Austin mini paipo (44") impressions

[Ted]

See youtube footage at http://youtu.be/LSTIrs1cO0Q

I finally got Austin mini in the water at my favorite break under decent conditions. Austin sent 3" center and 3" side bites with the board; I swapped in the 2" turbo tunnel brand side bites and set the center fin 1 inch behind the side bites.

The goals for this board were cheap airline travel, improved duck diving, and improved takeoffs. All three goals were met and this board is a blast to ride: it turns on dime, paddles well, duck dives well, floats well enough to sit on, and doesn't see-saw on kicking-only takeoffs.

The shorter length invites frenetic turning - just because you can. I think down the line projection in critical sections will be improved with more fin area or aft placement of the center fin: the board sometimes acted like a wide twin fin with 2" skegs. (I did get the board sideways on a high check turn and did have trouble getting under the lip with enough speed to backdoor some sections.)

Next go out I will try the 3" side bites and the 2" side bites with the 3" set all the way back.

[SJB]

Thanks for the report Ted......it sounds like the mini may met all your expectations.
How about the paddling.....I find on the 50 inch using all 4 appendages can result in my fins being a bit more out of the water than I like. Did the 44 give you anymore fin traction?
Secondly.....do you think the 50 is more likely to be your board of second choice now?
I maybe jumping the gun with these questions since you have only been out on it once.....just wondering what your initial impressions on these questions might be.
Bottom line.....I am getting an itchy finger for a similar 44.....and wondering if you feel it was money well spent.

[rodndtube]

SJB, if you are light and the board length scales to your sternum (that line between your belly and your chest) then it would no doubt work well for you - I recommend scaling the board length to your sternum and the thickness to the type of wave conditions you will ride the board in -- thin for tropical juice and thick for smaller or weaker waves (e.g., like East Coast USA normal, but I have ridden the Austin baseline is all kinds of wave conditions). Also note that Ted's board is the thinner Austin RPM but with an upscaled width (believe Ted said it was 21 or 21.5 inches). My RPM is 20 inches wide. My new S&S RPM is the thinnest board Austin has built -- it will get its test drive in Costa Rica this March.

My B&B RPM worked like a charm yesterday (no surprises there!) in 4-6 foot conditions, steep and hollow waves on a relatively shallow reef. The fin set-up used the two Turbo Tunnel sidebites and a 4.5 inch center fin with the trailing edge about 3 inches from the tail of the board -- I will have to check that to be sure as I tend to set the center fin to the conditions I will be riding in. I generally use a 4" or 4.5" center fin these days.

[rodndtube]

I checked the measurements and shot a couple of pics. The center fin is 5" and the trailing edge is just over 3" from the tail.

[SJB]

Thanks Rod. I checked Ted's earlier post and he indicated the 44 was 20.5 wide and 2 thick.
At my sternum I get a 46+ measurement.
Frankly the standard 50 Austin is plenty fine for what I do.....and I have found (at least on Alaska airlines) that it will travel at a standard $25 luggage charge. I put it in a regular surfboard bag but fold the bag and duct tape it to size. Not pretty but it works.
Ted says one of his reasons for the 44 is travel. Ted....are you saying you can get it to travel for free at that size?
Rod....every time you talk about your great experiences in PR I get envious. One of these days.

[rodndtube]

Yes, I often score some great surf in Puerto Rico. But, it is not the most consistent surf destination as it is subject to the North Atlantic storm systems that are not as consistent in generating surf as the North Pacific and South Pacific oceans... expect the next 6 days to be rather flat Maybe some choppy waist to chest high on the north coast -- I will check that out tomorrow when picking up a buddy at the airport. Guess if I was a 20-something and on a short budget/vacation stream and amped with those crazy hormones this could drive me crazy, but at my age I am have learned to go with the flow of weather systems. Some great years, some bad years and mostly average years which are still rather good -- warm water, warm air and I try to get some good waves away from the intense crowds and psyched out USA surfing culture.

Back to airlines... the trend has not been good for wave riding craft. Surfboards have been getting killed the past several years as with regular baggage fees and now it is trickling down to our wave craft. Either bodyboards/boogie boards/kneeboards are not being mentioned at all and thus lopped in with surfboards or they are subjected to the linear length extra fees (over 62 inches of LxWxT) which can run from $50 to $200 depending upon the airline.

On my current trip to Puerto Rico the airline of choice was AirTran -- in Baltimore they accepted it as a "boogie board" which means the charge was as a regular piece of luggage ($30, as a 2nd checked bag). I am leaving the board in Puerto Rico with a friend because of the uncertainty the future holds. AirTran is in the process of merging with SWA, my carrier of choice in the USA because of their most favorable baggage policies, even though SWA is moving towards a $50 fee for baggage larger than 62 linear inches. So far, SWA has not tagged me with that charge during two round tirps... fingers are crossed.

Alaska Airlines was one of the airlines under consideration for my trip to Hawaii last Oct/Nov. The combination of SWA and Hawaiian Airlines won out for various reasons despite long 5-hour connection layovers each way, in LAX going and Las Vegas returning. Alaska Airline connections weren't that great, usually a night over, or traveling 10 hrs all on 737 would have broken my back!

[jbw4600]

Rod, Where on the sternum are measuring from? The sternum is actually three bones and is about 8 inches long. Do you mean at the bottom of the sternum? (at the xiphoid process.)

[rodndtube]

Rod, Where on the sternum are measuring from? The sternum is actually three bones and is about 8 inches long. Do you mean at the bottom of the sternum? (at the xiphoid process.)

More or less Guess pictures sometimes are the best ways of explaining somethings. Basically, when I said, "board length scales to your sternum (that line between your belly and your chest)" it was meant to convey "up to the sternum" which was meant to convey up to the bottom of the sternum which is the first point you reach when going up the length of the board Sometimes that "general line" between the top of your belly and the bottom of your chest is about the same point.

Now, even this figure below is not very exacting for us general readers because if you are anything like me you probably don't understand how the various internal body parts relate to our outer body surfaces. And then there are the mutants amongst us!!!

sternum-1576[1].jpg (94.1 KiB) Viewed 5769 times

In the figure below see the orange, yellow and green shirted paipo holders.

TeamLunchTray2.jpg (86.82 KiB) Viewed 5769 times

Actual experience may vary depending upon the length of each person's upper and lower body and to what extent the knees and legs are on or off the board when kick paddling. Knee boarders, on their longer boards, need to keep most of their body off their boards when kick paddling whereas a paipo boarder in the discussion above would not and thus can benefit from the buoyancy that the board provides.

Hope that helps!

[Ted]

Did the 44 give you anymore fin traction?
Secondly.....do you think the 50 is more likely to be your board of second choice now?
Bottom line.....I am getting an itchy finger for a similar 44.....and wondering if you feel it was money well spent.

Paddling is really easy on the 44" - no more scooting fore and aft in an effort to improve fin or arm purchase. I mainly troll with fin power and only add arm power when I am in a big hurry. I achieve top speed with fins firmly engaged and one arm digging while the other hand grabs the nose. My usual takeoff is super late with little paddling, so I can't say if the 44" would compete well in a paddle battle on a slower wave.

It is too soon to say whether the 44" will displace the 50" as board of choice. Right now the 50" has an advantage in takeoff-to-tuck under lip down the line speed, but the 44" may lessen the advantage once I get the skegs set up right.

The 44" was a great investment - it has a different feel and makes paipo riding seem new again. The 44" will be a great travel board and might be a good single board quiver if you are willing to play with the skegs.

Ted

[PaipoRick]

In the figure below see the orange, yellow and green shirted paipo holders.

TeamLunchTray2.jpg

Who is that handsome gent in the red?

[rodndtube]

In the figure below see the orange, yellow and green shirted paipo holders.

TeamLunchTray2.jpg

Who is that handsome gent in the red?

The guy in the Red is the same one that pines for my new girl friend, S&S Checkered RPM. For purposes of this photo the boy in red has his board slanted at at improper angle. The boy in blue has his board lower on the beach's slope (that is Terry "Moses" Newcomb, a Richmond, VA, paipo rider that is currently living in Okinawa).

[PaipoRick]

...and the wanker in yellow won the bloody event!

[rodndtube]

Actually it was a draw between the gold and the yellow. They couldn't tell the difference of the two out in the water and we both scored the highest groupings of scores. Neal thinks he won the event

[Ted]

Austin 44" vs. 50" video:
http://youtu.be/b5Lxi8W_zzM

[PaipoRick]

Try the 50 with the 3" fins and bites. I was using a 4.5" center and the 2" sides, when I switched it up so all of the fins were the same (3.5") it felt much more responsive, at least under me. So easy to drop in and crank if around to get in position and only once did I slide out, and that was to avoid someone on a pink floater. :\

[rodndtube]

Austin 44" vs. 50" video:
http://youtu.be/b5Lxi8W_zzM

Your configuration in the video was noted as:
Austin Paipo 44" setup with 3" center fin and 3" side bites
Austin Paipo 50" setup with 4" center and 2" sidebites

I would be biased towards the 4" center and 2" sidebites on the 44" Austin Paipo. You can get a little more drive and holding in the steep waves with the 4" center fin moved aft.

Nice surf off! In a couple of those late takeoffs it would not have mattered which board/fin combo

[PaipoRick]

Nice surf off! In a couple of those late takeoffs it would not have mattered which board/fin combo

Try it with just the side bites. I did that at GP, that was a mistake. The hatchet would give good hold though....

[Ted]

On the last wave I did manage to get under the lip with the 50" before it closed out. On the third wave the 44" got stuck in the lip, so a good thrashing was unavoidable. Next go out with the 44" will be 2" sidebites with 4" center set way back.

[rodndtube]

Swell is coming your way on Feb 8, 9 and maybe 10 (longer?). Look forward to the next update

[rodndtube]

Ted: I was talking to Austin yesterday during the pick-up of a new board. He is very interested in how the 44" version is working out. Have you been able to ride it much the past couple of months?