Hi guys.Im not long on this great site so sorry for starting off with questions on board advice.

Im based in Chile and theres not a lot of good brands on sale here,Theres mostly artesan type boards.

Ive been surfing for about 2 years.Im awful at it to be honest but ive also kitesurfed for 3 years.

Ive been doing SUP for about 6 months,borrowing and renting boards only.

Im looking to get into waist height waves to begin with.

The choices of boards that i can buy at the moment are:

Naish Mana 10' X 33" X 4 3/4

Cabrinha 9'8" x 31 1/2" x 4 3/8

Mistral Malibhu 9’8“ 31“ 4 3/4“


Has anybody got any experience of riding these boards?.

Thanks for taking the time to read my post.

Go shorter - you will grow out of these long boards too quickly (in 3 months - especially with ocean waves)

Chilebear said..
Thanks for the reply.

Im 85k. Ill be in the ocean most of the time. Theres all sorts of types and size waves at the spot where i go. From ankle high and upwards.
Id be getting in at waist height i reckon for the moment
Why is the pad important on the Board?
I thought theyd be standard on all boards.
Gracias
Joe

The deck pads can vary a lot.. Some are thick.. Some are thin.. Some are grippy.. and some are even slippery.. and some don't go forward enough on the board.. Some peal around the edges and around the handle.. Some even have tearing and bubbling problems.

I know it sounds like I'm all Naish,Naish,Naish but the new Naish 2014-15 boards have the best deck pads that I've seen on any board.. Thin.. grippy.. good coverage.. and won't ever peal due to their new bonding process.. I know even Naish have had their pad problems over the years but at last they have it right.. Some other brands are just as good.. but some others are not even close.. It's just something to consider when buying a new board.

BTW.. at your weight I'd be recommending the new 9'5" Mana over the 10' Mana.. Both are awesome boards.. Try and demo them both first.. and the other brands..

Hi Cilebear

are second hand boards available in Chile?

One option would be to find a second hand board around the dimensions that you are considering and then sell if it doesn't suit your needs, for little or no loss.
Once you have been exposed to different conditions for a few months you will get a much clearer feeling for what board will help you go to the next level.
Maybe then outlay the money for a new board.

cheers