Even though I’m not nearly as stable on my new 27” board as I am on my 29” board, I’m already paddling 0.2 mph faster just getting the hang of it. Once I start getting more balanced and comfortable, I’ll definitely be able to start going faster than I ever could on my wider board.  You’ll never get better if you don’t push yourself.

Golden mean is always important

Thank you, Ethan. This video is incredibly helpful for me as always.

Pls do the same as speed test when there is some wind and side chop.

Such a great and simple explanation!!!  It’s so important to hear that narrow doesn’t always mean better. If you’re wobbling the whole time, you can’t build strong strokes. A wider board can actually serve you better, especially since most of us don’t paddle on glassy mirror water but in real conditions with wakes, wind, and currents. I really appreciate how you broke it down without overcomplicating it. It’s a good reminder to focus on what fits you best instead of chasing trends.

Great vid clears some things up! Would you be able to do a review on some of the Wave sup boards like the pro 3.0 ?  Seems like a good starting intermediate board if I wanna go with a more touring style / cruising hybrid board

You should try a 22" lightboardcorp paradoxa, it´s narrow and incredible stable for my size (178 cm, 84 kg), only in windy, surfy, wavy and choppy conditions you´ll need a wider board.

Great video was really good comparisons! It’s hilarious that you make this video about two weeks after I just bought 21.5 blackfish! Ha ha ha guess I should’ve waited 😂😅

Good to see an open and frank review of boards in the real world with normal paddlers.
Interesting to see a similar review of different paddles eg the tempo and the synergy.

Really interesting comparison and stats. Converted for those using metric.
26" SUP: 4.8 mph = 7.72 kmph,  5.6 mph = 9.01 kmph,  Sprint 7.1 mph = 11.43 kmph.

22.5" SUP: 5.1 mph = 8.21 kmph,   5.8 mph = 9.33 kmph,  Sprint 7.4 mph = 11.91 kmph.

Thanks Ethan.

Yes provided you can maintain balance. It's been my experience that you give up energy, paddle power and speed on a board that is too narrow because you are focused on maintaining your balance. On a stable board you transfer all your energy to your arms, shoulders and core because you aren't so focused on not falling off the board which makes you faster.

here's another idea - an electric fin will make you faster in any case, and cheaper than a new board, which, it turns out, also requires paddling

This applies to most stand up paddleboarding including sup surfing.  Many people ride the smallest board they can, struggling to keep balance and catch waves and ending their sessions too soon due to fatigue.  Thanks for the video!

My ideas for fast touring and race boards which I hope someone will implement.  First, forget terms like lift, release, and planing.  These are not relevant to any displacement craft.
Repeat 10 times: “As the board rocks side-to-side, stability is only affected by surfaces that become newly wet or dry.”  So, as an example, having a concave bottom with more volume under the sides adds nothing to stability because those surfaces stay fully submerged as the board rocks.
Bottom shape should only vary from mildly convex to flat.  Forget concaves, ridges, and such as they only add to wetted surface and increase drag. Bottom shapes that change from one form to another over the length of the board waste energy by unnecessarily moving water around.
For any board where speed is the primary concern, the entire length of the board should be in the water for the intended paddler weight except for a couple inches of the nose sloped enough to shed weeds and the tail coming up just enough to meet the water’s surface.
Fin placement: Only surf and downwind boards need fins at the tail.  Otherwise the best fin placement for paddler control and minimal wind influence (weather-cocking and lee-cocking) is about 3 feet behind the longitudinal center of buoyancy (LCB), basically about 3 feet behind the paddler.  The paddler position should be at the LCB and the paddler should stand as low as possible for stability.  This has to be balanced against deck drainage and board integrity.
The job of the nose is to separate water as smoothly and efficiently as possible, and the job of the tail is to collect it.  If the amount of water displaced as the board goes forward were graphed, it would ideally be a parabola, basically like the nose of a jet or missile.  The same applies for water collected at the tail, though less critical because the tail operates in turbulent flow versus laminar flow at the nose.  This does not mean that the nose and tail should have a parabolic shape, but that, between the form and the rocker, the amount of water displaced should be represented by a parabolic curve.  The tail could, and maybe should, be wide and flat for stability as long the rocker comes smoothly upward to meet the water’s surface. The most efficient design would likely have the nose parting water for the first 60% of the board’s length, and the tail collecting it thereafter.  So if the nose had no rocker, it would be shaped like a parabola, slowly widening to maximum width just behind the paddler.  The general idea is to have the minimum wetted surface and most efficient form factor for minimum wave making.
For stability, rails should be very soft so that more supporting surface comes into play as the board rocks.  One possible design for speed and stability might have a flat to slightly rounded bottom shape with very soft, wide rails that act almost as outriggers just about the water.  The tail could retain most of the width of the board, but use a rounder bottom with very soft rails that glide just above the water to provide stability only as the board rocks.  This would also keep the board running flatter when paddled at higher speeds where the tail tends to sink with each stroke.
Avoid excessive volume not needed for milder waters and which only creates wind resistance and extra weight.  Last of all, make it attractive.

OK, so the lesson here is: If the speed difference between 26" and 22.5" was not that big... we need to build an 18" board to really make a difference! Got it.

Thanks a lot, great a usual🥇. Imho, it would be very interesting to also try a test of how much really a 12"6' is slower than a 14" of identical model and width in similar conditions 😎

Great stuff and thanks!  Do you use some kind of metronome or meter to measure strokes per minute? Also, do you use a particular app for measuring distance like Strava or paddle logger?

How do you measure the strokes per minute? Do you use a watch or counts in your head?

Pro road cycling tyres are now wider than ever and I guess its the same with paddle boards, thinner is in theory faster, but not practically. You need to have a comfortable and wide enough stance on your board to lever the full body power stroke. If your board is too thin you might be weakening your base.

Ethan - so I use a starboard igo 10ft 8" x 33"  and use a black fish one piece Ukon 520  paddle ...
mainly on UK canal and river systems not interested in speed however I do 20k + on most of my outings in 4 hrs !!! and love it I might upgrade to  11.6 x 32 - I like the stability and need to turn quickly on rivers ... not sure what your thoughts would be I'm interested though ??