David’s Review: Naish 10′6″ Stand Up Board
Board Tested: 2008 Naish 10′6″ Stand Up
Paddle Used: 80″ Werner Spanker
Dates: May, 2008
Location: Event Site, Columbia River Gorge
Paddling Conditions: glassy flatwater, and 10-15 mph wind chop
Windsurfing Conditions: swell riding in 10-30 mph winds, 4.7 meter sail
Rider: David
Gender: Male
Height: 6′0″
Weight: 170 lbs
Skill Level: Expert stand up paddler, expert windsurfer, expert kiteboarder
David has recently been spending a ton of time on the smaller of the Naish stand up boards, and he was kind enough to write up his thoughts on the matter.
Here’s David, in his own words:
Over the last few days I’ve spent a lot of time on the 10′6″ Naish Stand Up board. My first couple sessions were in glassy wakeboarding weather, and I had a blast. I was surprised at how well the board paddled on a straight line. The glide was impressive for being such a small board, due in part to its narrower width and long rail line. The board literally turns on a dime when you step back on the tail.
The 10′6″ is definitely more tippy than the Naish 11′6″, but it continues to feel more comfortable after each session. The three-piece Naish traction pad helps stabilize the board, and the ramps on the side of the pad help your feet learn the correct placement.
My next session was in windier conditions, 10-15 mph, and I had a fun time paddling in the wind chop. The board felt very efficient and was powerful when paddling upwind. Even in the breeze it offered a stable paddling platform, though it is certainly not as stable as some of the wider boards out there. Riding downwind was amazingly fun and fast on the swell.
Windsurfing
Later that afternoon I put up my 4.7 sail in gusty 10-30 mph conditions, and had the best “sailing on an SUP” session of my life! The board was easy going upwind with a very tight line into the wind. I wasn’t planing, but chugging along nicely.
I made it up to the White Salmon Bridge from the Event Site on a single reach, got onto a nice plane, and made my first turn in clean rolling swell with very little wind. The board rolled through the turn effortlessly and did an awesome job maintaining its speed through the whole turn, despite being in a big wind hole on the Washington side.
I ended up playing in the swell for a couple hours, having a really fun time getting truly dialed in. When I sailed back downwind to the Event Site, I was blessed with a pretty good-sized gust, 25+ mph, which got the board going screaming fast! It was fast, fun, and still controllable riding strapless.
The Bottom Line
The Naish 10′6″ Stand Up is definitely near the top of my list for fun boards in the Gorge, and I am really excited to head out to the Oregon Coast and try it in the surf!
Related Posts:
Read Dane’s review of the Naish 11′6″ Stand Up
