TR: SUP AK

[carpathian]

Finally got around to building my self a custom SUP and paddle.

Went from this:



to this



to this



1st Bore Tide



Oh the places you will go!





2hour up tide paddle home.



I waited for the tide to push me up river right to my front door!






Doing a fair amount of pond cruising too

SUP buddies







Karl with moose



Karl and I have been doing some sweet tidal cruising. For this trip we put in at Portage Bridge and cruised down tide and down wind to Bird Point in 3 hours



We are going that way



We did 15 miles in 3 hours. Basically 3mph tide and 2mph paddle effort



Aiming for far point of land



10pm break before open crossing



Nice tail wind.



11pm, almost done. There is Girdwood Valley and Alyeska there on the right



PLanning on a longer down tide this week, maybe to Hope in 6 hours and then ride back up tide?

[BS720]

Wow. The scenery is amazing. I don't think I could stay on my feet due to my jaw constantly dropping. Also, props to you for building a board and using it. Great TR!

[Hott Butt Mud]

That's badass dude!

[Dromond]

That sure is a motivating vista. For someone who has never done it, could you explain the appeal of SUP over kayaking/canoeing? It appears to be like the latter two, but less stable. With everyone going nuts over it, I'm sure that there is something that I am missing.

[Hugh Conway]

Decent looking board especially if that home center blue foam is as shitty to shape as the pink foam from Home Depot. What'd ya glass it with?

Nice scenery on the Arm too.

[carpathian]

I like the SUP because you are standing and the your whole body is working to maintain balance, very similar to ski stance. You can see farther and look into the water better, as long as the water is not full of silt. Specifically for going out in Turnagain Arm, I like the on/off mobility. If you get stuck on mud bar you can easily step off and walk and then hop back on versus kayak or pack raft where you are sitting on your ass in water. But you can also drop to your knees if the going gets rough.

Turnagain Arm is a crazy piece of water. Second highest tides in the world with average fluctuation of 30 feet. The mud is like quicksand if you stand in one place for more then about 10 seconds it liquifies. So with these awesome characteristics 99.9 % of people stay away. I built this board to get out there. I've been watching the tides and channels from the road for years and am convinced you can safely navigate if you pay attention to tide charts, wind etc. As of now i've logged about 15 trips into the arm in the last 6 weeks. Been doing a lot of going up tide to next little creek then going up the creek to high slack then paddling back home on the down tide.

On our Bird Point tour I was really concerned about the last little stretch where the water is draining off the broad mud flats into distinct channels. For about 10 minutes i was in the middle of the Arm in less then a foot of water that is ripping and had to stand on the bow to keep skeg from dragging. Finally found channel and was stoked. When you are running up tide, if you drag on bottom, wait 1 minute and the water will pick you up and keep going.

As far as construction goes the blue stuff is extruded polystyrene. I used wood glue to do rough laminate with 3 stringers, which might be over built. Wrapped whole thing in 6 oz fiberglass and doubled up where I stand and on rails etc.

Are all surf boards fairly fragile? If i set this thing down on a little pebble it will crunch in. (weighs 20-30lbs?) I guess if you are in clean water all the time but i have been bashing around in rivers and portaging through alders etc.

[Dromond]

Interesting details about SUP, the tides and whatnot. It's all pretty foreign to me.

cheers

[RootSkier]

Killer non-unicorn SUP action.

[supermodel159]

Is that on the Cook?

I miss AK

[skideeppow]

I know there is an insane tidal wave that forms by Girdwood. Say people suping and kiting there in a past issues of kiteobard magainze. You ever get on that?
I am heading up to Totdrillo Mtn Lodge next wed for Kings and Corn, bringing my Patagonia r3 wetsuit incase I can get on that wave.

[Hugh Conway]

I know there is an insane tidal wave that forms by Girdwood. Say people suping and kiting there in a past issues of kiteobard magainze. You ever get on that?

the tidal bore that's in one of his pictures?


yeah carpathian surfboards are fragile. some epoxies are less fragile (dunno what you used) or you can go up to 10oz glass which weighs more, or try a hollow wood board which are muy more work but have less dent problems

[jtran10]

Very cool

[carpathian]

I used West System epoxy for this. I was thinking 15-20 oz glass and be done with it. I could see wood being more resilient because it offers a 'backing' to the glass, goddamn foam just crunches.

Hovercraft or airboat up next...

[BFD]

nice TR Carpathian. Looks like fun.

I know there is an insane tidal wave that forms by Girdwood. Say people suping and kiting there in a past issues of kiteobard magainze. You ever get on that?
I am heading up to Totdrillo Mtn Lodge next wed for Kings and Corn, bringing my Patagonia r3 wetsuit incase I can get on that wave.

I;m not an expert on the bore tide. Looking at the tide book maybe something around the 20th. Carpathian probably knows better.

[ak_powder_monkey]

Holy shit pyramid still has so much snow!!!

[carpathian]

Did another trip I'd been wanting to do.

We drove down the road a mile and put in the Arm with a wicked up tide down wind combo. (the tide is flowing in and the wind is going the same direction)



Karl is apprehensive about the 15-20 knot wind and the 5 knot tide.



This is hauling ass. Karl in the distance. We were gripped for a while.



There I am



Carpathian Peak in the distance



Petersen headwall still holding. Shoulder of Death there on the far left.



Pulled into the mouth of 20 Mile river in one hour flat = 9 mph.



Checking out the Hooligan dip netters



Up tide up the river



Nice slough, tidal high mark



Hooligan in the water



Karl fishing like Gollum



Fish On!



Time to head back home. If you look closely you can see the wake following my bow as I am blown backwards. Tide has turned to ebb but the wind has yet to die. Nice chop starts to build as we battle windward.



Karl aiming for distant point of land, 11pm



11:30 wind finally died. I am tired.



Homestretch



My little world



We made it! 20 miles traveled in 4 hours, not bad.

[schindlerpiste]

One of the best non-ski TR EVER! Thanks for sharing.

[Tuckerman]

Amazing.......

[summit]

Very cool

[Piggity]

Great TR! Scenery is insane

Re: the fragile question, did you possibly mix a hot batch of epoxy? If you use too much hardener it can make the batch really brittle and much more sensitive to dings. If the temperature outside is really cold or really hot, then you need to adjust the amount of hardener accordingly. A nice consistent 70 degrees in your shop will make it easier to get a consistent mixture. If you already know all this, then disregard and keeping posting some TR's.

[Alkasquawlik]

I can't believe how much snow is still holding up there.

[Tuckerman]

Is the yellow one a SUP Tech? If so does that dood like it?

[carpathian]

Yeah, the yellow board is a SUP Tech. Karl likes it for what it is, an entry level boat that you can drop on the rocks etc.


We went for another 20 Mile River up tide high mark PR. Put in around 10pm



Saw some wild life, mama moose and twin babies



I think this is a juvenile bald eagle



High marked to this log about three miles up stream



Heading back down tide, 1am



Land of the Midnight Sun...

[carpathian]

I went for solo attempt from Girdwood to Bird Creek the other day. Used Karls red board because I was adding some fiberglass to my blue board



Right at Bird Point I went in the drink for the first time. Canon Rebel no likey... Tried pulling into strong back eddy and DUNK!



As of yesterday, my board is ready and I reno ed the boat there to use for access...

[mtnbiker/boarder]

FKNA sweet TR..wello done on your sup looks great...got to love the midninght sun ... looking ofrward to more photos....thanks