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Soft shell, hard core...At least if you don't take metaphors too seriously, this is how you could describe the new Starboard. Because Starboard is taking a completely new approach with the new "The Wall". With its thin main hull and glued-on second chamber, the inflatable board simulates the shape of a hard raceboard with a lower cockpit. Can it work?
The Starboard "The Wall" 2023 is available e.g. at Online surf shop available .
The board consists primarily of a 4.75 inch thick hull instead of the usual 6 inches and an additional 2 inch thick side wall glued to the top. In mathematical terms, the wall thickness of 6.75 inches in the standing area is therefore even greater, at least laterally, than was previously used as standard on any board. The thickness generally has a major influence on the rigidity, as it has a third-power effect from a static point of view - a board twice as thick would - theoretically - be eight times as rigid.
The features of the board, such as the thick rear kick pad, the GoPro holder on the bow or a well-padded carrying handle, are the "usual", very high series standard for Starboard in the Deluxe version.
A luggage net is attached directly behind the protective "wall" and a safety leash is also supplied. However, the Velcro cuff is quite tight and difficult to fit over thick shoes or a suit in winter.
Paddlers love standing on the boardThe riders who come from hardboards with a lower stance area probably feel very good - that's how I felt on the first few metres. You have the feeling of standing nice and low on a board in a safe cockpit. With the tips of your feet roughly level with the front edge of the carrying handle, the board is ideally positioned with the bow in the mirror-smooth water, perfectly in line with the waterline. If you stand just half a shoe length further back, the front red tip of the nose remains free above the water. The board can be trimmed equally well for smooth water and wavy conditions. The edge of the board naturally restricts the stance width somewhat, but with my "natural stance" (180 cm tall) there was still about 2 centimetres of free space to the right and left of the edge. Measured at the height of the handle, the stance area is almost exactly 50 centimetres wide. Even if very tall paddlers should perhaps stand on the right and left of the edge, this slight contact provides a great deal of safety against slipping sideways, even in wobbly (undulating) conditions.
Due to the low board thickness, the board offers good tipping stability and stabilises when tipping sideways as soon as the deck line is approximately at water level. It only tilts in a controlled manner up to a point at which the resistance becomes significantly greater. The effect is well-known: thinner boards with a low stance position close to the water are - to exaggerate somewhat - as stable as a raft in the water with the same width; thicker boards tend to be as wobbly as a tree trunk. "The Wall" benefits noticeably from this. The additional "wall" keeps the deck nice and dry from lateral surge water.
In addition to subjective and actual tilt safetythe side wall prevents splash water from running from the bow into the standing area and the luggage is primarily dry behind the wall. This keeps your feet dry for a long time, even in cold water. However, if a lot of water does get on board, it can only be drained again with one or two steps back and a few quick paddle strokes as water runs out the back. Otherwise, the water naturally has no way of draining off to the side, as is the case on similar hardboards, which usually have drainage openings on the sides. The board runs very, very true to track at any speed with a little more resistance than a comparable hardboard but very fast and equally suitable for training and touring. All based on a test weight of 79 kilos - net.
The theory that thinner boards We couldn't quite confirm that inflatables turn better in a pivot turn, because in our experience, inflatables turn well and safely over the tail when they are wide and stable. Even a 4.75 inch thick board with a total volume of over 300 litres can hardly be pushed completely into the water like a small wave board. Pivot turns are therefore at a normal level.
During processingStarboard relies on "Welding Technology", in which the seams are mainly welded and not glued. This saves weight and should ensure permanently secure seams. However, the board is not a lightweight (12.5kg with air, without fin) due to the complex double-chamber construction. On the other hand, the second chamber provides a certain degree of residual safety, because even if the main chamber is defective, there should at least be enough volume in the second chamber to keep you afloat.
Test summary:Starboard's unusual design creates a completely new riding experience on an inflatable. Subjectively, you often feel like you are paddling in the cockpit of a sporty hardboard, the all-round board edge provides good lateral support for the feet, the board is stiff and stable. It runs very smoothly and, with little paddle pressure, can easily maintain a sporty touring speed of just under seven km/h - only slightly slower than comparable hardboards. As a "play and bathing island" for kids and cones, the board with its jagged deck is out of the running, but for sporty tours it offers a completely new, exciting and previously unknown riding experience. A tip for advanced paddlers with sporting ambitions who are open to upgrades and new approaches but don't have the storage space for a hardboard.
Stephan Gölnitz
Deputy Editor in Chief surf
Stephan Gölnitz comes from Bochum and had Holland as his home windsurfing territory for many years before moving to Munich in 1996 for the job of test editor at surf magazine. The materials engineering graduate worked as a surf instructor on the Ijsselmeer during his studies and competed for several seasons for the Essen sailing team in the Surfbundesliga and the Funboard Cup. He completed a traineeship at surf-Magazin in the test department and since then has actively accompanied almost all tests on the boom and for more than 10 years also as a photographer. Stephan has covered many thousands of test kilometers, mainly on Lake Garda and in Langebaan, but also in Egypt and Tobago. He gets his hands on over 100 new sails and boards every year as his company car. Privately, he prefers to surf with a foil on Lake Walchensee or “unfortunately far too rarely” in the waves. SUP is Stephan's second passion, which he pursued for several years at numerous SUP races. Today, he prefers to paddle on river tours with family or friends - even for several days.
