G'day Mattress
Better of getting the basic 12fter dosn't matter if its a dog of a board as it will be cheap & it'll get you started. For the first 6 months you'll be just feeling your way. Start straight of in the surf but nothing over 2 feet you're going to fall of a lot like I did so you'll be doing a lot of swearing under water. After 6 months you'll chop 2ft of the nose & so on 3 years down the track you'll be riding around the 8'4'' mark if you're around 90kg
see ya in da ocean

Mattress said...

I'm just about to get my first SUP and don't know what size paddle to get. Anyone know of a rule, guide etc. I'm assuming its all about your height and nothing about the board. I'm 5'11".

Any advise from experienced riders would be great

I agree with Dave Kalama when he says your paddle should be between 8" and 12" over your head height.

My surf paddle is 8" over and my flat water paddle is 12" over.

There are a lot of other things to consider like board size, your body size.. and the conditions that you paddle.

You should also consider what size blade.. It seems like small blades are the go these days.

DJ

I'm certainly no expert but it occurs to me that the oft quoted, catch all inches above head height measurement for paddles has to be contingent upon the length of your arms. So for taller people, the 8 - 12 inches above head height would make a lot more sense than for a shorter person who would likely have shorter arms.