I'm in the opposite situation. I've previously built a strip-built kayak and am now building my first S&G (Tandem Wherry). Not sure about the Kaholo, but on my stripper, every surface was covered front and back with glass. The glass/epoxy sandwich doesn't really depend on the core for strength. I did a fairly intricate strip pattern on my deck with no regard for its structural strength, just the aesthetics, knowing the strength would ultimately come from the glass sandwich. Pic attached (hopefully)

Hey John,

               I built a Kaholo 12.5 Hybrid for my bride a couple of years ago and she loves it.  I’ll get to your questions but first I have several other suggestions:

A.     If you have not yet ordered the kit, take another look at the suggested paddler weights.  Unless your friend is large, the 12.5 may be a better choice because it will be smaller and lighter (easier to store and transport).  Both my wife and I are beginners on SUP and have no problem handling the smaller boat.

B.     Work out the basics of your strip design before ordering the kit.  By default, CLC sends 1/3 each of the three colored woods but you can request other ratios.  If you plan to do any intricate patterns, you might also want to request square strips vice bead and cove.  Since the Kaholo deck builds flat you really don’t need B&C and the square strips are less complicated to shape.  Lastly, the Walnut is much denser than WRC, so it is heavier, harder to bend and harder to sand.  Unless you don’t mind a heavy board, I would minimize use of that color.

C.      Recommend that you do not install the standard CLC fins but install the optional fin box instead.  This allows you to change the fin to better suit the conditions/paddler.  We have a 9” which is great for beginners because it greatly increases stability of the board.  For regular flat water paddling we use a 5” and we have a flexible 4” fin for use in waters with obstructions.

Now to your questions:

1.      You are correct that lining up all the ends will create a weaker spot in the deck.  While I agree with James’ comments regarding strength, I would add that strength of the SUP deck is more important because you stand on it, where as the deck of a kayak is not subjected to much weight.  The other point is that you will likely be adding the pads to the center of the boat so it is wasted effort to make a fancy design in the center of the boat that will be hidden from view.  My suggestion is to avoid lining up the ends in the center of the boat where the paddler might stand, but you could safely do so forward and aft.  I do not have any good sources for a “catalog” of deck designs.  When I build for my bride, she creates a folder of designs that she likes then chooses from those.  One thing about the Hybrid Kaholo is that the instructions call for the deck to be built on a table vice on the boat like is done with kayaks.  The result is that most of the strip designs on the Kaholos run straight forward/aft.  My bride wanted the strip pattern on her board to conform to the shape of the hull like on her strip kayak, so I built her deck on the board.

2.      No breather needed with the Beckson port.  I drilled a 1/8” hole in the port cover so that the boat can vent with the cover on.  Very little water gets in through this hole, but I make sure to wipe out the hull after use.  The board is stored inside with the cover off.

3.      The default handle location for the Kaholo is on the centerline in the middle of the boat.  This allows a single person to carry the board under his/her arm.  No ideas regarding a recessed handle but I believe it would be hard because a stringer runs down the center of the boat.  Any recessed handle would necessarily cut into the stringer and possible weaken the deck in the area that the paddler stands.  I added a brass eyes trap on the bow for use of a bow line but could easily attach a toggle there.  I glued a Ropeye to the stern as a leash attach point.  Ropeye is a product made in NZ.  I am not sure if they are still available in the US.

4.      Actually, this is a possibility.  There are several companies that sell electric motor/fin combinations that mount to the fin box.

Hope that this helps!  

Here is a link to my build pictures: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmQyYAMp

   Thanks for the reply, Mark.

So...kit was already ordered before I started really thinking about a deck design, and thus came with the b&c strips. So I guess I'll just have to work with what I have. My friend lives in the upper midwest and will use her board almost exclusively at her summer lake home on flat water. 

This is my first time strip planking anythying so I'm a total novice there, although it doesn't look like rocket science. In keeping with her northern lake home theme, I mocked up a design to represent a lake scene on a starry night with a pair of loons. I would do the stars and loons as veneer onlays, And rather than weaken the deck in the middle by having all strips butting in a straight line, I had also thought about doing a dark stain on the forward side of the board to look like a dark sky? Again...maybe overkill given the size of the foot pads? 

I found a design for a recessed handle that I think I can execute. It involves building a waterproof handle "box" the full depth of the board and the full span between bulkheads 6 & 7. Yes, the stringer would be cut, but it would be more than reinforced by the box sides and the "handles" themselves. I think it will work nicely.

The pinhole drilled into the port cover is a good idea. Thanks.

JF

Your proposed design looks great!

If you have never used stain before, I suggest that you read Nick Schade's article on the subject that is available in the "Tips for Boat Builders" tab above.  I also suggest that you make some test samples to see how your choice of stain will really look on your color of wood.  Make sure to overcoat with epoxy then a little varnish to really see what it will look like.  Lastly, suggest that you reach out to hspira who frequents this forum.  He has an excellent technique for creating crisp lines with stain.  You can't simply mask when you use stain because it absorbs into the wood and under the tape.

You can also get creative with the deck padding.  CLC used Seadek padding which is aavailable in a variety of colors.  There are also many choices for pre-made deck pads on Amazon etc.

I'll be interested to see your handle.  I am thinking of building a board for myself and a recessed handle would be nice.

Here's the link to where I got the idea of how to do mine:

   http://sliverpaddleboards.com/wood-sup-handle/

I think I'll run my handle the full span between bulheads 6 and 7. That will  a) give the carrier some leeway to shift the load balance fore or aft a little bit, and b) use 2 hands if necessary. Here's a diagram from the post above for a visualization of the concept. Note that if the board is turned upside down, any water that accumulates in the "well" should run out if I bevel the handles correctly. As you can imagine, I think the fore/aft well walls, along with the handles themselves will more than make up for the cut center stringer. I think I'll use some fiberglass tape between the outer walls and the bottom panel for add'l strength and rigidity.