Hi there,

Since my only board is out of commission for a while,  I'm thinking to get another 14 footer and looking in at 3 boards. Not sure if you find them comparable  but they have similar size and approximately same asking price

2016 JP 14' Sportster Open Ocean, 14 by 28  carbon
2015 Starboard All Star, 14 by 28  carbon
2016 Naish Glide 14'0" x 29 GTW

I own Bark Expedition that I use in Boston harbor on calm days. I don't race. I think I would like the board would weigh less that my Bark (32+ lbs), would go better in straight and would be less affected by chop and side waves. Still I want to learn how to DW and follow small bumps across the bay.. I didn't find lot of info on Sportster or Glide,  but AllStar looks like does it all.

Any suggestions?

p.s. Are these carbon board really fragile and difficult to keep in good condition?   

The glide is heavy, slow, very stable. JP Sportster light, fast, great cruiser. The Starby I won't comment on as I try and limit my opinions to boards I have either owned or paddled.

They are popular and I hope someone who has paddled both the JP Sportster and the Starby could comment..

wow,

Thank you so much.  Little bit surprised by replies as I was under impression that Glide would get better scores, I might scratch it off as you gave me the idea to keep Bark for learning downwind and get something more dedicated to flatter conditions and better tolerating chop (piercing bow?)  Def want to have a board that lighter than bark

14' speedboardusa just popped on my CL's radar, I assume it's 27" board. Would it be a good contender for my frame (around 6' and still 210 lbs  )   or I'm dreaming?

wow,

Thank you so much.  Little bit surprised by replies as I was under impression that Glide would get better scores, I might scratch it off as you gave me the idea to keep Bark for learning downwind and get something more dedicated to flatter conditions and better tolerating chop (piercing bow?)  Def want to have a board that lighter than bark

14' speedboardusa just popped on my CL's radar, I assume it's 27" board. Would it be a good contender for my frame (around 6' and still 210 lbs  )   or I'm dreaming?

  You sort of have to just pick a board and start paddling it. Anything over 27" wide is going to be stable and handle some chop. The all star is probably safest bet, it's the most well known board and easier to flip generally. The glide is a great board, it's just big and heavy. A 28" Maliko is probably the answer to that but they're also expensive.

Stay Away from the Naish Glide, mine was heavy over 35 pounds, not as stable as your other board options, and high risk for deck delamination with no support from Naish except a discount on a replacement board.

The JP Sportster and 2015 14 x 28 Starboard Allstar are definitely not more stable the 29.2" wide Glide. No way. Especially in rough conditions. Starboard increased the stability for the Allstar in the 2016 model and the 28" wide 2015 is actually pretty good for stability in moderate chop, but simply doesn't measure up to the Glide in heavier conditions. The Glide excels in rough conditions.

The GTW Glide the OP is referencing is also a few pounds lighter than the stock Glide. While 31 or 32 pounds is  definitely not light, it is an improvement over the 35 pound stock weight. I have owned my Glide for around 2 years now and have put thousands of miles on it, with no delimitation issues. I store it outside more than I should and I'm very hard on my gear which is why I chose a PVC layup for my newest board.. I think you are certainly in the minority with delimitation issues on the Glide.

The Glide is a better all around board than the Expedition imo. It does better upwind in the chop, and matches and exceeds the the Expedition DW and in rough conditions imo. More stable overall. Naish did an excellent job with the shape of the Glide for the redesign in these years. I can't speak for the latest design. If you are looking for better flat water speed, and a board that does fairly well in the chop, the 2015 Alltar 14 x 28 is a good choice, and it's lighter than the Glide. It would be my pick of the three if thats what you want. If you want a work horse that does excellent in rough conditions, and it is a pretty decent all arounder for what it is, then the Glide. The shape has definitely stood the test of time, and many paddlers wanted Naish to release this version in a narrower width. The GTW is a very nice board and is a bit lighter than the stock Glide. I use my Glide for overnight expeditions and for all types of paddling. I love it, and if I went back, I would still pick it over boards like the 2015 Allstar and the JP Sportster. It is a very forgiving shape.

  I put mine nearly through my garage door. Didn't leave a mark on it.