Hi Worrier

I have one and also the 9'6". I find the 9'6" better in clean condition and it surfs like a short board.
Having said this the 9'5" is great. Handles the chop better and turns really well on a wave. Lacks a bit of the drive of the 9'6" but that would be expected with the width. IMO it beforms better then the whopper by far. You will be surprised how well it surfs. Set the back fin towards the back a I found it a bit skatie, when I had it set forward, on the bottom turns of larger waves (head high plus).

Mate this is a must buy board. I call it my arvo board. The 9'6" is the morning one when it is claean and the 9'5" is for the arvo when the wind pick up.

You will not be disappointed.

Latter
Swanie

Hey Swanie

You want to pop the 9'5" on the scales and tell us how much it weighs?

BTW I found the Whopper to be a bit slow and lacking in glide during the paddle out. Fine for catching waves and riding but not so good for chasing down swells. Any comments on the glide and paddle speed of the 9'5"?

Thanks

Greg

I saw the 10ft Manna on the weekend and I would suggest that if your a lighter person you really need to demo these first.

We had a young lady circa 50 - 60kg on one and it was so corky it kept pitching her off.

Also the extreme rocker in the board was pushing lots and lots of water.

I believe it would surf well on the wave but as Gorgo says it was very slow to paddle.

Phill

MMMM
Went to have a go on a 9'8" star yesterday but the wind blew up as we got in the water. Hopefully it stops blowin in a coupla days and I can have a go on it.
Funny thing was there were 6 starboards rangin from11'2" to the 9'8"and nothin else out there.
Hey Rad saw you out there at Seppo. Have ya tried that left down the road yet
W

Hi all, please keep this one rolling if you have the mana 9'5" or the sb 9'8" or if you've tried them both
I tried the 9'5" and 10' manas and also found the smaller one more stable for me... i'm 73kgs
also does the sb have a handle slot built in ?

Ta

Yo. Have ordered the 9'5 because of you lot and your good advise. youse were right about the 9'6 and the SA fins nice board. Got the 9'3 before the winter and love it but is calm clean day board. Will i love the 8'10 at 84-85kg and am a shortarse, how hard a work is it? The mana and the 8'10 on the ute this summer probably answered my own question.
Comments please gotta love this sport and have spent a lot but want to refine the quiver.

Hey Gorgo

I threw on the 9'5" on the scales but the are not the best. It came up 11.8kg. I have seen people mention the 9'8" Starboard aswell

It comes down to stability, your weight and what you want to do.

I am 92kg and 6' tall and for me the 9'5" mana is good in the in the chop. I prefer the 9'6" naish to surf with but in the arvo chop I have a better time on the mana. In about a year I plan on dropping to the 9'3" or custom. I do not think my weight would be good on the 8'10" but then again people like JB ride it and I have been told he is similar weight. (sorry if this is wrong JB)

I have ridden the 9'8" Starboard but think the 9'6" surfs better IMO. I have also ridden the 9' Starboard stinger and was very impressed with it. I would choose this over the 9'8". It is funny how the 9'3" Naish is tippy for me but the 9' Stinger wasn't as much. Here is a picture from John Makkin from our club and he rips on the 9' Stinger.



The whopper IMO is a great board and will let you progress quick but then again IMO the 9'5" Mana surfs better and is very stable. It paddles well, though not the glide of the 11'ers but then again it is 9'5" and is used for surf.

For the lighter people who grew up not enjoying food as much, you might find the mana a bit corkie. But if you want it for a river paddle or small surf and don't want to get a hernia loading it on the car then it will be perfect for you. My wife 58kg, loves it for this reason. She had a 11'6" oxbow but could not carry it by herself or get it up on the landcruiser. The 9'5" fits in the Landcruiser.

I think all boards mentioned above are great and will suit diferent people better then some others will depending on the individuals weight, experience and what they want it for.

My advice is DEMO, DEMO, DEMO. Doing this on the 9'5" naish may be hard as they are selling like hotcakes.
I hope this waffle helps.

Latter
Swanie

W & J - all the starboards have built in carry handles and factory fitted deck grips. If you want a production board and your priorities are proven quality/performance and stability then you cannot go past a starboard. Depending on your weight it is worth trying to get hold of both a 9'0 and a 9'8 starboard to try. Last years starboard 9'8 x 30 superfish is quite a big board (for a sub 10' board) and is amazing for a bigger guy because it surfs unreal and has nice glide and it's impossible to fall off. If you can get a paddle on a 9'0 x 30 Starboard - either a stinger of extremist then you will not believe how much stability you have in such a small board. They still have reasonable flatwater ability with the extremist slightly better with the 2 + 1 fin setup. To give you an idea of the stability, last week I put a 95kg mate of mine who has only been supping about 3months on my 9'0 starboard and he stood on it and paddled it just fine in calm water. I am sure he would take a while to get used to the board in the surf but he did not sink the board and he didn't fall off and that is fairly impressive for a 95kg guy on a 9ft board in my books. Do not be a sheep - new boards are expensive as you know, so try as many as you can and take your time in making your purchase. DO NOT BE PRESSURED INTO BUYING ANYTHING - YOU ARE RIDING THE BOARDS - NOT THE RETAILERS AND NOT YOUR MATES OR ANYONE ELSE GIVING ADVICE.

All good choices. You will not be disappointed.

angie pangi said...

9'5 mana will blow your mind out in the waves!

Better be quik as they go like hot cakes cos they are so stable but actually really surf well aswell, not like some wide smaller sups.

I've seen guys and girls from 60kg up to 112kg, throw the 9'5 mana around unbelievablly well in the waves, like nothing else.

I have to chase guys down that have had the 9'5 mana out in the waves, as they can't believe how good it goes & don't won't to swap back LOL.

I've only had the 9'5 out in about 3ft max, but loved it but my new board is the 8'10 naish hands down.

Oh and before someone baggs me out or red thumbs me LOL, Yes i sell naish but that's cos they work.

XX angie

Love your work Angie, dont fell bad talking up the naish boards, they are great.

Im tempted to get one of these for onshore days

yo elbeau

i here you ran into a guy from up my way while he was at scotts head

nice spot down there with heaps of points and cranky mal heads

rock on

the 10'5 drive has a really nice tail for sure

loved the look of it

yer i smash a few pies daily and even hide a few sly ones under my pillow for the odd midnight snack

rock on

Your mate was telling me he had gone from about 120kgs down to ? 95 kgs.
He looked pretty fit.
Project forward 10 years
The Dogman paddling out on his 15 foot thruster. 130 kilos.
"He was a hard worker" said friends "and he sweated it off, but it was the midnight pies under the pillow, and the deep fried mars bars that pushed him over the edge".

tha dogman said...

....lol.......my brother weighs in at over 150kg and my old man that past away last year was in the same league so the blood line is not looking to good elbeau

just image when i get that big the buckets i would through if i could ever get up some speed on a wave and put the girth on rail ..hmmmmmmmm......

not a good look i suppose....lol....

Family history looks a bit dodgy. I have patients that come in and do all the right things, exercise, eat the right foods etc and still are crook because it runs in the family. Any way as long as your having fun and enjoying it. Life is for living.

worrier said...

Hey elbeau.
Just back from Kal. Ya couldn''t pay me to live on the east coast. Way to crowded for me.
Had some great Sups lately on the beach breaks so am lookin forward to the shorter stabler board. Im not too concerned about bigger gruntier surf for the Mana, I will get a more wave oreinted Sup later on this summer for the winter months. Then I think trade the 10'6 for the 12'gun for the paddles along Mr Chompys reef on those glassy days. I am havin a few probs orderin the mana as the SUP shop here has changed hands in the last coupla weeks but it looks to be back on track now.
Enjoy the crowds over there
W

"Ya couldn''t pay me to live on the east coast". Oh well, better tuck that $1000 a week I was thinking of offering you then. Never mind.
Whenever I think of you out at "Mr Chompies" by yourself I remember the crocodile from Peter Pan for some reason.
The Mana looks sweet. Plenty of kick and nice lines. The tail is a bit wide for mine but sweet none the less.
See you later. I'm off to get in the queue. Its almost my turn to get a wave again.