Boardworks Stewart 11-6 Step Deck Stand Up Paddle Surfboard – Video Preview
We get to see another board design at Wet Feet, a Bill Stewart 11′6″ step deck manufactured by Boardworks. One standing feature of this board is the step deck, which you’ll see on the video.
It has a double-wing pin tail, which can handle fast and steep waves like a long board. The board is typically designed for big guys — a thick 5 and 16th inch thick middle plus a tapered nose and tail.
(click thumbnail to launch video)
Wet Feet: Now this is a Bill Stewart board, which is being produced by Boardworks. We’re also to bring out the C4 stand up board. Very interesting outline and lay up on this board – the most dramatic thing and obvious is the step deck, which you see here. It has got some really interesting rails on the tail. It has got a double wing pin tail, which is basically do handle faster waves, steeper waves. So even though it’s a big board, it’s got the long board. This board can actually handle some speed and some decent surf.
Evan: Is it fast?
Wet Feet: Yes, it is. You can also nose ride it with a full nose like this and if you get a center, middle perspective, you can see that the board is about five and a sixteenth thick in the middle, right here. And then it’s very tapered in the nose and the tail. It can float a larger guy.
Evan: How does the bottom look?
Wet Feet: The bottom is also rather interesting. It has got a double concave and a tail here. Some V brought forward and then it flattens out in the mid-section.
Evan: It’s pretty common for that.
Wet Feet: Yeah, it is. But what is unusual is Bill Stewart has done a really subtle bevel along the edges. It starts about two inches from inside the rails. So that’s a performance feature. That’s help the board release on turns.
Evan: And then you’re riding two plus one? It’s kind of a big fin they put on this, huh?
Wet Feet: Yeah, that’s actually not the stock fin. That’s a little more fin than they provided.
Evan: What does it come with stock?
Wet Feet: It comes with an 8-inch fin stock, and two-side bites.
Evan: Three-inch side bites?
Wet Feet: Yeah.
Evan: Ok, cool.
Boardworks Stewart 11-6 Step Deck Stand Up Paddle Surfboard [2:09m]: Download
Boardworks Stewart 11-6 Step Deck Stand Up Paddle Surfboard [2:10m]: Download
interesting board. i’m thinking it ought to be both stable and loose. hope we hear some in-water reports on this one!
Another good video interview. I’d like to know more about that bevel on the bottom contour. One thing I like doing is putting a straight edge across the bottom of the board. It gives you a pretty good idea of what that side really looks like. The step deck is interesting too. But one thing step decks do is narrow the standing deck area. Do you have any idea what the difference is in the max width dimension vs. the standing max width dimension?
Mahalo.
Here’s my water report on the Stewart 11′6″. I just bought the Stewart and have been out with it about 5x and I love it. I went the opposite of most guys and went from a smaller board (Angulo 10′8″)to a bigger board. By the way I am 180lbs. My 1st priority is in ease of catching waves, then carvability. This board is more tippy than the C4 11′6″ and just as tippy as the C4 10′6″. It’s due to the 28 5/8″ width, bevel rails and 15″ tail. The step deck doesn’t really make the deck area too narrow. It does make carrying the board easier because your hand can grab the thinner rails. I can also dig the rails into the wave alot easier, making it carve and hold the face of the wave more like a regular longboard. It definitely carves better than the C4 11′6″ and it takes less effort to catch waves. I took off the side bites and run only the 8″ center fin and it works really well. It definitely is the most high performance 11′6″ out there IMO. The new Laird 11′6″ looks like another good board in the same size range.