I wonder how many pages this one will end up

Hi there Ioz, in waves under 6 foot (2x overhead) weight is quite important for performance IMO. Most guys that compete are riding SUPs in the 5.5 - 8kg range with grip/wax fins on. Lighter the better for high performance surfing in 1 - 5 foot.

Even some of the pop outs like the smaller carbon Starboards are as light as customs, which are around 5 -5.5kg with out fins/deck-grip.

Of course these types of boards aren't going to be as durable as a 10 kilo job but if you keep em maintained (ie fix your dings) and they don't take water they will last for ages.

Ioz said...


I have been picking up my SUP lately and am wondering if It is feeling a bit on the heavy side and perhaps taking in water,

it is a 8 9" Psh wide little ripper, and it weighs in at 10kg (22 pounds)
with the deckgrip and the leash.

Is this about right ? –or a bit on the heavy side,

i would say in smaller waves it is probarly a bit of disadvantage to have a bit more weight in your board but when i gets a bit chunkier it would not matter so much ?

is there a approx optium wave for a wave SUP - of is it the lighter the better ?

My 9 2 WR weighs 9kg with heaps of ding fixes and water in :) So yes as Piros says she has had a drink.

My old 9'3" psh boardworks weighed in at 10.4kg with deck grip and fins my new 8'8" laguna is 7.2kg and loving it

My DEEP 8'4" weighs 6.1kg - so much more responsive than a heavier board of similar dimensions.

My new Fanatic prowave comes in at 5.4kg with grip and fins and it feels pretty good in the surf!! Love the light feel of the board and the way it surfs!

I wish all production board manufacturers listed board weights for all constructions & models available along with the board specs. Just like Starboard , C4 , Suplove , some Naish & Global Surf Industries (NSP) do on their website .....
Rich

paul.j said...

My new Fanatic prowave comes in at 5.4kg with grip and fins and it feels pretty good in the surf!! Love the light feel of the board and the way it surfs!

Is that a carbon board? What size?

Ioz said...

I end up taking a Star Board pocket rocket out today in small surf

and was impressed by how lively it felt.

To pick it up was a quite a bit lighter than mine, and was a a lot more responsive on the wave face and paddling in general.

So now i have felt the difference i know the weight is a big factor in small wave surfing and i think i could of found the perfect board for our less than ideal waves here in Perth.

I love the pocket rocket ... great in small to medium surf, pretty stable and doesn't mind a bit of chop. Rips off the tail and stable if you get up on it's big fat nose. Mine weighs 9.5 kilos .... not as light as some mentioned here which I would like to try. The only downside of the pocket rocket is it doesn't have a lot of glide so it's not the best for catching fat waves, but no short board is.

I was on the carbon model and i think this weighs around the 7kg mark,

great for the smaller waves but i have not tried it on anything larger.

I found it easy to paddle into waves as i found myself coming up the board where there is a bit of volume and it was super easy to paddle and stable, then as i dropped in i could shuffle back and that volume came out of the water and it felt like a smaller volome board.

I can see myself getting one board for smaller waves and yes a another board, a bit more gunny for proper surf.

The weight annonced by the makers must be taken with a grain of salt. SUP manufacturing processes are not totally robotic and weight can vary between boards of the same model by plus or minus 5% easily.

On the weight, lighter boards (my lightest is a 5.9kg naked 7'11") are much more pleasant for "competitive" style, but heavier boards have their advantage too: they carry more speed through turns even with not optimal technique, and do not stop dead when you make a mistake. They are stabler in choppy conditions too. The board I used the most and was giving me a lot of fun was one of the heaviest for it size I ever had: 8.8kg for a 6'9", but the weight gave it a very smooth ride with plenty of drive.

So, light boards are great, and I will choose the lighter ones in the same shape if I have the choice, but heavy boards are not to be ruled out for the boards in your quiver, especially the geared for gnarly and/or choppy conditions, or for "classic longboard" walking.