This afternoon I closed the shop as fast as I could to try and catch up with a paddleboard group that our friend Ryan Levinson has been organizing on Tuesday nights. They launch at the Bahia resort at 6:00 PM every Tuesday and do a run out to the open ocean and back. I have to close the shop at 6:00 so my plan was to launch from our dock and catch the group as they pass by our marina on their way out. As luck would have it today I ran late after helping a few customers after hours so I missed the group by about 10 minutes and spent the better part of the paddle playing catch up. I did finally meet the group about a quarter mile off shore where they were taking a quick break. From there we turned around and ran with the wind, swell, and incoming tide back in the channel to the Bahia.
This was only the second time I've been in any appreciable chop or measurable swell on a standup. I quickly discovered that as long as I kept moving I felt quite stable on the Laird 11-6 that I was on. For rough water paddling though I don't think I'd mind sacrificing a little speed for a bit more rocker up front which would make a board ride over the chop rather than plunge into it which is what I was experiencing on the relatively flat Laird. It was a fun workout run and thank god most of the group had raced this weekend and were taking it easy because I don't think I could have kept up otherwise.
Laird 11-6 Review
Manufacturer= Surftech
Brand (shaper) = Laird
Model = Laird 11-6
Type = SUP
Material = Softop
Length = 11'-6"
Width = 29"
Thickness = 4 3/8"
Location = Mission Bay past red buoy and back to the Bahia resort.
Time = 6:15 PM
Distance = Aprox 3 miles
Duration = 1:00
Avg. Speed = Aprox 3 mph
Conditions = Overcast and chilly
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