As a new member, I can't belive what I've been reading. I thought this was a SUP forum. If this is the way it is all the time, I'm not coming back. Thanks to AA, Phil, Rich and all the others who have given me their advice and recommendations. Bye

ty

petemc said...

Lacey

I hear what your saying. However if I choose to ride an 11'er that's my stoke. Maybe someday I will drop down shorter...my partner has a 9'6...but I'm not going to do it just coz some people think you not a good SUPer coz you ride a tanker. Generalising people as 'unfit or older' coz they ride 'tankers" is bulls--t. As I said earlier I "don't follow the head ewe", I do want I enjoy. I like walking the board, hanging five, ten whatever and whoever said you can't fit a longboard into a small wave. We all need to keep an open mind.

pete

100% right on the money.

Sam28 said...

As a new member, I can't belive what I've been reading. I thought this was a SUP forum. If this is the way it is all the time, I'm not coming back. Thanks to AA, Phil, Rich and all the others who have given me their advice and recommendations. Bye

Sam it's all cool. This is a very new sport and the dust is still settling-this type of discussion is very healthy so long as degree of decorum and respect is maintained-so far so good.

Glass off said...

I have been riding an 8'6" for a few sessions now -so here's some of my impressions of going shorter... ( baa baa bla - following the lead ewe!)

What you loose in paddle-power and glide, you gain in manoeuvre-ability.

You can go steeper & deeper - with a greater rate of turn.

It's the same difference as longboarding & shortboarding - they really are becoming two seperate disciplines IMO.

Catching a wave on a short-SUP becomes alot more precise - yes more difficult than gliding onto a swell with a 10+ SUP.... On my 8'6" I just have one or two paddle strokes into the wave after carefull positoning.

My preference for smaller 4-5" fins also affects yaw (straight line paddling) but I prefer surfing the wave on rail as opposed using a 7"+ centre fin which I find too stiff to surf on rail but better for paddling straight lines.

yeah, thats good writing, i use the 7" as a trade off for handling and paddling,also use the mr sides for holding power even if it is a bit stiff in the smaller stuff.the thing i've found there is a big difference between mucking around on beachies and supping hi-speed on power waves

Question from a newby here

I was always under the impression that one of the main advantages Mal riders had over shortboarders was the ability to catch waves easier. Yet one of the issues that continually pops up is that Short SUPrs are having to move into the prone surfing takeoff zone.

Now even a shortish SuP is still 9' long which would make it one of the longest boards in the lineup. How is it they are having to jockey with 6' prone surfers for waves? Am I missing something here about paddling capability with regards to width or center of gravity or something?

Lobes said...



Now even a shortish SuP is still 9' long which would make it one of the longest boards in the lineup. How is it they are having to jockey with 6' prone surfers for waves? Am I missing something here about paddling capability with regards to width or center of gravity or something?

I'm a newbie as well. 83 kegs on a 9 3 ripper and it out paddles mal riders easily - even outpaddles my goatie mate.... ha ha!

I reckon if I go down to 8' 8 it will still keep up with the majority of Mals.

The point these guys - banging on about longer SUPs - are missing is that some places like Sydney just aren't practical for super tankers in most of the breaks. Most of the waves are short sucky beachies with quite a few crew on em.

billboard said...

Next you guys on your sub 10' sups are gunna be saying you are able to outsurf a mal as well. SURELY YOU AREN'T THAT NAIVE ARE YOU ??

Ha ha, you are quite a sh!t stirrer MR Billboard

Sam28 said...

As a new member, I can't belive what I've been reading. I thought this was a SUP forum. If this is the way it is all the time, I'm not coming back. Thanks to AA, Phil, Rich and all the others who have given me their advice and recommendations. Bye

From time to time we have our little debates,but we all know and respect each other most of the time
This type of flare up happens ones in a blue noon,enjoy the forum Sam its a great way to learn and keep in touch with whats going on in the world of sup'ing.
We will all be cool tomorrow,promise

mac

so what does it mean if you dabble on a 9'4 , a 12,6 "mal style" sup, a 6'8 shortboard and a 9'2 mal, weigh 110kg, can consume 140 litres, are 182 cm tall and suffer from a prawn that resembles a midget bricklayers thumb?

performance sup over logging,great subject,like a fight in a girls school.ive managed to finally rid myself of over 10.0 logs,ive been a longboarder all my surfing life and love it but sup performance boards are a whole new world of fun.my 9.0 surfshape paddles just great,my 10.0 laguna paddles a tiny bit better but that is as big as i will ever go until i want to down wind.oliver your a crack,keep it up

Being a local surfer in a small town I guess helps with being accepted for riding a SUP - but you do stand out like dogsballs so it pays to surf with respect to all.

I'm seeing negative reactions to 10'+ SUPpers on the points & I copped some when I rode my 10'6" there a few times. Big SUPs do take up alot of space & grab waves long before they begin to break.... A few months ago some pro SUP riders dominated Whale Bay like this for a few days & it stirred up a fair bit of SUP-hate

Strangely enough I've been getting a steady flow of positive reactions from surfers when I'm on my SUPrippers. I would say I have less advantages than a mal for sure - at least when its windy & choppy (which it is 95% of the time). Surfers can see that you are paying your dues - having to wait your turn & be in the right spot at the right time catching a breaking wave to get going & I think it means you are more accepted (as a freak) in the line-up.

Gorgo said...

When you can catch more waves than you want to surf it's easy to sit back and share waves with everybody else.

Is that possible?

billboard said...

Next you guys on your sub 10' sups are gunna be saying you are able to outsurf a mal as well. SURELY YOU AREN'T THAT NAIVE ARE YOU ??

Thats even more hilarous. A mal there the real slug tankers!!

loco4olas said...

Gorgo said...

When you can catch more waves than you want to surf it's easy to sit back and share waves with everybody else.

Is that possible?

Sure it is. I can do it. Can't you? It's a three step process.

1. Lose count of how many waves you've had.
2. Start to get tired arms and shoulders and legs.
3. Realise you've just paddled back out after a set wave and there's another set wave with nobody on it just waiting for you saying "take me now".

I'm relatively new to sup and the forum, started on a 10'6 now on a 10 and now looking for the new 9'6. I enjoy the glide and trim of longer boards, but coming off 6'4 shortboards I am keen to get a little less volume and a bit more turning action.

Don't think I will go sub 9' but I really love hearing about the shorter boards, new designs and the views of people pushing the performance envelope and seeing the vids - so keep it coming!!!

BTW my view is go with WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT!