Something for all watersports lovers at Sanctuary Cove Boat Show

by Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show on 11 Mar 2014 Not just for the yacht and boat enthusiast, the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show, May 22 to 25 2014, is a complete watersports showcase, with all manner of equipment, from entry point to high-tech, on show for water lovers of all skill level and inclination.

The watersport segment is growing like wildfire, with sales of stand up paddle boards and PWCs (personal water craft) booming around the world.

Stand Up Paddle Boarding (or SUP) is one of the fastest growing sports in Australia and was recently named the fastest growing outdoor recreational activity in the world.

Ross Meadows from Superior, which produces rotomoulded, rather than fibreglass boards at its Gold Coast factory said SUP is all about fitness and lifestyle.

'A lot of our customers are beginners and only want to spend a little bit on their board to decide if they want to take it further,' said Mr Meadows.

'Plus our boards are very robust and can take a lot of punishment, great for families and the hire market.'

He says Superior has dealers all over Australia and as far away as Fiji, all converted from fibreglass to plastic. Available in two versions, the R1 and R2, the Superior SUP retails for around $600 to $700.

'Our SUP is rotomoulded polyethylene with foam stiffener, hollow, durable and it won’t get dings,' said Mr Meadows.

'It features extreme resistance to damage compared to many other composites which can dent and break. Our SUPs can be thrown in the back of a ute or on top of a cruiser.'

The Superior Watersports board was designed by Australian surfing legend Dave Verral and is made from 100 per cent Australian materials and labour. The basic model is the R2, while the R1 upgraded version has water resistant storage box for phone, car keys, leg rope and drain, as well as bungee cord for carrying fishing gear.

Also in the SUP category is the remarkable range of Uliboards. From Victoria, but imported from the US, Uliboards are inflatable stand up paddle boards designed by long board surfing legend, Gerry Lopez.

Available in a range of sizes for different uses, Uliboards are the original inflatable SUP.

'In 2002 when they launched, people weren’t sure how they’d stack up,' said Australian distributor, Tanzer Husnu.

'But now, they are winning races in their categories. Once you try Uliboards, you won’t go back!'

Made of specially formulated PVC from Europe, the result of massive investment in research and development and completely hand-made in San Diego with the input of surfers and yacht engineers, the Uliboard SUP is a portable, versatile and supremely strong board.

'They come complete with a hand pump that takes about four minutes to inflate,' said Mr Husnu.

'They roll up into a bag and weigh about 12kg so they are lightweight and stowable. You can get a three-piece paddle that can be rolled up with the board. I keep mine in the boot of my car so if I want to go out for a paddle, it’s handy, and takes up very little space.

'As well as being a good piece of gear for watersports lovers and novices alike, they are great for boaties as a fun part of the onboard complement of toys. And you know that if the kids bump in to the boat, they won’t hurt your boat.

'However they are very tough. People use them for white water rafting, so you know they will stand up to harsh treatment, bashing against rocks.'

The most popular model is the 10ft Steamroller, which will cope with swells as well as flat water and retails for about $1600. As a SCIBS show special, Husnu will be offering visitors a discount of 20 per cent off across the Uliboards range.

This will be the sixth year Uliboards are on show at SCIBS, which Tanzer said is the best form of marketing and sales for the brand.

'Last year, we sold 27 boards, all our stock, and plenty more orders from the show. Sanctuary Cove is our favourite boat show and the only one we’ll be doing this year,' he said.

As the largest Sea-Doo dealer in the world and the largest PWC dealer in Australia, JSW Powersports is bringing the full range of Sea-Doo personal watercraft to SCIBS this year.

The range includes several different PWC models which are suited for all styles of watersports such as recreation, tow sports, luxury and performance.

As Lina Heldon from JSW Powersports said they would also be showcasing the new Sea Doo Spark which is Sea-Doo’s new kid on the block and has been a great success since it was launched in September last year.

The Sea-Doo Spark recently won the Innovation award from NMMA (National Marine Manufacturers Association) in the US for expanding the entry level of PWCs and opening up the market to a whole new demographic as well as creative use of new materials, processing and manufacturing.

Another Sea-Doo model, the RXP-X 260 was also voted Best Watercraft of the year in 2013 by Jet Ski Magazine.

JSW Powersports are the Australian distributor for Sea Fox Boats and will as always be bringing many of the Sea Fox sports fishing boats to the show.

'Sea Fox Boats are a great, versatile fishing boat which also caters for the family market with plenty of family friendly features on board,' said Ms Heldon.

'At this show we are bringing the flagship model, the 286 Commander, a 29ft centre console as well as the brand new model 249 Avenger, a 25ft side console with new innovative features. We will also have on show several of the popular centre consoles, walk-arounds and bay boats so that we will a have a model that suits every type of Sea Fox buyer.'

Noble Boats, which will be exhibiting a variety of tinnies and RIBS for the fishing and day boat market, will also be launching its Noble brand of ‘iSUP Boards’.

The Noble inflatable SUP Board is made of very high quality drop stitch fabric.

General manager Jason Lee said the range of iSUPs had been thoroughly tested and proven to have no pinhole leaks, no cracking, or no air bubbles on the surface.

'They are also highly durable, easily manoeuvrable, UV resistant and unaffected by intense weather (excessive heat, cold or humidity), fuel, oil, sunlight, or abrasion,' said Mr Lee.

'Being rigid and stable in the water, the Noble iSUP can be folded up for easy travelling, deflated, folded into a backpack, and is small and light enough to carry as a back pack.

'Once you arrive at your destination, you can quickly inflate your Noble iSUP with a hand pump and get into the water in no time. The Noble iSUP comes in a bag that can be stowed when not in use and is super comfy when you need to put the board on your back'.

Along with SUPs, PWCs, kayaks, canoes and fishing gear, there will be many other innovative and competitively priced accessories for diving, skiing and exploring the wide, blue yonder at the 2014 SCIBS.
Sponsored by Club Marine and Maserati Euromarque Brisbane, SCIBS 2014 will run from May 22 to 25.

The 2014 Boat Show will showcase a wide variety of international boating brands, products and technologies on display alongside the superb backdrop of the award-winning Sanctuary Cove marina and The Marine Village.
Offering something for the whole family, SCIBS will also feature a full program of live entertainment, cooking demonstrations and seminars as well as a kids zone and Women on Water program throughout the four-day event.

Tickets are on sale now at www.sanctuarycoveboatshow.com and through Ticketmaster. Adult day passes start at $20, with concession passes available for seniors and students. Children under 18 are free. Visit www.ticketmaster.com.au for more information.

In 2014, SCIBS has teamed up with Translink to provide free train travel for all pre-paid ticket holders for travel to and from the show between May 22 and 25.

Visitors to SCIBS are entitled to free train travel on all regular Queensland Rail City Network trains when they display a pre-purchased ticket to the event, along with accessing the free ‘Park ‘n’ Ride’ services from Helensvale.

For more information on this year’s SCIBS including exhibitor information, holiday packages and entertainment line up, visit www.sanctuarycoveboatshow.com