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Friday, November 28, 2014

Big Foot Paddleboards

  The final post in the Florida series; this one about a local business.
Mark on a Big Foot Paddleboard
   We weren't the only ones attracted to the warm calm waters of Florida.  Pretty much everywhere we went we met others with or on paddleboards.  One person we met was Josh Hensley, designer of Big Foot Custom Fiberglass Paddleboards. 

  We were immediately attracted to the bright designs and comfortable seats on his boards.  The seats lift up, revealing a compartment for storing treasures.  The compartment has sealed bulkheads around it.

  The boats vary in width, Josh preferred a narrow width board, but he made wider boards for many of his clients.  Those were the ones we tested.

  The boards were comfortable and stable; it was easy to transition to standing on them.  Rather than having one long fin, (which could get caught and cause a face-plant) Big Foot Boards have a shallow keel.  This makes the board track better, and a bit tougher to turn.
Josh shows the keel
  I could see where these boards would be idea for someone who wanted the easy access a paddleboard provides, with some extra features for increased stability.
Designs on some child sized boards

9 comments:

  1. Interesting. A paddleboard is a paddleboard, a kayak is a kayak, a canoe is a canoe. But when designers start to mix things up - I find you're neither here nor there. Like an all-purpose saddle - which I found just wasn't good for jumping or dressage - I wonder. I'm just sayin' . . . The pleasure of a real paddleboard is just too good. Is it a kinda-sorta kayak or a kinda-sorta paddleboard? A yak-board? :) Testing new stuff is fun though! Cheers from Canada :)

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    1. It's true, adding the seat puts an obstacle on the board, which interferes with lying in the sun or yoga. Still, I think people with mobility issues would find this a very accessible and stable platform for paddling. It's not for everyone, but I think some will find it ideal. I like the creativity that he uses.
      I hope your holidays are bright, with safe travel and lots of electricity!

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  2. How do i get a hold of josh??
    I met him on the weekie wachee river with one of his awesome pale boats, with awesome grateful dead paint job, would really like to get one

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    Replies
    1. http://bigfootpaddleboards.net
      Or his # is (352)212-6718

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  3. It looks like his website is now hunterspringskayak.com, and his phone is 352-228-4715.

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    Replies
    1. bigfootpaddlebaords.net Josh: 352-212-6718 We also have Facebook and Instagram pages. Hunter Springs Kayak is a local business that carried our boards for a short time while we were preparing for our own journey to begin. Although they no longer carry our boards they have many other rental options available and I believe the phone number is still current.

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    2. His website is
      http://bigfootpaddleboards.net
      Phone# is (352)212-6718

      Delete
  4. bigfootpaddleboards.net Josh: 352-212-6718 We also have Facebook and Instagram pages. Hunter Springs Kayak is a local business that had leased our boards for a time while we were still preparing our own plans. The phone number listed above is for their rental services. Even though they no longer have our product they have many other rental options available.

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  5. I had the privilege of trying out a big foot paddle board for the first time new years day 2017. We are a family of 6 ranging from 37 (with a back condition) 35 (with lupus) all the way down to 4. I have been a die hard kayak fan since I was a teenager but I will never go back. I have tried other SUP and found the stability unpredictable but not with big foot paddle boards. Even my 12 year old who has never paddled before and was a bit fearful to start had a great time and found it quite easy to get back on after jumping off. My 4 year old was much more confident than she ever was riding in a kayak. It was a full day of paddling and nobody was even sore the next day.

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