Hi Everyone,

I have been doing a lot of reading and am going to buy a SUP. The local shops in Torquay will rent out their demo boards but I thought I'd ask a few questions first to get an idea of what I should be trying before I be buying .

A little about me: I am 6'4" and weigh about 117kg ( I have started swimming again so hopefully will be down to 105-107 by the summer). I am not the most flexible person, and after a summer of trying to learn to surf but unable to master the pop-up, I have been told to go this route (by a friend who believes SUP'ng is the best thing ever, and before you ask, he is much lighter than me so I can't try out his board).

I would like something that I can learn on but can eventually surf well with. I don't imagine I'll be surfing anything huge though, just small to medium waves but I would like something that can maneuver reasonably well. Am I asking too much as a beginner?

I appreciate any helpful suggestions.

Naish Mana 10'2",or if funds are tight NSP 10'2".Check the forum buy and sell section for some good deals.

Demo a few boards to get a feel for it.They are pretty chunky boards ,they do yoga on them.Great incentive to drop the kilos

My opinion, at your current weight, is look for someting 10'6"-11'6". Minimum 30" wide. Heaps of great used boards on buy n sell. I also strongly advise that you stick with learning to surf on a longboard before you take a SUP out in the surf. It is important to understand surfing & surfing etiquette before taking a big SUP out into a surf lineup. For your own safety & for those around you.

What I forgot to say was I reckon if you're serious and determined, don't muck around with rubbish, get quality straight up. At your size I'm sure a Fanatic 9'10 will be heaps. My 9'6 is a foot shorter than the old board but more stable and as I said takes off on waves so much easier. Once you get into it, I guarantee you start losing a lot of weight quickly.
And yes don't go out in crowded breaks to learn - these can be dangerous weapons rolling around in surf. I still keep away from the crowds (which is easy to do here)

Thanks for all the input guys. I went to Strapper Surf today and it looks like they only have the 10' NSP and the 10' Naish Mana to try out. So next weekend I hope to start the demo and see how I go. They are pretty helpful and can order in anything, but will have to start with the 10' boards and see if they are able to hold me.

Fanatic Allround 10'6 x 32" would be ideal. Stable, light and can catch a wave if required. Anything smaller you will struggle on at first - on this board you will be comfortable straight away. I have the 9'6" Allwave and it too is a great board. All depends on whether you want a goo flatwater board or something with more of a surf emphasis.

As mentioned demo if you can and pick something taht you like the size/look/price of...

Hi Aramathorn, welcome to Seabreeze where everybody has an opinion and they are allowed to. You say that you are learning to surf, well SUP's can be extremely dangerous to yourself and others in surf. Stay on the flat until you can do a pivot turn both ways, (step back and sink the tail and give two paddles to turn it 180 degress.) That will let you know you have the balance to maintain your stability in the moving water of the surf. Once you can do that, and you may master it in twenty minutes or two days, start by going out in uncrowded spots until you know for sure you can turn your board to avoid collisions with other surfers and swimmers. You might not ever use the pivot in the surf but it is a good indicator of your increased control and stability on the board.
IMHO at your height and weight the 9'10" Fanatic Allwave would be an ideal stock board for you to do everything you want to for about 12 months, and I don't reckon you'll ever sell it. They paddle really well on the flat are incredibly stable and have amazing turning ability. . In the end what you can do on a board comes down to your or the surfer's ability not the board. There is a clip of an add on YouTube where Kelly Slater surfs a Door whilst holding a briefcase and wearing a suit. For your ability and size, BTW I don't think guys giving advice realise at that height and weight you are not particularlyoverweight so you are probably pretty fit. If you were a wee bit shorter I'd recommend the 9'6" Allwave you may even want to try one after demoing the 9'10".
Once you have mastered the art of paddling and surfing on the first board you buy, I would then recommend buying a custom board. Talk then to Laguna Bay, Deep, DC, there are a heap of guys locally as well, just ask on here. Sparx rides customs made in Vic and they are amazing, but again he is a very good surfer. For the purchase or Demo of Fanatics there is a guy in Jan Juc, Mick is first name that is a dealer, I'm pretty sure his business is called CORE Watersports? Just ask Rich at strapper. If you are in Melbourne, try RPS the boardstore in Elsternwick and ask for Warwick. Another alternative is the 10'2" PSH paddler package that they were still advertising on the SHQ ( Sandringham) website for under $1000.00 last time I looked. It's 33" wide but because of the chines on the bottom surfs much shorter. They are heavy board but are a great design and include a cheap Fibreglass Paddle which you'll break after about 6 months, but that will have given you enough time to save up to research the purchase of a good paddle such as a Ke Nalu, Quikblade or Kialoha. Good Luck with it all, it's the best sport in the world and you will never want to bother with Longboards or shortboards after you become proficient at it.

Cheers and Mahalo Leroy.
PM me if you need or want any more info.

At your height and weight, I would urge you to go long and wide. Something at least 10' x 35" (even 37"). Very wide boards are so much FUN for big beginners, it is no worth suffering on a narrow board.

I would second the suggestion to also keep learning surfing prone, but there again, on a board with a lot of volume and width. Surfers are not used to pay attention to the volume of your boards, but it changes a lot of things. Just realise that when you see a longboarder knee-paddling above water, its board must have more volume than your weight (in kg). So try to get a longboard of at least 120 litres

For instance, in the picture below, the submerged part of the board has volume of liters equal to the guy weight in kg. Add the volume of the board out of the water, and you see that his board volume may be close to 130 - 140% his weight...