Alexandre’s Gavrinis: the SUP Race that changed his interpretation of the water
Alexandre was attracted by the diversity of models offered at 3 Bay Paddle and by their reliability. “What attracted me was the variety of Race SUPs available, tested and approved by many paddlers,” he explains. The unique decorations also played an important role in his choice: “The decorations at 3 Bay are really shimmering and unique. It brings an aesthetic aspect that is important to me in practice.”
La possibilité d’avoir une planche fabriquée sur mesure en France a été un élément déterminant pour Alexandre. « Pouvoir faire shaper une planche adaptée à mon usage, à mon expérience et à mon gabarit, c’était essentiel, surtout pour un prix similaire ou inférieur à celui de la concurrence, » confie-t-il. Soutenir un artisan français était aussi une motivation forte : « Dans ce sens, j’ai aussi préféré soutenir nos artisans nationaux au savoir-faire unique. » Et pour Alexandre, la personnalisation ajoutait une vraie dimension de plaisir à sa pratique : « Le fait de pouvoir choisir les options et la décoration de mon futur paddle, ça pèse beaucoup dans le plaisir que j’ai à naviguer, au-delà de la simple performance. »
With eight years of SUP racing and SUP surfing experience, Alexandre, who is 1.68m tall and weighs 70kg, mainly uses his SUP in the Mediterranean. “I use it in flat, windy conditions, or with heavy chop, or for downwind,” he explains. Although he participates in a few competitions, his SUP Race is primarily dedicated to long coastal tours. His previous board, a 14×24 oriented for ocean conditions, did not provide the glide he was looking for in calmer waters. “My previous board pushed the water on the flat and did not give the feeling of glide that I had felt when trying other models,” he explains.
With the 3 Bay Gavrinis, Alexandre found the perfect balance. “This model is perfect for less choppy waters, while maintaining an all-water feel,” he says. After talking with Patrice, he was able to choose precise dimensions: “I opted for a 14×23, which guarantees good glide and relative comfort, which is important for me, especially in winter when the water is cold.” Without having ever tried this model, he jumped in with confidence, having only briefly tested a friend’s Irus.
During his first tests, Alexandre was impressed by the Gavrinis’ build quality. “The brush carbon finish has a raw feel that lets the material shine through, it’s really well done,” he notes. His new board, which is lightweight at 11 kg, offered him the stability he was looking for: “The stability is quite close to what I was used to, but it’s even better in terms of secondary stability.” As for the glide, Alexandre immediately felt the difference: “The Gavrinis slows down less between each stroke, and the top speed is also higher.”
He particularly appreciates the Gavrinis’s semi-hollow deck, which offers a good compromise for his practice. “Not being a fan of dugout decks, the semi-hollow deck is perfect; I can sit without being bothered by the rails during breaks.” Alexandre even adjusted his paddle to fit this new model. “I shortened my paddle by 2 cm to get the feel and frequency of my previous board back.”
The Gavrinis has also transformed the way he interacts with the water: “Its ability to catch any bump and accelerate has changed the way I enjoy the waves. Before, you needed big waves for that, but now I can ride the bumps and chase boat wakes with much more ease.” In competition, surfing or when making buoy turns, the Gavrinis’ maneuverability has also proven invaluable: “Downwind, the nose stays very healthy, doesn’t slow the board down, and the pinched tail allows me to maneuver well while surfing.”
For those who are still hesitant, Alexandre recommends having a good discussion with Patrice to define their needs and, if possible, trying out a 3 Bay board during a competition or a friend’s. And for him, the final detail is not insignificant: “And still, having your board with your personalized design is impressive!”
