Board Review: Original SIMSUP S3/S5 Hybrid (The SNAzY)

UPDATE: (please see below).

Dimensions: 7'10" double winger (toeside), 7'8" asymmetrical (heelside) by 29.5" by 4.5" by 122L

From the minds of creative, knowledgeable and imaginative people come innovations that always precede, then exceed expectations. Bob Simmons begot the modern planing hull, while years later, Joe Bauguess & Richard Kenvin begot the mini-Simmons. Staying with the surfboard genre Dan Thomson built upon Simmons original premise and proffered the current era planing hull as found in the Vanguard and Vader. And in the SUP world Kirk McGinty burst forth with the Original SIMSUP series of boards. Starting with the S1 through S3 series, he continued his creative juggernaut with the S4 and S5 editions. These innovations have led to the birthing of an utterly unique amalgam of modern SIMSUP hybrids, blending tradition with modern hydrodynamics and always based upon his core values of maximizing speed and maneuverability without loss of stability. The board you see here which I have dubbed the SNAzY (Shovel Nose Asymmetrical simmY) is the vibrant result of my latest adventure with Kirk and the Original SIMSUP.

I picked the board up Sunday afternoon and had it in the water at my local beach break at dawn Monday morning. My initial impressions of the board are as follows: generally, it paddles like a bigger board, and surfs like a smaller board. It took some getting used to the shovel nose. It just doesn't look "right" and makes the board feel like a much bigger board when in fact it's the shortest SUP I've ever ridden, and at 29.5", narrower than what I usually ride. Not only is it the shortest at 7'10" on the toeside (double winger side) but it's only 7'8" on the asymmetrical (heel side). That should feel short in the water but it doesn't at all. Happily, I did not even notice a difference standing on, or paddling the board between my current 8' S3 and the SNAzY. Well that's not quite true. The SNAzY is slightly more tippy than my 8' S3 at 30.5" wide, but I didn't really feel any greater effort was needed to paddle, sprint, surf or maneuver the SNAzY. The sea surface was pretty glassy with some offshore wind ruffles, but there were rips moving around as well as some backwash from the beach which was sending some diagonal humps back through the lineup, especially after big sets washed through. Even on the areas of uneven sea surface I never fell off the board standing, paddling or sprinting for waves or rushing to get out the back and over set waves. The board paddles through foamy breaking waves better than any board I've ever ridden. The accelerated rocker in the shovel nose smoothly lifts the board up and over the whitewater and the landings are stable.

The unique plan shape that you see is deliberate and purposeful. The general specifics of the design and dimensions were made in collaboration with Kirk and with the indirect help of Michael Marina who had the first SNAzY I ever saw and graciously allowed me to ride it. It only took one session on the board and I was committed to this unique plan shape and the asymmetrical design.

The toeside wings are more pronounced than on my other Simmys and I was worried that they would somehow make the board slower or stiffer than my other double winger (S3), but no worries. The SNAzY turns and holds off the bottom without hesitation and there is no drag or lagging at all. The SNAzY rides the high line and goes fast, just as fast as my S2 and S3. Turnbacks/cutbacks are sleep walking. The board changes direction on the 7'8" asymmetrical tail like a hot knife cutting through butter, just as we'd planned. The board banks off the top and is steady and stable re-entering from the crest at the steepest part of the wave. Wider and heavier surfboards (think SUPs) have a tendency to catch the outside rail in the trough of the wave before the rider can put the board on rail and accelerate "around the corner" and into the clean wave face. This was an issue we specifically addressed with the SNAzY design by the 29.5" width and the slightly accelerated nose rocker. It works perfectly. While making the transition from the steep drop re-entry into the bottom turn, the nose stays well clear of the acute trough angle. The combination of the the k-rail and the double concave planing hull provides for nearly instantaneous speed with little (if any) noticeable deceleration. When the board has the occasion to ride the foam line it does so with no slowing, catching, jerking or loss of speed. In those situations it was almost too easy to slide the foam and turn up into the clean corner for more up and down action, or to flick out and paddle out the back for more.

Another important design element in considering a short, fast and maneuverable SUP is weight. The SNAzY is protected by a state of the art glassing application emanating from the Stretch factory in Santa Cruz CA. This process utilizes Technora Fiber seen via the unique crosshatch pattern inherent in the material known as Vectornet. It is defined as follows: "Aramid fibers are a class of strong, synthetic fibers. Improves flex memory on the bottom of surfboards, and core-crush and point-load impact resistance on surfboard decks. Also used in aerospace, military applications, body armor and ballistic composites."(1) In truth Vectornet has been around for a while and has been coming into greater use in the surfboard/SUP industry because of it's high strength to low weight ration. (I also dig the way it looks, especially on the SNAzY. Sexy!)

So, why did I go from a 8' X 28.5" X 4.5" X 119L S2 to the SNAzY S3/S5 hybrid? The primary reason is that I'm just not physically strong enough to keep from getting quickly exhausted when out on the board. If it was just surfing there would be no issue. The board surfs better than any SUP I've ever ridden, mainly because of low volume and the narrow width. But those two elements require more strength to balance on at rest and when paddling and catching waves. I like surfing beach breaks which typically have more chop and roll than point breaks protected from the wind or by land. It was just too much work to paddle and balance at rest on the board. Consequently my sessions were always shorter due to fatigue. I just wasn't having enough fun. SUP boards, paddling and surfing are like flying. It's a constant process of adjustment. Looking for that perfect balance between stability and surfability is part of that never ending process. That's (in my opinion) why we call them "custom" boards. They are custom built to the SUP surfers desires, needs and perhaps most importantly, abilities.This is self evident for those who have been SUP surfing for a while. Are you still riding the first board you bought when you started? I'll bet not.

Kirk and I collaborated to build a high performance surfing SUP that would surf as well or nearly as well as the S2, but would be less tippy and more stable in rougher conditions. The SNAzY is the result of that collaboration and although I've ridden it only once, I think we went a long ways towards resolving the issues I felt needed improvement. The shovel nose design allowed for more board width overall without compromising surfability. We kept the wide point at 29.5" (a compromise between 28.5" (S2) and 30.5" (S3) which is still excellent for putting the board on rail and therefore enhancing maneuverability.The asymmetrical tail was designed for ease in cutbacks. Not only did the overall plan shape allow for more maneuverability, it allowed us to go shorter, from 8' to 7'10" toeside/7'8" heelside, and still maintain acceptable volume (122L vs. 119L (S2) and 125L (S3). We were able to do this with minimal loss of stability. This is my fifth SIMSUP and each build has been an adventure as well as fun and exciting. Each new board aims for a new balance with the goal of extracting as much fun and pure joy from the SUP surfing experience as possible.

Over the last four years Kirk has invested significant amounts of time and energy into researching and developing the SIMSUP. (His design knowledge also includes building surfboards through L41 Surfboards, which he has been doing for years.) His high performance S4 and S5 models are built upon the plan shapes of the original S1-S3 series but they are incredibly advanced compared to those early boards. He has incorporated his knowledge and design innovations and continues to make products that the SUP world simply has never seen before. They say the highest form of flattery is imitation and there have been those who have tried to imitate the Original SIMSUP. But Kirk is the original, the creator. He's a genuine son of the Santa Cruz surf culture and the history of surfing and stand up paddling.

Update: My first surf on the SNAzY was March 24th, this year. I've had plenty of surfs on it in multiple locations, multiple situations and conditions from beach breaks to point breaks to reef breaks as well as summer surf on Maui. It is the most exciting and the funnest SUP I've ever owned. In a word, I "love" this board. I continue to be amazed and pleased by how fast and maneuverable the board surfs. It is also stable in almost all conditions including strong wind and bumpy, back washy seas. The SNAzY is 100% my "go to" board in all waves up to head high/one to two feet overhead at all spots where I surf. Even though it's short, even though it's got a funny looking snub nose, it can handle any kind of wave in that size range. Soft, steep, barreling, it takes 'em all.

The primary limitation in this board is me. I am too old to push this board as far as it can go. Under the feet of a younger and more skilled SUP surfer, this board would astound. I am slowly ridding myself of the notion that the SNAz is a small wave only board. I recently rode well overhead, 17 second, high energy south swell waves at high tide with significant backwash from shoreside cliffs and a lot of water moving. Six guys out, two on SUPs (me and a longer 9'-10' standard shape SUP) and the SUPs were the only boards capable of consistently paddling into the fast moving high energy waves. Drops were ledgy as you couldn't get in early...too much water. The loose maneuverability of the SNAz in small waves is almost a liability in large waves of consequence because it doesn't take much to move the board around on the wave. Making this adjustment in the mind of the surfer is important, especially if you don't ride big waves (think double overhead as a start point here) very often. I felt insecure and skitterish on the board for the first couple waves until I got my bearings. After that it was just pure adrenaline fun.

Contrast that day with the next in dropping swell at a different point break in 1-4' waves. Some were lined up with long fast walls and some were just teeny 1-2' barrels too small to tuck into. Those would just break into my legs as the SNAz just blasted down the line and onto the shoulder. Bar of soap, super slippery, kept coming to mind.

I took the board with me to Maui last Summer and surfed it almost every day for six weeks in small warm water waves. I'm going back for the month of November and my dilemma is which board to take. The surf will definitely be bigger and packing a stronger NPAC punch. My SNAzY or my S3? I still haven't decided.

This update is finished, but the story isn't. If I take the SNAz next month, I'll update again. Either way, it's going to be a SIMSUP adventure full of good waves and a ton of fun.
(October 5, 2014)

About me: 67 year old retired firefighter in pretty good shape. Live next to the Monterey Bay. Been surfing on and off since 1963. Paddled my first SUP in Hawaii in August 2007. Started SUP surfing in September that same year. Collaborated with Kirk (he's the one with the know-how) to build the first SIMSUP S1 which launched in June 2010. The SNAzY is my fifth SIMSUP. Hope to be able to SUP hard 'til I can't.

The Covewater Paddle Surf - SIC Interviews

Covewater Paddle Surf shop owner Scott Ruble and SIC's John Griffith talk about the new line of SIC stand up paddleboards for flat water racing, open ocean paddling and racing, downwinding, fitness and surfing. They dish out a ton of good info in this video and for even more on specs and all the types of boards offered, check out the Covewater and SIC websites. Covewater has all the SICs in their shop and you can demo the boards you're interested in. Call Covewater at 831-600-7230 to set something up.

Angulo 10-0 Custom Stand Up paddle Surfboard Review

Before I launch into my review of the Angulo 10-0 Custom stand up paddle surfboard (SUpS), a few essential points must be made, firstly about me. I am a 62 year old, life long surfer, having started at age 16 in Southern California. I am in excellent physical condition and work at it. I have owned and surfed all kinds of surfboards, and I have never advanced beyond the skill level of advanced intermediate recreational surfer. I am an amateur student of surfboard design and production and most things related to the sport of surfing.

Second, all surfboard/paddleboard reviews are personal and subjective and should be viewed with a skeptical eye. Not all reviews are without bias or an agenda. (In the interest of full disclosure it must be stated that I produce and maintain the Angulo SUP blog. Other than that, I have no other affiliation with the surfing industry.) No review can ever take the place of your own good judgment and needs. Needs are personal and change with time, therefore what you think of a SUP or SUpS now, may change in six months based upon various conditions and facts (like you are a lot better at stand up paddle surfing after doing it for a while than you were when you started).

Finally, when considering the purchase of a SUpS, Try Before You Buy if you can. Most reputable dealers, and those who are in it for the long run, will have demo days, or boards you can try. Some sellers will even take you out paddling or paddle surfing. Getting your feet on the board, and paddling/surfing it in the water is always the best way to do your research on any individual board you are considering. After all, these things are expensive!

Angulo 10-0 Custom EPS/Epoxy Stand Up paddle Surfboard (SUpS)

Keeping the first three paragraph disclaimer in mind, it isn't going to be easy to write an unbiased review of this stand up paddle surfboard, mainly because I love this board! I've owned three Angulo SUPs. My first was the 10-4 Olohe production board; second the 10-2 Perfect Wave production board; and my current board which was custom built for me by Ed Angulo at his shop on Maui. What I've learned in the almost two years I've been stand up paddle boarding is that I love to surf primarily, and I love to surf on a stand up paddle board. Therein was the "problem."

I had the great good fortune of hanging out and surfing with Ed last October during the Sacred Craft Expo in San Diego. We surfed together at San-O, Cardiff Reefs and some spots outside of Santa Barbara on our way back up north. Little did I know that Ed was noting and logging for future use, my surfing skills, and "likes and dislikes" about this that and the other thing. As a smaller guy, I often grumped about how hard it was for light guys to turn big heavy SUPs, even if they were relatively short in length. I'd go on and on about swing weight, and trying to redirect a board that just wanted to keep going due to it's weight. It was much harder to "hot dog" most SUPs, because after all, that generation of SUPs were paddleboards you could surf. What I wanted was a surfboard I could paddle, without having to expend all my energy just standing and balancing on the board. That, was the holy grail, a stand up paddle board that surfed like a surfboard, and was stable to paddle.

When Ed came to the mainland from Maui for the Expo, he brought one of his custom eps/epoxy prototypes as a demo board. Long story short, after I paddled and surfed it, there was no turning back...I wanted one! (So did two other guys who tried it.) So we ordered three boards which Ed made for us in Hawaii, and then shipped over to our homes on the mainland.

This prototype custom shaped board seemed to solve the problems of heavy production models that were difficult to move around if you didn't weigh in at around 190 plus. They were light, often lighter than a custom polyurethane board of the same length. They surfed like a good all-around long board. They were fast, loose and good noseriders. And the holy grail part? They were stable to paddle. What was there not to like?

We all ordered the same prototype board and design, except that Ed knew more than I (from his observations surfing together) exactly what I wanted and how I surfed. So he tweaked mine just enough to make it a perfect fit for me. At first I wasn't sure if this was going to work, now I'm so thankful that he put his insights and master board builder skills to work, to make me a magic board, that is really more than I expected.

You can get a pretty good idea of the boards plan shape and foil from the pictures. The dims are: 10-0 X 19 X 29 1/4 X 19 X 4 1/4. Rocker is 5 7/8" at the nose, and at the tail, 3 3/8". Those specs give a rough idea of how the board is proportioned, but what you can't tell from them is how well the board is foiled out, including the "surfboard" rocker that Ed shaped into the board, as opposed to the flatter paddleboard rocker.

Another key design feature that works so well for me is the rail and bottom shape. The board has a single concave at the nose that blends into a double concave about a third back and runs out the back of the board with some vee shaped into the tail. The rails hold a very hard to hard edge from the tail up through the boxy midsection for about 70% of the length of the board, before going soft out the nose. The board's wide point is slightly forward of center.

Another feature that I've liked in all the boards I've owned for the last 10 years or so is the tail, a rounded pin with wings. For me this tail surfs fast while allowing for maneuverability. I favor surfing off my back foot, with pivot turns off a thruster, or 2+1 fin set-up. I also like to pump the board and carve the wave face, climbing and dropping, turning off the bottom and then back off the top. I love the motion and feel of that kind of surfing.

I've surfed this board for about 25 hours in small to head high waves, in reef breaks, point breaks and beach breaks. It is a performance board and works extremely well in all conditions surfed so far. I haven't taken it out in bigger waves (double overhead is about my personal max) because we haven't had any big waves since last November. But I fully expect the board to be stable and fast in bigger surf. One of the reasons I think this, is the fin set-up.

The prototype board we all rode was set-up as a single fin. But being the fin freak that I am, I ordered my 10-0 with Future sides and a 10" center box. Riding the prototype as a single fin was impressive because of how easily the board would turn, hold and noseride. But since I like having the option of surfing at least three configurations, I asked Ed to install the side fin boxes. Having the option to install larger or smaller fins, in single or multiple fin configurations, will either stiffen and stabilize a board, or make it looser. I've had a lot of fun over the years playing and experimenting with fins. Just changing fin configurations is like having two or three boards in one.

I bought a RFC Pivot Fin (same as in the prototype) because it worked so well. And it works just as well in the 10-0. Amazingly well, I've had it in fast beach break and made some very steep and late drops with the single fin, drops I never thought I could have made with a longboard. And they call it the Pivot fin for a good reason. It pivot turns on a dime and redirects on a dime too. This is possible due to the design of the fin, and the board, and above all, due to the light weight build of the custom sandwich construction. And this is the heart of the review.

Ed is a master craftsman who has been building boards for many years. He began working with expanded polystyrene in the 80's. He has used it to build a variety of types of boards including wind surfing, surfing and stand up paddle surfing. He has the same experience with epoxy resins. But above all, he has developed a proprietary vacuum bagging process that he just calls, "custom sandwich construction." This is what makes the board light and extremely strong, which is important for anyone flailing around with a paddle near their board. The weight savings to be gained by a custom over a production board is at least four to six pounds. My board weighs in at an amazingly light, 19 pounds. If you are currently surfing a 10' longboard, weigh it and see how it compares. You might be "way" surprised.

My Angulo 10-0 has simply solved the problem of how to blend stand up paddling with lay down surfing. My stand up paddle surfboard surfs as well or better than any lay down longboard I've ever owned. Therefore, no need to have a regular longboard in my quiver. Since I still like to lay down paddle every now and again, I'm going to get a 6-10 "short"board. I've got longboard surfing covered, now I'll be able to cover shortboarding, which is a different "genre" of stand up surfing.

All this isn't to dis production stand up paddleboards. I'm keeping my Angulo 10-2 Perfect Wave as a back up, and because I like to paddle surf it too. It worked so well in the double overhead waves of last November's one and only big Winter swell, that I wouldn't hesitate to use it again. There is something to be said for a heavier, flatter board with enough rocker to surf big waves. The Perfect Wave is insanely fast, and catches anything in it's path. For big waves where paddle power, stability, speed and a little extra weight are desirable, the 10-2 is "Perfect."

For anyone who wants to surf their stand up paddleboard like a surfboard, a surfboard you can paddle; the custom, hand built epoxy construction (SUpS), especially as built by Angulo, is a guaranteed winner. One of Ed's boards will keep the discriminating surfer satisfied wave after wave after wave. You will get MORE than your money's worth. And that's saying a lot given the state of today's economy and the overall prices of stand up paddle surfboards....that really work!