SUP hunting

[Dr.P]

Well, it's not quite kayak diving, but I suppose this is the best place to post it up. I have kayaks and paddle boards (and a real boat for that matter), but I kept thinking that a SUP really would rule for spotting fish and otherwise ease of use for bay hunting (Gulf Coast of Florida). So, I threw this little prototype together. I know people have used touring boards before, but I really prefer getting places quickly, so I wanted to give it a shot with a true race SUP. This is a 12'6" that I got for free and basically just built up with random stuff I had laying around plus about $20 of epoxy and hardware.



It easily carries dive gear, an anchor, large diver down flag, water, safety gear, GoPro, and a 50L cooler.




For my money, this is the most rewarding way that I've found to hunt yet. I can actually get out to spots way quicker than I can with a boat, because I can drop the board in anywhere I want. The gear travels with the board, so there's really nothing of a loading and unloading process, except to throw my gun and fins on. Plus, you get a good workout and a great waterman vibe. ...but when I said that it "easily" carries the gear, I think that was probably something of an overstatement. This board was shaped for a 130 pound girl, and I'm paddling it at about twice that once loaded with fish. I wanted to prove concept with this one, and I'm looking to build a proper 17-18 foot unlimited rig next. But for now, this thing rocks.

[North Star]

Good concept, good work!

[hatterasfreedvr]

Nice sheephead! That is a sweet looking setup. I've been diving off of my paddleboard for the last 4 or so years. I love it. Even if you get skunked diving it's still satisfying just being out there on them. Post up some more pictures!

[ldsanta]

Bote paddle boards make the best paddle boards for diving. I have used them multiple times to go spearing and have worked flawlessly each time. You should check out their new line of boards.

[hatterasfreedvr]

Here's a picture of my high-tech setup haha

[Dr.P]

Well, after a few months of hunting with the Bote, I was able to learn pretty well what worked, what didn't, and what I'm really looking for. First off, I'm a pretty competitive stand up paddler, so anything I'm hunting with has to be a competitive race shape... basically, take the gear off and it's a board I could go win a race on. I stumbled upon a 17 foot unlimited Starboard Ace GT full carbon fiber board that fit the bill perfectly. It's only 24" wide with a displacement hull and built for big open ocean conditions (it's a favorite for races like the Molokai to Oahu).

I named the board CETO after the Greek goddess of the dangers of the sea. The sharpie art is my own.

...and a little more art on the tail too. Fully loaded I've got her rigged up with a Blacktip Custom speargun, 50 quart cooler, fins, mask, snorkel, diver down flag, food/water, GoPro, anchor, VHF radio, EPIRB, and a medical kit with everything needed to save a life in case of emergency.

Probably my biggest technical improvement on this board is the anchor. This time, I used a 30 meter reel and constructed a custom mount using GoPro parts and an FCS fin mount. Now, all you have to do is drop the anchor overboard until it stops pulling line and tie it off. ...then reel it in when done. I keep the anchor in my fin foot pocket when not in use.


In sum, it's a full carbon SUP with world class speed and amazing volume and stability that is purpose built for the open ocean. ...and now it's the perfect hunting tool too.

[Paclc1]

Nice ride!

[OBLIGATED]

I have been wanting a Red Navigator for longer hauls.My current board will float 400# but its like a long board.I wont be racing because Im old a tore up but the pointed front makes a difference through a chop.Nice art work!

[Dr.P]

Originally Posted by OBLIGATED

I have been wanting a Red Navigator for longer hauls.My current board will float 400# but its like a long board.I wont be racing because Im old a tore up but the pointed front makes a difference through a chop.Nice art work!

Yeah, planing hulls are fine and tend to be much more stable, but you end up pushing a lot of water instead of cutting through it. Interestingly, in downwind racing, planing hulls take over once the wind hits 25-30 knots, because the swell is usually strong enough to actually 'surf' or plane on the water. While that is great for windy days out in the pacific, we rarely get conditions like that over in the gulf. Either can tackle the chop, but the key is finding a good balance. This 17 foot board works amazing in the open ocean for the same reason you would rather have a 39' fishing boat than a 25' on a rough day in the water. It can bridge the chop (so it never even feels tippy) and even hook into swell to give you some amazing speed. Where you get into trouble is a shorter, narrow, displacement hull board that is loaded up with too much weight (rider, or rider+gear). That is a recipe for disaster.
This board has really opened up my options, as I now have about a 20 mile range without stressing too much. ...a lot of paddling, but I paddle those distances regularly just for fun anyways. Now I can bring home fish to show for it.

[OBLIGATED]

Wife ordered five boards yesterday.One is a touring board.Ill post pics and info after I test ride it.Also ordered two inflatable SUPs with removable fins and lots of tie down points.Should be a week before delivery so I SHOULD be healed up enough to go tear something up again.

[Marcus]

That's a stud of a Sherpa.

[Dr.P]

Originally Posted by OBLIGATED

Wife ordered five boards yesterday.One is a touring board.Ill post pics and info after I test ride it.Also ordered two inflatable SUPs with removable fins and lots of tie down points.Should be a week before delivery so I SHOULD be healed up enough to go tear something up again.

Nice! The inflatable boards are nice when you don't have much storage space, and the newer ones are surprisingly quick for an inflatable board.

[Dr.P]

Made a few more modifications based on my needs. I've been out every day for the past two weeks, sometimes all day.
Added a Yeti to hold ice, food, and fish better out in the sun:

Also mounted my GPS on the deck for real-time speed and distance readouts, as well as navigation when headed to a reef:

And rigged up the mount myself:

Still loving it. I'm going out every day, got a freezer full of fish, I'm as fit as I've ever been, and feeling pretty waterman about it!
-Dr.P-

[OBLIGATED]

Originally Posted by Dr.P

Nice! The inflatable boards are nice when you don't have much storage space, and the newer ones are surprisingly quick for an inflatable board.

I guess I will find out monday.The inflatables have removable fins instead of molded fins.Ill post pics when I get them out.

[Kasp]

Originally Posted by OBLIGATED

I guess I will find out monday.The inflatables have removable fins instead of molded fins.Ill post pics when I get them out.

I'd love to hear how that goes, I've been looking at a couple of inflatable SUPs.