Fishing SUP

Been working on my SUP. 10 feet long and 32" wide. Have the bottom coated with epoxy graphite (black). Found that a white deck was a lot cooler than bare Kevlar/Graphite. So it is all white on top now.
Everything in the picture still weighs less than 20 lbs. One hand carry. For those hard to get to spots.
Well over 300 lbs floatation.
Catamaran, no skeg.
Note the padeyes on the back of the rod holders. Same fastener spacing as the rod holders.
Got the latch installed for it but still needs an SUP paddle.





Build log:
http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=244566&p=2245308#p2245308

Haven't decided on a seat yet.

Very impressive! Especially the load factor.

Will you mount something to hold your paddle vertically for a quick grab or just lay it down and bend over and grab it when it is needed?

Once you get her on the water, I know everyone would like to see some more photos!

Brad

New to paddleboarding so not sure how I will handle the paddle for standing. Maybe the belt hanger?
My original idea was that I wanted something that I could easily carry to places that are hard to get a full size kayak into by myself.
Which means I want to be able to carry it with 1 hand and then gear in the other hand, one trip to water.
So what I originally came up with is an SOF with carbon fiber stringers and aircraft plywood frames and nylons skin. About 500 bucks in materials. And an estimated weight of around 15 lbs.
But then I started looking into SUPs and did some calculations and felt I could meet my goals with that, and I already had the foam.
And since I started working with the SUP ideas, there are some other things that an SUP can do that that SOF can't. For instance I would also like to be able to fly fish from it.
Another advantage of an SUP over and SOF is that an SUP can be loaded all sort of ways. Lot more options than an SOF.
But mostly it will be for minimalist type outings. I have 2 kayaks for other type outings.
Turned out a couple of pounds heavier than I thought because the foam core was slightly denser than advertised, but the weight is still well within what I can handle.

A belt hanger sounds fine to me.

Just a guess that we'll see more SUPs for finesse fishing. This is something you can get on the water with no fuss, a single rod & reel, a single Plano Tackle box.

As I have mentioned elsewhere, Guillermo Gonzalez won a kayak fishing championships two or so weeks ago from a Diablo. He likes to stand . . . put it to the bigger kayaks guys, the pedalers.

I have one of those aluminum folding yard chairs with the webbing and I use it in my big canoe at times. It weighs next to nothing. Something like that where it can be folded and strapped on while you go down to the water . . . and it'd give you a chance to sit, you could rig it to hold a small tackle box and you could lean your paddle against it while standing.

Brad

Took it out today. Wiggle waggle was not too bad although slightly worse going up wind.
Standing was not difficult.
Cooler made an uncomfortable seat.

Looking good! The latter photo could serve as a cover for a Hemingway novel.

Beware of large marlins and dreams of lions romping on the coasts of Africa!

Brad

Looks great RBR! Put a cushion on that cooler & you'd be all set!

Looks cool RBR! For a seat maybe consider a beach chair like pictured below. Comfy, cheap, light weight and you could paddle it like a yak...yet still stand to fish when you want.

Please wear a PFD.

You are correct. I had momentarily forgotten. I wear my PFD pretty much regardless of temperature.

Cooler allows u 2 stand easier and is good for cooling down those striped fish u like so much. I might choose a pad cover for lid though. I like your SUP

Looks great RBR!

You're ingenuity and craftsmanship never ceases to amaze me, Reel. Great job.

Way Cool! Good job!

^^^Agree 100%^^^

Very Nice!!

You can use this and mount a boat seat to your cooler.
Boat Seat Bracket

Won this seat a couple of years ago at a kayak builders meet.

RBR, that is absolutely beautiful!! I have been thinking about a SUP for a couple of years, but my weight has been a barrier. But to build one, I could build it as big as I need. How big do you think it would need to be to support my 265# plus a little tackle? For exactly the same use as you want it for.

There is a large variety of SUPs available. You are not nearly so heavy that you could not find one that would support you.
The big advantage to building one is that it can be lighter than anything you can buy although not as tough.
So if you intend to build one, I will make a few suggestion.
If you plan to fish shallows the catamaran style hull eliminates the need for skeg. A skeg would be a big annoyance in that case. And the catamaran style hull eliminates the need for a handle.
You want floatation equal to about twice your loaded weight. Water weighs 64 lbs/cubic foot. So you are going to need 8 to 10 cubic feet of foam. Owens Corning (pink stuff) is the better choice for an SUP. It is available up to 4 inches thick.
I like the 12 foot length because it does not require a flag to transport in my truck. You may want longer.
I like the 32" width because it is easy to paddle. The wider it is the more wiggle waggle. But this about the minimum for stand up stability. Youtube videos abound as to how to mount etc.
Mine is glassed all over and then with layer of Kevlar/Graphite where the load is. This does 2 things, adds toughness and foot grip. But Kevlar is nasty stuff. Will require special attention to make those bacony edges lay down. Dremel works OK. Dynafile works best.
Mine has rocker but you don't need rocker as long as the nose comes up a bit.
You may note how I attached hardware. A screw into foam is not going to hold.
You definitely want white colorant for the top. It is a lot cooler.
Gorilla glue or epoxy are your best glues.
Did I miss anything?

That's great information! I'm seriously thinking about trying my hand at building one this winter. I will probably make it about 14' long just to maximize the carrying capacity and improve speed. Quick question-why is the pink foam board better than, say, the blue foam board that are commonly available?

Pink is slightly lighter. Either will work. Pink is no less available.
Get the blue at Lowes. Get the pink and Home Depot.
Probably shouldn't be less than 32" wide.

Just doing some basic math, if I build it 32" wide, 14' long and 2" thick, and build the pontoons 8" wide and 3" thick, I should have a capacity of about 500# with just a little freeboard. Would it be strong enough? Are you glassing wood to the surface for mounting points? I would roll the front upwards a couple of inches, but I don't want rocker. I believe the hull would be faster without it.

Some good ideas. But you may want to consider that foam board comes is 1/2", 3/4", 1", 2" and 4" thicknesses. You want to minimize the layering and scrap.
The pink stuff is 1.5 lbs per cubic foot. Blue stuff about 2 lbs per cubic foot. Light but not weightless. Glue is much heavier. Glass heavier still.
Your floatation should be about twice your capacity. Flotation can be calculated 64 lbs per cubic foot of foam.
The foam is probably strong enough all by itself by glassing it will make it much stiffer, stronger and more durable. I also ran a 1/4" by 3/4" wood stringer down the bottom corner of the pontoon for durability. Fiberglass is strong but brittle and you will want to drag your board up onto shore.
The catamaran configuration precludes the necessity of a handle and a skeg.
The wood mounting points are bonded in place and then a layer of epoxy for waterproofing. If you wanted a really slick surface you would imbed the wood. But even glassed foam alone won't hold a screw. You need the wood.
Also I used a piece of hybrid Kevlar/Graphite on the standing area for toughness and grip. You need 2 layers of fabric in the standing area and you need something to grip your feet.
Mine has rocker but I think that is unnecessary. The rocker wasn't for speed is was for turning ability and mine turns a little too good. In the wind it is difficult to drive straight.
1 inch upturn at the front should be sufficient with the bottom tapering upward.
May want to review my build.

http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=244566

I had read your build, but I just read it again. What did you make the wood stringers from, specifically? Why didn't you glue them directly to the foam? I think I may add some hardwood strips on the outside edge of the pontoons to add durability. I have some Ipe and Cumaru that I could use for that, as well as the stringers. Not the lightest, but very tough.

I'm thinking about wood embeds flush with the deck, and maybe even gear track. I may even make a groove for the gear track. Any thoughts about that?

Western Red cedar stringers are glued on top (bottom of the SUP actually) of the fiberglass.
For the mount points if I had know what I wanted before hand I might have embedded them in the foam and glassed over.
Wood stringers for toughness are a good idea. You will want your stringers on top of the glass but coated with epoxy for toughness and waterproofing. You want to watch your weight though. One of the big benefits of a DIY SUP is the light weight, and one hand carry. And you want the surface you glass as smooth as possible. Glass does not negotiate sharp corners well. Composite fabrics are even worse.
Gear tracks would be overkill IMO. But if you decide on gear track buy an aluminum track and mount to wood. A DIY track won't stand up to the abuse.

I can sort of "attest" to RBR's math, that the dimensions he has built for himself and is recommending for someone around 265 lbs. with some gear . . . seem spot on to me.

Below, a pic or two of me (255 lbs. or so here) a few weeks ago in my S-15, so 15'3" length and 38" width effectively (since I am nowhere near drafting enough water to get any benefit from the sponsons (boat collars)). I was just returning from a mile or so out standing and paddling all the way, then standing and paddling back to my boathouse. 2 miles, good speed, great balance. 15'3" is superfluous as I can carry along another big friend with no issues.

I really like the idea of homemade SUPs as RBR has shared here. These could be super fishing platforms in coves and various shallow areas.

Anyone who thinks fishing while seated the majority of the time in a SOT is not disadvantaged, well, I think they could be right for certain presentations but there are so many that benefit from being on your feet. Sighting fish, too, of course.

Oh! And the seat options RBR can employ? Many are cheap and more comfortable than the kayak options.

Brad

I would probably buy aluminum track from Rockler. A 24" section on each side would be plenty. If it is inset in the surface like it is on my Commander, then it won't snag anything. My only concern is the exact placement. I want to build some fore and aft adjustability in my seat mount, and the track placement will need to accomodate that.

Is there any reason not to use something harder for the stringers? I have some hardwoods available.

An inset track is not going to be easy to accomplish. I can think of a couple of ways to do it but nothing neat.
If you look at my stringer you can see that it is in position to take a lot of abuse. So harder can't hurt.

I will probably use the router to cut out a slot for wood backing, and then screw the track to the wood after glassing. Should I put glass under the wood before I glass over it? Or just epoxy the wood to the foam and then glass over it?

In fact, I plan to have everything laid out before I build it. Seat mounts, tie offs, cleats, etc. I want to place all of the wood backing flush with the surface, if possible.

I mostly use Gorilla glue when bonding foam to foam or wood to foam. Never have to worry about mixing quantities and it fills and sands nicely. It would be difficult to get glass in the bottom of a routed slot. Glass does not do corners well. So I would suggest just glass over. May want to run a 2" or 3" strip of fiberglass tape over the wood and then your cloth over that. You would need to sand those bacony edges of the tape so that the cloth will lay flat.
I found that a belt sander is a necessity, but a Dynafile is certainly a well used tool also. The Dynafile is the the "go to" tool for working the rough edges of anything Kevlar and glass too. And just about any kayak build requires a lot of sanding. I mean like it will be the majority of the project time spent.

I have a belt sander. I've been checking out the Dynafile. I don't see myself using one enough to justify the cost, but I have seen a few cheaper copies, and I might try one of them. Or not.

I doubt that I will go to the expense of a Kevlar saddle. I will probably lay an extra layer of glass in that area, as I'm not as concerned about the weight. I carry my Ride around and it weighs 67#, so a 32# SUP isn't going to be an issue. I am definitely going to embed all of the wood backing, and I'm curious as to why you are using Western Red Cedar for backing. I'm guessing it comes down to weight, and I think it is probably a good application. I have access to plenty of it, and I will probably us it, too. But I'm definitely going to use the Ipe or Cumaru for the stringers and maybe the outside edges, too.

I'm starting to get excited about this! Thanks for all of the info, and for setting the bar up there!

I use my Dynafile a lot. Don't know how I managed without one.
If not Kevlar/Graphite you need 8 oz or thicker glass for toughness on the deck. One layer of glass over foam is just too soft. But then you are going to need to add foot grip material. Because of the texture, Kevlar/Graphite precludes the requirement for foot grip material.
And I suggest white colorant for the entire top. Graphite powder in the epoxy on the bottom for slickness.
The Western Red Cedar was left over from my last kayak build. It is strong enough and light. Ideally you would use Teak, but most any wood will work.
I suggest US Composites for your composite components.
Looking forward to your build. Seems like you have some good ideas.