A new class of dinghy?

Starter sups are gash in my experience. Just a tick box to say “I am an sup rider.”
The key thing about sup is that it requires precisely zero skill, fitness, experience, bravery or whatever to participate in, at least in the off the beach pootling market which I would venture makes 98% of sales. Being arsed to pump the thing up is the only physical or intellectual investment required. Yet somehow none of the manufacturers want to disavow the punters of the notion that they are crazy free sport gap year dudes in board shorts and trucker caps fuelled on red bull. That or highly empowered sun kissed relaxed yogic goddess lifestyle insta explorers for whom Taut cores are the thing not shot pelvic floors.
Funny that.
Imagine if you had to do Rya level one and two at a local training establishment to just know how to make
The thing go back and forth safely whilst under professional supervison.
Dan

Originally posted by DiscoBall .....and the actual sailing learning curve is not something most can do without significant training.

Edited by Sam.Spoons - 27 Sep 18 at 11:33am

Originally posted by Sam.Spoons Originally posted by DiscoBall .....and the actual sailing learning curve is not something most can do without significant training. I know quite a number of sailors (young and old) who are self taught with a minimum of advice from a mate/parent. When I learned to sail many years ago it was how it was done, dad put me in a Oppy, pushed me off and pretty much let me figure it out for myself.

Undoubtedly true (I'm definitely of the self taught school in all my leisure interests) but would suspect that those who stay the course in that case are either from sailing families or just very keen. I was somewhere on the border between those two. My dad is of the Practical Boat Owner school of sailing, technically a sailor but happiest with the boat high and dry on the mud taking the engine to pieces...so he triggered the interest in sailing, but wasn't a lot of use in how to actually sail. 

It’s funny reading dinghy sailors views on SUPs- they echo my own old incorrect perceptions.

Try riding a low volume wave SUP on a 6ft face and say they require no skill...

Similarly try paddling a proper race board - with only 25” board width and come back and say that has no fitness or finesse required.

Of course these are products aimed at more experienced riders- and are arguably more attainable to the weekend warrior than say a moth or musty skiff, but they not easy by a long shot.

entry level SUP stuff is very easily accessible, but then so is entry level dinghy kit too... things like the Hartley 12, the rotomoulded beach cats or even the good old Topper back in the day. We choose not to promote them to new club mates - why would we when they are easy pickings for ‘Upselling’ our old sh*t to, or at the very least maintaining price parity with what we paid for it.

The difference is the initial pricing proposition and the depreciation expectation... that’s why one sport is growing and one is rapidly in decline.

They ultimately offer something very similar - a way to relax and unwind on the water, and share casual times by a beach with friends and family.

If I was a boat builder I’d rather make a living selling 20 x £20k boats than 1000 x £400 ones every year.