Smorgasboarder_23_Feb_2016-s
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igidity while keeping the board reasonably thin<br />
(under 4 inches, not bad for an inflatable). They<br />
have achieved this with a batten system that<br />
slides into a sleeve on each rail. They call it the<br />
RSS Batten System, sort of like rail stringers.<br />
The other piece of technology that has made for<br />
a more rigid and lighter board is a construction<br />
method called MSL Fusion, which you can check<br />
out on their website if you really need to know<br />
that stuff. It has two thruster-type built-in fins<br />
and a removable fin which screws into a fin box.<br />
All this basically means is that they’re really into<br />
it and ya gotta love that.<br />
The good folks at Paddleboarding NZ lent me<br />
one, along with a 3 piece bamboo shaft paddle<br />
which fits neatly with the board and pump<br />
into a really well designed travel bag that has<br />
wheels on the base for easy rolling, some back<br />
pack straps so that you can carry it to remote<br />
breaks, a couple of well placed carry handles<br />
and everything easily loaded and unloaded via<br />
a front opening zip system. Weight is around 12<br />
or 13kgs and you can squeeze in a wettie and<br />
towel as well.<br />
Once again great design.<br />
SO HOW DOES IT TRAVEL AND<br />
HOW DOES IT RIDE?<br />
First trip I took it on was to the Coromandel<br />
Peninsula on the North Island. Air New Zealand<br />
charged me $30 each way as an extra bag which<br />
I thought was reasonable, unfortunately there<br />
was no swell and constant westerly winds for<br />
the entire time that I was there, which I thought<br />
was predictable, so it never came out of the bag.<br />
Next trip was to Sydney, super easy travelling<br />
with the Whip, Air New Zealand charged me<br />
$50 each way this time, starting to get a bit<br />
unattractive I thought, really need to get some<br />
use out of it. Chucked it into the back of the<br />
airport shuttle and off to the Northern Beaches<br />
for family, friends and any number of breaks<br />
working in a multitude of conditions, all now<br />
SUP surf accessible in Mum’s 1984 Toyota<br />
Corolla with no roof racks.<br />
No need to walk to Long Reef and pray a<br />
Southerly doesn’t hit before you get there.<br />
Just fold the Whip into thirds (leaving the RSS<br />
battens in the rails) chuck it in the back seat and<br />
off you go.<br />
The first day was 40 degrees Celsius and<br />
pumping it up in the car park was a bit of a<br />
challenge - wishing someone would invent the<br />
SUMMER <strong>2016</strong> | SMORGASBOARDER 99
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