on stroke and pulling from the abdominals rather than on balance and staying afloat. (Join the Gear Talk Group on Sup Connect.)

Features

Review

Summary

The Crossfit stand up paddle (sup) board scores really high on stability while still maintaining enough features to give it that race edge. I took it out in and through the surf and found it to be quite stable, despite of the ocean bumps in the lineup. It strikes a great compromise between a recreational/fitness and a race sup board, but with a stronger emphasis on racing. Of all the boards with race designs, this is definitely one of the more stable sup boards, aiming at beginning and intermediate paddlers with race aspirations. (Become friends with Todd Caranto of Pau Hana on Sup Connect.)

Pros

The secret of the stability is in the board's 29" width. Most people will have absolutely no problem staying on top of this stand up paddle (sup) board, especially if paddling in flatwater, like in lakes and bays with little to no wind. And while the stability caters to the intermediate and beginning paddler, the slight V bottom adds a feature found in boards for more advanced paddlers, for it tends to undermine stability while arguably boosting speed. And here is partly where the recreational/fitness meets the racing aspect of the crossfit stand up paddle (sup) board. Also, the construction is fairly strong. The Halotex construction, combining carbon, fiberglass, and stringers, offers a good combination of strength and flex. The handle to carry the board is quite comfortable and the traction around it gives a nice reference point of where to stand on the board. (Sign up to Sup Connect Newsletter to stay in the sup loop.)

Cons

Keep in mind that the crossfit stand up paddle (sup) board is for beginning and intermediate paddlers with aspirations to race. At 29" of width, this board is wider than what most advanced stand up paddle (sup) racers paddle. But also remember that boards narrower than 29" become increasingly more unstable, especially in open waters. It's also important to know that if you have no or little race aspirations, 29" wide might be too narrow for you. Something wider will give you more stability. So, as far as stability goes, the stand up paddle (sup) board crossfit is a great solution for aspiring stand up paddle racers. The construction, which is fairly strong, adds more weight than advanced paddlers would want, but that means that the board should last you long enough for you to put in the hours necessary to get fit and go fast. (Join the SUP Racing Group on Sup Connect.)

Links

12'6" Crossfit by Pau Hana

About Andre Niemeyer

Gear & Equipment Guide

Disclaimer: Review notes are taken by Andre Niemeyer, other Supconnect staff, and/or contributors. Review notes are typically taken from a one-time use and assessment. Several features were gauged, ranging from design and construction to pricepoint and usability. Now some of these features, such as durability, may receive an initial assessment based on the construction materials and foil, among other things. But this is not a final and definitive assessment. For some features, durability included, any final and definitive assessment requires a longitudinal study. No such study has been made for review notes. These notes are initial, not final, assessment reports. 

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