Saimaa SUP Star 14.0 Touring on the river and at sea
I have been practising SUP for about 8 years now and it has become a very pleasant and dear way to move and relax. I find that I get both a good workout and peace of mind when I go kayaking. It is easy to do together with friends and in many different places. I am very comfortable on the water and although I am familiar with different kinds of boating, I have never been as close to nature with any other equipment as I am with a sup-board.
I have both participated in and helped organise one of Finland's biggest flip-flop events, Aurajoki Sup, many times. It is a real test for board, paddle and funnel when you have to travel almost 40 km from the centre of the municipality of Aura to the centre of Turku in one day. Sometimes there are funnelers with too flimsy boards, which are not meant for long distances and many people have been amazed when they get to try both a better board and a lighter and stiffer paddle.
Personally, I have tried a lot of different boards and equipment. So here are my expectations for this Saimaa SUP Star 14.0 Touring board were quite high. After all, the online shop also promised a lot of features. I tested the board in both of my regular spots, in the Aurajoki and at sea in the rather sheltered waters of the Saaristomerie, south of Nauvo.
In the Aurajoki it's really peaceful to paddle from Tuomiokirko in Turku upstream, as there's hardly any boat traffic. Well, I started my first trip on the Star from the point where the sea meets the river, and there were plenty of boats and spectators on the banks. After all, we were right in the heart of Turku.
As a person who has been swimming on a high-quality board for many years, it was quite a surprise to see how fast and smooth the swimming can be. With this product, designed and developed in Finland. Saimaa SUP Star 14.0 the trip went at an amazing pace. The average speed was clearly faster than with the previous board, which was almost a metre shorter and slightly wider.
However, the river is quite narrow, so the directional stability of the Star was also a big plus. With the Star I was able to use the paddle about 10 times per side as the board progressed steadily in the same direction without meandering.
At first I had to get used to the balance a bit, as the board is a bit trickier than the basic board for a relaxed paddle. However, we quickly became jogging buddies and I no longer had to worry about being on the board. The Star also has good storage for stuff both in the front and back, so it's a breeze even if you've got a bit more stuff with you. The board is also very impressive thanks to its sleek and long shape. So I got more thumbs up than usual from people on the banks of the Aura River, as well as inquiries about the sport and its fun. So the first river adventure went very well. It was about 7 km long and the Star encountered, among others, the Finnish Swan and many river restaurants in a sunny May evening.
Saimaa SUP Star experiences at sea
Next I headed to the sea and the day was quite calm with a calm wind and great sunshine. A white-tailed eagle came to check out the paddler already at the beginning of the route.
The route goes around a few islands and boat traffic is fairly calm. You can even choose the direction of the route depending on the wind direction. The Saimaa SUP Star 14.0 Touring board lived up to expectations well also at sea. The trip was really fast and the trip was the fastest on the familiar route. The sporty nature of the board also makes you keep up the pace, which was also visible in the heart rate. I noticed halfway through the route, during a drink break, that my heart rate had been about 15 beats/min higher than on my previous miles on the old board. This was certainly partly due to the pace of my pacing, i.e. I kept a faster pace, but also partly due to the more sporty nature of the board. I also get a bit more work done on the Star than on the relaxed "Sunday board". This really makes the workout more efficient and sporty. I took a slightly longer drink break and enjoyed the great weather.
The Star is a very stiff board and even in the sea it went without a wobble under my 85 kg weight. The board is long (427 cm) and the small fin at the front of the board seems to add quite a bit of directional stability. From the end of the trip I got to experience a good headwind and also side waves. The Star also coped well with a wave of about 20 centimetres and gusts in a fairly calm wind. From there the rest of the way to my own shore and more than 10 km of running was done.
