I am keen to get a SUP and am a little baffled by all the size and shapes.. I weigh about 95kgs and have surfed short boards for 30 years.. I am not really interested in flat water paddling. just keen to get into the surf. I know there is a compromise between stability and maneuverability.. I have a friend with a Naish 10.6 x 28 x 4.3 for sale.. but he is going to a smaller board and i surf a lot better than him.. I was just hoping someone could point me in the right direction.. Thanks Ben

I reckon that around the 10' long x 30" wide (max) would be a good start, but you would move on pretty quickly to a smaller board.

I don't know much about the various brands, but I have had a blast with Starboard - now onto number three. Really like to concave on the 10'3 x 29 I have just got.

Milko-I'm not inclined to suggest any particular brand-and thoroughly agree that you should demo as many as you can-I'm currently riding an 8'8" shortboard shaped SUP by LSD (Luke Short-well known short board shaper)-after spending my first 6 months or so on PSH 9'3" Ripper (which was a great first board for me as surfer/kiter and one-time windsurfer and light weight at 77kg odd).

I'd suggest at your weight (missed that in my first reply) you go for around a mid-9 feet board that is surf/wave orientated-there's heaps out there from heaps of manufacturers. Demo them and get a mate to give you some pointers initially and, as an experienced surfer etc., you'll be off and hooked in no time.

SUP is super complimentary to short board surfing-really improves your strength/balance etc.-probably part of the reason so many of the pros also SUP.

loco4olas said...
something in the mid/high 8 feet to mid 9 feet range and some width (over 28" up to say 29 1/2" and up to 4 1/4" thick).

I second this. I weight 100kg and started with a 8'11x29'3/4", 142l, wide nose. It is perfect as a single board for some time if you do not have too much chop on your spots however. Chop is really hard on stability when SUPing

In retrospect I may have been better off planning upfront to have a quiver, and started with something with more glide and chop stability (10'x30' performance longboard shape), that I would have completed with a more "shortboard" shape for glassy conditions after some time. But I do not really regret starting with an "hybrid" shape that wetted my appetite when conditions got good.

Your surfing experience will make your progress quite fast. Just remember to put some paddling training on the flat to learn how to steer your board where you want and practice turns to position yourself in the lineup.

All good choices there Phil for sure

Naish 9'5 Mana or something like that (with similar dimensions) might be good to start on.
9'5 x 31 x 4"3/4, 190 Litres. You'll probably struggle to find a cheap second hand on though....
Otherwise, you could try a cheap board in 10-10'6 range.

Your mate's Naish (10'6) would be pretty much perfect for starting on, while you find your legs (so to speak!). It is harder than it looks at first....

No real harm in buying the Naish, surf it for 3-6 months, while you decide what you want to downsize to. Then sell it.... you may only lose $100 on the board, or ever sell it for what you buy it for.....

Every day spent procrastinating on the decision, is another lost on the water !!

Stick a brick on the nose of shortboard and go for a surf-that's what the round nose's feel like.

milko said...
one question i would like to add.. Some boards seem to have a more shortboard shape ( pointy nose ) and some boards have a more mal shape ( rounded nose ) but i see guys ripping on both.. is there a huge difference between the two.. eg Naish hokua 9.6 or PSH wide all-rounder??

Every SUP was a wide nose in the early years. A wide nose increases stability. As the sport matures, and our skills push the limits, pointed noses are becoming commonplace.

Some brands still keep their noses widish, even when shaping a shortboard style SUP

SimonDodd said...

Hi Ben,
Take a drive down to MR's shop, he has a 9'6 Sub Vector which will suit you. MR is super stoked on SUP and will offer you all the guidance you need.

That'd be a great board at your weight-super stable but still surfable.

I'm with OG SUP.

Good advice right there but maybe consider the regular 9'6" Ripper rather than the wide.
I rode the 9'6" Wide Ripper mid last year when I was 85kgs and a it felt a bit like a boat.

I'm one for persisting on a more performance board rather than updating after 6 months
and throwing away $600 on resale/trade-in.

Bnaccas said...

I'm with OG SUP.

Good advice right there but maybe consider the regular 9'6" Ripper rather than the wide.
I rode the 9'6" Wide Ripper mid last year when I was 85kgs and a it felt a bit like a boat.

I'm one for persisting on a more performance board rather than updating after 6 months
and throwing away $600 on resale/trade-in.

There is no 9 6 ripper only the wide ripper there is a 9 8 and a 9 10 both great big wave boards wish I was lighter would get one. Heaps of choice demo demo and have fun :-)

Thanks for all the advice.. went for my first SUP yesterday and had a shocker.. I thought it would be a lot easier.. No worries surfing it.. just the stationary balance thing that stuffs me.. i think i need to get some time up on the flat water to get my balance.. I have been lent the naish 10.6 for a while so i am going to paddle around shoal bay until i am more confident to hit the waves again.. I am determined to get this..

milko said...

Thanks for all the advice.. went for my first SUP yesterday and had a shocker.. I thought it would be a lot easier.. No worries surfing it.. just the stationary balance thing that stuffs me.. i think i need to get some time up on the flat water to get my balance.. I have been lent the naish 10.6 for a while so i am going to paddle around shoal bay until i am more confident to hit the waves again.. I am determined to get this..

same as me nice waist high waves and cross shore 15 knots looked easy from the beach, managed to standup 1/2 dozen times before the chop and swell had me back in the water very fast, very humbling..... I resorted to catching a few prone and then using the paddle to connect the sections, board surfs well.

I spent 1.5hrs today in the port on flat water and wind chop just paddleing and doing tail turns covered about 3kms and even managed to paddle into 15 to 20 knot head wind. Shoulders and hips are feeling it now. I will spend a few days this week getting my sea legs.

Great fun

milko said...

Thanks for all the advice.. went for my first SUP yesterday and had a shocker.. I thought it would be a lot easier.. No worries surfing it.. just the stationary balance thing that stuffs me.. i think i need to get some time up on the flat water to get my balance.. I have been lent the naish 10.6 for a while so i am going to paddle around shoal bay until i am more confident to hit the waves again.. I am determined to get this..

Hey Ben, I'm in Newcastle & have a 9'8 Starboard Element so if you're ever down this way you're welcome to have a go.
Also I'll be up the Bay this weekend send me a PM if you want to catch up for a paddle or surf & you can try the Element then.

I've found the Element great to start on, nice and stable with the round nose but still goes well in the waves. That said I'm now thinking about a shorter more surf orientated SUP, hopefully one of the new shorter PSH wide rippers coming out in late May?

Like others have said, I recommend you check out the C4 9'6 Sub vector (as Simon mentioned check it out at MR's), the PSH 9'6 Wide ripper or 9'2 Allrounder & the JL 9'9. I started with the Element (round nose) which in my experience made an easier initial learning curve and has great stability in choppier conditions. If you only go out in smoother conditions & are after a more shortboard performance then look for more of a pulled in nose.

Just get out there as much as you can, then hopefully one day after several weeks (& +20 hrs board time) you look back at your first sessions & realise how much you've improved & how much fun you're having (but also how much more there is to learn & how much more fun you'll have doing it). Hope this helps.

Cheers, Matt