What is best for you? Race vs Touring Comparison Review Starboard Tikhine All star sup Inflatable.

We paddle on a lake an compare Starboards tithing touring 12`6 x 28 vs Starboard inflatable Allstar airline 12´6x27. How they are to paddle, is it a big difference if you are going to tour and not do racing? Hope you like this comparison between this boards!
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[@danerik.westerlind]

Watch all of my test in this playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLFonwMdtb2e1Vnuy1mq0M7S8GbgW8gUsx

[@didierplouhinec4899]

If one day you really need to tow another board remember the tug boat have the towing cable in the middle of deck. I towed many times in line with my sea kayak and also the towing point was just bolted behind the cockpit rim. On a SUP or you can fasten the tow rope on the central handle or on a belt around the waist. Try it soon and you will see it lets you more manoeuvrability. Enjoy the ending summer and automn on the water of your beautiful country!

[@danerik.westerlind]

🤙Thanks for the tips, really good!👍

[@janets3549]

The prettiest board is Erika's pink Tikhine board! You had perfect conditions for paddling today. No wonder SUP trips make you feel happy.

[@danerik.westerlind]

Yes indeed on both weather, happiness and board!🤗

[@temujingold9304]

Thanks for providing this comparison! I'm currently trying to decide between two Starboard inflatables, the Airline 14' x 26" and the 14' x 28" Touring S. I'm 65kg and have been paddling for two summers. All my paddling has been done on lakes but conditions vary depending on wind and boat traffic. The only boards I've been on are a 12.6' x 28" Nixy Manhattan inflatable and a 12.6' x 30" Starboard Zen Touring inflatable. The Nixy is WAY less stable than the Starboard but I'm left guessing how much of that is due to the narrowness or down brand differences. I paddle for exercise and enjoyment. My concern with the Airline is that it may be so unstable that it limits when I'm willing to paddle. My concern with the Touring is that perhaps I'm missing out on a faster (= fun) board. Any thoughts/recommendations?

[@danerik.westerlind]

Always hard with recommendations. Nixy Manhattan seems to be narrow from standing area to tail, so it could be the reason why it's unstable. It reminds little in shape of airline. Of coarse it might not be the only reason why you feel it unstable. You gain little stability with a 14 foot, a 14 will be more stable than a 12´6. If you paddle more than once a week you will get muscle that helps stability and you will enjoy airline more. If you paddle less than once a week I think it's wise to go wider and choose touring. Hope it could be to some help. Hope you will enjoy your new board!

[@jungle0776]

Thanks! It would be interesting to compare the speed of the boards on gps. 😅

[@danerik.westerlind]

Completely agree, but I’m not the man for that, have problem with my wrist so I can’t paddle fast.

[@koejoe]

Great review ! I am very surprised the airline felt more stable!? The wider and thinner takhine I thought would most definitely be. I am really debating between the 14x28x6 airline downwind vs the takhine 12’6x28x4.75 as my single travel board for paddling in open ocean. Maybe even the 14x28 tour Dsc. I currently ride a 14x28x6 Zray R2 that just feels abit on the heavy side and the stiffness is just ok at 15psi. Would love to see you review these boards again in some windy wavy downwind conditions :)

[@danerik.westerlind]

I have paddle Tikhine more lately, Allstar and Tikhine behaves differently when I paddle them. Still feels like tikhine goes on top pf the water and Allstar cuts throw the water. I have now learnt Tikhine better and thinking of buying a 14x28 Touring to next year. I need a light board and a wider that 14x24,5, Allstar 14x26 is to heavy and they also packs big. We don't have so much downwind conditions here and I'm not doing open ocean here either. So this review you should take as a flat water review. If you decide between 28 allstar downwind and 18 tour, tour is lighter and packs smaller. @Didier Plouhinec can you give som advice, I think you have tested them all and alson doing open ocean?

[@didierplouhinec4899]

Yes I agree with Dan-Erik when he says the Tikhine 12.6 x28 x 4.75 behaves better in the waves as its bow has a wider shape than the race bow of a normal Airline. IF a slightly heavier board and a less compact bag are not the problems I believe the 14.0 x 28 x 6 Airline Downwind will be faster than a 12.6 Tikhine and due to the modified rocker and up turned nose it should perform better than the Tikhine at sea . If your pleasure is to paddle in difficult sea conditions having to paddle hard upwind and then enjoy fast downwinds ( exactly my practise too) I think the Airline Downwind is the answer. About stability if you already are used to a 6 inches board ,due to its 45 cm longer length the Airline Downwind 14.0 x 28 x6 should be very close to the stability of the Tikhine. I dislike the EVA side pads which makes impossible to have a compact backpack, I am not fond of the nose cone and aramide rope as I have to inflate and deflate the board everytime. If you look the volume you will probably be surprised to read the 14.0 x 28 x 6 Airline Downwind has a volume of 367 liters while the normal Touring S 14.0 x 28 x 6 has a volume of 345 liters. The problem is there is no video or real picture which shows this Airline Downwind. I think the normal Airline have a pointed race nose which make them more unstable than the touring S 14x 28 , but the difference of 22 liters must be somewhere. Does this volume include the EVA sidepads? I would have like to read that those 22 liters are in the bow of the Downwind version but in fact both the 14x 28 Airline Downwind and the 14 x 28 normal Airline have this 367 liter volume. Seriously ,If with a hot air gun I could unstick completely or partially the EVA pads to pack it in a normal Touring backpack I will be ready to accept the hassle of the fiiting of the nose cone and dyneema rope and buy the Airline downwind too. Here in Phuket we have a long monsoon season with quite a heavy sea from may to november. As soon as you find the right length of the aramide rope your cut it so there is no excess of length in the finbox. If touring in flat or moderate conditions the Touring S 14.0 x 28 will be faster and you will also get more options to secure the load on the deck. The man who invented the elastic bungie never punched through a 1,5 m "washing machine" wave, and only straps or ropes can firmly secure your bags on the deck. The Touring S has the handles well positioned for on the front and aft deck. 6 D ring bungie in front, 4 D ring bungie aft + 4 big webbing handles...nothing to compare with the 4 D ring front bungie of the Airline Downwind. Take in account your weight as the Airline Downwind 28 is for a weight of 60 to 155kg and the Touring S is for a 55 to 110 kg load. I HOPE I have given you a good advice. let us know your choice. It is a pity Starboard does not organize demo days !

[@koejoe]

@@danerik.westerlind thanks Dan! Really appreciate it a lot !

[@koejoe]

@@didierplouhinec4899 thank you kindly for the detailed message!! A ton of good wisdom here and good knowledge for anyone who comes across this. Today I literally just ordered an aqua marina 14x25x6 on clearance. Half the price. I will think about getting the airline downwind or a starboard tour model for next season and sell off some more gear. Winter is coming so there will be some calm rain flat water days here in Vancouver BC in which I hope to enjoy the thinner 25 profile of the aqua marina elite. I think my heart is leaning towards the 14x28 tour S or even regular 14x28 airline in which I would add more D rings as my travel life long companion. Luckily starboard is giving us some options. Enjoy the ocean waters Didier and thanks again.

[@marksmall8692]

Great comparison video. I was looking at the Tikhine range. As 70kg, I prefer the 4.75" thickness. I recently bought a second hand 2016 Starboard 11’6″ 30" x 4.75" Astro Touring Zen. I am hoping that Starboard will do a Deluxe version of a 4.75" thickness board so it would be stiffer

[@danerik.westerlind]

Thanks! 4,75” is great, I still hope for a 14x28x4,75. How do you enjoy your new for you Astro Touring Zen?

[@marksmall8692]

@@danerik.westerlind I bought my Astro Touring Zen from my SUP school. They sell off older boards at the end of each year. I've been paddling this board a few times last year and it's my favourite board. I now need to buy a replacement leash and a paddle. I am eager for the weather to warm up and get back on the water 🙂

[@danerik.westerlind]

@@marksmall8692 really good to buy second hand! Hope you soon will be on water again with your favorite board!🤗

[@user-ot2dm8le6k]

Hi, I wanted to ask you if you inflate the sap in the field or take them inflated and if there are stones there is no problem to inflate them there. In addition, is it possible to leave them inflated and drive them in the car, I understand that this is not recommended. Thank you very much for the wonderful videos

[@danerik.westerlind]

Thanks, glad you like our videos and thanks for your question. We have them inflated most of the time and take them on roof rack on the car, just as a hard board. Be careful to leave a board on the car roof in hot sun, can damage. We also sometimes inflate at beach, works great but faster to already have them inflated.

[@ragetobe]

I feel like you should have the 12.6 deluxe DDC in the matchup, I'm quite heavy at 93kgs and the 12.6x28 tihine board just wouldn't be ok for me at all, I would need the 12.6x30, the DCC would allow for more weight. I'm not what you guys weigh but for a man to get on the tihine board you would have to be very light I think. Thank you for the review though I love your videos.

[@danerik.westerlind]

Oh, I’m really glad to hear you like our videos!!! My weight 71kg, a 6” board is to recommend for your weight. 14 foot is my favorite length. This tikhine board I use as a travel board.

[@user-cx4dx6ex4l]

Allstar 🚀, side bords 💪

[@Waffleir0n]

What do you think about a Touring 14 x 28 or the 14 x 30? Should pack smaller than the Allstar and glide better than the Tikhine.

[@danerik.westerlind]

🤙I thinking a lot of buying a 14x28 for next year. Both 14x28 an 30 will pack smaller than all star and be faster than a touring 12’6 tikhine.🤩

[@didierplouhinec4899]

All depends on your weight. the 14x 30 is a real aircraft carrier for me 67 kg and still tippy for my friend, 97 kg who owns this Touring M. Somebody, 82 kg replied on another comment the 14x 28 was definitely not a board for beginner and despite his weight the 14x 28 gets affected by the wind due to his thickness of 6 inches. However he said when you get used to, this board is great.

[@koejoe]

@@didierplouhinec4899 I personally like 28” board for better paddle technique. If carrying lots of gear maybe a friend and wanting to go out in hectic conditions perhaps the the 30” is the better choice. the 30” also comes in DDC which would be a lot stiffer too.

[@dcartier1692]

@@didierplouhinec4899 oh, I think that might be me (82 kg) you are quoting - if not, it certainly sums up my experience with the S. One thing to add: I read somewhere that a shorter board can be easier to manage in swell as a 14’ can less easily sit between crests. Yes, but getting torqued by conflicting waves just increases the challenges of this great board.

[@torelliandreadogacademy42]

I would like to ask you a question. If we have 2 identical SUP boards .. same construction material .. same shape .. same width, lets say 75 cm with the same paddler but different length. One 3 meters and the other 4.5 mmeters. Which one will be the fastest? and the difference in speed will be significant or very minimal? Thank you very much

[@danerik.westerlind]

I have never had the opportunity to test two board like that from the same manufacturer and series. What I been told is 3-7% faster per foot. You are talking about 1,5 difference, that is 5 foot and it will be significant. When both of us had Allstar, Erika 12,6x27 and I 14x26 I had to paddle slow or wait. If we change boards Erika had to wait on me but not that much as I had to wait for her.

[@torelliandreadogacademy42]

@@danerik.westerlind thank you !

[@didierplouhinec4899]

All boards can be good on flat water. I think if you go to paddle on the sea in normal conditions with small waves you will change your mind. PROBABLY the fact you already spent so many hours on the Allstar and just a few on the touring makes the Allstar your favorite. When you need to carry and inflate the i SUP everytime the Touring Tikhine Wave is much faster. I dislike the huge size of the bag ,one third bigger than my Tikhine bag. The nose cone and the aramide rope is a hassle too. i Incredible you find the Allstar at 15 cm thick more stable than the 12 cm Touring . I went paddling the Allstar 12.6 X 27 X 6 during an hour in moderate wind and surf conditions and I fell 20 times . In a surf my best speed was 16,5 km but since I went up to 16,8 km/h with my Tikhine Wave. The Allstar's bow is too narrow and it plunges more into the oncoming waves than the Touring S TW does. In two times higher waves, 2 meters swell and ’rebound waves" from the cliff I do not fall from my TW. A GOOD BOARD IS THE ONE YOU FEEL SAFE IN DIFFICULT SEA CONDITIONS. I THINK IT WILL BE HARD TO FIND AN INFLATABLE BOARD MORE SEAWORTHY THAN THE TIKHINE WAVE FOR A LIGHTWEIGHT PADDLER ( 70 KG). I am at sea everyday and even if I wish to demo the 14.0 X 28 X 6 Touring S I know the windage will be a problem. to know which board is faster you must paddle to same trip , let say 10 km , with the same sea conditions. My SUP logbook has now 75 trips with my Tikhine Wave in 4 months and half during the monsoon season and I can tell my average speed is more than 3,5 knots. Best speed on a return from an offshore island 7,6 km in 59 mn = 7,72 km/h =4,17 knots.

[@danerik.westerlind]

We only paddle flat water, so we can only give our thoughts of paddling in river and lakes. We only have 40m down to water and mostly take the boards on the cars roof rack, so we normally don't carry so much. We agree with you that touring is better to carry than Allstar. I also think that I'm really used to my Allstar 14´ and not my new tikhine, never normally paddle 12´6. I also interested in a 14x28 Touring for next year. I guess I've going to have more than one board.

[@danerik.westerlind]

@@imgrillous Thanks!🤗

[@didierplouhinec4899]

@@imgrillous sorry I did not see your comment before now. Yes I only paddle on the sea, now I live at Patong, Phuket, Thailand. I began SUP paddling on december 29 2021 and for the first 16 hours I rented hardboards . When I decided to buy my board on march 29 I had no choice but an iSUP because I wanted to carry it on my Honda 500 and avoid to buy a car. I bought the Tikhine Wave without any possibility to demo it. I have chosen the TW because I am a lightweight paddler 67 kg and having 30 years of experience in sea kayaking and surfski the windage was my main concern. I was right in my choice as 2 weeks after I got the board the monsoon season began. Since mid april the west coast of Phuket receives westerly winds which cause swell and constant back wash along the cliffs. The TW performs well in the chop. I always am surprised to see what they call a choppy sea in videos, for me this are normal sea conditions. I had the idea to buy to Airline 14.0 x 26 x 6 but happily at the shop Seaman Sport, the retailer for Starboard, they had a 12.6 x 27x 6 Airline to demo. Then I experienced the 6 inches thickness, it made the board very unstable and the racing bow piercing the waves was not ok for the sea conditions we have here 7 months per year. I also doubt the Touring S 14.0 x 28x 6 would be as pleasant and seaworthy than the TW. I will not buy it if I cannot demo it first. A guy, 82 kg, in a comment told the 14x 28 is not a beginner board and it takes some time to get used to the windage. You need to consider the sea conditions where you will be at the Canaries Island and take first in account your weight and your level of proficiency. I was a newbie when I bought my TW and I think a width of 28 inches is narrow enough for open sea practise with an i SUP. Surely a Generation 14x 26 would give you the same stability as an hardboard is known to be more stable than an iSUP. I would like so much to see in 2023 catalog a 14.0 x 28 x 5 Tikhine Swell( I already named it) to suit the needs of women and lightweight paddlers who want a faster and longer i SUP than the Tikhine Wave. And I will end with a question: do you think a higher board on the water, 6 inches thick, is faster upwind as there is less water running on the front deck as it happens with the 4,75 thick inches Tikhine Wave? My opinion is yes it must be a dryer and faster ride BUT if the wind is strong the windage will slow down your ride too . Having the feet wet is not a problem but if you need to compensate your course because your board constantly lee then you will get exhausted fast. That is why a 12.6 x 28 x 4,75 is a very seaworthy board and only a 14.0 x 28 x 5 could be faster with the same marine qualities. I hope I have lighten your choice. Enjoy your time at the Canaries! If you can demo an Airline Downwind 14.0x 28 x6 it will perhaps the best for you. Stable means often faster. Supboarder on youtube made a comparative video where the Airline Downwind is ...soon the results.

[@koejoe]

Really happy to be reading this. I am literally in debate about potentially getting the takhine as my only travel all rounder. I use a cheap Zray R2 14x28x6 that I use all year round in chop and wind. It’s heavy at times 30lbs not the stiffest board but I love it so. I’m 160 lbs. The boards I am thinking of as well is the 14x28 airline downwind vs a tour 12’6x28x6 Dsc. Catching bumps , playing in small surf is something I like to do. My biggest fear of owning the 14x28 downwind with nose rocker is side wind. With my current 14x28 I just move my feet up close to the front but a 12’6 is definitely easier. Really too bad they don’t make a 14”x27x4.75 takhine in a double chamber construction.

[@koejoe]

@@danerik.westerlind The quest for the Unicorn 🦄 Isup!

[@Pablito46]

You can tell this video was his idea :)

[@danerik.westerlind]

Yes, my channel, so almost everything is my ideas. 🤗

[@LuciTulcea]

You are too heavy for that race inflatable board. That's why it cuts through the water.

[@danerik.westerlind]

I don't have the board, sold it, but if I remember right I was in the middle of the recommended weight scale.