Starboard Pro Carbon Paddleboard

The Starboard PRO is Starboard’s multiple world-championship-winning wave SUP, shaped alongside the brand's top competitive athletes—including world champions Benoit Carpentier and Zane Schweitzer. Engineered as the progressive "shortboard for SUP," the PRO is built for maximum commitment, delivering podium-proven grip, speed, and precision in conditions ranging from everyday beach breaks to heavy, critical, and barreling reef passes.

Design Overview & Key Updates

• Focused Tail Refinement: A narrower, pulled-in round pin tail replaces the previous squash tail design, increasing hold, drive, and control in steep wave faces, barrel riding, and powerful top turns.

• Thinned Performance Rails: The rails taper down progressively toward the tail, requiring less rider foot pressure to engage hard carves while providing instant bite in high-energy surf.

• Longer, Narrower Outline: Improves down-the-line projection, provides early wave entry, holds a cleaner rail line on steep drops, and makes high-speed rail-to-rail transitions effortless.

"More pulled-in tail and thinner rails increase drive in bigger waves and control in smaller ones. It's geared towards big waves, but still super versatile in smaller surf too."

— Ollie O'Reilly

Hull & Shape Features

• Forward Volume Distribution: Keeps volume centered under the chest to preserve paddle power and paddling stability, allowing the tail to remain thin, foiled, and responsive.

• Single-to-Double Concave Bottom: Channels water to generate immediate lift and acceleration through the midsection, transitioning to double concave for fluid rail-to-rail control.

• Slight Vee Through the Tail: Promotes clean water release and controlled carving arcs at high speeds.

• Moderate Performance Rocker: Protects against nose pearling on late, steep drops without pushing water, maintaining glide through flat sections.

• Five-Fin Setup (4+1 and 2+1): Outfitted with five fin boxes across all sizes, enabling riders to customize their configuration (quad for speed and hold, or thruster for pivot and release).

Size Profiles & Rider Recommendations

• 9'2" × 29.75" | 144 L (Rider Weight: Up to 120 kg):

  Built for heavier riders or those wanting maximum stability with uncompromised PRO performance. Early wave entry with the control needed for powerful waves.

• 8'9" × 29.25" | 133 L / 134 L (Rider Weight: Up to 110 kg):

  A versatile option balancing paddle power, high down-the-line speed, and carving hold for larger surfers.

• 8'6" × 28.75" | 121 L (Rider Weight: Up to 105 kg):

  A benchmark performance size for riders around 95 kg, allowing hard drives through bottom turns and critical drops.

• 8'0" × 27.75" | 106 L (Rider Weight: Up to 95 kg):

  A compact, reactive shape for advanced riders; catches waves faster than shorter boards while offering high grip in punchy surf.

• 7'8" × 26.25" | 95 L (Rider Weight: Up to 90 kg):

  Dedicated performance outline for lighter or advanced riders; compact and responsive with reliable bite on steep faces.

• 7'6" × 24.5" | 87 L (Rider Weight: Up to 80–85 kg):

  Surfs like a high-performance surfboard; ultra-responsive and lightning-fast rail-to-rail for maximum precision.

• 7'3" × 23.5" (23") | 75 L (Rider Weight: Up to 70 kg):

  The most committed Pro in the range and the competition choice of Benoit Carpentier and Zane Schweitzer for hollow, critical, and fast conditions.

Construction Options

1. Carbon Reflex (Premium Performance)

Starboard's flagship lightweight build for immediate feedback, controlled flex, and rapid recoil out of turns.

• Core & Flex: EPS core layered with 45° biaxial carbon for spring and snap.

• Reinforcements: Thermoformed PVC rail stringers boost total breakage strength without killing flex; 0.6 mm Australian pine heel patches enhance deck durability alongside targeted standing area reinforcements.

• Hardware: 1× 8" US Center Box + 4× FCS II side boxes.

2. Xtec Carbon (Core Performance)

Built around Carbon Load Frame Technology, engineered for everyday sessions and airline travel durability.

• Layup & Core Structure: Precision-placed unidirectional (UD) carbon controls flex and recoil, bonded with expanding epoxy resin.

• Stringers: Reinforced with twin T-Stringers, Wood Omega Stringers on the deck and bottom, and targeted reinforcements through the standing zone, fin boxes, nose, tail, and rails.

• Hardware: 2× 8" US Center Boxes + 4× Surf side boxes. (Available on sizes 8'0" through 9'2").

Full Range Technical Specifications

Recommended Paddle Pairing: Starboard Flux

Starboard pairs the PRO wave SUP with the Flux paddle for a direct, responsive feel in the surf. Engineered with a thin blade profile, the Flux provides a clean entry and fast release to lower strain on the body during repeated paddle-outs while preserving precise control when bottom-turning and setting rail lines.