Home Tournaments Calendar Weather Merchandise Sponsors

Go Back   Spearboard.com - The World's Largest Spearfishing Diving Boating Social Media Forum > Boating > All About Kayak Diving

All About Kayak Diving Here is a place to discuss the growing travel mode of kayak diving.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 02-20-2016, 12:53 PM   #1
Dr.P
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 199
SUP hunting

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.
Dr.P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2016, 05:36 PM   #2
North Star
Max
 
North Star's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Oregon
Age: 68
Posts: 6,272
Re: SUP hunting

Good concept, good work!
__________________
nec timor nec temeritas (neither fear nor foolhardiness.)
North Star is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-18-2016, 03:20 PM   #3
hatterasfreedvr
Registered User
 
hatterasfreedvr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Nags Head, NC
Age: 44
Posts: 397
Re: SUP hunting

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!
hatterasfreedvr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-18-2016, 04:08 PM   #4
ldsanta
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Wilmington, NC
Posts: 94
Re: SUP hunting

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.
ldsanta is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-19-2016, 05:31 PM   #5
hatterasfreedvr
Registered User
 
hatterasfreedvr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Nags Head, NC
Age: 44
Posts: 397
Re: SUP hunting

Here's a picture of my high-tech setup haha
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	998643_782054220305_1243751893_n.jpg
Views:	1487
Size:	36.4 KB
ID:	224748  
hatterasfreedvr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-08-2016, 02:45 PM   #6
Dr.P
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 199
Re: SUP hunting

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.
Dr.P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-08-2016, 03:09 PM   #7
Paclc1
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 78
Re: SUP hunting

Nice ride!
Paclc1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-10-2016, 01:29 PM   #8
OBLIGATED
Registered User
 
OBLIGATED's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Liberal heads rent free
Age: 63
Posts: 8,436
Re: SUP hunting

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!
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	navigator-supatx-red-detail_4.jpg
Views:	717
Size:	34.2 KB
ID:	225412  
__________________
Coexist my ass!
OBLIGATED is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-10-2016, 02:27 PM   #9
Dr.P
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 199
Re: SUP hunting

Quote:
Originally Posted by OBLIGATED View Post
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.

Last edited by Dr.P; 04-10-2016 at 03:13 PM.
Dr.P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-22-2016, 01:22 PM   #10
OBLIGATED
Registered User
 
OBLIGATED's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Liberal heads rent free
Age: 63
Posts: 8,436
Re: SUP hunting

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.
__________________
Coexist my ass!
OBLIGATED is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-22-2016, 02:14 PM   #11
Marcus
Naval gazer extraordinair
 
Marcus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 42,214
Re: SUP hunting

That's a stud of a Sherpa.
__________________
“If the natural tendencies of mankind are so bad that it is not safe to permit people to be free, how is it that the tendencies of these organizers are always good? Do not the legislators and their appointed agents also belong to the human race? Or do they believe that they themselves are made of a finer clay than the rest of mankind?”
― Frederic Bastiat, The Law
Marcus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-29-2016, 10:52 AM   #12
Dr.P
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 199
Re: SUP hunting

Quote:
Originally Posted by OBLIGATED View Post
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 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-29-2016, 11:03 AM   #13
Dr.P
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 199
Re: SUP hunting

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-
Dr.P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-29-2016, 08:29 PM   #14
OBLIGATED
Registered User
 
OBLIGATED's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Liberal heads rent free
Age: 63
Posts: 8,436
Re: SUP hunting

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr.P View Post
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.
__________________
Coexist my ass!
OBLIGATED is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-30-2016, 10:55 AM   #15
Kasp
Registered User
 
Kasp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Lakeland, Fl
Posts: 6
Re: SUP hunting

Quote:
Originally Posted by OBLIGATED View Post
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.
Kasp is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:29 PM.


The World's Largest Spearfishing Diving Social Media Forum Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2002 - 2014 Spearboard.com