Because SUP put so much more force onto the center split section than a shortboard, we had to go in and do a tweak of the system. This was after we got extended feedback from our pro testers Julien Fillion and Dan Gavere in Hawaii.

The most obious is the flip of the shafts possition. We had two on the deck and one shaft on the bottom, and this has been inverted. This is due to the thickness of an SUP, and the effective forces that are applied to the single bottom shaft. Now the load is placed over two, with the central top shaft working as the stabaliser. While this offers less "natural flex" than the old system (in shortboards where we developed the sytem, natural flex is critical), we found that SUP have far less flex in the center due to its sheer mass. Only the tails flex some, and since there is no split there, this remains the same.

The next change was the tubes themselves. Higher carbon content, an increase in the OD of 25%, and a 30% increase in wall thickness of the shaft itself. The end result is a bomber system which is every bit as easy and simple to use, but makes the boards bombproof even in the hands of Dan and Julien.

A split 9'9" Wave Rider before the deck EVA is put on, showing the split.

Showing the two shafts in the bottom (note that the screws have not been put in, or the central gasket, so you can see a gap here still).