As SUP progresses, we're seeing a few more companies bring naval architects into the board design process with some very interesting results. You see, SUP has mostly evolved out of surfing, so typically the guys designing boards are surfboard designers. When you're talking about a SUP for surf, that makes perfect sense. However, with flat water racing, cruising and endurance & adventure paddling also exploding in popularity, boards designed specifically for those applications are needed too. This is where naval architects, or boat designers, can provide really powerful input. These guys have been focusing on creating fast, non-planing hulls their entire careers and a lot of what they know can be applied to SUP boards. Check out this video showing a pretty revolutionary new shape...
I haven't had a chance to try one of these yet, but when I do I'll report back on how it paddles. If anyone else beats me to it, send me a report and I'll post it.
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