SUP and Surf? Perfect Combination!

Cruiser Nalu All-Wave Platinum Edition!

With so many great boards out there trying to decide which board is right for you can be overwhelming.  There are boards with bigger rockers, boards with displacement noses, some boards have better tracking than others...the list goes on.  Not to fear! You're reading this because we have the information you're looking for!  Over the next few weeks we'll be letting you know all about the different Cruiser Stand-Up Paddleboards.

Today's focus is the Cruiser Nalu All-Wave Platinum Edition.  This board is designed to be used in surf of all shapes and sizes!  Now that doesn't mean you should be taking it out in 10 foot high Hawaiian surf.  This board is going to perform at its best in what we like to refer to as "real world conditions" (a.k.a. small to medium surf!)  Although most SUPs are relatively beginner friendly, this particular board is geared towards the intermediate or advanced rider who really wants to get out in the surf.

Board Specifics

Rodrigo at Praia De Cotovelo, Natal, Brazil

Let's get into the nitty-gritty specs of the boards.  The Cruiser Nalu All-Wave Platinum Edition is part of Cruiser SUP's Ultra-Lite Bamboo/Epoxy line.  This line was designed to combine three main features: aesthetics, durability, and light weight.  After extensive testing we found that bamboo veneer decks were the lightest and strongest skins to complement our water-tight Ultra-Lite Closed-Cell EPS cores.  This board has what we refer to as a sandwich/composite structure.  Essentially this means that the bamboo veneer sheets are sandwiched between successive layers of fiberglass and epoxy resin around the closed-cell EPS core.

Definition Alert!
Ultra-Lite Closed Cell EPS Core: A closed cell core is water-tight in and of itself.  This means that if you're board were to be punctured (let's hope that never happens!) then it would NOT take on water! The closed cell core is just one more layer of protection for your board to keep it from suffering any irreparable damage. 

This particular board has ample nose to tail rocker to make for cleaner turns when surfing and helps prevent you from pearling the nose on a wave face!  The beauty of this board is that it does not have continuous rocker (the middle of the board is flat).  This gives it fast acceleration and good glide, without sacrificing surf capabilities.

Definition Alert!
Rocker: The term rocker refers to the curvature of the board from nose to tail.  The greater the rocker, the easier it is to turn in surf.
Pearling: When the nose of the board digs into the wave.  Pearling is more common with boards that don't have enough rocker!

Cruiser SUP Founder/President Mike in Porto, Brazil

The Cruiser Nalu All-Wave Platinum Edition comes in four sizes ranging from 8'10" to 10'8".  Choosing a board size is entirely dependant on your weight compared to the volume of the board.  Now I'm sure you're asking yourself "what do they mean by comparing my weight to the volume of the board".  Well it's fairly simple actually.  Essentially a board with 145L of volume (the amount of water displaced by the board when submerged) will support a 145lbs beginner in flat water.  It does get a little more complicated once you have more experience and are surfing, so when it doubt call or e-mail our experts to find the right size for you! (1-888-291-9905 or info@paddleboarddirect.com)

Tips and Tricks

Fin placement makes a big difference!

• For cruising move the fin towards the rear of the fin box
• For small surf move the fin all the way forwards in the fin box
• For better control in head high surf and bigger put the fin in the middle of the fin box

Follow this link to see the Cruiser Nalu All-Wave Platinum Edition on our website
http://www.paddleboarddirect.com

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