Any guidance is much appreciated.
I bought a used JP 8'10" X 30" for my first board and it looks like a massive short board, with decent rocker and a pin tail. On flat water it's all good (not what I bought it for though) in the sea it's pretty frustrating (lots of falling off, but slowly improving). after 3 sessions I finally caught 1 wave. My question is :would you persevere with the board or sell it and get something a bit bigger. I'm 6'2" and 90kg with reasonable surf skill. Thanks for any advice.
Select to expand quotebadsupa said..
Any guidance is much appreciated.
I bought a used JP 8'10" X 30" for my first board and it looks like a massive short board, with decent rocker and a pin tail. On flat water it's all good (not what I bought it for though) in the sea it's pretty frustrating (lots of falling off, but slowly improving). after 3 sessions I finally caught 1 wave. My question is :would you persevere with the board or sell it and get something a bit bigger. I'm 6'2" and 90kg with reasonable surf skill. Thanks for any advice.
You caught one wave next it will 5 then more then u will know ??
Practice skills in flat water and in small swells (where it's quiet) - things like turning for a wave, getting up onto the board quickly. See how much of the nose you can get out of the water whilst turning without falling off, paddling on both sides whilst paddling fast etc.
It's also worth practicing falling off - there is a right way to do it. Even practice paddling when it's a bit onshore - it's hard, but worth it.
Ideally you should have started with something bigger. To me a longboard SUP is best to start with, because as you improve - you'll still use it on small days or nice point waves.
The JP would be a perfect second board for you.
One detail that you left out was age.
if you are older, you may consider finding a bigger board to build your skills.
if you are young and fit, you should be able to suffer through a hard learning curve, and your body will pretty quickly learn the skills needed to manage the board.
it is a very small board for a guy your height, but it speaks highly of your natural skills that you got a wave at all the first time out.
I started on a 36" wide board and only got one wave the first session.
If you get where you want to quit trying, then get a cheap bigger board, build your skills, then give the 8'10 another go!
At your size, I'd spend a lot of time paddling in on my knees, then standing up to ride waves.
Try to stand paddling out, and to get into position.
Gradually work on standing to actually position, catch, and ride.
That board is closer to final goal than starter wave setup.
You are stable on flat water and you managed to stand up in the waves. You are halfway there. Falling is part of the sport. If you are not falling any more then the board is not challenging enough :). I would not spend money on a bigger board. Just keep practicing.
That nose and pin tail will be tough to learn waves on even though the length and volume are ok. If it has a center fin box you can try putting a big center fin further back to stabilize the board and make it track better for learning.
As was said previous you probably need more flat water practice. I recommend 10 days flat water practice before trying waves and study video paddle instruction carefully. Skill with the paddle is the biggest factor in balancing on the board for me. It took me 3 previous boards to progress to my current smaller sup and even then I struggled with standing between waves on each size down, other than my 1st board which was very stable. Even when I had trouble standing I was catching plenty of waves and having a great time. The falls in between waves usually don't bother me, but on a bad day multiple falls in a row can get me pretty frustrated. Most people have a low threshold for falling all the time on unstable sups.
If you are having fun I would stick to it thats all that really matters. After a few wave sessions If the waves are small and forgiving and you can still only catch 1-3 waves a session the board is definitely holding you back from progressing. On a challenging day wave count can be low regardless of skill.
What was it Laird said, something about having to humble yourself to learn this sport....
Brilliant response. Thanks heaps all of you.
I'm going to stick with it for a couple of months and if there is no significant improvement I'll look for a a second bigger board. Really appreciate your time to reply.??
You could sell the JP and buy a used Longboard style board at around 10' X 30 inches wide. This would be more stable and something you could keep forever. The JP you will probably grow out of once you get better but a Longboard style is always good to have.
Most people progress pretty quickly to a certain point. The 8'10 will be a good size intermediate board that you will spend lots of time on once when you are confident,which shouldn't be long.
I wouldn't sell it because you will likely be comfy on it pretty quickly, and if you progress to smaller it will likely be a good board for when it's bigger and you want to cover more ground quickly.
But... too smaller a board could impact your progression and enjoyment. If it was me I'd try and find a 2nd hand surf shape in the 140 to 150 l range and get stuck into that for a while.
The long board advice is also smart, every one should have one, and my 10'0 by 30 at 125l is way more stable than my 8'9 x 30 flash at 122l.
Also work on your technique of balancing with the paddle- you can slap it on the water to balance, which once learned is a great trick. Also semi surf stance helps balance. Keep paddling slowly vs standing still too. I'm 100kg on a 122l board and am always moving.
I wouldn't take the kneeling advice above but that's just me. I try to avoid kneeling as much as I can, I think it's a bad habit.
It's a stable board for your size, try flat water small surf to progress quicker, the above advise is on the money. Surf stance, 1/2 to 1 foot in front of other, (either side's of middle-eg handle) wide, knees bent, use you paddle as an outrigger as need. Keep moving. I'm 6ft, 90-100 kg (Xmas holidays haven't been kind, on the figure) I ride, 120 L 8'5" and ready for the next size down., 105/110 L.
It hurts some people to down size to quick, but probably not worth changing board size now, especially consider surfing back ground.
Find the right conditions to progress in will be the key, to get you comfortable on your board. All the best ??
Select to expand quotejb1979 said..
Most people progress pretty quickly to a certain point. The 8'10 will be a good size intermediate board that you will spend lots of time on once when you are confident,which shouldn't be long.
I wouldn't sell it because you will likely be comfy on it pretty quickly, and if you progress to smaller it will likely be a good board for when it's bigger and you want to cover more ground quickly.
But... too smaller a board could impact your progression and enjoyment. If it was me I'd try and find a 2nd hand surf shape in the 140 to 150 l range and get stuck into that for a while.
The long board advice is also smart, every one should have one, and my 10'0 by 30 at 125l is way more stable than my 8'9 x 30 flash at 122l.
Also work on your technique of balancing with the paddle- you can slap it on the water to balance, which once learned is a great trick. Also semi surf stance helps balance. Keep paddling slowly vs standing still too. I'm 100kg on a 122l board and am always moving.
I wouldn't take the kneeling advice above but that's just me. I try to avoid kneeling as much as I can, I think it's a bad habit.
Thanks , solid advice.
Select to expand quoteNerdburger said..
It's a stable board for your size, try flat water small surf to progress quicker, the above advise is on the money. Surf stance, 1/2 to 1 foot in front of other, (either side's of middle-eg handle) wide, knees bent, use you paddle as an outrigger as need. Keep moving. I'm 6ft, 90-100 kg (Xmas holidays haven't been kind, on the figure) I ride, 120 L 8'5" and ready for the next size down., 105/110 L.
It hurts some people to down size to quick, but probably not worth changing board size now, especially consider surfing back ground.
Find the right conditions to progress in will be the key, to get you comfortable on your board. All the best ??
Again, solid advice. Thanks ??
