It seems that in more recent times most people are riding a lot shorter boards than 1-2 years ago, just wondering if anyone still rides the larger boards such as the naish 10'6 / 11'4 and is still stoked on their performance??

I had the 10'6 naish for bay and surf...Loved it. Sold it for a Naish 11'4 for the bay downwinders and now it seems the 14' glides are the poo for this job.

Tried the 8'9 naish surf sup. At 75KGs and very experienced Surfer/kitesurfer / Sup - It was bloody hard to keep straight when getting the last stroke in to catch a wave.....Im sure it would surf awesome if I could stay on it long enough to catch a wave...but some of the stoke was lost for me with all the fall offs....(I spent a few days practicing in the bay in **** conditions....It pretty much sank under my weight...(110 Litres I think)...So I gave it back pre-surf to go for something easier for me to handle. Serious blow to my ego.

I am absolutly in love with the 11'4 Naish. It surfs well, Does the downwinders well enough and is floaty enough to make everything easy. Nothing wrong with easy. its great fun to be able to get around without the quiver and have a crack at everything.

Be nice to have something that floats well, rips like my 6'0 and paddles flat out and straight where you want it when turning for a wave, (And is easy to carry, Cheap and lasts forever...) - Aint gonna happen. My ten cents would be to own the board that matches what you do most.

Yeah I totally agree. Shorter is not always better. Sure enough an 8' or 9' board is great on the wave but its how much effort it takes to get the wave that counts. Usually the conditions have to be glassy to make the most of the smaller shorter boards. And falling in all the time just makes you look like a kook hehehe
Yes big boards are confronting to other surfers and a lot to carry and store away but like everyone has said its keeping the stoke alive. Bigger boards are definitely capable of riding waves. And bigger boards now are being shaped to be able to surf a wave with thinner rails and drawn in tails.
Here is a vid of me surfing a bigger board. I also use this board for flat water paddling and for a family board for when the kids want to paddle it themselves or sit on the nose of the board with me paddling. My dog also has to fight the kids for pole position hehehe

I can definately see how the smaller SUPs would not be everyones cup of tea. Damn hard work when the conditions are not ideal, but well worth the effort once on a wave. You either have to be young and fit or surf quite a bit to enjoy em I reckon. I like the fact that in an hour you feel totally worked, cause that is about the length of most of my surfs - and yes I fall off a lot

I enjoy the misses' 10 footer when it small though!

Have got other surfers going "What the....? when I get out my whopper. But it surfs great and is very very stable in choppy conditions and is above all fun to ride. Ain't got no glide though

funny thing is ive been riding my longer boards lately

the old trusty 9'3 is having a bit of a rest on the board racks tucked away in its board cover

my ye ol 10'6 is on it's latest tour of duty due to the crap conditions lately

also been riding the 11'4 and 12' glide naishs

as well as 11' and 11'6 oxbow and 11' laguna bay just to mix it up a bit

then you jump back on my "short board sup" and it feels great

loose and agile

no lip is safe from being smashed

variety is the spice of life

rock on

Dogman, are you a millionaire??? I have one board and have to ride it in all conditions!!!!!

A nice example of the flow and maneuverability of a big board.

elbeau said...

A nice example of the flow and maneuverability of a big board.

Thats some pretty sick SUP surfing right there Elbeau

elbeau said...

Greenroom said...

elbeau said...

A nice example of the flow and maneuverability of a big board.

Thats some pretty sick SUP surfing right there Elbeau

You know Greenroom. I have seen a lot of videos of all sorts of SUP's long and short and I reckon this is about the best example of what SUP surfing is all about that I have seen.

Except for the helicopter!! things. What are they about?

hilly said...

elbeau said...Except for the helicopter!! things. What are they about?

Hear hear : )

those boards don't look that long either only about 9 foot big round nose long board style.

Greenroom style boards : )

The green board that he rides (not very well) is about 9' something I guess, but the yellow board is easily 10' plus. He rides this with aplomb.

That SUP in the vid is perfect for the waves he is riding. The problem here in Sydney is we don't generally get fatter slower waves like that and so a bigger board is not so suited to a lot of the beachies we have to surf. Suckier, punchier waves suit a shorter SUP IMO as they fit better into the shape of the wave. Horses for courses I guess. BTW I agree with Hilly that that board is about 9 foot.

Personally I have owned and tried soooo many boards I have lost count but have kinda settled at about 10ft as my perfect allround length. I have been thinking/saying for about 6mths now that I believe most of us will slowly increase the lengths of our boards over the next year or so and probably settle for something in the 9'3 to 10'0 range. I would have said 9'6 but I have spent a considerable amount of time recently on a 9.3 C4 and it is something that feels like it has the allround ability of a 10fter so maybe if manafacturers start thinking like C4 we may be able to still have our 9ish ft boards but not sacrifice the glide and stability of bigger boards. But at this stage (until my lotto numbers come up) I would say that if I were to take off tomorrow for a sup trip around oz I would take my 10'0 so I would have all bases covered.

Billboard I agree, I have only gone as small as 9'6" and found that that is short enough for me. I think i'd fallen into some sort of trap or trend of going smaller and smaller just cos I can and had forgotten why I took supping up. I like the bigger boards, just recently I purchased a 10' board which although i've only been out on it twice (one flat water paddle and once in crappy 1/2ft closeouts) I reckon that's the right size for me and the conditions I surf. This board would however fit in the pocket of a steeper wave if needed.

Yep the baby laguna is a very special little indulgence !! I am just saying that as an everyday allrounder I like my 10fter. On a fast/clean and punchy beach break the laguna is just insane and have been tempted to throw the paddle away on a couple of waves and just surfing it. You can bet your life though that I would be totally lost without the paddle because I haven't ridden a surfboard for nearly a year and a half and you don't realise just how much you rely on the paddle until someone comments on it or you see yourself on video. I surfed with a mate a week ago that I have been longboarding with for years (he was on a mal and I on the sup) and his main comment after he watched a couple of my waves related to just how far off the board we can lean and how much we can lay over in a turn and use the paddle to stay on the board. I guess we just take it for granted but he was blown away by what can be done with the paddle. Just a few more (hundred) sessions with him and I might convince him to come across to the dark side.

paul.j said...

Not sure if i'll go bigger than my 8'0 as i love the way it surfs and i can now surf the whole session and not fall of most times, it still picks up waves out the back the only thing i might do is get one a little longer or wider for the real wind and rippy days

Jacko

How old and heavy are you Jacko?

@ 47 and 105kg 10 ft is perfect short sup, the 12er is gold for marginal conditions. Been on a 9 2 but like the drive of a longer outline.