River Delta Paddlers: Meet Captain Jack

One of the great things about carving out a little spot in the stand up paddle world is getting to meet the characters that inhabit the place. Captain Jack came to me with all kinds of insights into hull shapes, fluid dynamics and secret hoodoo-voodoo, mumbo-jumbo race stuff that I promised to keep on the hush-hush. I asked Captain Jack to pen his introduction to the p.net audience- this is what he sent me:

I live in a world of boats.  Friends call me ‘captain’, because I own a lot of boats.  My home on the water is surrounded by my boats and my neighbors’ boats.  The first time I saw a stand up paddle board, I knew it was for me.  The first time I paddled one, I knew I could do better.

SUP boards are small human powered boats.  Like sailboats, they are not accelerated enough to make them plane on top of the water.  The history of displacement design is primarily the evolution of sailboats.   My board shapes borrow from racing sailboats, kayaks, and the ‘big guns’ of the sixties.  The nose and tail are designed to track and make maximum use of the length of the board.

I’ve spent a lot of time on the bows of boats listening to the sound of the water at the entry point, and  watching water move around the hulls.  Surf board shapers are trying to think “boat”.  I am ‘boat’, surrounded by my personal boat yard and my shape shop for SUP.

Two of Jack's boards: 12'6" and 14"

I currently have blanks with cutaway forefoot (bow) or plumb bow.  Custom shapes, particularly bow and stern, will be developed for individual paddlers and waterways.   Good design comes from an exchange of ideas with the end user.  Talk to me about what you need in a board.

The Delta is as good as any inland paddling venue in the world!  We have 1000 miles of waterways with new experiences to be had at every turn.  Come paddle with me and get fitted for your new board.  

Jack Hanna, Hanna SUP

Hal@WayofWater.com